retrofitting controllers for the FC3 Plus?

[thefcpguy]

The inner geek in me broke down and I picked up a new Yobo FC3 Plus (NES+SNES+Genesis) console for $50 shipped. I have old games but no original systems to play them on. After much research I see that the biggest flaw is the proprietary connectors for the controllers.

 

Does anyone know of any adapters that would allow me to hook up some authentic controllers? Or, are there any pinout guides to retrofitting better controllers to the Yobo-style connector? I don't pretend to be extremely tech-savvy, but if I picked up some spare parts I'd be happy to give it a go.

 

Thanks in advance!

[godslabrat]

Does anyone know of any adapters that would allow me to hook up some authentic controllers? Or, are there any pinout guides to retrofitting better controllers to the Yobo-style connector? I don't pretend to be extremely tech-savvy, but if I picked up some spare parts I'd be happy to give it a go.

 

I'm not a hardware expert AT ALL, so what I'm saying is what I'm parrotting off of others when I asked this exact same question. The FC3 uses SNES-style connections on an electical level, so it should be trivial to adapt the controllers to use a SNES plug. That would take care of the NES end as well. The Genesis end is a bit different, since there's a timing issue that keeps the Genesis and SNES controllers from being interconnectable... if you were to find some way around that, possibly with an adaptor of some kind, you might be able to use Genny pads as well.

 

HTH, please excuse any inaccuracies.

[StoneAgeGamer]

You can convert a NES or SNES controller to work with the FC3. FC3 controllers are compatible with GEN-X, GN Twin, and SG/FC consoles as well.

 

I did make a NES controller that was compatible with these systems and it worked fine. Of course using the NES controller limits you, an SNES controller would be much better.

Edited June 11, 2009 by StoneAgeGamer

[thefcpguy]

Thanks, guys. SAG, I tried to buy the FC3Plus from you, but it was out of stock!

[thefcpguy]

If the Yobo controllers are compatible across systems, does that mean I could pick up NES/SNES specific ones to use with the FC3? That would at least give me proper A-B button position...

[StoneAgeGamer]

No, not without wiring a FC3 plug on the end of the FC Twin controller. And if you were going to do that you might as well get an official SNES controller and do it. The FC Twin has a SNES compatible plug, the FC3 is a proprietary plug like the GEN-X, GN Twin, and SG/FC.

 

The FC3 plug looks like a Genesis plug, however it is not. Confusing? Yes, its really stupid. IMO they should have never bothered mixing Genesis and Nintendo into one system unless they had controller ports compatible with the original systems. IMO this should be a requirement for all clones.

 

I would rather see a Genesis stand-alone clone that was compatible with Genesis controllers than something like the FC3. I know there's the AtGames Sega Genesis, but I have heard nothing but bad things about it. I would really love to see a Master System/Genesis combo system, but since the MS sold so poorly over here I doubt that will ever happen.

Edited June 11, 2009 by StoneAgeGamer

[thefcpguy]

No, not without wiring a FC3 plug on the end of the FC Twin controller. And if you were going to do that you might as well get an official SNES controller and do it. The FC Twin has a SNES compatible plug, the FC3 is a proprietary plug like the GEN-X, GN Twin, and SG/FC.

 

The FC3 plug looks like a Genesis plug, however it is not. Confusing? Yes, its really stupid. IMO they should have never bothered mixing Genesis and Nintendo into one system unless they had controller ports compatible with the original systems. IMO this should be a requirement for all clones.

 

I would rather see a Genesis stand-alone clone that was compatible with Genesis controllers than something like the FC3. I know there's the AtGames Sega Genesis, but I have heard nothing but bad things about it. I would really love to see a Master System/Genesis combo system, but since the MS sold so poorly over here I doubt that will ever happen.

 

This is great, concise information. Thank you! I totally agree about having a stand-alone Genesis clone. I got burned on eBay buying a "good" used Genny (the thing was in awful shape and was unusable), so I thought I'd go as "new" as possible. The FC3Plus gets relatively good marks for compatibility and accuracy on the Sega side.

shows the FC3 up against a first generation Genesis and an FC Twin running Sonic. Looks and sounds pretty good to me- the Twin does NOT!

[nonner242]

I need to mod a FC3 plus controller...just found that a button or two when missing. Somehow they just jumped out of the boxed system while in storage and ran away...weird!

 

Cheap controllers anyhow...I will play better with some SNES or Genny ones.

 

Now I just have to find a easy way to mod some.

[StoneAgeGamer]

I need to mod a FC3 plus controller...just found that a button or two when missing. Somehow they just jumped out of the boxed system while in storage and ran away...weird!

 

Cheap controllers anyhow...I will play better with some SNES or Genny ones.

 

Now I just have to find a easy way to mod some.

 

You can't do Genesis controllers, but you can do SNES controllers. I actually made a thread awhile back on how to make your own adapters for SNES controllers. You can find it here:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/160276-making-an-snes-adapter-for-yobo-fc3/

[in the dark]

I went for the Retron 3 this week. It accepts the original NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers. My only disappointment in the console is the Genesis chip they used. The music in most of the games I'ved played is very very low in volume. Sometimes almost silent.

[StoneAgeGamer]

I went for the Retron 3 this week. It accepts the original NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers. My only disappointment in the console is the Genesis chip they used. The music in most of the games I'ved played is very very low in volume. Sometimes almost silent.

 

Yes RetroN3 is good alternative, just don't expect to use the pack-in controllers as you already probably found out.

[in the dark]

I went for the Retron 3 this week. It accepts the original NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers. My only disappointment in the console is the Genesis chip they used. The music in most of the games I'ved played is very very low in volume. Sometimes almost silent.

 

Yes RetroN3 is good alternative, just don't expect to use the pack-in controllers as you already probably found out.

 

The pack-ins are totally unuseable. Too floaty and loose in the control. My Retron 3 pack-in controllers kept pausing the game. I really don't understand, unless it was some cost cutting thing, why didn't they use the RF controllers like on the FC16 Go? Using the original controllers is the only way to enjoy gaming on this console.

[goodtofufriday]

 

 

I feel like inserting here that I discovered a way for genesis controllers to be used on this system. Since this thread comes up in google i figure its a good place to post this.

 

 

After a bit of sleuthing, educated guess work, poking, and frustration i have gotten Genesis controllers working on the PF3 Plus, as well as probing out the controller pinouts for the tct-6035.

I've done this work as I'm interested in making an ultra-micro genesis that takes carts, as i've done for the famicom here.

I'll be adding pictures of ICs with the pinouts later including for the tct6035, but for now pictures and a short explanation.

The IC on the bottom of the genesis portion is the converter chip for snes -> genesis. Starting with the red wire (+5) its P1 - select, A/B, up, down, left, right, start/c | P2 follows the same format for the next 7 pins. This side is from/to the tct-6035. The other side of this chip goes to the controller ports. I didn't map these out as i did not care. I think you could use this to create a snes to genesis adapter if you really wanted to. 

My next step is to un-mix the the left/right audio channels.