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Which accessories for old consoles do you wish a company would make nowadays?


M-S

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Nowadays there are many companies that make products for old school consoles, they usually focus on selling controllers, cables and even games, although some of them have issues with quality, the fact people have an option to buy a new product keeps the price of old products low, so this is good for everyone. When a product doesn't have an alternative people can only buy an used one, which means that the ones who own it can sell it for whatever price they want. There are many accessories like that that need some kind of replacement, the ones I can think about are:

Specialized controllers like light guns, flight sticks and paddles.

Portable LCD screens like the one for the PSOne.

Multi-taps.

Of course there are exceptions to these for some consoles that still sell for a reasonable price, and these are only the ones I'd like to own for the consoles that I have so I'd like to hear if you have any accessories you would like to own but couldn't find for a good price.

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Given the power of the systems that got these things and really didn't feel all that natural or right in most cases, now given what we have under hood and the types of games, I think all consoles, switch included, should have a MOUSE and hard board mousepad to go with it (think Mario Paint on that.)

 

We get a fair share of tactical games, drawing that only work with a finger sloppily on switch, map style games, Civilization style titles, and quite a few others, including the venerable FPS, that I think would be great to have good solid mouse play to use.  There are these games that PC's still handled better, yet, should they?  What Sony and MS have peddled now into 2 generations are just moderately powerful budget PCs in a special console walled garden wrapper, so it's not that big of a stretch.


I like my SNES mouse, it works great on Mario Paint (paint, music, and the Flyswatter game) and also Civilization 1 adding superior control (the resolution is the only suck end there to it, very small view window.)  I've tried out Mario & Yoshi that odd puzzle platformer and it works for speedy play smoothly too.  Sim City 2000 used the mouse as did the 2nd Lemmings title and it works very well there too, other than just SC2K being a bit much for the old console so it got sluggish(yet the PS1 one ran as badly and had mouse too.)


Sure light gun would be nice, but at this rate I think the industry just doesn't care to invest in fixing up something fixable as we have seen a number of hardware hackers do like the NESLCD mod where you can patch a half dozen NES games to work with a Tomee Zap Gun and play on a modern LCD tv.  Using a crap quality gun and some modded code got more progress than people with multi-million budgeting capability.

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46 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

Given the power of the systems that got these things and really didn't feel all that natural or right in most cases, now given what we have under hood and the types of games, I think all consoles, switch included, should have a MOUSE and hard board mousepad to go with it (think Mario Paint on that.)

 

We get a fair share of tactical games, drawing that only work with a finger sloppily on switch, map style games, Civilization style titles, and quite a few others, including the venerable FPS, that I think would be great to have good solid mouse play to use.  There are these games that PC's still handled better, yet, should they?  What Sony and MS have peddled now into 2 generations are just moderately powerful budget PCs in a special console walled garden wrapper, so it's not that big of a stretch.


I like my SNES mouse, it works great on Mario Paint (paint, music, and the Flyswatter game) and also Civilization 1 adding superior control (the resolution is the only suck end there to it, very small view window.)  I've tried out Mario & Yoshi that odd puzzle platformer and it works for speedy play smoothly too.  Sim City 2000 used the mouse as did the 2nd Lemmings title and it works very well there too, other than just SC2K being a bit much for the old console so it got sluggish(yet the PS1 one ran as badly and had mouse too.)

I think there are a few games on Xbox One/Series X that have mouse + keyboard support, including a few FPS games from what I remember, so there are modern console games that do have this, although it is quite rare. I am under the impression that console people consider keyboard + mouse to be borderline cheating in online games due to how good it is, so I think there is some resistance to it in the playerbase, but it definitely exists, but on a very small scale. Nobody should have any objections to using it for single player games, though.

 

Oh cool, here is a list: https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/all-xbox-games-offer-keyboard-mouse-kbm-support-halo-infinite-fortnite

 

Anyway, give me a HuCARD that can play CD games. Krikzz is working on this already, so it won't be too long.

Edited by Steven Pendleton
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I have a lot-

 

proper magnifier/light for the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance. The worm light was always in the way and was just never a very practical solution.

 

New controllers for the Atari 5200 that arent pieces of crap.

 

better light gun for the Dreamcast since it seems like all of them lack accuracy.

 

memory cards that can (should) hold way more space than you need for PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, GC

 

Remake the piece of the Super Scope that is always missing. the sight thing

 

wireless controllers that have a 1:1 look and feel for every console ever made. basically what 8bitdo did with the SNES controller.

 

Proper carrying case for the GBA SP, its charger, and at least 5-6 cartridge slots. they had one for the DMG but I never saw one for the newer Game Boys.

 

cases for basically every console ever made. would like them to all be uniform in color, shape, and size but have spaces in them for the console, cables, controllers and some sort of wire wrap thing to keep the cords nice and neat. Our local video store had something similar if you rented a PlayStation 1.

 

Software wise, Id like to see the 240p Test Suite expand to every console ever made and with full testing capabilities for every controller and light gun. Theyve made strides with Dreamcast, SNES, Genesis, TurboGrafx, so Im hoping we see the same type of thing for the other consoles as well.

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@Steven Pendleton I don't ever put xbox products in my mind so I wouldn't really have known, but not surprised, Windows-PC-MS... it fits.  I've seen that irrational whining from console people, but the fact remains dual sticks are second tier shit control to using a mouse, it's just too clunky and slower.  Largely I was adding that as an aside to the primary use of other genres that just chug or suck without a pointer.  And I do agree on the HuCard for ISO good on him.  I was going to grab one, but those fuck sticks at anal-log decided to kill the individual $30 adapter sales and charge $100 forcing all 3 at once with them also doubling their (handling)shipping fees too.  At that rate I was over it, and my NGPC collection too as i sold that shit off because I wan't paying $100 for that adapter either.  Almost all my games, days later, I didn't have in Collection #1 out for the last year came out in #2...so ...hah.  Rockman was a sticking point to me, as was Biomotor Unitron and also Big Bang Wrestling.

 

I have to admit, that slipped my mind but @dudeguy is right -- magnifiers, they can be a little clunky, but made thin, right, and just sturdy enough given how much they blow up they can be quite helpful on some games.  NO matter how good your eyes are, sometimes shooters for instance, keeping tabs on 10 bullets and a wing of fighters is a real bitch... 20 years ago or now.  And another nod to proper storage for old handhelds, I really need to find a nice one for my newly freshly modded OG GBA I did a huge repair/upgrade job on after finding a broken beater.  I want to protect the thing, I know the case that'll work, hoping it pops up locally eventually but still not a great catch all, but best of a meh situation.

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Still stunned there isn't a boutique company making new CRT TVs. I don't actually want this, nor do I think it is actually needed. But I wonder if there aren't enough people willing to part with their money to make it worthwhile.

 

I get it, you need the economy of scale, parts and interfaces that aren't made commonly any more, you could just get a FPGA console or a Framemeister, etc etc etc....but when I see the stuff people spend their chingy on like unique high end PC builds, etc, I feel like there must be a console person somewhere that "needs" this.

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I doubt it would ever happen in modern times, but I'd go ape for a SNES or C=64 on a PC ISA card, using authentic hardware. There are plenty of awesome "systems on a card" from the '80s and '90s that give you an Apple II, 3DO, PC-FX, Spectrum QL, CP/M, Sega Genesis, MSX... but sadly no such products ever released that allow you to install a SNES or "Commie" in your PC.

 

I love these kinds of solutions because they are fascinating, but also because they save a lot of space. My IBM 2168 has a modded Mega PC card inside it, allowing me to play Genesis games w/o having to waste space having a separate console set up.

 

There are some brilliant enthusiasts engineering lots of incredible new ISA cards these days, so anything is possible I s'pose.

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20 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Given the power of the systems that got these things and really didn't feel all that natural or right in most cases, now given what we have under hood and the types of games, I think all consoles, switch included, should have a MOUSE and hard board mousepad to go with it (think Mario Paint on that.)

The SNES mouse is probably the only console mouse that is cheap, and there's also an optical SNES mouse made by Hyperkin that works just like the original, however, if you want to play Mega Drive, PS1, Sega Saturn, N64 and other console's games that use a mouse there aren't many options.

21 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Sure light gun would be nice, but at this rate I think the industry just doesn't care to invest in fixing up something fixable as we have seen a number of hardware hackers do like the NESLCD mod where you can patch a half dozen NES games to work with a Tomee Zap Gun and play on a modern LCD tv.  Using a crap quality gun and some modded code got more progress than people with multi-million budgeting capability.

I think that what I said about the SNES mouse applies to the NES Zapper too.

15 hours ago, dudeguy said:

I have a lot-

 

proper magnifier/light for the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance. The worm light was always in the way and was just never a very practical solution.

That's a cool idea, another accessory I always wanted something similar were those cases that have all of those things like grips, speakers, lights and magnifier lens, specially something like that Konami one that looks like an arcade.

16 hours ago, dudeguy said:

memory cards that can (should) hold way more space than you need for PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, GC

These already exist for most of these, except for the Dreamcast and the Neo Geo, there's a new VMU being made for the Dreamcast and it's possible to use a PCMCIA card on the Neo Geo.

16 hours ago, dudeguy said:

Remake the piece of the Super Scope that is always missing. the sight thing

Why not remake the entire Super Scope?

17 hours ago, dudeguy said:

wireless controllers that have a 1:1 look and feel for every console ever made. basically what 8bitdo did with the SNES controller.

Even the 8bitdo controllers are slightly redesigned, the only controllers that are 1:1 are the official Sega Retro Bit controllers, I think that making improvements to the original design is more important than being identical to the original. Also, when you say "every console ever made" don't you think there's a clear problem of some consoles being too obscure and not having a fanbase that would buy that kind of product?

1 hour ago, DeathAdderSF said:

I doubt it would ever happen in modern times, but I'd go ape for a SNES or C=64 on a PC ISA card, using authentic hardware.

I doubt a company would do that, it's more like of one of these hobbyist DIY kits people sell online, and more probably using clone hardware instead of original parts.

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I know I'm in a minority of one on this, but I'd like to see a barcode reader for the Atari 2600, ColecoVision or Intellivision. Something that could read the barcode from any product packaging and produce an in-game result. But the reader would come with its own game and a barcode starter pack, of course. There was something like this on the Game Boy, but it was only released in Japan.

 

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While not exactly an accessory, but 1-for-1, size-for-size, voltage level-for-level, replacement boards. At least for the simpler consoles with 3 or 6 chips on them. Not FPGA, because all FPGA designs to date (representing any console) botch the power-on and reset functionality. Means the whole behavior is utterly and completely different simply due to the bitstream load. And the voltage levels and behavior at the cartridge slot and DB9 connectors fail with many accessories.

 

While FPGA is cool and versatile they're no longer a novelty when it comes to running old consoles. Many hidden inconsistencies are ignored subtleties abound.

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7 minutes ago, Pixelboy said:

I know I'm in a minority of one on this, but I'd like to see a barcode reader for the Atari 2600, ColecoVision or Intellivision.

I wonder if something like the Vectrex light pen could be adapted (simply) for this function. It would need some sort of light source on the tip. And that would be the adaptation. A point light source. I wonder if it is wired correctly, and if not, could an adapter (DB9-DB9) be made. Haven't looked at the schematics. Or could a lightpen be made to work like it. Lightpens are simple and in the 80's there were plenty of designs published.

 

Second thoughts tell me it'd be too much of a specialty item and tedious to work with. The code cards could get lost, just like the pieces in those big-box Odyssey2 games. Not great for kids. But us vintage old timers would keep track of the stuff.

 

What would be the compelling game scenario? Some sort of party or board game? A secret agent game?

Edited by Keatah
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4 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

I've got a couple...

New Vector Monitors for old arcade games, and...

Or maybe a circuit/adapter to vectorize an existing LCD panel. Many of these newer panels do gorgeously saturated colors and black blacks far exceeding that of a CRT. Colors pop so hard you need faceshield!

 

4 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

New Paddles for Atari (VCS) 2600.

Or a refurb kit to restore the potentiometer action in an original set of paddles. I think the gripe was the pot itself wasn't made anymore. At the same time it'd be no trouble to adapt another value to fit. Or go entire digital - you'd only have to run it at 2MHz for it to be lag-free.

 

You could also use a little circuit to adjust range/sensitivity too.

 

Seems many accessories/ideas aren't made because of exact original parts aren't available. Which is the contention point of course. blah blah blah.

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Just now, Keatah said:

Or maybe a circuit/adapter to vectorize an existing LCD panel. Many of these newer panels do gorgeously saturated colors and black blacks far exceeding that of a CRT. Colors pop so hard you need faceshield!

 

Or a refurb kit to restore the potentiometer action in an original set of paddles. I think the gripe was the pot itself wasn't made anymore. At the same time it'd be no trouble to adapt another value to fit. Or go entire digital - you'd only have to run it at 2MHz for it to be lag-free.

 

You could also use a little circuit to adjust range/sensitivity too.

 

Seems many accessories/ideas aren't made because of exact original parts aren't available. Which is the contention point of course. blah blah blah.

My friend said he knew a lady who at one point, owned an arcade and was smart enough to turn raster scan (CRTs) into Vector Monitors,  which I didn't know was possible...But she was extremely sharp, so who knows?

 

As for (Super) pots for paddles,  BEST has those! (Or used to,  I haven't checked in a while)...

 

If you can handle 90s style web design;  Click Here!

 

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14 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

My friend said he knew a lady who at one point, owned an arcade and was smart enough to turn raster scan (CRTs) into Vector Monitors,  which I didn't know was possible...But she was extremely sharp, so who knows?

Pretty sure there is nothing special about the tube in a vector monitor (correct me if I'm wrong). The magic would reside in the driving electronics. The ability for the deflection to swing quickly and precisely seems paramount here. Perhaps an arcade cab expert would chime in?

 

14 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

As for (Super) pots for paddles,  BEST has those! (Or used to,  I haven't checked in a while)...

Yes. I was pleased to see there was effort put into making a reproduction part like so.

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1 hour ago, Keatah said:

What would be the compelling game scenario? Some sort of party or board game? A secret agent game?

Yeah, I was thinking along those lines, like a boardgame similar to Thief, Scotland Yard or Dark Tower, or a card battle game à la Yu-Gi-Oh, or a tactical RPG in which you could scan in your "soldier creatures" whose characteristics would be encoded in the barcode (so you could try different barcodes from all kinds of real-life products and see what you get in the game). There aren't a ton of possible applications, but just a few would suffice to make the barcode reader a nice novelty item, like the Odyssey2 board games.

 

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I would love it if someone would make replacements for original model square rubber Famicom buttons. I prefer them to the later NES style buttons actually, they feel good on my ‘thritis fingers.

 

If I knew someone who can write in Japanese I would ask around on the Japanese forums out there to gauge interest and order some newly made ones myself from China. Minimum orders on rubber buttons with conductive contacts are actually not that bad since a lot of niche electronic products like professional synthesizers make use of them.

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On 11/28/2022 at 4:12 PM, GoldLeader said:

I've got a couple...

 

New Vector Monitors for old arcade games, Atari 7800 power supplies, and...

 

New Paddles for Atari (VCS) 2600.

Why paddles? Aren't there many modern paddle controllers like the Hyperkin one? Do these have some kind of problem?

 

On 11/29/2022 at 5:49 PM, Lord_of_Sipan said:

I would love it if someone would make replacements for original model square rubber Famicom buttons. I prefer them to the later NES style buttons actually, they feel good on my ‘thritis fingers.

 

If I knew someone who can write in Japanese I would ask around on the Japanese forums out there to gauge interest and order some newly made ones myself from China. Minimum orders on rubber buttons with conductive contacts are actually not that bad since a lot of niche electronic products like professional synthesizers make use of them.

Famicom controllers are soldered to the main PCB, so I think it makes sense that there aren't many replacement parts for them.

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