D-Pad Transplant

[optmusprimenumber]

Any hardware modders ever take a d-pad from a controller and put it in a different one or have any advice about it??? i want to put the d-pad from a Classic Controller into a Dogbone controller (also put in the a and b buttons) to make an ultimate retro controller that compliments the wii aesthetics (to use with nes vc games). The size of the + is the same (mostly) but the depth of the piece isn't the same so i either have to add some plastic or do some seriously delicate cutting and gluing. Maybe it's more trouble than it's worth, but that's one of my brainstormed projects and if anyone has any useful input, i'd appreciate it. thanks... it's occuring to me now that perhaps handheld console fabricators have had to make similar adjustments (if they didn't just rewire it) to get d-pad to circuit board contact (and button to circuit board contact). what'ya guys think?

[slowslow325]

It's entirely possible and probably pretty easy. The hardest part will probably be cosmetics.

[Hobie-wan]

Open both up first and see if the insides are remotely similar. Then you can assess from there.

[chuckbanzai]

I have actually switched d-pad parts from a 3rd party snes controller to my first party ones. The contacts were getting old and didn't work right. It worked perfectly afterward. Very low risk mod.

[WrathOskvro]

Yeah it's a very simple mod. I did the same to a Gameboy. Swapped out the dpad and buttons (and the rubber pads under them) from an NES controller. Identical size.

[Droid party]

I've always wanted to get a little more ambitious and try something like take the d-pad from a Dreamcast and somehow graft it into a 360 controller. But I know I'd make a mess of it so I've never tried.