Which gamepad to buy, in order to play the GameCube ?

[Oliverfr]

Hello !

There are quite a few GameCube games i would like to play on my PC, however so far my cheap gamepad has hardly allowed me to play, having to go through a painful testing-trying-tweaking time is a strong deterrent against playing new games. Plus, last month, my kids played intensively with the gamepad, and well, let us delicately say the hardware suffered a lot.

And so, it's time for me to buy a new gamepad.

I would like to advice, please...
Is it better to buy an actual gamecube controller, and a PC adapter ?
Or would it be better to buy an actual PC gamepad, one that would be said to be fully compatible with GameCube emulation ?

(In five or six years from now I'll have the same question for the Wii, once the performance/price of GPUs has further improved, haha)

I don't exclude emulating on my PC other machines (PS2 for instance), maybe that would plead for a PC gamepad rather than a Gamecube gamepad ?

Well, as you can see, I'm quite open... If you have suggestions, with your superior experience, they will be more than welcome, thank you !

[ulao]

The best option IMO is just use the original pad. Many adapters out there some really cheep others with higher compatibility. Some older mayflash adapters go for very cheep but its a driver based adapter and can have issues. Pay a bit more and you can get one that just simply works (see my sig and customize it the way you want). The main benefit with the non driver based like Bliss-box is that it works on anything. Mac, linux, windows, ps3, ect... So when you upgrade to win8 or 8.1 or 9 you dont have to fool with annoying drivers.

On the other hand, If you want a controller more generic and non specific I'd just get a xbox 360 controller. Everything supports it anymore.

[Oliverfr]

Hello Ulao !

Thank you very much for your reply

I've been giving that one a lot of thought, and I think I might have best opt for an Xbox360 gamepad, then, if it allows broader use, and optionally may be used for emulating other machines.

With the price of an adapter like the Blissbox, it would cost more or less the same thing, a Gamecube gamepad + adapter, or an Xbox360 gamepad. In terms of functionality and usage, I would be less restricted with an Xbox 360 gamepad.

I took a quick peek at the forums, though, and I didn't find an "obvious" post explaining how to setup "now and forever" the settings for an Xbox360 controller, and make it work properly with games played using Dolphin.
The best I found was this thread : https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-noob-friendly-how-to-connect-ps3-xbox360-controller-to-pc-and-use-them-with-dolphin ... with the slight defect that on screenshot a part of the button assignments is masked ^____^

[ulao]

Quote:In terms of functionality and usage, I would be less restricted with an Xbox 360 gamepad.

I dont follow, how so?

I dont own a 360 controller but I here most people like it. I would argue the meaning of that quote above, unless I read it wrong? Though think of it this way, the 360 is designed for a 360. The Bliss-box or most other HID PC adapters are designed for Windows/Mac/Linux/Ps3/xbox/xbox 360. Mosley windows. So you will be less restricted with an adapter and more so restricted with a 360. At least that is how I see it.

[MusicNomad]

I personally use my Xbox360 controller for all emulators. its not necessary for ones like the snes but n64 etc that require joystick manipulation. I use this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1PU0FK3078 and it works perfectly. a little bit of configuration is required to get it working but its cheap and worth it. (it currently says out of stock but that one is an after market item and you should probably be careful about buying aftermarket products. This specific one generally had good reviews).

[paqman3d]

I've been using the Wii U Pro controller with the Mayflash adapter. Mainly because I like using a Nintendo controller for Nintendo games since the ABXY buttons aren't jacked up like they are on a 360 pad. I'll eventually get a GCN adapter for my Wavebird just for a pure feeling when playing, but I honestly think I'll stick with the Wii U Pro for awhile just for the better, bigger d-pad (which helps in Resident Evil Zero and the RE1 Remake). Plus, the battery life is loads better than the 360's or PS3's. I went 2 months of heavy gaming with no charging -- and this was how it was new out the box. I literally just had to charge it this past weekend.

As far as mapping goes, L&R are L&R on the Wii U Pro while Z is ZR (the trigger). It's a solid pad, so I'd give it some consideration. I use it for NES and SNES as well (SNES is LOVELY with this pad).