Ever seen such a basic controller before?

[bacteria]

How about this for the insides of a controller in regards to being basic!





Talk about no frills! No components on the back, nada. This is true Alan Sugar (Amstrad) - keep it simple, keep it cheap! Great for us, no fancy electronics in the controller to bother about! :happy:

Anyone seen any other games controller this basic?

[Skyone]

All that means is that the console has more innards. Nice for modders, I suppose.

[Turknatr12]

I think in the Radica Genesis the controller is just the wires for all the buttons and ground, but I can't be quoted on that.

[SpongeBuell]

I think I've got you beat in terms of controllers that are actually used...



4 directions, 1 button.

[eagle5953]

I think you're right about the Radica - I didn't look specifically for that, but I recall seeing what looked like about a dozen wires running to the main chip (6 button Street Fighter 2 controller).

With regard to the Amistrad controller - if you can't follow those traces, this hobby is not for you.

@Sponge - actually, the Atari was the first thing I thought of as well.

[Turknatr12]

Yeah the radica is also incompatible with the regular genesis controller because it has more wires, and an extra button, so thats why I was stuck with the ugly red beast!

[bicostp]

The controllers that came with the Sega Master System were just as minimal:

[bacteria]

It is nice to have a small controller that is basically just basic contacts, it makes a pleasant change when having to cram everything into a system! SMS controller too? Interesting, not opened mine up yet. Debating to use that controller or a NES/similar one instead, might get more for selling the Amstrad GX4000 controller on e-bay!

As you say eagle5953, "With regard to the Amstrad controller - if you can't follow those traces, this hobby is not for you.". Absolutely!!

[benheck]

This gives me a good idea for a similar topic: elegant circuit boards.

Let's face it, some look good, some are crap. Someone should start a new topic where people post pics/scans of the nicest and worst PCB's they've seen. I would, but I'm going to go play the Monkey Island thing on the Xbox.

PS2/PS3 button circuits (the conductive ink on plastic ones) are fairly elegant. Ugliest PCB I've probably seen is the Intellivision - what a mess.

-Ben

[Life of Brian]

Ugliest PCB I've probably seen is the Intellivision - what a mess.

Super Joy III - 'nuff said.

[Metallica Man X]

The yobo PCB isn't half bad looking. Probably not as nice as those super simple controller wirings, but still..it doesn't look like a flounder on crack like some boards

[Turknatr12]

I've never really thought of PCBs as beautiful, but I think the Genesis 3 circuit board is about the most stereotypical idea of one. Green with black squares, not much else.

I like the look of a PSOne board also, with the traces looking 3-D if you use your imagination. (I am not crazy)

[Skyone]

Computer motherboards are obviously most elegant.

http://www.ixbt.com/mainboard/gigabyte/g1975x/board.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; <-- not a millimeter of wasted space.

[Mario]

^ 403 Forbidden

And I think the PS2 slim doesn't have one bit of wasted space!

[nevermind1534]

Computer motherboards are obviously most elegant.

http://www.ixbt.com/mainboard/gigabyte/g1975x/board.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; <-- not a millimeter of wasted space.

You don't have permission to access /mainboard/gigabyte/g1975x/board.jpg on this server.