Super Famicom controller cord length..... really?

[CRTGAMER]

I think Kanji is read from top to down and then left to right.

I found this blog at Digital press:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114381

Seems CIRCLE has connotations of yes or correct and X means no or incorrect in Japanese language? Doesn't quite explain why Sony would put the CIRCLE on the right though. I think that bottom button is the closest to the thumb, maybe why U.S went that route. PS1 Metal Gear one of few games that kept the CIRCLE as the respond at menu button for the U.S.

[MrPopo]

I think Kanji is read from top to down and then left to right.

I found this blog at Digital press:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114381

Seems CIRCLE has connotations of yes or correct and X means no or incorrect in Japanese language? Doesn't quite explain why Sony would put the CIRCLE on the right though. I think that bottom button is the closest to the thumb, maybe why U.S went that route. PS1 Metal Gear one of few games that kept the CIRCLE as the respond at menu button for the U.S.

That one's easy. It replicates where the buttons were on the SNES. A and B are in the same spots as O and X and have the same functionality between SNES and PS1. The labels of O and X were then picked based on the JP connotations. They're feeding off of muscle memory, which was a smart move. I always hate how the Xbox and Dreamcast shuffled around the ABXY buttons. The game tells me to hit X and I go to hit it where it is on the SNES and it turns out I'm hitting the Y.

[D.D.D.]

I think Kanji is read from top to down and then left to right.

I found this blog at Digital press:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114381

Seems CIRCLE has connotations of yes or correct and X means no or incorrect in Japanese language? Doesn't quite explain why Sony would put the CIRCLE on the right though. I think that bottom button is the closest to the thumb, maybe why U.S went that route. PS1 Metal Gear one of few games that kept the CIRCLE as the respond at menu button for the U.S.

That one's easy. It replicates where the buttons were on the SNES. A and B are in the same spots as O and X and have the same functionality between SNES and PS1. The labels of O and X were then picked based on the JP connotations. They're feeding off of muscle memory, which was a smart move. I always hate how the Xbox and Dreamcast shuffled around the ABXY buttons. The game tells me to hit X and I go to hit it where it is on the SNES and it turns out I'm hitting the Y.

Yeah, CRT got it. In Japanese, circle is "sekai" or "correct" or "OK" or again as a "yes" depending on the situation. X is "batsu" as in "wrong/bad/no".
I know what Popo means. I just kinda remember the buttons for each system but it still throws me off though when switching between US & JP games on the PS systems.

[CRTGAMER]

Now that I think about it Arcade Logic Pro also used the X to mark "Batsu" squares or a error skull.

[BocoDragon]

I was having coffee with some Korean girls the other day, and they made a little "pro and con" list for a decision they were making... They put a O at the top of the "pro" list and a X for the "con" list..

Having mused on the PS1 Japan -> West button switcheroo in the past, I knew already that in Japan (and also Korea, apparently), O has connotations of YES and X has connotations of NO... I believe in their schooling system?

It's weird though... it's not as if in the West, X means something wildly different... but I suppose the connotations one way or the other were weak, and perhaps focus testing revealed westerners would rather just mash the bottom button first, to confirm.

By the way, "S-ranks" in videogames, which are always ABOVE A-ranks, are also a Japanese thing... Some universities use a A-B-C-D ranking system, but S is highest. Some games have had their "s-ranks" cut out during localization to the west, and they move the ranks around so that A is the highest (I can't remember... but I believe Valkyria Chonicles did that). Games like Gran Turismo keep the S-ranks, though.

I hate to bring this from the grave, especially my first post but I have a solution. The cords are a simple swap from the US to the Japanese controllers. They just plug in on the back of the boards. All you need to do is remove all 5 screws and take the back off, then unplug and swap your cords. Do it with the controller with the buttons facing your table because you don't want all your rubber pieces falling out. Be careful with the shoulder buttons; they are on pins and it is easier if they stay where they are so try and hold them down as you remove the back of the controller.

I did this with mine today, and it works perfectly.

I knew this would be easily possible... but seeing your post I realized that I might as well do it. I have a billion US SNES pads lying around, so I should mod their cords onto the SFC pads. I love the styling of the SFC pad, and if I play a Japanese game, I'd prefer the original look of the controller and not to be inconvenienced by the length of it

[MrPopo]

It's weird though... it's not as if in the West, X means something wildly different... but I suppose the connotations one way or the other were weak, and perhaps focus testing revealed westerners would rather just mash the bottom button first, to confirm.

If I had to guess I'd say that the red color vs. blue color has a higher connotation of cancel vs. accept compared to X and O.

[Hobie-wan]

If I had to guess I'd say that the red color vs. blue color has a higher connotation of cancel vs. accept compared to X and O.

Or a checkmark versus an X. But a checkmark would look pretty silly as a button label.

[D.D.D.]

If I had to guess I'd say that the red color vs. blue color has a higher connotation of cancel vs. accept compared to X and O.

Or a checkmark versus an X. But a checkmark would look pretty silly as a button label.

No more silly than the triangle or square I say~

[MrPopo]

If I had to guess I'd say that the red color vs. blue color has a higher connotation of cancel vs. accept compared to X and O.

Or a checkmark versus an X. But a checkmark would look pretty silly as a button label.

No more silly than the triangle or square I say~

I disagree. The checkmark, unlike the rest of the PS1 buttons, is not symmetrical. Plus, when you already have a circle the square is an easy second button, as they're similar shapes. And then going to the triangle isn't too much of a stretch.

[Hobie-wan]

I disagree. The checkmark, unlike the rest of the PS1 buttons, is not symmetrical. Plus, when you already have a circle the square is an easy second button, as they're similar shapes. And then going to the triangle isn't too much of a stretch.

Yet another way to think about the choice of shapes which just occurred to me is how it relates to Japanese calligraphy (shodō). They're in the same order as the SNES; YXBA. So right to left, bottom to top.













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Circle - one stroke
X - two strokes
Triangle - three strokes
Square - four strokes