One of the go-to systems I habitually return to each week for quick gaming sessions is the good old original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The controller for the NES is classic, iconic, and fits really great in the hand. But not every game I play is a Mario or Mega Man and sometimes it’s just nice to switch up the controller for something more appropriate for the game being played. While you can play almost any game quite well with the regular controller (and of course the Zapper is required for light-gun games), there are a handful of controllers that can really help you take your gaming experience to the max (pun intended). Each of these controllers is relatively inexpensive and are, in my opinion, must-haves for the NES gamer.
#1 NES Advantage
While I usually prefer a “clicky” (micro-switched) arcade stick to simulate the arcade experience, the NES Advantage still has a great tactile feel and is a really heavy, solid stick. This stick supports toggles for rapid fire, adjustable knobs for the fire rate, slow motion (which just presses ‘start’ quickly), and even a switch for switching from player 1 and 2 on the fly (handy when passing the controller back and forth on the couch). The B and A buttons have a nice solid feel when depressed (or tapped) and the stick gives just the right resistance so that you know you’re aiming in the right direction.
The stick seems best suited for overhead games (i.e. Fester’s Quest, Bomberman) and beat-em-ups (i.e. TMNT Arcade, Mighty Final Fight). Because of the arcade connection, most people would immediately think of shoot-em-up’s (shumps) as the best use of the Advantage, but in actuality most of those games require quick, jerky motions that are better done with a digital pad for the most part (games like the Gradius series). There are certainly some exceptions with a slower movement pace like 1942, Galaga, Galaxian, etc that this controller is just fine for. And for those, I do recommend it (if nothing else to avoid blistering your thumb.)
(Fester’s Quest – left, and Mighty Final Fight – right)
One “advantage” to acquiring this for your collection is that it is a common controller and can be had for a relatively cheap price (average around $12). So you don’t have to break your budget for the enhanced gameplay this offers.
Note: There’s also a similar stick made by Camerica in Canada and, while I don’t have it personally, I believe the build quality is almost identical (fun fact: Nintendo sued to have it dropped back when it was commercially available).
#2 NES Max
So the concept for the Max is that you hold the wings at the bottom with your third finger on each hand while sliding the thumb piece across for the game motions. This depresses (rocks) the black piece behind the red slider (which activates the motion in that direction), so you can also press the outer rim with your thumb – which allows you to use the Max as a regular digital pad in a pinch.
At first this controller seems gimmicky (and it is), but it’s actually very well suited to games that require a circular motion. And it just so happens those games require turbo, which is readily available right there below the regular buttons. While there are only really two games I use this controller for myself, the experience is so unique and enjoyable that this controller should really be in anyone’s collection. And those two games are:
Gunsmoke
(Fun fact: Gun Smoke has two cart labels – and the one shown was used after the TV license for the Western show was acquired. The original Capcom art is certainly servicable, but I prefer the TV shown version.)
Gunsmoke is a great game that’s perfect with the Max (although certainly is enjoyable with the Advantage as well). The B button shoots to the left and the A to the right, so the turbo buttons are perfect here. And the slider control works just great for maneuvering the character back and forth on the screen.
Gyruss
Gyruss is an arcade shooter in the same vein of Atari’s Tempest. You rotate the ship around the outside edge of the screen, shooting in the center toward enemies. The idea is that you’re flying down wormholes, going from planet to planet. What makes the game great with the Max is the slider on the controller being able to rotate clockwise and counter clockwise seamlessly. This is a lot easier than tapping the digital pad in sequence and makes the gameplay that much more enjoyable.
#3 Beeshu Zipper
(The Zipper came in other colors like yellow and red as well)
Most third-party NES pads have a horrible build quality. Even recent additions that are clones of the NES pad get the button feel wrong and the plastic is much thinner and just feels cheap. The Zipper is none of that. It’s a quality product that correctly gets the feel of the original NES pad but offers variable turbo.
This controller is best used for quick-reflex games like platformers and shmups that need rapid fire but also benefit from the cross for quick presses.
(Hudson’s Adventure Island II and Konami’s Gradius come to mind as games that really benefit from the Zipper’s rapid fire and cross-pad gameplay).
I also wanted to mention the Joy Card Sanui SSS made by Hudson (sort of the same idea as the Zipper). Having used it, I find it’s of premium quality. It also provides a pass-through audio so that you can plug up your headphones to the controller (with the RCA end plugged into the NES). While I haven’t used the audio functionality (which is only mono of course), the controller is very nice and the digital pad feels especially great. I also really like the metallic finish and styling on this controller. While the Zipper is more festive, the Sansui controller is every bit as functional.
(Joy Card Sansui SSS – made by Hudson, believe it or not)
Honorable Mention: Arkanoid Vaus Controller
If you’re a fan of Arkanoid, you absolutely need to find a Vaus controller to go with it. Unfortunately, this is really the only game (outside of homebrew versions) that you can use this controller with. On top of that, this is an uncommon controller and can set you back a bit money-wise. So while it’s a quality controller and greatly enhances the experience, it’s not really a must-have.
Well hopefully that gives you a quick list of controllers to track down to increase the enjoyment you get out of your NES collection. None of the recommended controllers above are really expensive and all of them are fairly easy to acquire.
Now for shameful self-promotion:
I sell hand-made (or modded) items (like back-lit custom Game Boys) here (etsy).
And I also sell extra used games and manuals I pick up here (ebid) and here (ebay).
Also, please follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@UrzasRage) for pics and announcements.
Proceeds from my shops either go back into my collection as game purchases (so that I have more to write about), for more game-chasing, or are given to gaming-related charities.