Weirdest Controller Issue... EVER

[Torr]

Ever have a button on a controller not work, but ONLY not work on ONE game?

 

I was playing Mortal Kombat on Sega Genesis with an original 6 Button Pad when I noticed that the C Button was probably only registering 1 out of 4-5 presses.

I opened up the controller gave the contacts a good cleaning, nothing looked corroded, rubber button pads holding up very well too.

Still the same issue. I've had that controller for 20 years, I refused to believe it was time to junk it.

Long story short and a lot of trial and error later using 4 other Original 3 Button Pads, 1 Honey Bee Turbo Controller, 1 Raid Fire Button Pad and 1 Programmable Controller compatible with SNES & Genesis (dual plug) and games that make use of the 6 buttons, and regular games using just 3 buttons. I came to the conclusion that the 6 Button Pad works, I could pull off Chun Li's Lightning Kick multiple times using the C Button with no problems. I stood in place in Foot Swept an opponent to death in MK2, and so forth. I put that C Button through every test I could and it passed every one. I tried Mortal Kombat on Sega CD, the C Button worked marvelous once again. So I plug MK the cartridge back in. C Button giving me shit again... So now I think maybe my cartridge is dying... it's not receiving signals from the Sega Genesis.. something, so I try pluggin in one of my other pads.

Upon more trial and error it seems that all 3 of my 6 button pads have issues with the C Button and the Start Button while playing MK1... and ONLY while playing MK1...

And if I use the Mode Button to make the game start up registering the controller as a 3 Button Pad instead, then the Start and C Buttons work fine...

 

I've had this copy of MK1 since XMas of '93 and I've never had an issue with it... why would it suddenly be so picky about 6 Button Pads?

Edited July 31, 2014 by Torr