Not sure if this is the correct place to post this or not. I apologize in advance if I placed it incorrectly.
I’ve been lurking around for a few weeks now trying to get some info on making a fightstick for smash. Overall it seems possible to do, and I found a few threads on this subject already but it seems the original posters went MIA. Either they figured it out or they simply could not get it to work and disappeared instead of letting us know if it can be done or not.
My plan is to take an official GameCube Controller and pad hack it. I found a great tutorial and idea of how to do basic pad hacking from another forum from this dude named Haruman. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=64050.0
The fightstick that I’m currently planning on using or trying out if I decide to pull the trigger and attempt this project is a Happ Analog Joystick. Which seems to be a good choice but when it comes to the potentiometer I’m not sure if it will be compatible with the PCB. The one I’m looking at has a 5k pot and the wiring looks like it would be straight forward. Just wire the 3 connections on the pot of the Happ joystick to the 3 connections on the PCB for each x and y axis. If this works then that will take care of having a true analog control for the characters.
This is the link to the joystick. I know it’s expensive but my options are kind of limited. A Ultrastik 360 seems like it won’t be compatible and the Seimitsu LS-64 is close to impossible to find. http://na.suzohapp.com/all_catalogs/joysticks/50-2876-00
When it comes to the C Stick, I am not planning on adding another joystick to control this. I would rather have extra pushbuttons to control each direction: up, down, left, right. I’m kinda stuck here since I don’t know how to wire this up. I found a tutorial that kind of went over it but was unsure exactly how to go about this.
So this is my idea and plan. I am a casual Smash player and am trying to get heavier into the game. But I would rather play this game with a legit fightstick instead of a GameCube controller.
Thanks for checking out the thread and am looking forward to hear anyone’s input on this matter.
-Yuki
Not trying to shut you down, since I find this stuff awesome, but if you’re a casual Smash player and just trying to take the game more seriously keep in mind that almost all Smash players use a controller. This seems a little advanced for a project where you’ll be learning how to do it as you go, but again, go for it if you really want to learn because this type of stuff is undeniably cool. Check this dude’s thread about this, since he posted how he’s gone about doing this, as well as the different choices for sticks available to him: Project: Dedicated Smash Bros Arcade Stick - Update - Seimitsu LS-64 in action!
I actually play Smash with the Wii Tatsunoko vs Capcom stick. I replaced the stock stick with a Seimitsu and the stock buttons with Sanwa.
I use an arcade stick because I have thumb problems that don’t let me use a handheld controller.
Anyway, when you say you want to wire up additional direction buttons, are you talking about buttons for tilts or smashes (what the C-stick would normally do)? If so, the issue is that the C-stick is another analogue stick, so you can’t just wire up buttons to it in that way.
Are you looking to play Melee with this? Or all Smash games? Or just Smash for Wii U?
The Toodles Cthulu multi-console PCB has an experimental Smash mode. I’m not sure what features that includes, but it might be a simpler solution for you.
I understand that all the pro smash players use the GameCube controller. But I thought it would be cool to play on an actual arcade stick. I found that forum thread durring my search but it looks like that person is not to be found. It’s been 4 months since he made an update.
Yeah I was talking about wiring button to the C Stick for the smash moves. I was messing around with the Wii U Smash and it seemed to only take in a direction input, not really mattered how much was tilted. At least that is what I noticed today when I was messing around in the game. Not sure if I’m mistaken about this or if this is just for the Wii U, maybe Melee made better use of the tilt.
I was looking at the Cthulu but it doesn’t seem to accept analog inputs.
The Cthulu does not accept analog inputs, no arcade stick PCB does–which is why you’re looking at a padhack in the first place.
But as someone already using an arcade stick for Smash, I’ll point out a few things:
You’re spending a heck of a lot of money for the analog stick alone. When you factor in case, buttons, wires, and cannibalized PCB, this is a very expensive job.
Smash is pretty harsh on joystick/thumbsticks. Think about dash dancing as a concept. We wiggle the stick back and forth rapidly and with force. Can the stick that you’re looking at take that kind of abuse for long? I don’t think anyone knows. At the very least, you’ll have to replace the spring that returns the stick to neutral from time to time. How serviceable is this stick?
There is little that you’d want to do with an analog stick that you can’t do with a normal stick. Here are the differences:
A. Any normal left-right input of the stick will be a run. It doesn’t matter how much you tilt the stick. It always runs. However, you can walk if you perform an attack or input, then immediately tilt the stick. This gives you two movement speeds, so you do lose some speed ranges there–but at high levels of play, you’ll notice players rarely walk.
B. You lose the C-stick. However, there is no normal input that the C-stick does that you cannot do with a combination of joystick + attack. For tilts, hold direction and hit attack. For smashes, hit direction and attack simultaneously. You might lose some advanced techniques such as Perfect Pivot to Tilt. This assumes you’re someone who can already do perfect pivots consistently, which isn’t most players.
C. I think you can’t tilt a diminished shield up or down like you can with an analog stick–but I’m not positive.
The questions becomes: When YOU play Smash, how often do you walk and use the C-Stick? And is the loss of these things worth the over $150 price difference between an arcade stick with an analog stick and dedicated tilt/smash buttons and a normal arcade stick compatible with your console(s) of choice?
The Seimitsu LS-64 their only analog stick been discontinued for a while now.
Most of Happs analog joysticks are in the $100 plus range.
Ultimarc’s Ultrastik connects to the PC via USB and it does not look like it can be applied to this situation
Another option, one that I’ve been considering, is attempting to create durable extensions for the analog joysticks and mount them where needed underneath. Not sure how feasible this is going to be as I haven’t had a chance to take apart any spare GameCube controllers, however it’s seeming the most reasonable when it comes to both the cost and the usability. Durability is going to be what I feel is going to suffer. Thoughts?
you can opt for a larger analog replacement, like the ones in the older xbox 360 madcatz arcade controllers. some of your engage distances may be affected but the neutral should stay the same, theoretically.
I’m going to be messing with an old controller tonight and see if I can outfit it with a spare Sanwa JLF. So long as it is appropriately reinforced as well as the distances being accommodated for there realistically shouldn’t be any issue. Also, if you’re curious for the plan I have drawn up, I’d be happy to send that to you as well. My plan is to have the actual C-stick imbedded into the top of the arcade stick very near to the buttons for quick action with the thumb or other fingers. I have a feeling that it could end up leading to some interesting play.
I am not sure I understand what you are trying to do, but the way I processed it was that you were basically going to have your JLF communicate with the analog stick by attaching potentiometers to the JLF and wiring them to the potentiometers on your GC pad. Or by trying to wire the JLF directly to the GC pots. Thing is, I dont think you can just add potentiometers to a JLF and turn it into an analog stick. It sounds like a high tech glue job that would give you the look of an analog stick but I don’t think it will function. I most likely misunderstood what you are planning to do.
I perhaps should have specified. What I’d be doing is using the existing GameCube analog joysticks and extending them. Since they’re effectively a slender lever, reinforcing it and then extending it should provide the same functionality. I’d merely be using the JLF shaft (maybe) to accommodate this. The underlying functionality would still be the original controller parts. The issue would mainly be mounting the analog pieces in a durable fashion, as well as extending the joystick shaft in the same manner as I have a feeling these are far more fragile when extended beyond the original length.
Wouldn’t the JLF need to have a huge throw distance to accommodate that? Also wouldn’t you have to remove the pivot on the JLF so that your GC analog stick now acts as the pivot?
That’s correct on both accounts and by no means would it be an easy modification to make durable. It will absolutely require a lot of testing, but it’s also the most reliable way to get a smash arcade stick that works on all versions (other than N64) as well as no compromises. All of the analog joysticks for sale require a compromise or aren’t even usable. In this case, it’s just heavily modifying a GameCube controller which is currently the best way to play. Might as well take the best and modify it instead of coming up with something that’ll work but with limited or complicated functionality.
I go back to my previous statement, I don’t see how that would work.
The needle like peg from a game pad analog “block” is alot thinner than a JLF shaft.
The weight alone would throw the analog block off, and the whole thing becomes really loose.
Maybe if you can find one of these, the unholy demon love child of a Atari 2600 controller and a Xbox 360 Game pad; THE MAD CATZ XBOX 360 ARCADE JOYSTICK
