loonyblog.

That Saturn pad.

GameSpot is reporting that Sega of Japan will be releasing a special USB version of their classic Sega Saturn gamepad. That's really cool. While I still maintain that the PlayStation/Dual Shock/Dual Shock 2 is the best d-pad ever made (all three are identical), the original (non-analogue) Saturn pad is a close second. If you're looking for a great PC gamepad, that's a great thing to pick up (I especially like the Mac-white color) but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the solution I discovered some time ago: this 3-in-1 USB box from Lik-Sang. That handy device is slightly cheaper than the USB pad, and not only lets you connect any Sega Saturn peripheral, but also any Dreamcast or PlayStation/PS2 controller. For me, that lets me connect my PSX controller for d-pad things, and my absolutely amazing Virtua Stick for anything arcade-related. I've never used the Dreamcast port, but I like that it's there. On a similar note, the other adapter I have is this one that lets me connect any PS* or N64 controllers. I have one on my PC, and one on my Mac, and both work like a charm with MAME, any other random emulators and even gamepad friendly games (I love using a Dual Shock with Wipeout for OS X).

Actually, those are both great, but what I really can't live without is this one that lets me connect a PS* controller to my GameCube. That's super-cheap (under $10!), and is an absolute life-saver for any game that relies on the d-pad (like Wario Ware, Soul Calibur 2 or the GBA adapter). Not only is it inexpensive and very handy, but it fully supports force feedback when used with Dual Shock gamepads. Pure genius.

Posted by jason at July 2, 2004 08:44 PM | TrackBack | Read more: Games