Knock Off Sega Saturn Pads

L31mr0d

So my second knockoff Sega Saturn pad broke last night

Oddly it broke exactly the same way as the other controller. The construction of the D-Pad is odd though. The D-Pad has this tiny square of plastic on its underside which fits into a sorta inverse D-Pad on the other side of the fascia, the 2 are then screwed together.

This tiny square of plastic under the D-Pad does not take much wear, unsurprisingly. You could probably take a new D-Pad and just break it off with your thumb.

Anyone using any of these knockoff Sega Saturn pads? Anyone know if there are different versions of them?

Anyone know if its possible to just buy a bag of Sega Saturn D-Pads

I found this thread where this guy has the same problem

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/streetfighteriv/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-48527613&pid=943711&page=0

Note: I'm not turning hulk on this controller. None of my other controllers have broken and I've had them for years.

Retr0gamer

You could just by one of the official usb saturn replica pads. I've seen them selling for 10-15 dollars.

Kimbot

http://cgi.ebay.ie/SEGA-SATURN-8-BUTTON-CONTROLLER-PAD-AUTO-SLOW-FIRE_W0QQitemZ350106289808QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_VideoGames_VideoGameAccessories_VideoGameAccessories_JN?hash=item350106289808&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

Should do the trick mate.

L31mr0d

Retr0gamer wrote: »

You could just by one of the official usb saturn replica pads. I've seen them selling for 10-15 dollars.

How do I know if it's an "official" replica? I thought Sega wheren't making these controllers anymore?

This is the set that I bought:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=320348237800

Retr0gamer

They made another batch of them a few months ago and they still sell kind of cheaply. I know that Azza has them if you want to PM him.

L31mr0d

Just found this

Would be worth reading for anyone considering getting Saturn Pads

Supposedly the version I have IS official, it's just it's the first revision of the controller:

source: http://info.sonicretro.org/Saturn_digital_gamepad

First version. Easily breakable within hours of play. This plastic piece *is* plastic, and has ridges in it in such a way that it adds to its fragility. This version has a tan circuit board, and the primary chip on it is a regular "through-hole" IC with the markings sanded off. The board doesn't even say "Sega" on it, if I didn't know better I'd think it was a counterfeit (since one came with the system and the other was a separate controller it's near impossible, besides it still has the official plug that says Sega on it etc.).

The second revision has a nylon D-Pad which is less susceptible to breaking

Retr0gamer

Hmm, not really replicas then are they because my two japanese saturn pads have been through the wars and work perfectly after nearly 15 years.

L31mr0d

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Hmm, not really replicas then are they because my two japanese saturn pads have been through the wars and work perfectly after nearly 15 years.

Well yeah, but you probably have the second revision of the controller that doesn't have the flawed D-Pad design. I guess mine are replicas of the original revision or surplus stock... who knows.

I've looked up about how to detect if you have counterfeit controllers and the ones I have are not counterfeit, there are some obvious indicators, mainly the internal construction of the D-Pad.

Leprekaun

Do these pads work with the 360?

Retr0gamer

Unfortunately no they don't.

K.O.Kiki

To elaborate:
The "knockoff" Saturn pads doing the rounds on eBay cannot work with the 360, as MS requires a hardware chip in every controller, while the PS3 does not -- this has, in fact, enabled Toodles from SRK to create various PCBs (the Cthulhu, MC Cthulhu & UPCB) which are PS3 plug-and-play, but require a 360 pass-through.

redshoulder

I bought a saturn pad of ebay for my pc a couple of months ago, works well
made by Sega Logistics Services.

L31mr0d

redshoulder wrote: »

I bought a saturn pad of ebay for my pc a couple of months ago, works well
made by Sega Logistics Services.

Thanks for the link. Yeah I think the black ones are the newer revision also. So are the grey ones. The white ones with the coloured buttons appear to be the earliest revision with the fragile D-Pads.

CodeMonkey

I bought a grey one from ebay recently. Used it for like 1 hr to try it out. Didn't like it. The dpad is great but I can't get use to how the different button feels and I also hate the position of the light punch and kick, makes tick throws awkward. Selling it for 20 euros if anyone is interested. Will post an adverts.ie ad soon.

L31mr0d

CodeMonkey wrote: »

The dpad is great but I can't get use to how the different button feels

Yeah same here, I love the d-pad, but the buttons aren't the best, they feel too smushy (an odd decision as the shoulder buttons are excellent), their position and also the size difference between the top and bottom row isn't the best either.

I'd also agree about the LK and LP, even MK and MP... most people who've played against me would probably notice I hardly ever throw or FA, it's because it is just too awkward to consistently pull them off. I have to completely reposition my hand on the controller.

Anyway, just got word I received my 2 new grey ones in the post. I'll be opening one of them up as soon as I get home to check the design of the D-Pad to make sure it isn't the fragile earlier revision.

Also, regardless of my gripes with the buttons, the controller overall is 100 times better than a PS3 controller. I'd recommend anyone still using a sixaxis to snap up the one codemonkey has for sale.

NeoKubrick

L31mr0d wrote: »

Anyway, just got word I received my 2 new grey ones in the post. I'll be opening one of them up as soon as I get home to check the design of the D-Pad to make sure it isn't the fragile earlier revision.

Have you tried using the claw? I bought a Madcatz FightPad and using your index finger to cover the face buttons as well as your thumb seems essential with it.

CodeMonkey

I've actually gone back to play using the sixaxis in the last few days. The madcatz fightpad is fantastic for charge characters and great for pulling off vega and guile's ultras.

I am learning Abel and Gouken at the moment though and find the madcatz fightpad not very good in doing qcf moves. I think retrogamer hinted at this by pointing out that it was easier to do moves on his old pc sidewider pad in a different thread.

I actually find the sixaxis/dualshock3 dpad better over the madcatz fightpad for consistently pulling off shoto moves. Just need to get use to the buttons which are better than the saturn pad.

L31mr0d

CodeMonkey wrote: »

I actually find the sixaxis/dualshock3 dpad better over the madcatz fightpad for consistently pulling off shoto moves. Just need to get use to the buttons which are better than the saturn pad.

Odd, I'm the exact opposite. I guess I'm more at home with the floating motion of the saturn D-Pad, I'm used to rolling my thumb around the edge of the D-pad, which I pretty much can't do on the PS3 controller as it's divided into 4 sections and isn't floating. I do however find dashing easier on the PS3 controller, when I try it on the saturn pad every now and again I'll accidentally jump by slightly tilting the d-pad up.

I find shoto characters, and especially gief with his full circle moves a lot easier on the saturn.

The face buttons are better on the sixaxis, but there are only 4 of them. I really don't like having to rely on the shoulders for HK or HP, especially the left shoulders.

Retr0gamer

CodeMonkey wrote: »

I actually find the sixaxis/dualshock3 dpad better over the madcatz fightpad for consistently pulling off shoto moves. Just need to get use to the buttons which are better than the saturn pad.

I found the exact same as you. Charge characters are great on the fightpad but Shoto characters I can't pull off moves consistently. I seem to have to put my thumb into the forward up position when I end the motion to get a fireball off which is counter intuitive and still doesn't work 100%.

I usually play on the 360 but had a game of SSF2THDR with Azza on the PS3 and I actually found the six axis d-pad far better than the fightpad d-pad. And remember all my moaning about it? It's still not great but it's more consistent than the fightpad. I think it is to do with the floating d-pad design because my saturn pad is 100% consistent and it doesn't have a floating d-pad (sorry l31mrod but the d-pad on the saturn isn't a floating d-pad, it sits on top of the directional sensors just like on the megadrive. The floating d-pad is basically a joystick with a d-pad on top of it and is nowhere near as accurate.

Gummy Panda

CodeMonkey wrote: »

I've actually gone back to play using the sixaxis in the last few days. The madcatz fightpad is fantastic for charge characters and great for pulling off vega and guile's ultras.

I'm actually the opposite. I find Guile's ultra a pain on the fightpad as it just seems off when i do it. I keep getting Flash kicks instead. Same with bison, I just can't seem to pull off super/ultra with fightpad.

Retr0gamer

There's but one solution: get a stick

CodeMonkey

Gummy Panda wrote:

I'm actually the opposite. I find Guile's ultra a pain on the fightpad as it just seems off when i do it. I keep getting Flash kicks instead. Same with bison, I just can't seem to pull off super/ultra with fightpad.

I whiff the ultras quite a bit too on the madcatz fightpad but I can't do them at all with the sixaxis. I don't depend on vega's ultra too much so I can live without it.

Retr0gamer wrote:

There's but one solution: get a stick

I am tempted. I find that I can't improve much without a stick but will settle for learning some other characters instead for now. Them sticks are expensive. My brother who is in HK tells me the TE madcatz stick only sells for hk$1000 in the shops. Which is about 100 euro.

CodeMonkey

L31mr0d wrote: »

Odd, I'm the exact opposite. I guess I'm more at home with the floating motion of the saturn D-Pad, I'm used to rolling my thumb around the edge of the D-pad, which I pretty much can't do on the PS3 controller as it's divided into 4 sections and isn't floating. I do however find dashing easier on the PS3 controller, when I try it on the saturn pad every now and again I'll accidentally jump by slightly tilting the d-pad up.

The saturn d-pad is better than the sixaxis. It's the madcatz dpad I have problems with. I don't use the saturn joypad because of the buttons.

L31mr0d

crap... the ones I bought that arrived today have the same flawed d-pad design as my last ones (note: if you are buying off ebay do not buy these pads from the seller wiilite)

I've attached pictures of it (I took it apart as soon as I got home) A proper Saturn pad will not have those tapered ridges leading in to that fragile bit of plastic in the middle.

Gummy Panda

Retr0gamer wrote: »

There's but one solution: get a stick

According from the sellers vague message, its being sent today.

Thank god! My left hand is bit ropey today from doing combo trials. The harder the combos the more unresponsive the fightpad gets. I couldn't combo into Cammy's super when doing: J.HK > C.MK > Spiral Arrow > Spin Drive Smasher.

Retr0gamer

Hmm, to be honest the tops of the dpads look exactly like the d-pads on my two saturn pads and on my saturn analogue pad.

Oh and eh, the saturn pad is a floating d-pad just the d-pad is closer to the pressure sensors than in the fightpad, a lot closer.

L31mr0d

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Hmm, to be honest the tops of the dpads look exactly like the d-pads on my two saturn pads and on my saturn analogue pad.

well yeah the tops look exactly the same, but afaik the underside is completely different. On the newer revision of the pad the d-pad is a solid piece without any hollowing out underneath. You could take it apart and post a picture

It's also made from a completely different plastic that's nylon based. This one is made from a harder plastic that doesn't flex.