Question... I have a Panasonic Q GameCube that has a problem with the controller. If you turn the machine on without any software and access the main screen, the system acts like the controller stick is pointing up. The little box on the screen rolls up to the top part. You can pull it down but when you release the stick it turns the cube up again. You can go left and right and down, but if there's an option to go up it will go up. When accessing the date and time it would start scrolling up the year. This only happens when you turn the machine on without software. It doesn't point up when you're playing a game no matter how you started up the system. If you exit a game and go to the system screen it's also fine. If you hit the game reset button it's also fine. You can actually turn on the system and hit the game reset button next and the problem isn't there. It only happens the first time you start the system and no time after that. It only happens with this controller. It happens on all ports. Any clues? I can't swap out the controller since it's a Q controller...
Try opening the controller and fiddling with the analog innards. Otherwise, you can try replace just that part (or the whole insides).
I wouldn't do that if I were you; you might screw it up more. If it works during games, then the gain isn't worth the possible loss. Besides, if it only does it in the main menu then it's probably a problem with the system and not the controller.
There used to be a way to calibrate GC controllers - I believe the trick was to press X+Y+Start for a few seconds. Might be worth a try on the Q controller, if you haven't already done so.
I don't think it's a problem with the stick being up. If it was then it would be up during gameplay. Also, the problem goes away when you do a soft reboot with the Game Reset button on the console. It only goes up one specific time....when you turn the system on without software which takes you to the system screen. After you pass that screen the problem goes away for good until you turn the machine off and back on again. You can change out games, put in a DVD, press the reset button, go back to the system screen...it's fine, just that first boot is a problem. Imagine a Sega Saturn where you turn it on without software and you go to the system screen. At that screen only the system thinks you're pointing the pad up. You hit the reset button on the top of the machine then everything is fine after that. No controller problems.
Also, it only does it with the Q controller, not any other that I've tested. Limey, I'll give your suggestion a shot.
I'm not going to translate a Japanese manual...heh. It corrects itself if I calibrate the stick, but it goes out of sorts again when i turn the system off and on again.
My normal PAL Gamecube has the same problem from time to time. It happens everytime if I plug in the controller after turning on the system, so i was thinking maybe it just dosn't always get a good connection on startup?
This used to happen on a dual shock pad I had for the PS1 (because I accidently stepped on it one night after a few beers). I believe for the Gamecube/Q, the machine calibrates the controller on first boot of a game and keeps that calibration setting in memory until you hard reset/turn off the machine. That would explain why it only affects you if you go to the settings screen when you first turn it on. Sounds like a faulty pad, but calibration is better on the newer machines than when analogue was first introduced. My dual shock controller was thrown away :/
"Press the X, Y, and Start/Pause buttons simultaneously for three seconds during game play, making sure to not touch the control stick. This ensures the control stick is in the Neutral (center) position."
