Strange Dreamcast Controller

Hey all, I was wondering if anyone has any info on this Dreamcast controller I found. So far, I haven't been able to find any pictures of it or info about it anywhere, but my apologies if this one's more common than I realize. As you can see in the images, it's Naki-branded, but shares the same form factor of first-party Dreamcast controllers. The analog stick and triggers are potentiometer-based, as opposed to the hall-effect sensors on the first-party controller, and the analog stick has a "click" function like modern controllers have. The analog stick kinda sticks when you push it up. Anyway, pictures below, and more can be found in the album: http://imgur.com/a/FxnQX

 

looks 3rd party

 

Snip

 

"Strange Dreamcast controller"

So, just a Dreamcast controller?

 

I never thought this controller would pick any interest, I have a couple of those controllers, one that I used sometimes and another still new inside it's package, originally bought 3 of these in Guadalajara, Mexico, like 12 years ago, all new back then, the third controller I think I gave it to my brother who also has a Dreamcast.
My idea was to have enough controllers to play Power Stone 2 with some friends but never got the chance.

 

Yeah, I've seen 3rd-party controllers by Naki and others, but they all have different form factors. I thought this one was unique because I've never seen a third-party controller that matches the original Sega controllers so closely.

"But I'm a special snowflake!" I thought it was strange because I've never seen one or one like it. =) If you look for "Naki dreamcast controller" on Google image search you'll see other controllers by Naki, but not one like this one.

Edit: Here's a pic of the Naki controllers I've always seen previously:

 

I had a feeling you would miss the joke, sorry. I meant that calling it a "strange" controller was redundant because the official Dreamcast controller is "strange" and fucked up anyway.

 

Hah, no kidding! I actually like it, but totally understand why lots of people hate it. Granted, my affinity for it may be more nostalgia than anything.

 

That thing looks really nice actually. I would love to own one.

Speaking of 3rd party controllers in the same form factor as official console controllers. Check out one I bought about a year and a half ago that is the same form factor as a PSX controller, but for Dreamcast. Unfortunately no analog or vmu port, but it feels damn amazing, and has great 8 way movement like a Saturn controller. It is especially great for arcade games like fighters and shmups.

Emulation is really fun to use it with.



Dreamcast Junkyard even reviewed the controller, and it was their review that convinced me to buy mine. No regrets.

http://www.thedreamcastjunkyard.co.uk/2015/07/game-heaven-ps1-dreamcast-controller.html

 

The official controllers are definitely better- the analog stick on the Naki is kinda sticky, and the triggers are kinda sticky as well. The expansion ports are a little tight too, so inserting/removing peripherals is a bit of a pain. Still, it's nice to have for the collection.

The PSX-style controller looks great!

 

Yeah the buttons are nice and clicky with a rubbery feel underneath, the kind that you want on good face buttons. Not mushy or anything. The buttons are hard plastic and don't rattle around in it. Playing Volgar the Viking with this is really bittersweet, since I can't plug another controller into port 2 and save with the VMU. I wish they would update it to allow that feature so I could save progress but overall it is an ok trade-off.

About that Naki, man it would be awesome to use the shell on official DC controller, and wire up slow and turbo for digital C and Z, basically L and R. In that respect it resembles OG Xbox black and white button placement. I could see it used in a nice mod at least, so in that respect it actually looks like it is worth something to swap with official controller internals.

 

It's an interesting controller for sure.
1. It has the same form factor as the official controller
2. This in itself is especially interesting because the analogue stick mechanism is a very early one - these were changed not long after the DC was released because of reliability. How NAKI got away with producing a 3rd party controller with an identical form factor I don't know. Maybe they thought using different colours was enough, but Sega saw it and stopped NAKI from producing it, leading to the adoption of a less 'identical' design?

Either way, it's a cool controller. Thanks for sharing - I thought I'd seen every DC controller but I obviously hadn't!

 

Thanks for the plug haha!

 

Yeah, I thought the same thing! I'm going to see how well the screw posts match up with the official controller.

Exactly, I've never seen a third-party Dreamcast controller that has the same form factor as a first-party controller. Did all the third-party controllers use hall effect sensors for the analog portions, or did some use pots? I really do wonder if Naki only made these for markets where the Dreamcast wasn't really sold, or something like that.

 

There is at least one other 3rd party Dreamcast controller out there that is exactly the same as the official controller, just without the Dreamcast logo on it (they pop up on eBay surprisingly regularly, brand new in blister packs). But these are clearly new controllers, made recently I would guess. The one you have is different because it appears to be a contemporary controller from the time that the Dreamcast was still alive and kicking, as it were. It's that analogue mechanism that makes me speculate this.

That said, here's another one I just found while looking for the 'unbranded' one I mention above, so I'm possibly talking out of my ass (it has been known) XD

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Topway-St...008401?hash=item33c61b4691:g:CFsAAOSw-0xYOwM9

 

Now I remember seeing those before. I see they must have bought the molds from Naki or something to make their own. Very similar in all respects. I was thinking of buying one of these years back just based on the form factor alone.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they did use the same molds. The differences between the Naki and the official are on the top half of the shell, there are the extra buttons ("Turbo" and "Slow"), and on the bottom part of the shell, on the "grips" there are small indentations for your fingers (not that your fingers really align with them).

EDIT: I bet that moden "repro" uses the same design. See how the package has a "CLEAR" function pointing to the analog stick? I assume that's referring to the "click" function of the analog stick. Do any of the hall-effect-based analog sticks on other third-party Dreamcast controllers feature a click function?

 

Not to my knowledge, those sounds like it is limited to those unless anybody else knows of others.

 

Not quiet rare. I have several of them. This was the first I could grab. It plays almost identical to first party pads besides the turbo and slomo buttons. They pop up on eBay quiet often.

 

Not as strange as this one I think: http://www.ebay.com/itm/371768320895