Controllers

After you have downloaded an emulator and your favorite video game ROMs you could go ahead and play your old games with a keyboard, but where is the fun in that? The best way to play Sonic or Mario is to do what you did as a kid, sit on your couch and rock out for hours on end with a controller in your hands! The thing is, there are numerous ways to control your games, ranging from stupid easy to somewhat difficult… but we can get into that in a bit, until then just read the various ways you can control your games and pick the best option for you!

iPhone/iPod Touch Controller

If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, you can easily play NES, SNES and Genesis games in a matter of minutes (and even more if you take a second to map the controls). Using the iOS App ‘Joypad‘ which is available in the app store for only $1.99 you can turn your iPhone into a Wireless controller and have it working with your computer in minutes. There are three available game pads to choose from (pictured below) which should all look pretty familiar to you old school gamers out there. Once you have the app on your iPhone you will need to install a Client program for your computer so that the Phone and Computer can interface and then load up your app and begin playing. This is honestly one of the best and easiest ways to play your old school games without any fuss. And if you just want to play a quick round of Mario for old time’s sake, spending $1.99 to do it ain’t all that bad!

Pros: Stupidly easy to set up, the controls are surprisingly accurate, it’s only $2 bucks, Windows compatable.

Cons: You can only use 1 controller for now, can be laggy at times, doesn’t support multiple key presses with one finger yet.

Editor’s Note: I spoke with the developers and they said that the next update will include 2-Player support and they have some other features in store as well. While the iDevices don’t support two buttons being pressed at one time, the devs have come up with a way to do it anyway, and that will also be in a future update. It is clear that the devs plan on supporting this for a long time and enhancing it in any way they can. I recommend the hell out of Joypad!

XBOX360 Wired / Wireless Controllers Solution

The next way I’m going to discuss how to properly play your emulators may seem a little unorthodox, but it works amazingly well. Microsoft’s XBOX360 controllers are actually perfect for a majority of systems that you will emulate. They have enough buttons for nearly every console and there is a good likelihood that you may already have a few floating around your house. If you have one (or more) of the Wired USB XBOX360 controllers then you don’t need anything else. If you have one (or more) of the Wireless controllers, then you will need to purchase an XBOX360 Wireless Gaming Receiver, mentioned below, and then you will be good to go.

XBOX360 Wireless Gaming Reciever: Truth be told, I don’t even know how I came across this little gem of a product, but I’m glad I did. Basically, with this little USB dongle connected to your computer, you will be able to pair up to four XBOX360 controllers to your Mac. This means that you can play all of your old school 4-Player games, wirelessly, from your couch. However, there is a downside to this product… it has been discontinued. Don’t fret! You can still purchase them on eBay for around $15.00 or from Amazon’s used section for twice the price (assuming you have some Gift Cards to blow). This is the most elegant way to implement this solution and once set up it works incredibly well!

Buy: eBay Search & Amazon & Froogle Search

OSX XBOX360 Controller Drivers: Using the drivers provided below you will be able to use your Wired XBOX360 Controller with no problems whatsoever. These drivers will also allow you to use the wireless controllers when used in conjunction with the Wireless Gaming Receiver (mentioned above).

XBOX360 Drivers: Tattiebogle.net

XBOX360 Wired Controller: If you don’t have an XBOX360 controller in your house, I still think it is worth buying one just for Mac gaming. Just load the drivers (above), set it up and start playing.

Buy: Amazon

XBOX 360 Wireless Controller: Same as above, but wireless. Remember you will need the Wireless Gaming Receiver for this to work!

Buy: Amazon

Pros: You may already have these controllers, the number of buttons ensures that you can play pretty much every game system with ease.

Cons: Not the easiest controllers to set up (although I took the hassle out of that for you, see the Controller Configuration section below), controllers are not cheap.

Editor’s Note: I personally use these controllers for M.A.M.E. and other emulators that require lots of buttons and I have not had any problems. Plus, the fact that you can get four people playing a game… wirelessly, simply rocks. Additionally, for some reason Microsoft made both Wired and Wireless Controllers that are ‘For Windows.’ These retail for more than the regular 360 Controllers, but do the same exact thing. Do yourself a favor and ignore these.

Playstation 3 Controller Solution

Much like the XBOX360 Controllers, you can apparently use the Wireless Playstation 3 controller with a Mac as well. Unfortunately, I do not have a Playstation 3 or access to the controllers so I cannot test this setup or provide detailed instructions on how to use these controllers just yet. The word on the street is that with OSX Snow Leopard, you can pair the PS3 controllers to the system using Bluetooth and also use the controllers via USB when the unofficial driver is used which you can obtain below. Once I get my hands on some PS3 controllers I will update the site accordingly.

OSX Playstation 3 Controller Drivers: Tattiebogle.net

Playstation 3 Wireless Controller: Amazon

Pros: You may already have these controllers, the number of buttons ensures that you can play pretty much every game system with ease.

Cons: I cannot personally confirm how well these work with OSX, although it would appear it is possible.

USB Controllers & Classic Controller Adapters

Assuming you don’t want to go with XBOX360 or Playstation 3 controllers, there are actually a few more options available to you for controlling your games. There are of course regular USB controllers which work just fine, and might even be slightly cheaper than the XBOX360/PS3 options. And for the hardcore gamers out there that want to feel like they are playing on the exact controller that came with the system, there are an assortment of retro USB controllers and adapters specifically for your old gamepads.

Logitech Rumblepad 2 Gamepad: This USB gamepad looks like a Playstation controller which should be familiar to a lot of people. It is fairly inexpensive and will provide you with a very easy way to control all your games should you not want to go for the solutions above. It is fairly compact, which is great for playing games on the go, and it is very well rated on Amazon.

Buy: Amazon

Classic Controllers & Adapters: The only thing better than being able to play a classic game without going through a dusty box in the attic is to be able to play it using the original controller! It is clear that there are some real die-hard emulation fans out there as you can actually purchase adapters that enable you to plug your retro controllers into your computer via USB. Additionally, some companies have actually manufactured modern USB controllers as well. I have listed all of the controllers and adapters below. Can you say throwback?

Nintendo Entertainment System USB Controller: Amazon
Nintendo Entertainment System USB Adapter: RetroZone
Original NES Controllers: eBay Search

Genesis USB Adapter: RetroZone
Original Genesis Controllers: eBay Search

Super Nintendo USB Controller: Amazon
Super Nintendo USB Adapter: Amazon
Original Super Nintendo Controllers: eBay Search

Nintendo 64 Adapter: Amazon
Original Nintendo 64 Controllers: eBay Search

Playstation 1 & 2 Controller Adapter: Amazon
Playstation 2 Controller: Amazon