You can actually just solder to the opposite pin of the potentiometer to flip the polarity. The middle pin is the variable slider/wiper, and the two ends are the range of resistance. So the length of distance is inverted from the middle to each end, if that makes sense.
Did this same gamecube style stick swap years ago. Feels good on first use but you'll begin noticing its not as precise as an OG stick. My Life in Gaming has a good pretty video covering it.
Aftermarket sticks tend to have a high sensitivity than OG sticks. This isn't such a big deal if you can calibrate the stick. If you can calibrate the stick in the controller menu, everything is good. Its a big deal on original hardware because there is no way to calibrate the stick.
We had this issue. We modded all four of our N64 controllers with aftermarket sticks and none of them worked right. It really shows in games like Super Mario 64. You kinda just have to deal with original sticks if you want the games to feel right.
all you need to do is cut the 2 traces on the outer pins and when you do the soldering flip the two outer connections. this could have been done soo much simpler lol
Yeeeeees, I, really was wondering why he didn't just swap the connections as well, but I don't know too much about electronics, but it did seem like a viable option
The stick on the N64, imo, is the best feeling stick, when new, of any controller. It's resistance makes it easier to move at speeds lower than 100%. Modding it to be basically a gc control stick is insane.
@@SynthLizard8 there is no reason to palm the thumb stick. The only reason you’d attempt such a maneuver is if you attempt to recklessly churn the stick around extremely quickly, which damages the controller.
I never had one, but you can tell just by looking at the lever that it was a controller built to be actually analogical. A stick with a meaningful degree of movement, not the weird stubby quasi-digital thumbsticks that we use today.
It’s so funny when people say you “need” the c buttons for Ocarina of Time, because my first experience with the game was The Legend of Zelda Collector’s Edition on the GameCube. After that, the next time I played it was on the Wii using a GameCube controller. So I’m used to using the c stick as the c buttons, and the right stick of the pro controller feels mostly natural. Since the pro controller doesn’t have gates sometimes I’ll try to use c down and end up using c right, but other than that it’s been a very normal playthrough for me. Same with A and B. Everyone is so annoyed that A is A and B is B because they feel like the joy-con/pro controller’s Y should function as B. But the GameCube has A and B oriented in the same way as the pro controller, albeit with a much larger A.
@@skilarbabcock yeah no, we all get that. Bob said in the video that you “need the c buttons” and that it doesn’t work well using the right stick on the joy cons or pro controller. OP of this comment is saying they’re used to using the stick from having used the c-stick when playing with the GameCube controller back in the day. You talking about the c-stick is literally just talking in circles about the point he literally just made.
Thank you. Finally someone gets it. I'm so used to using a Wii Classic Controller that it's a non-issue for me as well. I usually map the bow/slingshot to C-Down so that I can pull back on the stick like you would pull back on a bowstring. (Still not getting the NSO expansion, though. I have a PC and a USB gamepad, I'm all set.)
Yeah I have no idea why all the n64 boomers are so hung up on it. I had a gamecube as my first with the collectors edition zelda, and the c stick wasn't too bad, but I did prefer using x, y, and z. Those n64 kids woulda never survived the gamecube. Not even mentioning the shooters on gcn vs 64
On N64 and GC controllers, the thumbs naturally rest on B and A. On Switch, they naturally rest on Y and B. Y should've been B, B should've been A. I have the same complaint for Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora's Mask 3D.
Yeah those GC style stick replacements are terrible. They make it insanely difficult to do any slight movement of the stick. No sneaking, walking, or aiming just a bit to the left.
I did this recently. Got a new stick that's not OEM, rather aftermarket that looks like the original one. The plastic on the inside grounds itself, which is the big issue with those things. I couldn't find the steelstick 64, which that requires greasing once in a while.
You unlocked such a deep memory for me. I completely forgot about how hotels used to have those n64 controllers and you could rent and play games just like how you could rent movies in your room.
My original N64 controllers aren’t broken, but then again I’ve never played Mario Party lol. With all the hours put into Mario 64, OOT, MM, B-K, Goodeneye, and all the others though, my sticks are still in good shape.
Well since it looks like this new controller uses potentiometers as opposed to the optical sensors on the original N64 controller. Yes, yes it will get stick drift. Probably not before it wears out though...
I actually like the joystick. It’s perfect for N64 games. The notches are essential, and work really well. And with how tall the joystick is you can use it multiple ways. Some games I even grip it with all 5 fingers, pinch mode, and have very accurate movement. Only time I hate it is when it’s Mario party lol
Though the fact that it will become loose over time from the plastic grinding is a massive issue. And the plastic top is not great. If Nintendo made the stick have a rubber top and made of a material that doesn't degrade over time, than people wouldn't be complaining as much
@@teneesh3376 Yeah, I want a 360 joystick in mine, I've found them to be just perfect for me, the height with the size of the indent was just perfect, I've never found a controller better than that since, I don't get what they did with the Xbox 1 triggers man, I just can't use them, those fat things are just too cumbersome for me, my brain just doesn't register them as triggers, the way I have to use the finger tips on them is super weird. I mean, there's a fking reason guns don't have fat fukn lumps for triggers. Anyway, I don't know why the 64 controller has 6 pins yet, but I definitely want to get 1 of those newer sticks working in it, even if I have to learn microcode & get a circuitboard made up, that'd be so cool too me
To avoid the wear of the N64 analog stick for cheap, open it up, and lube it in all the necessary places with high quality silicon lubricant. I suggest the ShinEtsu used for the Seimitsu LS-32, which is a high grade high durability arcade stick OR the ShinEtsu G-40M, used on Sanwa JLF arcade sticks. You do NOT need to use much and can get a tiny amount on online arcade part shops.
I'd love to get my hands on one and try my hand at fixing some of the headaches you encountered. I'd expect the x-axis flip to be easily accomplished by just a couple of traces sliced and rewired to flip voltage and ground on the x potentiometer.
Edit: The challenge here is desoldering the board so no contact is made to ground or 3.3V and if you slice the traces the ground on the X potentiometer becomes less than easy to cut based on the existing board design.
Let me get this straight, you modded a $50 official reproduction of a N64 controller because the thumbstick felt too similar to an original N64 controller.
I hear that replacing that replacing the n64 stick does not retain the authentic movement and deadzones that the original has. So there are justifications for keeping that authenticity in the new n64 controller.
I mod two of my n64 controllers with a gamecube stick, not the one that yoy simply replace, i mean i mod the gearbox and still use the optical sensors on the n64 control to preserve sensibility, its amazing it works, i even tested the controllers on the n64 controller test program and the results are very close to an original oem controller with the durability of the gamecube stick
If you buy the new N64 official controller just to change its most important component, I don't know what to say. To avoid the wear of the N64 analog stick for cheap, open it up, and lube it in all the necessary places with high quality silicon lubricant. I suggest the ShinEtsu used for the Seimitsu LS-32, which is a high grade high durability arcade stick OR the ShinEtsu G-40M, used on Sanwa JLF arcade sticks.
I have replaced 3 of my N64 controllers with Gamecube sticks, and the square gate and sensitivity is not the best. Works fine with platformers and games like Mario Party, but precise aiming in Goldeneye or while using a Hookshot in OOT takes a lot of effort to make small adjustments. Also one of them drifts….
Imo the reverse should be happening. Not a fan of the whole replace a perfectly working n64 stick with the gamecube mod stick. Inputs read different and it's not any different than using right analog for c stick lol. I think the problem is they did not add rubber caps. However, joy con caps are about the same in diameter.
It seems like Bob doesn't know about Kitsch-Bent, the real most used replacement for the N64 stick. And how bad are the GC ones on the mod community...
@@ghostware6057 They dont give you the exact 360 range of movement. The way they "look" for the system its in a square shape not an octagonal one. The movement is not as precise. My life in gaming has a video about it.
@@AngelGodinez The Gamecube stick is analog not Digital. The thing with the N64 stick is that it has an optical sensor that gives it very fine analog control kind of like a mouse
One weird thing on these replacement GC style sticks is that the shorter shaft (sic) makes the controller less precise and the finer movement needed in some places in SM64 and ocarina of time are bit harder to achieve because of that. It's better than a worn down og stick, but a new one I think is still superior for N64 games
I agree and they did lubricate the bowl to prevent wear. I think doing the gamecube one unless it's just for comfort is a bit wasteful for getting a more accurate way of playing it. Hell, Digital inputs don't last long either as drift happens a lot on modern controllers as well. Analog just has wear and tear as an issue over something like a Dpad
I would have cut the traces on the board for the x axis, then reversed the pos and neg supply on just the x axis, maintaining the axis read trace so that reding gets inverted back to normal
Didn't these thumb sticks had a flaw that made Golden Eye unplayable?. I also saw tests where mario or link wouldn't run in a perfect circle?. Something about the deadzone. Where they fixed?.
I dropped a GameCube stick into one of my N64 controllers about 2 years ago. It worked well for some games, but it was WAY too sensitive for some others. The biggest issue was trying to play F-Zero X. It is night and day between the original and a GC stick. I found F-Zero X to be playable, but I could not win many races with it... So is that still "playable" ? IDK.
So you replaced the authentic feeling stick with the gamecube-type stick that I lament being the only major option for refurbishing my original 64 controllers? The ones with the abysmal dead-zones?
Before I got a n64, I was skeptical that the stick was really that bad. When I finally did, I realized that it *was* really that bad. So, I ordered this replacement exact replacement stick for me to replace my controller’s really bad sticks. Thanks for the video!
@@sonicray100 As they said at the start it's an unnecessary mod. Also a very unfair comparison against the original in the Switch calibration when they used the Amazon GC style mod on it, which has terrible ranges and that "stair effect" as they mentioned. Also advertised the SteelSticks as very expensive when getting the bowl is shy of $35, lower than what you're already paying for a Switch controller but oh well.
@@Graslu00 Yea, probably better to get the new wireless Tribute64 than this. Or wait until Nintendo fixes the issues on their end. Funny how everyone's saying it's going to get stick drift because of the potentiometer when every controller except the N64 uses them. I've never had drift with over 10 controllers from various consoles with thousands of hours of use. I know the N64 was better in this regard but I'd imagine drift would take a while to set in (unless it's a joycon). Maybe it's more due to food particles getting onto the potentiometer contacts. I never eat and touch a controller at the same time so maybe I'm part of the minority.
@@sonicray100 The Switch N64 controller does use Joy-Con parts, but not sure about the stick internals. They're digital now instead of optical. It's way more accurate by design compared to modern controllers and the Joy-Con though. Very good for emulation on PC, but not better than the original with the raphnet adapter.
@@Graslu00 A twitter user called signakong posted pictures of the stick internals. Everything seems to be identical to the original except for the bowl design and the sensor discs which are replaced by the potentiometers. Not sure why they didn't just go with the optical sensors. You might even be able to take some of the parts and use them in an original stick. The changes would have made sense if they went with a stick box with a square octagonal gate and properly calibrated microcontroller if they were trying to avoid the loose stick issue. But to go all this way just to use potentiometers is just a missed opportunity. Would've even still had loose stick issues if they didn't add lubricant, though reapplication may still be necessary as time goes on.
11:26 Oh wow, it looks like the stick is way off centre in the gate there. That means you're going to be able to move the stick more in some directions and less in others.
Imagine it is 1994. Nintendo is making a system in the very early 3D era. They had been very successful in making 2D games and there wasn’t any real indication that they were going to stop making 2D games, but they also wanted to be able to make and sell 3D games….and they didn’t want to have a bunch of different models of controller that only work for specific games. So…..they made a controller with multiple “play modes”, if you hold the left and right side of the controller then you have a great D-Pad+6 buttons layout. If you hold the middle and right you have a setup for 3D gaming. A few games used the left and middle play style, and it seems good for tank controls, but games that used this play style were very rare The only issue is that they then went on to have 99% of the games on N64 be 3D games, so you end up in a world that despite all the forethought, the controller design doesn’t seem to make sense without games that take advantage of the different play modes
This could have all been avoided if Nintendo had just released a N64 Classic while using Wii nunchuck or even Wii U GamePad sticks in the controllers. I'm sure they've got plenty of those parts lying around.
These gamecube stick replacements are so good, they feel amazing, but unfortunately they are just sometimes too sensitive. Makes mario 64 and other platforming games very difficult
I did the mod on this antique shop n64 that came with a controller I opened it up to fix the stick and bam white powder and so brittle I broke it and I grabbed that mod and did it and works great a bit sensitive but Not bad. Great that u did it to the new one lol. luv the intro.
i just opped for cleaning and lubing the stickbox and it typically tightens a stickbox back up as long as nothings broken within. however a 1 for 1 - 8bitdo stick would be nice for this
So the problem with this is games designed for the OG controller resistance, so for example fzero x is unplayable with my hyperkin controller because it doesn't have the right resistance.
Hilariously on the new NSO controller, it does look the same even if you take out of the analog stick. But someone on the comments - from a different video - said that “upon a closer look, the plastic piece doesn’t grind on the dome-shaped ball anymore”. Assuming they might’ve had the dome (yes, I’m calling it the “dome”) to be a bit larger or to have the plastic piece that once had it grinding onto it to be shorter.
The way the modded stick points upwards looks like it reduces the distance that stick can travel if you were to make your character walk forward.. did you have to tweak stick sensitivity or deadzones? How can you reduce forward movement by half and still have an effective controller?
The resting position of the stick seems pretty far up the octagonal gate, doesn't seem like you would have much stick travel space in the upward direction.
Yeah, I mention that at the end. I saw those concerns online and it is true when you do the mod in the original N64 controller, but for whatever reason it's not as bad in this. It's more sensitive and the deadzone isn't as harsh
i got the "Yobo Gameware" controller cuz i was never able to get ahold of the og 64 controller, and the stick actually feels great! its not modeled like the 64s stick and i have no issues with it so far! also i got the version that actually looks just like a 64 controller
I just used panty hose and a little bit of grease and my stick hasn’t worn down in over ten years. 2 layers, and some lithium grease underneath the two layers in the bowl. LED modded it so it’s my main. Still strong stick like the day I bought it.
I feel like for some reason everyone always assumes the idea of a more sensitive control stick is automatically better. Every controller i've ever used aside from the original N64s all have drastically OVER-SENSITIVE sticks. The gameplay was designed around a certain level of sensitivity and a lot of games get completely ruined by these gamecube style stick mods or any other modern 3rd party controller. You won't notice in games like Mario 64 or Smash Bros. But as soon as you try to carefully aim an arrow in Zelda or do small direction adjustments in Rogue Squadron it becomes hilariously apparent that these types of mods are a huge downgrade. The only viable solution i've found if you actually want to play N64 games and get the real experience....instead of just hopping on for a few minutes of that nostalgia dopamine hit....get a real N64 controller and buy a bunch of Kitsch Bent replacement gears, bowls, and sticks. It will take a little learning to figure out how to get them set up right, but the sticks will feel new after the repair. I'm sure steelsticks and brewsticks do too, but theyre very expensive and unavailable. Hopefully these new Switch N64 controllers actually have the authentic feel of the originals. If they do it's a huge bummer that this one got its guts ripped out and had one of those awful gamecube sticks put in.
I will never have an N64 controller in my house again but I enjoy the hard work on trying to "fix" it's flaws. Hated it so much when it first came out and no amount of nostalgia would want me to hold that controller again.
What is the step ladder effect? I have been using a usb controller on my laptop and I can’t aim in Goldeneye because the stick is too sticky and I can’t aim fine amounts.
These sticks don't have directional input in between the notch angles, I don't recommend them unless you're cool with only playing a 3D game with 8 directions.
I'll probably get more use out of this on PC than I ever will on Switch because of how weird the mapping is with no way to change it. The Magic-NS and BetterJoy don't support this right now unfortunately, and I have no idea how to map the buttons properly in Steam Big Picture. It works fine with Dolphin and Project 64 though, so that's nice.
Someone actually made their own fork for BetterJoy for it and it works pretty great! The default mapping for the C buttons is all kinds of janky but if you can remap them it should be fine
Really living up to the “Modder known as Wulff Den” title! Please replace the MacBook Pro trackpad with a N64 thumbstick next.
you got it boss
lmfao
“I replaced a Macbook Pro trackpad with a N64 thumbstick. You won’t believe what happened next!”
🤣🤣
@@LuiBC3 uP
Can we take a second to talk about 4:00?
No. Also, how dare you.
Pls no 😂
Yes.
awwwww man the fact then i went to that moment in time...
i am blind !!!
only for a sec
Bob learned to use a soldering iron and there's NOTHING he wont mod
Honestly, I would do the same
“Takes the controller away”
“Willhelm scream!”
You can actually just solder to the opposite pin of the potentiometer to flip the polarity. The middle pin is the variable slider/wiper, and the two ends are the range of resistance. So the length of distance is inverted from the middle to each end, if that makes sense.
This is the way!
was thinking same thing.
Dang, and there I was thinking about how you could convert the signal somehow with extra circuitry between the connectors 😅
Do you know of a good website or video explaining this way to do this mod?
Can you?
I thought the other 2 pins were Gnd & Voltage in, as in, no output signal, just a constant voltage
the 3 hand controller bit in the beginning earned you an upvote lol
Did this same gamecube style stick swap years ago. Feels good on first use but you'll begin noticing its not as precise as an OG stick. My Life in Gaming has a good pretty video covering it.
Aftermarket sticks tend to have a high sensitivity than OG sticks. This isn't such a big deal if you can calibrate the stick. If you can calibrate the stick in the controller menu, everything is good.
Its a big deal on original hardware because there is no way to calibrate the stick.
That the same issue I had with the over sensitive 3rd party ones also put sole silicone grease in the stick box it lasts so much longer
I’ve been doing that for years
On the original thumb sticks
We had this issue. We modded all four of our N64 controllers with aftermarket sticks and none of them worked right. It really shows in games like Super Mario 64. You kinda just have to deal with original sticks if you want the games to feel right.
*cops bust into bobs apartment*
Bob: It's not coke it's N64 stick box plastic I swear!
Man I just LOVE your ad spots 😂
Others should learn a thing or two from you
Keep up the great work
all you need to do is cut the 2 traces on the outer pins and when you do the soldering flip the two outer connections. this could have been done soo much simpler lol
Or just use the Mayflash adaptor and pick whatever N64 controller you want!
Yeeeeees, I, really was wondering why he didn't just swap the connections as well, but I don't know too much about electronics, but it did seem like a viable option
The stick on the N64, imo, is the best feeling stick, when new, of any controller. It's resistance makes it easier to move at speeds lower than 100%. Modding it to be basically a gc control stick is insane.
The Gamecube had the best feeling sticks because they were rubberized , had the grooves and weren't torture devices for your palms.
@@SynthLizard8 there is no reason to palm the thumb stick.
The only reason you’d attempt such a maneuver is if you attempt to recklessly churn the stick around extremely quickly, which damages the controller.
I never had one, but you can tell just by looking at the lever that it was a controller built to be actually analogical. A stick with a meaningful degree of movement, not the weird stubby quasi-digital thumbsticks that we use today.
Use Steel Stick 64 instead if you mod.
@@futurewario9591 are steel sticks available?
It’s so funny when people say you “need” the c buttons for Ocarina of Time, because my first experience with the game was The Legend of Zelda Collector’s Edition on the GameCube. After that, the next time I played it was on the Wii using a GameCube controller. So I’m used to using the c stick as the c buttons, and the right stick of the pro controller feels mostly natural. Since the pro controller doesn’t have gates sometimes I’ll try to use c down and end up using c right, but other than that it’s been a very normal playthrough for me.
Same with A and B. Everyone is so annoyed that A is A and B is B because they feel like the joy-con/pro controller’s Y should function as B. But the GameCube has A and B oriented in the same way as the pro controller, albeit with a much larger A.
Take a moment to think about this....
C buttons
C stick
C stick is yellow
@@skilarbabcock yeah no, we all get that. Bob said in the video that you “need the c buttons” and that it doesn’t work well using the right stick on the joy cons or pro controller. OP of this comment is saying they’re used to using the stick from having used the c-stick when playing with the GameCube controller back in the day. You talking about the c-stick is literally just talking in circles about the point he literally just made.
Thank you. Finally someone gets it. I'm so used to using a Wii Classic Controller that it's a non-issue for me as well. I usually map the bow/slingshot to C-Down so that I can pull back on the stick like you would pull back on a bowstring.
(Still not getting the NSO expansion, though. I have a PC and a USB gamepad, I'm all set.)
Yeah I have no idea why all the n64 boomers are so hung up on it. I had a gamecube as my first with the collectors edition zelda, and the c stick wasn't too bad, but I did prefer using x, y, and z. Those n64 kids woulda never survived the gamecube. Not even mentioning the shooters on gcn vs 64
On N64 and GC controllers, the thumbs naturally rest on B and A. On Switch, they naturally rest on Y and B.
Y should've been B, B should've been A. I have the same complaint for Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora's Mask 3D.
I did this with an OG n64 controller. Found it really didn't respond as well on fps games. Wasn't as precise.
Yeah those GC style stick replacements are terrible. They make it insanely difficult to do any slight movement of the stick. No sneaking, walking, or aiming just a bit to the left.
I did this recently. Got a new stick that's not OEM, rather aftermarket that looks like the original one. The plastic on the inside grounds itself, which is the big issue with those things. I couldn't find the steelstick 64, which that requires greasing once in a while.
The bomberman 64 music at the beginning brings back memories
You unlocked such a deep memory for me. I completely forgot about how hotels used to have those n64 controllers and you could rent and play games just like how you could rent movies in your room.
My parents never let me back in the day :/ you couldn't save either which kinda sucked.
I remember renting a whole bunch of games and my parents getting a 200$ bill. Games were Super Mario 64, Rampage.
I love all your controller mod videos! I appreciate all the time and effort you put into the videos
My original N64 controllers aren’t broken, but then again I’ve never played Mario Party lol. With all the hours put into Mario 64, OOT, MM, B-K, Goodeneye, and all the others though, my sticks are still in good shape.
Same! And I love the feel of the original sticks. A bit disappointed that the optical sensors have been replaced by potentiometers in the new version.
Did you just say..... *you've never played mario party before?*
*goldeneye
@@Geobot3000 You have to understand, not everyone has played every game that’s ever-wait, hold on, put that chair down!
@@Hibernial *YEET THE CHAIR*
Well since it looks like this new controller uses potentiometers as opposed to the optical sensors on the original N64 controller. Yes, yes it will get stick drift. Probably not before it wears out though...
What are optical sensors
@@diamonshade7484 Photoresistor
I actually like the joystick. It’s perfect for N64 games. The notches are essential, and work really well. And with how tall the joystick is you can use it multiple ways. Some games I even grip it with all 5 fingers, pinch mode, and have very accurate movement. Only time I hate it is when it’s Mario party lol
Though the fact that it will become loose over time from the plastic grinding is a massive issue. And the plastic top is not great. If Nintendo made the stick have a rubber top and made of a material that doesn't degrade over time, than people wouldn't be complaining as much
@@teneesh3376 Yeah, I want a 360 joystick in mine, I've found them to be just perfect for me, the height with the size of the indent was just perfect, I've never found a controller better than that since, I don't get what they did with the Xbox 1 triggers man, I just can't use them, those fat things are just too cumbersome for me, my brain just doesn't register them as triggers, the way I have to use the finger tips on them is super weird.
I mean, there's a fking reason guns don't have fat fukn lumps for triggers.
Anyway, I don't know why the 64 controller has 6 pins yet, but I definitely want to get 1 of those newer sticks working in it, even if I have to learn microcode & get a circuitboard made up, that'd be so cool too me
That Wilhelm scream
To avoid the wear of the N64 analog stick for cheap, open it up, and lube it in all the necessary places with high quality silicon lubricant.
I suggest the ShinEtsu used for the Seimitsu LS-32, which is a high grade high durability arcade stick OR the ShinEtsu G-40M, used on Sanwa JLF arcade sticks.
You do NOT need to use much and can get a tiny amount on online arcade part shops.
I'd love to get my hands on one and try my hand at fixing some of the headaches you encountered. I'd expect the x-axis flip to be easily accomplished by just a couple of traces sliced and rewired to flip voltage and ground on the x potentiometer.
Edit: The challenge here is desoldering the board so no contact is made to ground or 3.3V and if you slice the traces the ground on the X potentiometer becomes less than easy to cut based on the existing board design.
Let me get this straight, you modded a $50 official reproduction of a N64 controller because the thumbstick felt too similar to an original N64 controller.
I hear that replacing that replacing the n64 stick does not retain the authentic movement and deadzones that the original has. So there are justifications for keeping that authenticity in the new n64 controller.
Correct
I mod two of my n64 controllers with a gamecube stick, not the one that yoy simply replace, i mean i mod the gearbox and still use the optical sensors on the n64 control to preserve sensibility, its amazing it works, i even tested the controllers on the n64 controller test program and the results are very close to an original oem controller with the durability of the gamecube stick
If you buy the new N64 official controller just to change its most important component, I don't know what to say.
To avoid the wear of the N64 analog stick for cheap, open it up, and lube it in all the necessary places with high quality silicon lubricant.
I suggest the ShinEtsu used for the Seimitsu LS-32, which is a high grade high durability arcade stick OR the ShinEtsu G-40M, used on Sanwa JLF arcade sticks.
Well done sir! Going the distance to get that board flipped is simply insane.
I have replaced 3 of my N64 controllers with Gamecube sticks, and the square gate and sensitivity is not the best. Works fine with platformers and games like Mario Party, but precise aiming in Goldeneye or while using a Hookshot in OOT takes a lot of effort to make small adjustments. Also one of them drifts….
Imo the reverse should be happening. Not a fan of the whole replace a perfectly working n64 stick with the gamecube mod stick. Inputs read different and it's not any different than using right analog for c stick lol. I think the problem is they did not add rubber caps. However, joy con caps are about the same in diameter.
Now put the insides of a GameCube controller into the N64 controller and it will be perfect.
It seems like Bob doesn't know about Kitsch-Bent, the real most used replacement for the N64 stick. And how bad are the GC ones on the mod community...
how are the GC ones bad for the community? I don't know much about this kind of stuff
@@ghostware6057 They dont give you the exact 360 range of movement. The way they "look" for the system its in a square shape not an octagonal one. The movement is not as precise. My life in gaming has a video about it.
@@ghostware6057 This happens because the N64 stick has analog movement, not digital as a gamecube.
@@AngelGodinez that makes sense. I'll have to give it a watch
@@AngelGodinez The Gamecube stick is analog not Digital. The thing with the N64 stick is that it has an optical sensor that gives it very fine analog control kind of like a mouse
One weird thing on these replacement GC style sticks is that the shorter shaft (sic) makes the controller less precise and the finer movement needed in some places in SM64 and ocarina of time are bit harder to achieve because of that. It's better than a worn down og stick, but a new one I think is still superior for N64 games
I agree and they did lubricate the bowl to prevent wear. I think doing the gamecube one unless it's just for comfort is a bit wasteful for getting a more accurate way of playing it. Hell, Digital inputs don't last long either as drift happens a lot on modern controllers as well. Analog just has wear and tear as an issue over something like a Dpad
this man puts his mind BODY and soul ( 4:00 ) in all the videos he makes
I'm glad the reverb problem from a few vids ago has gone away. Great vid as always!
I would have cut the traces on the board for the x axis, then reversed the pos and neg supply on just the x axis, maintaining the axis read trace so that reding gets inverted back to normal
Didn't these thumb sticks had a flaw that made Golden Eye unplayable?. I also saw tests where mario or link wouldn't run in a perfect circle?. Something about the deadzone. Where they fixed?.
Nintendo: you trying to make our products good? How daaaaare you!
Lol
@KingKrimson r/whooosh
@@jameslewis3133 bro!!!!! i hab redit!!!!!! epic win!!!!!
I dropped a GameCube stick into one of my N64 controllers about 2 years ago. It worked well for some games, but it was WAY too sensitive for some others. The biggest issue was trying to play F-Zero X. It is night and day between the original and a GC stick. I found F-Zero X to be playable, but I could not win many races with it... So is that still "playable" ? IDK.
I totally agree. F zero x was not very playable with the game cube stick in the n64 controller. And f zero x was one of my favourite n64 games.
@@stevied6965 Im total crap at F-Zero X but Im with you, its one of my fav racers of all time. I love GX as well, but X is special man.
That sweet Bomberman64 music.
That' Apple sticker on the Switch dock makes me want to die.
“Potentiometer” sounds like a tool your parents use to decide whether or not to start saving for your college.
So you replaced the authentic feeling stick with the gamecube-type stick that I lament being the only major option for refurbishing my original 64 controllers? The ones with the abysmal dead-zones?
Before I got a n64, I was skeptical that the stick was really that bad. When I finally did, I realized that it *was* really that bad. So, I ordered this replacement exact replacement stick for me to replace my controller’s really bad sticks. Thanks for the video!
Nice way to completely obliterate the controller's accuracy :D
Horrible "mod" isn't it? I use Micro's PCB and that the only way I'd use a gc stick.
@@sonicray100 As they said at the start it's an unnecessary mod. Also a very unfair comparison against the original in the Switch calibration when they used the Amazon GC style mod on it, which has terrible ranges and that "stair effect" as they mentioned. Also advertised the SteelSticks as very expensive when getting the bowl is shy of $35, lower than what you're already paying for a Switch controller but oh well.
@@Graslu00 Yea, probably better to get the new wireless Tribute64 than this. Or wait until Nintendo fixes the issues on their end. Funny how everyone's saying it's going to get stick drift because of the potentiometer when every controller except the N64 uses them. I've never had drift with over 10 controllers from various consoles with thousands of hours of use. I know the N64 was better in this regard but I'd imagine drift would take a while to set in (unless it's a joycon). Maybe it's more due to food particles getting onto the potentiometer contacts. I never eat and touch a controller at the same time so maybe I'm part of the minority.
@@sonicray100 The Switch N64 controller does use Joy-Con parts, but not sure about the stick internals. They're digital now instead of optical. It's way more accurate by design compared to modern controllers and the Joy-Con though. Very good for emulation on PC, but not better than the original with the raphnet adapter.
@@Graslu00 A twitter user called signakong posted pictures of the stick internals. Everything seems to be identical to the original except for the bowl design and the sensor discs which are replaced by the potentiometers. Not sure why they didn't just go with the optical sensors. You might even be able to take some of the parts and use them in an original stick. The changes would have made sense if they went with a stick box with a square octagonal gate and properly calibrated microcontroller if they were trying to avoid the loose stick issue. But to go all this way just to use potentiometers is just a missed opportunity. Would've even still had loose stick issues if they didn't add lubricant, though reapplication may still be necessary as time goes on.
Love the Bomberman 64 Music. Brought back a lot of memories!
Switch dock with an apple logo looks cursed as fuck
0:18 I'm triggered
This is why I like your channel. Plus your sarcastic comedic timing
ok normally I hate ads, but so long as you're having fun with them like this, keep it coming lol
11:26 Oh wow, it looks like the stick is way off centre in the gate there. That means you're going to be able to move the stick more in some directions and less in others.
I was thinking the same thing.
The Original thumb stick for this controller (on switch) is still smoother than the original (on Nintendo 64) by 20 or so years now.
4:21 is absolute GOLD. This is exactly why i always hated this controller, you NEED a third hand for it, who would ever come up with such a design :D
Imagine it is 1994. Nintendo is making a system in the very early 3D era.
They had been very successful in making 2D games and there wasn’t any real indication that they were going to stop making 2D games, but they also wanted to be able to make and sell 3D games….and they didn’t want to have a bunch of different models of controller that only work for specific games.
So…..they made a controller with multiple “play modes”, if you hold the left and right side of the controller then you have a great D-Pad+6 buttons layout. If you hold the middle and right you have a setup for 3D gaming.
A few games used the left and middle play style, and it seems good for tank controls, but games that used this play style were very rare
The only issue is that they then went on to have 99% of the games on N64 be 3D games, so you end up in a world that despite all the forethought, the controller design doesn’t seem to make sense without games that take advantage of the different play modes
This could have all been avoided if Nintendo had just released a N64 Classic while using Wii nunchuck or even Wii U GamePad sticks in the controllers. I'm sure they've got plenty of those parts lying around.
I want it not for switch online but for project 64. Having access to the whole 64 library with an official wireless 64 controller sounds great.
Weird coincidence, I just did this two videos ago. Glad the word is getting out there that these mods exist.
These gamecube stick replacements are so good, they feel amazing, but unfortunately they are just sometimes too sensitive. Makes mario 64 and other platforming games very difficult
I want to inform everyone in the comments that despite what Bob says and how many videos he makes doing it, he is NOT a modder 🤪 great modding Bob!
Seems like a good opportunity for a 3d printed solution to hold the thumbstick in the new orientation.
5:16 looks like you may have taken a bump of that "joystick powder" before this clip. That jaw is moving!
Most entertaining ads on UA-cam, Bob! Soooooo funny
I don't feel like I've ever been as bored watching a video on UA-cam as I was here today!
I did the mod on this antique shop n64 that came with a controller I opened it up to fix the stick and bam white powder and so brittle I broke it and I grabbed that mod and did it and works great a bit sensitive but Not bad. Great that u did it to the new one lol. luv the intro.
The Bomberman track made me watch the whole video. Well done 😂
Dang, there isn't some way to reverse the polarity of the outputs for the potentiometer?
Cut tracks and reverse the v+ and gnd will reverse the signal.
i just opped for cleaning and lubing the stickbox and it typically tightens a stickbox back up as long as nothings broken within. however a 1 for 1 - 8bitdo stick would be nice for this
So the problem with this is games designed for the OG controller resistance, so for example fzero x is unplayable with my hyperkin controller because it doesn't have the right resistance.
I found out today that Super Mario 3D All Stars got an update that adds support for the NSO N64 controller too.
Great video as always, would have loved a headphones warning before the bit where you filed down the stick box. That gave me the heebie jeebies.
Hilariously on the new NSO controller, it does look the same even if you take out of the analog stick. But someone on the comments - from a different video - said that “upon a closer look, the plastic piece doesn’t grind on the dome-shaped ball anymore”. Assuming they might’ve had the dome (yes, I’m calling it the “dome”) to be a bit larger or to have the plastic piece that once had it grinding onto it to be shorter.
“So long gay Bowser”.
And now my joystick is deteriorated.
This is some serious dedication xD hahah. Great video. So dumb they didn't improve the controller on the remake.
nintendo controller designer: *makes quadruple jointed exclusive controller*
The way the modded stick points upwards looks like it reduces the distance that stick can travel if you were to make your character walk forward.. did you have to tweak stick sensitivity or deadzones? How can you reduce forward movement by half and still have an effective controller?
You make the best controller review videos my friend! Hats off to you Wulff
The resting position of the stick seems pretty far up the octagonal gate, doesn't seem like you would have much stick travel space in the upward direction.
Only channel where I’m willing to watch the sponsor part.
I heard the sensitivity was very different from the original which makes some game feel different and not in a good way.
Yeah, I mention that at the end. I saw those concerns online and it is true when you do the mod in the original N64 controller, but for whatever reason it's not as bad in this. It's more sensitive and the deadzone isn't as harsh
Oh dang, is that some Bomberman 64 music in the background? Very nice.
i got the "Yobo Gameware" controller cuz i was never able to get ahold of the og 64 controller, and the stick actually feels great! its not modeled like the 64s stick and i have no issues with it so far! also i got the version that actually looks just like a 64 controller
I just used panty hose and a little bit of grease and my stick hasn’t worn down in over ten years. 2 layers, and some lithium grease underneath the two layers in the bowl. LED modded it so it’s my main. Still strong stick like the day I bought it.
man, it made me so happy to hear Blue Resort from Bomberman 64 after so long.
I feel like for some reason everyone always assumes the idea of a more sensitive control stick is automatically better. Every controller i've ever used aside from the original N64s all have drastically OVER-SENSITIVE sticks. The gameplay was designed around a certain level of sensitivity and a lot of games get completely ruined by these gamecube style stick mods or any other modern 3rd party controller. You won't notice in games like Mario 64 or Smash Bros. But as soon as you try to carefully aim an arrow in Zelda or do small direction adjustments in Rogue Squadron it becomes hilariously apparent that these types of mods are a huge downgrade. The only viable solution i've found if you actually want to play N64 games and get the real experience....instead of just hopping on for a few minutes of that nostalgia dopamine hit....get a real N64 controller and buy a bunch of Kitsch Bent replacement gears, bowls, and sticks. It will take a little learning to figure out how to get them set up right, but the sticks will feel new after the repair. I'm sure steelsticks and brewsticks do too, but theyre very expensive and unavailable. Hopefully these new Switch N64 controllers actually have the authentic feel of the originals. If they do it's a huge bummer that this one got its guts ripped out and had one of those awful gamecube sticks put in.
That Bomberman 64 music. 👌😩
I use the mayflash adapter, they figured out how to get it to work perfectly on the switch now
That Bomberman OST at the Intro Hmmmfff! Just right.
Wow, the bomberman 64 intro music nostalgia is real
I will never have an N64 controller in my house again but I enjoy the hard work on trying to "fix" it's flaws. Hated it so much when it first came out and no amount of nostalgia would want me to hold that controller again.
Adding "Oh, Chris Pratt's Garfield!" to my everyday exclamations.
What is the step ladder effect? I have been using a usb controller on my laptop and I can’t aim in Goldeneye because the stick is too sticky and I can’t aim fine amounts.
omg, that bomberman music at the beginning was so nostalgic!
That black Apple sticker tells me he bought the new MacBook Pro.
I appreciate starting an N64-related video with chill music from Bomberman 64 ^_^
So hard to find these new N64 controllers new that aren’t being sold by scalpers at insanely inflated prices
Blue resort from Bobmerman 64 is the name of the song at the begining of the video and I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!!
You've shown me that "69" in N64 language is "E3". Thanks Bob.
These sticks don't have directional input in between the notch angles, I don't recommend them unless you're cool with only playing a 3D game with 8 directions.
What is the song at the start of this video? It goes hard.
Blue Resort from Bombeman 64
I'll probably get more use out of this on PC than I ever will on Switch because of how weird the mapping is with no way to change it. The Magic-NS and BetterJoy don't support this right now unfortunately, and I have no idea how to map the buttons properly in Steam Big Picture. It works fine with Dolphin and Project 64 though, so that's nice.
Someone actually made their own fork for BetterJoy for it and it works pretty great! The default mapping for the C buttons is all kinds of janky but if you can remap them it should be fine
Heya!
Do you have some inside info when the N64 will be available again for purchase? ;)
this feels like a perfect job for 3d printing
Lol at the Apple logo on the Switch dock. I get it.
I did the lube mod on my old N64 controller, made it feel better than new and really helped minimize the plastic grinding.
“God damn it!” Was the best part of video. 🤣