Playing VC games the 'old skool' way

[mwstevens]

Hi guys, I've just literally joined, after being a 'lurker' on the forums for a bit, so hello to everyone!

I've always been a bit of a 'old skool' gamer, preferring to indulge in 8 and 16 bit games over todays 'pretty but short/boring/lame' ideas for games, so I got a Wii on release day for the Virtual Console side of things. In my opinion, it could be better, releasing a few more games per week, but generally i was happy. Until I downloaded Zelda Orcarina of Time and Lylat Wars.

I found the Gamecube and Classic controllers didn't give me that proper feel of playing it. The buttons were jiggled around, stuck in places that didnt make sense (to me anyway) and I DETEST the stupid C stick of the Gamecube controller, so I began my search on finding an adapter to use my N64 controllers with the Wii.

www.retrousb.com (http://www.retrousb.com) was the 1st site I found, with someone who's created adapters for the NES and SNES controllers for use with the Wii. Plug your own controllers into the adapter, the adapter then has a gamecube-type end plug, into your Wii, and you're away. 'Great!' I thought, but not exactly what I'm after. After all, I find the Classic controller is great for SNES or NES games, just N64 i have problems with.

Finally, after months of searching, a couple of weeks ago I found http://raphnet.net, and my dream had come true. This guy has made an adapter cable to plug your old N64 controller into, to make it work with the Wii. He's even cross wired it (although not hard, very thoughtful!) so that the 'Z button' on the controller sends a 'R button' signal, and vice versa, to counteract the Wii's changing on the button config. After purchasing said cable, and it arriving last week, I can say it does exactly what it says on the tin. Voila! My Zelda woes have gone, and I'm a happy old skool gamer with my new skool machine!

Anyway, I though there may be others out there like me, so just sharing the love :D.

[SegaFan]

Welcome to the forum. :)

I don't mind playing N64 games with the Gamecube controller, to me they feel quite similar. What I'd really like to see is an adapter for the Saturn 2D controller, which is perfection as far as digital controllers go.

That's as far as VC goes anyway, the more I play VC the more I feel that the only true way to play the games is on the original hardware. There's something missing with VC that's more than just the controller, and even though VC is still handy for having quick and cheap (legal) access to retro games it's not quite the same.

[jackaroo]

That's as far as VC goes anyway, the more I play VC the more I feel that the only true way to play the games is on the original hardware. There's something missing with VC that's more than just the controller, and even though VC is still handy for having quick and cheap (legal) access to retro games it's not quite the same.

I know what you mean. For me its the same. There is nothing like owning the original games and cartridges. But for me right now its not possible. First i have no room for the original consoles. My room is maxed out lol. Second my parents wouldnt have it. They let me go as far as the game gear and thats it. But i still enjoy that so im glad. So for classic console games the VC is the only way to go. (Dont suggest emulation through a computer. I hate that for some reason.)

Anyway back on topic. Welcome to the forums mwstevens. For me playing with the classic controllers dont bother me. This may be because i never owned an N64 and all the other consoles are pretty much perfection with the classic controller. But im guessing that sin & punishment would be much easier to play with the N64 controller since thats what it was designed for.

[Shortay]

I bought an N64 a few months ago along with Goldeneye on eBay for around £25 in case its never released on VC, but it's proving very difficult to get games I want like Conker's Bad Fur Day, Perfect Dark etc. for a reasonably cheap price but they're all going for 25 quid and more :confused:

[SegaFan]

You won't find Conker's Bad Fur Day for less than £25, it's never dipped lower than that, I payed over £30 a couple of years ago, late game releases were produced in limited quantities. Games like Perfect Dark should be cheap though, £10 at most maybe, just make sure you have the memory expansion.

[Shortay]

You won't find Conker's Bad Fur Day for less than £25, it's never dipped lower than that, I payed over £30 a couple of years ago, late game releases were produced in limited quantities. Games like Perfect Dark should be cheap though, £10 at most maybe, just make sure you have the memory expansion.

Is Bad Fur Day worth that much money though?

[coire]

I dunno, I find the way VC games are played with The Wii-remote turned on it's side pretty innovative. The inclusion if yousing the 'trigger' B button as a turbo button for TurboGrafx-16 games is a great idea. And the classic controller is great, although I do with they had included a Turbo Button for when (if) they release Super Bonk games (I'm hoping for the previously unreleased Super Bonk 2 to hit the VC).

[Spore]

Is Bad Fur Day worth that much money though?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes. Yes it is.

[Pegasus]

I have no problems at all playing N64 games with the classic controller. If anything, those few times I had to wrestle with the original N64 pad, I found it to be more than subpar in handling.

[SKTTR]

I paid 140DM (70€) for Conker and it was worth it.

[SegaFan]

Is Bad Fur Day worth that much money though?

It's quite an advanced game for N64, the size of the game, the graphics and especially the sound was ahead of most/all N64 games, in other words it's a good game for the money, it shows you what the N64 can do. Actually I found it quite frustrating to play myself (other people will disagree with me), but glad I bought it anyway because it was one of those games I wanted to try.

Alternatively there was a remake on Xbox which is now cheaper than the N64 version (if you have an Xbox) but I don't know how good that is, I remember it got some mixed reviews at the time.

If you ask me, if you're looking for a great N64 game that might not appear on VC you should get Banjo-Kazooie. If you haven't played it already that is. One of the best 3D platformers ever made, and it should be very cheap.

[Shortay]

I paid 140DM (70€) for Conker and it was worth it.

It certainly looks worth it and that may be the only way I can get it.

[ICEknight]

Going back on topic, how do those controls work with Sin & Punishment?

I guess half of the controls won't correspond with those in the options menu, since the configuration was made different from other N64 VC games..

EDIT: Just seen this in that guy's site:
Si le bouton R est gardé enfoncé lors du branchement dans la console, les boutons N64 C gauche et C droit correspondent aux boutons Gamecube Y et X. Ceci permet de jouer au jeu Virtual Console Sin and Punishment.

So it looks like it's prepared for that specific game, quite cool.

[mwstevens]

It's quite an advanced game for N64, the size of the game, the graphics and especially the sound was ahead of most/all N64 games, in other words it's a good game for the money, it shows you what the N64 can do. Actually I found it quite frustrating to play myself (other people will disagree with me), but glad I bought it anyway because it was one of those games I wanted to try.

Alternatively there was a remake on Xbox which is now cheaper than the N64 version (if you have an Xbox) but I don't know how good that is, I remember it got some mixed reviews at the time.

If you ask me, if you're looking for a great N64 game that might not appear on VC you should get Banjo-Kazooie. If you haven't played it already that is. One of the best 3D platformers ever made, and it should be very cheap.


I agree that Conker is an awesome game, although I do think the Xbox version did do it justice; not much changed (there was a few slight variations, like the Gargoyle in the training stage) but overall, it was true to the original.

However, it is sometimes possible to pick some of the rarer N64 games up at Gamestation here in the UK for silly prices. I got Conker for £12 when I rebought it last year. Was worth every penny!

Going back on topic, how do those controls work with Sin & Punishment?

I guess half of the controls won't correspond with those in the options menu, since the configuration was made different from other N64 VC games..

I'm not too sure, I haven't downloaded S&P yet, I wasn't too sure on it as i've never heard of it TBH, and wasn't grabbed by the description of it...

[Shortay]

It's quite an advanced game for N64, the size of the game, the graphics and especially the sound was ahead of most/all N64 games, in other words it's a good game for the money, it shows you what the N64 can do. Actually I found it quite frustrating to play myself (other people will disagree with me), but glad I bought it anyway because it was one of those games I wanted to try.

Alternatively there was a remake on Xbox which is now cheaper than the N64 version (if you have an Xbox) but I don't know how good that is, I remember it got some mixed reviews at the time.

If you ask me, if you're looking for a great N64 game that might not appear on VC you should get Banjo-Kazooie. If you haven't played it already that is. One of the best 3D platformers ever made, and it should be very cheap.

Thanks, and yeah I've already got Banjo for my N64, what a game.

[Bonesaw]

What would be great is if they made a SNES controller that works with the Wii-Mote.

[mwstevens]

What would be great is if they made a SNES controller that works with the Wii-Mote.

funny you should say that...

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/snes-wii-controller-coming-to-japan-in-april/

lot of speculation at the minute about how it connects, but a lot of people seem to think it'll hook up to the Wii-mote, same as the classic controller pad.

Fingers crossed they'll release an official line of other pads!

[gardawg62]

I bought an N64 a few months ago along with Goldeneye on eBay for around £25 in case its never released on VC, but it's proving very difficult to get games I want like Conker's Bad Fur Day, Perfect Dark etc. for a reasonably cheap price but they're all going for 25 quid and more :confused:

Do you have a local toys r us, or a used game store. I found perfect dark at one a couple of weeks ago for 12 bucks.

[Shortay]

Do you have a local toys r us, or a used game store. I found perfect dark at one a couple of weeks ago for 12 bucks.

Nope no Toys R Us near me, but I got Conker on eBay and Perfect Dark is very cheap on eBay.