Third Party SNES Controllers?

[WrathOskvro]

Apologies if this has already been made (likely has but after searching through 10 pages I didn't see anything)

There any third party controllers/accessories anyone recommends for the SNES? This question is mainly out of curiosity because while I do like the original SNES controller, the dpad is just 'okay' and so are the shoulder buttons. I'm also a Genesis guy so I don't have too much experience with the SNES other than what I used to play when I was a kid.

I just got a couple of these and believe it or not I'm really enjoying them:



The D-pad is raised a little more which makes quarter circle moves (Hadoukens, etc) alot easier, and the bottom of the controller is sort of wedged like a Saturn controller which makes it extremely comfortable. Shoulder buttons are also raised and sit right where your fingers naturally go. The controller overall surprisingly doesn't feel very cheap. Definitely not as cheap as I thought it would. The face buttons are not perfect but they work and are responsive.

I've used the ASCII pad when I was a kid but I never really liked it. It is a quality controller in comparison to the original, but it's just a little awkward to me.

[MyNameIsVince]

I've seen a number of those SNES controllers from Retro Bit online....mostly to mixed reviews. I kinda want to try one just to see how it is.

I love the Ascii Pad. It's my favorite 3rd party controller of all time. It's large, yet comfortable enough for my hands (I cannot say the same for the model 2 Sega Saturn controller), built just as solidly as an original SNES controller, slightly better layout for the buttons (face buttons more spread out, higher shoulder buttons, TURBOS!!!!@!#$%). It's just great. Only downside? Cord is significantly shorter than the OG SNES controller.

The other 3rd party controllers are much more hit or miss. I once bought a Super Pad: and this thing.....well it's comfortable (thicker than a standard SNES controller, and the cord is just as long, if not longer, and it felt good in my hands, and then I played it and it was good.....

....

....until it would get to a point where it went dead and I got no response. Yes, it would actually cut out at certain points when playing a game and my controller would just not respond for like 2-3 seconds, no matter how many times I tried pressing buttons. I didn't even bother returning it, but instead just straight up chucked it into the trash. I can't tolerate controllers that just suddenly stop responding to button presses every so often.

[Thierry Henry]

There any third party controllers/accessories anyone recommends for the SNES?

I'll put a vote in for the wireless Retrobit SNES controller.
It has it's critics but I found it to be quite enjoyable to use.

The build quality is pretty good and sturdy. The d-pad is fine and responsive. Some have mentioned problems such as involuntary diagonal movements in some games. I have yet to come across this particular problem.
As far as lag is concerned I didn't find any noticeable lag at all.



Here's another of my 3rd party SNES pads that I enjoy using.




I believe this is a Mad Catz product.
It feels like a bulky, steroid-filled SNES pad. It's very comfortable in the hands.
It's especially good for fighting games.

[GSZX1337]

I'll put a vote in for the wireless Retrobit SNES controller.
It has it's critics but I found it to be quite enjoyable to use.

The build quality is pretty good and sturdy. The d-pad is fine and responsive. Some have mentioned problems such as involuntary diagonal movements in some games. I have yet to come across this particular problem.
As far as lag is concerned I didn't find any noticeable lag at all.

I've been thinking of picking one of these up. Nice to see a member here give this thing a thumbs-up.

Here's another of my 3rd party SNES pads that I enjoy using.

I believe this is a Mad Catz product.
It feels like a bulky, steroid-filled SNES pad. It's very comfortable in the hands.
It's especially good for fighting games.

I have a clear one of those. I haven't used it since I was a kid, but I remember it being pretty good.

[Nintendork666]

I've preferred the High Frequency SNES controller to the official pad since I was a kid.
The easier-to-grip textured plastic is a god-send.

[SNESdrunk]

The Ascii pad was always my preference, very comfortable to use. The only issue with it is the cord is too short.

[samsonlonghair]

I'll put a vote in for the wireless Retrobit SNES controller.
It has it's critics but I found it to be quite enjoyable to use.

The build quality is pretty good and sturdy. The d-pad is fine and responsive. Some have mentioned problems such as involuntary diagonal movements in some games. I have yet to come across this particular problem.
As far as lag is concerned I didn't find any noticeable lag at all.

I've been thinking of picking one of these up. Nice to see a member here give this thing a thumbs-up.

I tried one of these out at my local retro video game store. I didn't expect much, and it exceeded my expectations. I expected it to feel really cheap; it didn't. I found the build quality good for a third party controller. That doesn't mean it's better than a first party Nintendo-made SNES controller. It's just better than I expected because I went in with such low expectations.

[WrathOskvro]

^Those retro bit controllers, at least the wired version I noticed some are of course not the same in terms of quality. I've got two of them and one does have a dpad that is a little too sensitive and will have involuntary diagonal up actions but it's not so much that it breaks the game. The other has no such issue though so I suppose it's luck of the draw.

[Nyukki]

snes_competition-pro-super16-control-pad_753-200px.jpg (5.34 KiB) Viewed 2744 times

As a kid I had one official controller and one Competition Pro (above). If you're used to the Genesis this might be a more familiar feel. And the d-pad is a bit more "floaty" which is good for fighters.

[WrathOskvro]

Wow that's really cool. I'd like to get ahold of one of those.