The Battlestation II Arcade Controller for NES/SNES/Genesis/SMS/Atari

[Serious]

http://www.tototek.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=23

 

Controller adapters for PSX -> PC Engine, TG16, Neo Geo, and Saturn consoles.. Using the SNES -> PSX adapter plus one of these might enable using the BS2 with these other consoles.

 

I think I am going to order the TG16 adapter and will give it a try.

[Serious]

I'm still waiting for the TG16 adapter to arrive, so no updates there..

 

But after inquiring on the VOGONS forum, I think I've found a way to connect the BS2 to a PC for DOS gaming.

 

It is possible to connect classic game controllers to the parallel port of a PC via an adapter, and to map the control output to keyboard input using a TSR program called SNESkey.

 

You apparently can write an ini file for the key mapping, so I'm thinking I could write an ini file for each game (based on which keys it uses) and initialize SNESkey with the settings for a specific game before loading the game.

 

I am thinking that this should also allow using the BS2 on MAME.

[boxpressed]

I'm still waiting for the TG16 adapter to arrive, so no updates there..

 

But after inquiring on the VOGONS forum, I think I've found a way to connect the BS2 to a PC for DOS gaming.

 

It is possible to connect classic game controllers to the parallel port of a PC via an adapter, and to map the control output to keyboard input using a TSR program called SNESkey.

 

You apparently can write an ini file for the key mapping, so I'm thinking I could write an ini file for each game (based on which keys it uses) and initialize SNESkey with the settings for a specific game before loading the game.

 

I am thinking that this should also allow using the BS2 on MAME.

 

Have you seen this site?

 

http://arcadecontrols.com/Mirrors/www.ziplabel.com/dpadpro/index.html

 

However, it doesn't say that the adapter will work in DOS, just Win95 and Win98.

 

EDIT: didn't see your link above to SNESkey!

[Serious]

 

Have you seen this site?

 

http://arcadecontrols.com/Mirrors/www.ziplabel.com/dpadpro/index.html

 

However, it doesn't say that the adapter will work in DOS, just Win95 and Win98.

 

EDIT: didn't see your link above to SNESkey!

I haven't, but I am guessing this is the same thing, but Windows-based software.

 

I am clumsy when trying to do hardware mods, so I'd rather find somewhere that I could buy one of these parallel port adapters, but no luck so far.

 

I recently acquired Silpheed (DOS) and a Roland MT-32, and I'd love to connect my Battlestation 2 to my retro PC for use with this great game.

[boxpressed]

I think that the classic DOS (digital) controller is the Gravis Gamepad. Many DOS games have support for it. So the trick would be to convert the BS2 signal into a Gravis Gamepad signal. Alternately, you could try to convert the BS2 signal to keyboard inputs.

[Serious]

I think that the classic DOS (digital) controller is the Gravis Gamepad. Many DOS games have support for it. So the trick would be to convert the BS2 signal into a Gravis Gamepad signal. Alternately, you could try to convert the BS2 signal to keyboard inputs.

I'm not familiar with the Gravis Gamepad, but I like the idea of keymapping, because it opens up the possibility of using all of the buttons on the BS2 (or any other controller) in a configurable way for all PC games.

 

I have a MAME cabinet that uses a card to map arcade buttons to re-mappable keyboard input. (I think it is called a KE72.) It might be easier to do something with that since it outputs to the keyboard port instead of the parallel port. The fact that the BS2 has DB9 connections on it means that I could probably split apart a cheap serial port cable.

 

You now.. Now that I think about it, there is that big "expansion" port (or whatever they call it) on the BS2 as well. I wonder what could be done with that? I'm not at home right now, so I can't look at it, but that might basically be a parallel port.

[boxpressed]

I have to take back what I said about the Gravis Gamepad being digital. Because it attached to the 15-pin joystick/MIDI port, it had to be analog.

 

I found this helpful site too:

 

http://www.retroconnection.de/

 

Maybe you could commission someone on AA to make one of these adapters.

[Serious]

A photo (found on SegaAge forums) from the BS2 manual describing the "Control Pin-Out" port:

 

 

So it sounds like this was added to support Jamma boards..?

 

It looks like a standard DB25 connection, so I think I'll buy a $6 DB25 cable, connect it directly to the LPT1 port, run SNESKey for DOS, and see what happens..

 

 

Maybe you could commission someone on AA to make one of these adapters.

 

If the above doesn't work, that's what I'd like to do.

[boxpressed]

Sell them here first....and let me know if/when you do! I might very well be interested in the Blaze.

Blaze on eBay right now (not mine)

 

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 201090895480

[+GoldenWheels]

Blaze on eBay right now (not mine)

 

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 201090895480

At that price thank you boxpressed, done and done. Already better than the two playtech sticks I have and I need those turbos so my son can play with me.

Edited May 16, 2014 by GoldenWheels

[stringfellow]

anyone figure out how to put another set of start and select buttons in this thing? It would be nice to have a start and select for each player.

[Cynicaster]

Surprised I've never seen this controller before.

 

Very cool, but I think the only way I'd have any hope of enjoying it would be if it were built into some kind of pedestal that is sturdy and allows me to sit or stand in a comfortable position. I'm just putting the finishing touches on an X-arcade Tank Stick pedestal for my garage, and indeed, having it solidly mounted and comfortable makes all the difference in the world.

[Serious]

Surprised I've never seen this controller before.

 

Very cool, but I think the only way I'd have any hope of enjoying it would be if it were built into some kind of pedestal that is sturdy and allows me to sit or stand in a comfortable position. I'm just putting the finishing touches on an X-arcade Tank Stick pedestal for my garage, and indeed, having it solidly mounted and comfortable makes all the difference in the world.

 

It actually fits comfortably in my lap.

 

I've been using it on a desk lately, and I'm finding that in intense gameplay, I'm moving it around, so I may need to do something to make it more stationary..

 

P.S. There is a defective one on eBay right now.

[Serious]

A couple of updates on recent experiments:

 

The PSX -> TG16 adapter arrived this week and I tried it out on the BS2 today (by using an SNES -> PSX adapter cable). For whatever reason, it did not work. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the PSX -> TG16 adapter, as I was able to use a PSX arcade stick with this adapter, and I had no issues.

 

I also tried connecting the BS2's Control Pin-Out port to my PC's parallel port via a DB25 cable, I ran SNESKEY, and no matter how I initialized it, nothing seemed to work. I also tried a DB9 -> DB25 cable on both the Atari and Genesis outputs, and also no luck. It may be that power is needed, but I'm thinking that the normal wiring on a serial cable just isn't what SNESKEY is meant to handle.

 

 

I'm not sure what I'm going to try next. I can live without using the BS2 on a TG16 (though that sure would be nice), but I'd really like to be able to have a re-mappable arcade stick for DOS gaming.

[boxpressed]

Here's another site with lots of good links. There's a DOS TSR called DigiJoy that sounds promising.

 

http://archive.today/ZTCzY

[Mulletino]

Blaze on eBay right now (not mine)

 

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 201090895480

 

Damn! I'm building a PS2 Arcade Table and that would have been perfect!! (albeit outside my budget as i'm keeping the cost down by recycling or using stuff I already have or can get for cheapish).

 

Apologies for busting in without an introduction, i'm new here and in Australia, thanks to the info in this thread it made my decision to buy a Battlestation II easy. TBH i'd never even seen them before and stumbled across one on a local Trade site whilst looking for something else.

 

So I decided to get it, cost me AU$20 (no box but has the bag) apparently unused but the connectors look like they need a little cleaning as you can see in this picture:

 

 

Can't wait to test it out on my Megadrive (Plugnplay) which I will be using on said Arcade Table as i'll be including RCA inputs on the front so I can enjoy the old systems on a proper CRT screen just like the old days.

 

I have my original Atari VCS and Sega Megadrve I and II (Genesis in the US) at my parents' place overseas (along with all my boxed games) so i'll be trying to ship that back here when I next visit them.

 

Anyway, I like the look of this place and it contains some awesome info.

 

Edited June 5, 2014 by Mulletino

[boxpressed]

Welcome! The BS2 is one of my favorite pieces in my collection. The SNES to PS adapters work great, so you can use it until another Blaze turns up.

[Mulletino]

Welcome! The BS2 is one of my favorite pieces in my collection. The SNES to PS adapters work great, so you can use it until another Blaze turns up.

 

 

Thanks, I did see those and was tempted, I may get some eventually to use for two players but stick with the old (one player) stick i'm currently fixing to the table. I really wouldn't want to spray the BS2 black and ruin such a funky device!

 

[+GoldenWheels]

 

Damn! I'm building a PS2 Arcade Table and that would have been perfect!! (albeit outside my budget as i'm keeping the cost down by recycling or using stuff I already have or can get for cheapish).

 

Ha, good idea! I've already installed that one I bought into my homemade cabinet for MAME but I did think it would neat mounted into a coffee table with a flip up monitor....the leading edge even matches the arc of my oval coffee table.

[Serious]

 

Damn! I'm building a PS2 Arcade Table and that would have been perfect!! (albeit outside my budget as i'm keeping the cost down by recycling or using stuff I already have or can get for cheapish).

 

Apologies for busting in without an introduction, i'm new here and in Australia, thanks to the info in this thread it made my decision to buy a Battlestation II easy. TBH i'd never even seen them before and stumbled across one on a local Trade site whilst looking for something else.

 

So I decided to get it, cost me AU$20 (no box but has the bag) apparently unused but the connectors look like they need a little cleaning as you can see in this picture:

 

 

Can't wait to test it out on my Megadrive (Plugnplay) which I will be using on said Arcade Table as i'll be including RCA inputs on the front so I can enjoy the old systems on a proper CRT screen just like the old days.

 

I have my original Atari VCS and Sega Megadrve I and II (Genesis in the US) at my parents' place overseas (along with all my boxed games) so i'll be trying to ship that back here when I next visit them.

 

Anyway, I like the look of this place and it contains some awesome info.

 

 

I think you're going to be happy with it.

 

For $20AUD, that was a steal. Mine didn't come with the bag.. That may be unique to Aussie ones..

 

So far, I've found a way through a combination of adapters to use it with any system I've tried, except for old DOS games running natively (though I could probably make it work via USB adapters with DOSBox).

 

That being said, I'm tending to use it mostly now for Atari-joystick-compatible systems, instead of trying to use it as my primary controller on all systems. There are two reasons for this:

 

1. During intense gameplay, it doesn't tend to stay still when I set it on a desk. (It works best in your lap.) I have PS2 sticks that do stay put, so for the systems I keep on my desk, I'm tending to use my best PS2 arcade stick more often.

 

2. You can't have it connected to multiple systems at once. When I first discovered this, I considered using a serial port switch to overcome this limitation, but all of those cables tend to get in my way.

 

Some games I play with the BS2, I do better with it than I do with a handheld joystick. And sometimes, the opposite is true.

 

It is a weapon I'm very glad to have as a part of my arsenal, and is my go-to controller for many games, but I'm finding I still have plenty of use for other parts of my arsenal as well.

[Serious]

Ha, good idea! I've already installed that one I bought into my homemade cabinet for MAME but I did think it would neat mounted into a coffee table with a flip up monitor....the leading edge even matches the arc of my oval coffee table.

 

The PS2 is such a great machine for arcade gaming, with all of the arcade collections for it, and the wide availability of arcade sticks for it.

 

I've counted 255 arcade titles that are playable on the PS2 (a few of which are only available on PS1 collections).

 

If it weren't for a few titles I like that aren't available on the PS2 (Gorf, Space Dungeon, Zektor, Mad Planets, and Reactor being the ones that come to mind), I'd probably not play MAME at all.

[+GoldenWheels]

 

The PS2 is such a great machine for arcade gaming, with all of the arcade collections for it, and the wide availability of arcade sticks for it.

 

I've counted 255 arcade titles that are playable on the PS2 (a few of which are only available on PS1 collections).

 

If it weren't for a few titles I like that aren't available on the PS2 (Gorf, Space Dungeon, Zektor, Mad Planets, and Reactor being the ones that come to mind), I'd probably not play MAME at all.

 

Absolutely! The Capcom ones, Midway 1-3, Taito 1-2, SNK, the Namcos, etc etc etc. I know some people quibble with the emulation on some of those but great ways to play old games IMO.

[Atariboy]

If it weren't for a few titles I like that aren't available on the PS2 (Gorf, Space Dungeon, Zektor, Mad Planets, and Reactor being the ones that come to mind), I'd probably not play MAME at all.

Actually, Zektor is on the Playstation 2.

 

It's a bonus arcade game in Sega Genesis Collection along with Altered Beast, Future Spy, Tac/Scan, and Zaxxon. Three of which remain exclusive to it to this day and didn't reappear in their PS3/360 compilation of a few years ago.

 

And the companion PSP release has a different selection with Super Zaxxon, Astro Blaster, Congo Bongo, Elimnator, and Space Fury. And the Taito Legends PSP collection has Space Dungeon which sadly never appeared on any of the Japanese or Western Taito console collections. Too bad this thing can't be interfaced, at least easily, with the PSP which has quite a lineup of classic arcade games that can't be found elsewhere.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Atariboy

[Serious]

Actually, Zektor is on the Playstation 2.

 

It's a bonus arcade game in Sega Genesis Collection along with Altered Beast, Future Spy, Tac/Scan, and Zaxxon. Three of which remain exclusive to it to this day and didn't reappear in their PS3/360 compilation of a few years ago.

 

 

Cool! Thanks for telling me. I actually bought that collection, recently, but I hadn't tried it out, yet.

 

And the companion PSP release has a different selection with Super Zaxxon, Astro Blaster, Congo Bongo, Elimnator, and Space Fury. And the Taito Legends PSP collection has Space Dungeon which sadly never appeared on any of the Japanese or Western Taito console collections. Too bad this thing can't be interfaced, at least easily, with the PSP which has quite a lineup of classic arcade games that can't be found elsewhere.

 

I knew about Space Dungeon, but not those other Sega arcade games. I've been hoping that VitaTV would be announced in the U.S. so I can play Space Dungeon on a full-size monitor. (If VitaTV doesn't happen here, I'll probably get a PSP Slim.)

 

Hopefully, there will be a device that will allow connecting a fight stick to a Bluetooth adapter for the VitaTV. If so, then we might be in business.

[Atariboy]

I don't know if there's a wireless PS3 stick that's compatible with it, but the PSP Go can be output to a PSP specific upscaler that corrects the aspect ratio, upscales it, and makes it full screen on your tv.

 

And some tv's like some Sony models have PSP modes that allow you to get this via hooking it up directly and some of the premium external scalers like the XRGB Mini also have PSP modes. And it's compatible via BlueTooth with PS3 SixAxis and Dual Shock 3 gamepads.

 

Sadly, at least three nice downloads have disappeared recently. Bump 'n' Jump, Lock 'n' Chase, and Express Raider from Data East that were released as PSP Minis compatible with the PSP/PS3/Vita have been delisted. All three appear on a Wii retail compilation, but the audio emulation was off which was fixed with these PSP downloads.

 

Hopefully things like Vanguard's only appearance at home in arcade accurate form stick around for a little longer.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Atariboy