Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

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LEGENOARYNINLIA
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Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

I come back to this "I need to build an N64 arcade stick" phase every damn year. This time I figured I'd ask around for ideas outside of the usual fighting game circles. Or maybe I'm just thinking out loud.

Ideally I'd like something big with a two player panel, a button layout that works well for Mortal Kombat Trilogy (same layout as UMK3) and doesn't cost me a fortune (a friend was supposed to go 50/50 with me on this but he bailed 100%). Or adapters that support PS3/PS4 sticks. Neither solution isn't going to just fall on my lap anytime soon if ever, so...

For the cheapest case options I've found that Amazon has crappy acrylic cases and sometimes just the cases of those awful two player sticks with a Pandora's Box inside. But not a single one I've found so far has had enough button holes or been available in Europe. Or they cost too much for what the are. Anyone got any other budget ideas? N64 needs nine buttons + Start. L, R and Z can't be omitted (Z can hang around in the same area with the Start button). Preferably the main layout would have more than the usual six buttons, which means an eight button layout would be nice. I don't mind so much if they're in two arcs/straight lines if the price is right at this point.

Brook has been silent about making N64/GC converters since teasing the possibility in April 2020, so I guess that project got scrapped. Raphnet makes Wii Classic to N64 converters, but those are designed for analog controls. Brook gets that people also want to use arcade sticks. They also know that the market is tiny...

So... converters are out of the question. Building a two player stick or two separate sticks is likely the only way to go. Based on my limited testing on Japanese style layouts Seimitsu LS-60 works very well with MK games despite having corners, so I'm leaning towards that stick mech and Seimitsu parts in general. And that's all I've got as of now. I know which parts I'd like to install if I can't get that UMK3 layout, but I have no clue about the case. Or, The Kase, as my bestest friend krunchywasp would say. :whoopsie:

Any recommendations are welcome, but if you make fun of the N64 you will be banned for life from the sex party.

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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by geotrig »

Its only now ,Having read your thread that I realise that I've never seen a N64 arcade stick. :eh: and after googling it im glad i didnt :lol:
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<trk>:I remember catching a big fat one and my friend said "throw it back in, that one already tastes like wood"
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

Yeah. While the system got it's share of fighting game releases in the west the rather puny selection in Japan meant that the likes of Hori and Imagineer had no interest releasing even a crappy arcade stick for it.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by CTN »

Forgive my ignorance but how does a MK3 Layout look Like?
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

Here's your answer: https://www.gamesdatabase.org/media/arc ... l-kombat-3

With a regular six button arch the usual layout is:

HP Run HK
LP Block LK

But with an eight button arch, something like this would be better:

Null HP Null/Block HK
Run LP Block/Null LK

It's a matter of taste if block should be in the upper or bottom row.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by crunchywasp »

I recommend you can this for another year.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by cools »

https://m.aliexpress.com/store/v3/home. ... extParams=

Apparently this place will customise cases for you, if that's any use? For cheap it's got to be getting kit direct from China rather than an importer.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by CTN »

:sick:
LEGENOARYNINLIA wrote: July 5th, 2021, 7:02 pm Here's your answer: https://www.gamesdatabase.org/media/arc ... l-kombat-3
Do it the American way. Happ controls and chipboard.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by arcnl »

If you want a budget option you just need to get a cheap hori stick, mod it for n64 and call it a day. I can't imaging any other option will fall in the "budget" category. If you want MK just get one of the existing ps3/360 sticks (or two) and mod them for n64 or whatever console you want.

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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

I need two sticks, or one massive stick with controls for two players. Even the cheapest Hori sticks inc shipping costs more than one of those two player cases I mentioned. And getting two of those MK sticks by PDP is far from a budget solution.

CTN's simple solution does sound kind of appealing... :think:
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by CTN »

8-)
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

I managed to find one of these locally for a reasonable price.



:awe: :awe: :awe:

Now, if I can source another one from Europe most of my woes are over. 8-)
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by CTN »

Do you need to convert it or is it N64 out of the box?
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

I'd need to convert it. But...

I dismantled it partially and was rather disappointed. I was under the impression that Saulabi's are sturdy and just have **** parts*. Well, they're not actually very sturdy at all. By applying force the panel gives in from the middle. It's all cheap plastic. So, unless I find another one for measly sum I won't be ordering any parts for it, as it seems 27.5mm Korean buttons are sold out everywhere (yes, even in Korea). I could widen the holes a bit to fit 28~28.5mm buttons like the American style convex buttons IL makes, but those are too deep for the case – there's surprisingly very little space inside. Some folks have said that removing the metal plate that screwed inside to the bottom of the case gives you more space, but that metal plate is actually also structurally important as it's keeping the bottom plastic rigid. I deserve all this for trusting 10+ year old forum posts from SRK. :lol:

If I do convert this to N64 (not happening unless I get thos 27.5mm buttons), I'll take the top plastic piece of the control panel to a metal workshop and ask them to make me a steel version of it. Screw-in buttons sandwiching the steel sheet to the plastic case should made the top rigid.

I found out this morning that IST Mall in Korea sells empty arcade stick cases for as cheap as 18USD a piece, but one review I found said:
modders need to be warned that the plastic may be damaged during disassembly using a screwdriver
So basically they're as bad as the Saulabi then. I feel like I'm back to square one. :lol:

*because Tekken players who prefer Korean sticks have been using them
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by CTN »

LEGENOARYNINLIA wrote: July 19th, 2021, 11:40 am I'd need to convert it. But...

I dismantled it partially and was rather disappointed. I was under the impression that Saulabi's are sturdy and just have **** parts*.

*because Tekken players who prefer Korean sticks have been using them
Tekken players :problem: that's your problem right there. Never trust these people.

It's a stick for US games. Wood is the way to go. Do something like a MAS Systems or what they were called.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

One major problem with MDF/wood cases is lugging them around. I'm not going that route until I've exhausted the other options.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by emphatic »

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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

emphatic wrote: July 19th, 2021, 3:08 pm How about these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/265019391256?v ... Sw6IVdok4Y
I've seen those. Can't justify that price really. But the layout is nice.

One seller on Amazon.co.uk has these for about 20 quid but won't ship to Finland.



I could have sold the stick and buttons to make up some of the costs.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

Resurrecting this to... warn the future man. I forgot to keep my fans updated. :whoopsie:

So, I miraculously managed to locally source Crown 207H buttons (8 pcs) and a Taeyoung Fanta for cheap back in early 2022. I sent off the parts, a 3rd party N64 pad and the Saulabi to a willing soldering wizard, and what I got back was this:

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(Two buttons are kept as spares. I don't need Start, Z, L or R buttons to have a tactile feel.)

But... What ended up happening was I spent money on a stick that I thought had an OK case. Well, it was flimsy, awkwadly large yet had limited space inside. I also thought the layout would be fine, since I was on a budget. Well, it wasn't because I at times accientally press Start in the middle of a match when I want to press Block. The parts I replaced were also so-so, yet lightyears better than the stock garbage. Buttons are far from reliable. There have been times when pressing them down has resulted in awkward friction, and in some rare cases the friction has prevented them from being pressed down completely. This has happened less frequently with more use, so I guess some of the rough edges have worn down. The stick mech on the other hand is pretty nice, and very suitable for MK. Because of that I've forced myself to get used to the button layout. The last touch was to add foam to the bottom of the base that it doesn't slide around on my lap or desk. Oh, and the stick mech is absolutely terrible for any other N64 game. Except KI Gold.

Is this the MK stick of my dreams? Hardly. But I've had fun playing a single game with it. I don't think I'll have another one made. That would require sourcing more legacy Crown parts*, an identical stick (Taeyoung mades slightly different models each year/batch), another Saulabi, and sacrificing two original N64 controller PCBs as the 3rd party one prevents some games from booting. MK Trilogy doesn't mind the PCB, so I'm in no rush to "fix" this one.

*I'm fairly certain all the Crown legacy parts have been sold to Korean game centers who need them for Korean style candy cabs. At least I hope that's the case.
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Re: Building a N64 arcade stick from scraps. Recommendations?

Post by NASguy »

Who drilled those button holes someone with legal blindness? Isn't that just the Korean FCG layout?
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