The first, most common, and obviously the easiest alternative to fixing a joystick is to simply buy a new Nintendo 64 controller. These controllers can be found still sealed in their original packaging on Ebay. However, they are by no means cheap. These controllers can go for well over three hundred dollars if they are still sealed in their original packaging. However, you can find used Nintendo 64 controllers on Ebay for thirty to forty dollars pretty easily. In doing this though it is a bit of a gamble as to what you get since you don't know the condition of the joystick till you get your hands on it. Still many Ebay listings with good sticks will mention that the stick is in good shape. Personally, the alternative that has worked the best for me is visiting the local flea markets and garage sales. I managed to get my hands on two controllers that have excellent sticks for ten dollars a piece. You can also visit your trusted retro game store and talk to the owner to see if any available Nintendo 64 controllers have stick issues. One store I would say to avoid is Gamestop. You can buy Nintendo 64 controllers on their website however many people seem to end up with off brand products or controllers with loose sticks, so buyer beware on that one.
Speaking of off brand. It's the year 2017 and there are a slew of third party controllers out there. These products you can find at most retro shops, Ebay, and Amazon for cheaper than you can find an official Nintendo 64 controller. My experience (albeit limited) has never been great with these controllers. For one I found that they joysticks wear out much faster than on the official ones. On some controllers I ran into dead zones where I'd push the stick to a position and my character on screen would just stop. That was super frustrating in games like Super Mario 64 and Super Smash Brothers. I also had an issue at one point with an Old Skool brand controller where right out of the packaging the controller though I was moving my character left.... Problem is the controller was not in my hand. Tried to unplug it and plug it back in and the same thing happened despite the controller being straight. Overall if I were to ever go for a third party Nintendo 64 controller I would bite the bullet and go for what is called a Hori Pad. The Hori Pad was available only in Japan. It is the only officially licensed Nintendo 64 controller made by a third party. The shape is totally different as seen in the photo below and the joystick is more similar to that of the Nintendo Gamecube in design.
The only downside of this pad is since it was never available in North America, it's price is pretty high. They can be found on Ebay for generally sixty to eighty dollars. I would say this is the number one replacement controller if you have the cash to throw at it.
I get that not everyone wants to give up on their old controllers and for those people (like me) you can repair or replace individual parts. Many parts are available online and in the case of joysticks, you can find a couple different ones too. The first is the classic OEM style that is in the Nintendo 64 controller. The vast majority of these you will see are made by third parties. The only first party ones are those that were removed from other controllers. The third party replacement OEM joysticks are a mixed bag. Again, my experience with them is limited, but I ran into a couple problems when using them. Much like with the third party controller, the third party joystick seemed to wear out faster than the original. Another issue I faced occurred when installing the stick. For some reason the housing was a little bit big for the controller so I had to sand it down a bit. I also had to file down the connector into the controller slightly. Not a big deal, but it was a tad frustrating. Another issue was that it was not as precise as the original. Now I get that it's third party and I shouldn't expect a ton, but sometimes is was great. Sometimes it was overly sensitive I thought. Sometimes well... Dead zone. I'd say these sticks are good for general use. I wouldn't use them for any kind of serious gameplay. No tournaments, no high score hunting, no speed running, but just playing around I would totally recommend them. I'd also say they're good if you're looking for a cheap replacement if you do not use your system much.
While I might recommend the third party OEM style sticks, my favorite of the third parties is the Gamecube style sticks that have come out in recent years. I currently have half of my controllers with these installed. They are very strange joysticks though. If you have a Gamecube controller, you know what the stick looks like. It fits perfectly into the controller and feels really good. The literal only issues I've had is sensitivity issues in some games. For example. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time I had zero problems. Newer versions of these sticks fixed issues that involved rotating the stick, so the spin attack works fine. That being said, when I play Goldeneye 007, I find precise aiming to be difficult as the stick seems over sensitive. That being said, I play Conker's Bad Fur Day and I have no problems again. It's a game to game thing I feel like. Right now I'm using this stick for games that really take a toll on a joystick. Mario Party, Paper Mario, and Super Smash Brothers are three that come to the top of my head. Games that aren't so rough I stick with the originals. Goldeneye, Starfox 64, and other games that require some accuracy I stick with the original. Still though for casual gameplay the Gamecube style sticks are my go to.... Especially with Super Smash Brothers.
At the end of the day I don't think any third party joystick or controller (with the exception of the Hori Pad) stacks up with the original. I think the best way to go about continuing Nintendo 64 gaming is maintaining original controllers and sticks through repair and maintenance. I understand those things are not for everyone, but for anyone who truly loves this system, it's games, and even it's controllers, it would be worth while to read some techniques in repair and maintenance and even watch some how to videos on Youtube. It really makes a world of difference and has brought new life to my Nintendo 64.
Thank you for reading this blog. This blog and the previous on repairing Nintendo 64 controllers are meant to provoke thought in you, the reader about what to do with your troubled controller. I do not guarantee that you will experience the same things that I have with these replacements or repairs. I hope everything works out for you and you can enjoy your Nintendo 64 console as much as the day you got it.
No comments:
Post a Comment