Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad for PC

Product Information

The buttons and power LED all need to go into the front of the controller, followed by the controller board. You need to keep this part of the controller as flat as possible, as the shoulder buttons are prone to slipping out of place and falling out at the worst possible moments.

That includes the modern controllers you already have, but they have a major flaw that makes them less than ideal for retro gaming. Specifically, they tend to have mushy D-pads. Your gamepad not being recognized can be fixed with a simple adjustment of the power management settings in Windows 10. The original SNES controller design was already great, but the SN30 manages to maintain what made it special while giving it the right amount of polish for modern gamers. The old-school semi-transparent plastic is a nice touch.

SEGA Mega Drive Control Pad

So today we’re going to take a look at some of the best NES and SNES controllers for emulators. We’re going to look at the AGPTEK Wireless Classic Controller, the Suily USB Retro Gamepad Controller, and the iNNext Retro USB Super Controller Gamepad. We’ll discuss the features of each controller then offer a comparison of the three. Why Use an Emulator Controller? There's only one way to truly experience retro gaming, and that's with a controller fashioned after the iconic design. For NES titles, you'll want to go with Suily's NES USB Controller, a near 1:1 recreation of the accessory that once shipped with Nintendo's first console. It's probably possible to find cheaper parts than I used, especially if you shop it around online. Just be aware that there's always the possibility that a part may not fit the available space, and try to evaluate what you're buying as much as possible ahead of time. Smaller is better, though your soldering skill may factor into it as well. If you use different parts or have a different controller (see below) then you'll have to improvise your own methods, but the general ideas I used should cross over. Soldering/desoldering work is required for this, and I'm assuming you have some general knowledge of working with a soldering iron and continuity tester. I'm a software/networking person, though, and not an expert with a soldering iron by any means. A steady hand and a lot of patience can be a big help. Also, a good emulator controller can often be used for general[purpose gaming on the PC. Steam, Origins, Epic, and GOG.com all have generic joypad support so you can use an emulator controller to play regular games on the PC. This dual functionality is a great feature, especially in a gaming age when developers often intentionally try to mimic the look and feel of retro video games.

Suily made a few minor controller modifications, specifically by adding etching to the red "B" and "A" buttons. Of course, the biggest change is the somewhat short 5.6-foot cord, which ends in a standard USB-A plug for compatibility with Raspberry Pi, Windows, Mac, and Linux. You'll have no issue diving into your classic NES library, and enjoying favorites like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Ninja Gaiden, and so many more.The Suily Retro controllers are also a good choice because they are cheap and are wired so they have a fast response. The Suily controllers are again designed specifically for the NES so you’ll be limited in which games you can play but they are very sturdy, made out of a durable ABS plastic with heavy-duty buttons that can stand up to use. There’s a chance the number of devices plugged into your computer is causing the problem, so what you need to do, then, is to remove them or just the ones you’re not using. I then carefully removed the USB connectors. They're hard to remove because of the soldered tabs on either side, when I tried to heat those tabs up while lifting up on the connector the whole pad underneath the tab delaminated from the board and broke off. After that, it was just a matter of either desoldering the connector's pins from the board or snapping them off, I recommend keeping the pins on at least one connector so you can use it in later steps to map the pinout of your usb cables.

Let’s face it, if a computer has enough ports, we’ll plug a host of things into the computer and never remove them even when they’re not in use. However, emulators do have one downside. Most classic games are not designed to be played on a keyboard and mouse or with a touch screen on the phone. Thankfully, there exist emulator controllers that you can use to capture the original experience of playing with the original console. These USB-connected controllers are designed like the originals and most emulators nowadays have some form of third-party controller support. Some of the best retro game controllers can be Nintendo Switch retro controllers that offer replicas of gamepads for the NES, N64 and GameCube; these are perfect for playing retro games on Switch. Some of the best upcoming Switch games include retro remakes, and some of the best Nintendo Switch games include games that make use of retro controllers, such as Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Retro controllers are also excellent for game development using PCs or Raspberry Pi, and there are some excellent PS5 retro controllers. If you own a mini retro console you may want one of the best USB retro controllers too. Read my guide to the best retro consoles for more, as well as my Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 review for news on the latest retro console. For the most part, these tips should do the job. However, should they fail to work, then the best means of moving forward may very well be to get a new gamepad.

First up is a strong choice with the AGPTEK Wireless Classic Controller. As the name implies, you can play with this controller wireless but also in wired mode. The AGPTEK controllers use a micro-USB connection to charge the controller, the cord can then be replaced with a USB dongle so you can use it wirelessly. The battery takes about 4 hours to fully charge and can be used for up to 100 hours before needing to be recharged. Additionally, they have an ultra-low power design so you can use them virtually forever and never have to worry about them running out of power. Best of all, they’re designed to shut off automatically after 10 minutes of idle time, so you can’t accidentally leave them on and drain the battery. If you’re a 90’s kid then you probably remember growing up with a Nintendo or Super Nintendo in your home. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent as a kid playing Zelda and Super Mario World. What if I told you that you could experience all those games again, right now with just your computer or smartphone?