Buffalo Super Famicom USB pads - Japanese street price?

Hi Everyone,

A long while ago, I got some Japanese Buffalo Famicom pads and they worked out great! So naturally, I was thinking about getting some Super Famicom Buffalo pads. (^_^);

However, people on the Internet seem to be charging a high'ish price for them, especially if you plan to get more than one. Would anyone happen to know how much Japanese stores sell them for?

 

Hey Trenton, I too was wondering about the Buffalo snes controllers for PC.

I stumbled across an ebay listing for them, they go for $34 on there... usually I'm pretty wary of so-called usb SNES controllers, since nearly every one that I've seen or touched has been a poor quality bootleg with terrible stiff buttons. But the Buffalo looks pretty legit. Since you actually have one of these, may I ask how GOOD the build quality and feel is? Is it on par with the original Super NES controllers in terms of D-Pad and such?

 

$34? I'm pretty sure they go for like $10-$15 in Japan. That's my intuition speaking, but if someone could confirm it would be good.

As for the build quality, I've heard good things about them for sure. Unfortunately, I don't own one yet personally so I'm still waiting for the final word.

 

Oh, I see... you got the Famicom ones (as in the original retro rectangular style). I thought you had gotten one of the snazzy SNES models. Dammit, well... if you ever get them lemme know how good they are. I'd kinda like to get an opinion from someone who actually owns one before deciding.

 

http://www.renchi.com/renchi/PC_Games_Accessories_Super_Famicom_USB_Controller_Buffalo.htm
27$ here

 

^ It seems your URL got neutered. And is that $27 + S&H? Cuz the guy I found on Ebay is selling them for $34 with no shipping charges...

cgi.ebay.c0m/Buffalo-Super-Nintendo-SNES-USB-PC-Gamepad-GP801-Kokuyo-/250655036865?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Joysticks_Game_Controllers&hash=item3a5c3455c1#ht_4151wt_924

 

Not sure how much shipping would be tbh.

Guess the best thing to do would be , is if somebody in Japan found them for the cheap and bought it for him. Shipped it to em too.

 

they look cheaper than the originals, how do they feel?

 

Well, the regular Famicom pads feel pretty good. I'd assume Buffalo used the same workmanship on these.

If any ASSEMbler members in Japan have more information, or would even be willing to help purchase some, I'd be down for getting some pads and letting people know how they turn out. (^_^);

 

I tried one of those SFC PC pads the other day. It wasn't connected to anything, just on display. To be honest it felt pretty nice.

Yakumo

 

So then, it -does- feel as good as the original?
I just want to know how good the d-pad and buttons feel.

 

it's not as good as the original but for a 3rd party it's pretty good. As close as you're going to get for the PC anyway.

 

I just worry because usually every time I've gotten a usb snes pad it was just some cheap bootleg with a Dpad that is stiff, L and R that click instead of feeling like normal squishy rubber contact buttons, start and select made of plastic instead of rubber, and the YXBA were actually really thick. Thicker than they were supposed to be. But yeah, the Buffalo looks legit. If you can afford it, you should get one and try playing a few games in ZsNES. I want someone else to test it, lol...

 

I purchased one about a month ago and they are overall really good ! Only the D-pad is a bit odd and it audibly clicks - but I feel it was designed to be pressed in all the time, and it works beautifully when you do so.
I heard they do indeed go for $15 in Japan, I purchased mine from usb.brando (http://usb.brando.com/buffalo-usb-super-nintendo-pc-game-pad_p01551c048d015.html)

 

Audible clicks, you say? Does this mean it is hard to push?

I had a set of wireless PS2 controllers made by React which I had been using for a while with a Mayflash PS2 to USB adapter. Despite the click they were still good (aside from the rather tiny action buttons). It was a very accurate d-pad that did perfect up-left-down-right and diagonal. So much so that you could actually go diagonal only in shooters and in overhead RPG's. Alas, they died because I left the batteries in before a trip and when I got back they wouldn't turn on because the batteries had leaked and corroded the contacts.

 

Hrm, so say your trying to search for these pads on Japanese websites, what is the actual Japanese search term I should be using? Naturally, I can't speak or write Japanese so I have no idea. USB and Buffalo don't seem to get any hits.

 

Elecom also make a SFC like controller, it doesn't have the coloured buttons but still feels like a SFC pad and is about 400 yen cheaper.

 

I've heard that Elecom and Buffalo pads comes down more to preference than anything else. Kind of like Sanwa and Seimitsu. It depends on what you prefer. In my opinion, I like Buffalo pads a bit better because the quality seems slightly higher, as well as the fact that they go that little bit extra when it comes to trim (Ie. Colored buttons, etc).

 

Most stores around here sell the pads so if anyone can't find them I'll pick a few up. I am really busy though so I'll charge 500 yen commission on each one. The problem most will have are the paypal fees, bank fees for me to send the payment to my bank at 280 yen! The shipping, about 600 to 800 yen.

Yakumo

 

I guess that explains why the person I found selling them on Ebay is selling each for $34 and advertising it as "free shipping." He must combine the prices. It's too bad Buffalo U.S. never thought to market these things in America. I'd be much more willing to pay $15 or $20 for a good usb SNES pad to play my emulators with. I made a topic on their official message board and one of the representative mods responded with this:

"That's a Buffalo Japan product. BT USA doesn't make these and these are the USA/Canada forums."

http://forums.buffalotech.com/t5/Ot...falo-REALLY-make-USB-SNES-gamepads/td-p/32279

Sure I could go to the Buffalo Japan forum, but I don't understand Japanese and any I do write is pumped through a translator 10 times til I get it to say what I want, and even then it is probably still not right. Maybe a couple of us could migrate from here to there and bug them and ask what stopped them from releasing this product stateside.

Perhaps if enough people did this they'd consider it.