Analog Gamecube Stick

Tech Talk
1

Is it even possible? It doesn’t seem like I can find any data on it whatsoever. I can’t find it on a search here, so I figured I might as well ask about it.

What I have now is essentially a toast controller, as far as the buttons go, but the board is still fresh. I’d like to preserve as much of the controller as possible (of course forsaking the rumble), so I need analog support. However, it doesn’t seem like this is a well-treaded path, and I can’t find any analog arcade sticks to start with (Happ’s P360 seems like the closest match, but I don’t think it’s truly analog).

Anything? Am I just blind to this, or is it really unheard of?

2

Your description of what you have to work with, and what you want to do with it, is lacking.

3

If it’s not too unheard of, I essentially want a Gamecube controller in stick form, accurate down to the full motion sticks and analog shoulder buttons (granted they will be positioned differently). My intent was to make it usable for anything, primarily as a way to play Smash with an arcade stick, but also as something I could use in other GCN fighting games when I run into them (which isn’t much. GNT, CvS2 and GG are all I can recall), and of course for other games in sheer novelty factor (almost like it were an NES Advantage, but in GCN form). However, data seems lacking, or is really good at hiding, or is hiding in plain sight and I’m too blind to see it.

So, in English, take the Gamecube controller guts, make it into a fully-mapped stick. I think it has been done except for the analog nubs part from what I can find.

EDIT: What I have to work with is only the controller board, and the stick inputs on them. I’m replacing the buttons, so that’s irrelevant.

4

An all purpose stick like that would probably suck for playing 2D fighters. I don’t know of any analog stick that u can just set to 8-way mode, but I don’t know a lot about analog sticks. There are definitely analog sticks (Happ) and it would be theoretically possible to make a gamecube stick with one, but trying to do 2D 8-way fighters on them would make playing them kinda difficult IMO.

5

information is lacking
theres a sticky on top detailing the seimitsu ls-64

an analog joystick

beyond that you’re on your own

6

It will be expensive if it is possible. The LS-64 analog stick is $65. I happen to be looking into this myself. I am waiting on some information on the LS-64 before I dig any deeper. My son wants SSB on the Wii and the classic controller seems to be the best candidate for hacking.

7

Screw the sticks; I’m sure that could be done, probably by hacking around with the gray and violet lines of the 10 pin connector on the Ultimarc stick (http://ultimarc.com/ultrastik_inst.html)

Screw the entire configuration; three sticks (left analog, right analog, and dpad) would be messy as hell, but could be done.

What I REALLY am curious about is where he is going to find pushbuttons that have an analog commonent when being pressed, and a final digital ‘click’ microswitch for all of the way down. (Although in hindsight, setting up something like a little microcontroller to act like that digital switch when the analog is at some set value is totally doable.)

OP, what you are asking for is extremely undetailed, and the little that can be assumed would be extremely difficult for someone to do without some serious hack-fu already under your belt.

8

I am pretty sure that Smash bros brawl does not have any analog inputs other than the analog sticks themselves so you should be able to use regular arcade buttons. You might also be able to use Happ 49-way joysticks for the analog sticks.

9

MAS systems offered (might still) gamecube support in their sticks. I actually have 2. They have a proprietary PCB in them. They only work on the cube and not on the Wii. They have a button you press to make the Happ Comp. stick mimic an analog stick. It worked ok. I only tried it in Wind Waker just for shits and giggles. Never tried to play melee with it. Anywho… That’s my 2 cents. I guess I’m saying it’s possible. Sort of.
-G

10

If the game can be played by turning the Wii-mote on its side and using the wii-mote’s d-pad + buttons, maybe you could hack the Wii-mote instead? I suppose you’d need to figure out something to access the battery for easy changes… also drill a few tiny holes somewhere to mount the high fidelity speaker hehe.

11

I’m definitely not the guy to figure this out. If there was a surefire answer to the stick, I probably could have winged the shoulders.

I’m going to check out that other suggestion (the Ultimarc). That looks promising. Of course, this will probably elapse for the next month, so if someone wants a more immediate reply to that solution, you’d probably get more accurate answers sooner looking into it yourself.

12

I have just bought an acade cabinet and am looking for replacement joysticks/buttons.

I’m also very interested in ultimarc’s analogue ultrastick (in fact I am one click away from ordering 2 of them).

What interests me the most is that ultimarc claim that this stick covers all bases…

“No need for any other stick as the UltraStik can operate in ANY mode, 4-way, 8-way, 2-way, 45 degree mode or any special mode you wish to define.”

It has a usb connection for analogue control and also has microswitches for conventional use. So, the important part is, when configured correctly in mame, street fighter games (and any non-analogue games) will simply just use the microswitches and the analogue control would only be available for the times it would be usefull.

I have one concern though. This will be my first time using japanese joysticks/buttons (I previously used an x-arcade) and I’m a little worried that using these ultrasticks will spoil the experience. I would love to go for the popular sanwa or Seimitsu models. According to ultramarc, these analogues will be just as good when used in digital mode, but will they really?

I also notice that ultimarc don’t say who manufactures their parts. They just say things like “genuine japanese parts”. Are ultimarc’s sticks cheap knock-offs or are they as good as sanwa/seimetsu?

While I’m at it, I’m also interested in their crome rimmed white buttons as I can’t find any sanwa/seimetsu alternatives, again, will utimarc’s buttons do the job as well as s/s ones would?

I need to get a j-pac for my jamma cabinet and I don’t know of anywhere to get one other than ultimarc, so I will be buying from there - so to save shipping costs, it would be nice to order some joysticks & buttions from them too.

[edit]
forgot to mention, I have also looked at the seimitsu ls-64. But I cannot find any information about it other than the fact it is an analogue stick. I think the microswitch-only mode is an important feature of ultimarcs (plus also the fact that restrictor plates can be attached). The seimitsu is a bit more pricey but is it a jack of all trades like the ultrastick apparently is??