Sega Master System controllers on an Amiga?

[mingle]

Hi,

I have an old (Model 3020) Sega Master System controller and was wondering if it'll work on an Amiga without any mods?

Cheers,

Mike.

[Amithony]

I used to use a master system 2 controller with my A2000. Worked a treat, though not as good as the old Atari joypads which were easier to get your thumb around for touch sensitive control. (well almost)

[mingle]

Yep, works fine on my A1200 too... The number 1 joystick button is a bit intermittent, so I'll have a go at fixing it up tomorrow...

Cheers,

Mike.

[Rebel-CD32]

All Sega Master System and Mega Drive controllers will work on Amigas as 2-button pads (buttons B and C on the Mega Drive pad work as buttons 1 and 2).

What ever you do though, don't ever plug or unplug the controllers while the A1200 is switched on, because it can blow a CIA chip, and you'll lose your right audio channels.

Oh, and Sega phaser guns don't work on the Amiga, unfortunately.

[mihcael]

since this is the Australia thread...

I thought i might add that i have used a no brand ($10) megadrive joypad since.. forever, work wells!!

[stefcep2]

does this make games easier to play?  i just got into a few A1200 games with a joystick and man did i find that hard, forgotten how it was..

[mihcael]

thats up to persoanl taste i would say, (depends when you grew up)

i had NES, Master System and Super NES before amiga so i always prefer joypads!!

I find most games easy comparted to when i played them back then!!

[Christian Johansson]

@Rebel-CD32: It's easy to make an adapter for the Sega Light Phaser though and you can use it with all amiga light gun games if you're using WHDLoad.

Check this http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=21195&highlight=sega+light+phaser&page=2

   Sega Master system light gun/Phaser 3050
       (Adaptator to do Actionware's phaser)
      ----------------------------------------

Needed:
- 1 sub-d 9 pins (Female)
- 1 sub-d 9 pins (Male)
- 1 10K Ohm resitor
- 1 short 9 wires cable
- A Sega Master system light gun 3050 (or compatible)

To Amiga Joystick Port 2      To Sega phaser 3050
   (sub-d9 female)            (sub-d9 male)
------------------------      -------------------
Pin               Pin
 5 (Trigger)      <--------------> 6 <---|
 6 (LP Signal/HitSense)   <--------------> 7     | 10 K Ohm resistor
 7 (+5V)      <--------------> 5 <---|
 8 (Ground)      <--------------> 8

Remark:
The 10K Ohm resistor can be also plugged between pins 5 & 7 of the amiga port 2

Thanks to Damon_Sisk for this

[HopperJF]

Yes they will work but why? When Mega Drive pads are so much better

[Rebel-CD32]

fryguy, that's awesome news, thanks! I can't believe I never saw the thread over on EAB, I'll be trying this adapter out this week for sure. I was watching an auction for a brand new Actionware phaser a few weeks ago on eBay but got distracted when I was going to snipe it and missed out, I was pretty bummed out.

I'm going to stock up on SMS Phaser guns now, and see about getting a bunch of these adapters made. A CD32 WHDLoad disc with the entire Amiga light-gun collection on it would be pretty neat.

[AmigaHeretic]

Rebel-CD32 wrote:
All Sega Master System and Mega Drive controllers will work on Amigas as 2-button pads (buttons B and C on the Mega Drive pad work as buttons 1 and 2).

What ever you do though, don't ever plug or unplug the controllers while the A1200 is switched on, because it can blow a CIA chip, and you'll lose your right audio channels.

Oh, and Sega phaser guns don't work on the Amiga, unfortunately.

MegaDrive controllers are the best.

B and C work as button 1 and 2 as you say.

For button A, my friend an I used to have some Quickshot brand MegaDrive (Sega Genesis) controllers that we moded.

Just open it up and solder two wires from where A is to the two wires where "UP" on the controller is.

Why do this?  Because tons of Amiga games don't use a jump button, but instead you have to press UP on the joystick to jump.  Now the "A" button is just a second "UP" arrow, so  now you have:

A for Jump and B and C for fire bottons.   Easy 3 button controller for all Amiga games!

[carvedeye]

Well I have 2 mega drive joypads and they only work as a 1 button joypad? I thought this was always the case without a mod being done to it?

[Coolhand]

You have to be playing games that support that extra button of course.

assuming you are, you should have a working B and C buttons, this is true for the 6 button pads too (which I use) Some games which should support the extra button in WHDload don't seem to support this very well however, and one of the faster Master System emulators also does not support it, despite saying it does.  So perhaps something does need to be done to the pads to make them work consistently.  I recall one post somewhere, where someone suggested it was because the rubber contact pad has different resistance properties to a microswitch, but in this case i would have thought that no buttons or directions on a pad would work reliably.

[royalcrown]

Don't most Amiga games just use one button though ? I come from a c64 background so seriously asking..

[carvedeye]

You have to be playing games that support that extra button of course.

assuming you are, you should have a working B and C buttons, this is true for the 6 button pads too (which I use) Some games which should support the extra button in WHDload don't seem to support this very well however, and one of the faster Master System emulators also does not support it, despite saying it does.  So perhaps something does need to be done to the pads to make them work consistently.  I recall one post somewhere, where someone suggested it was because the rubber contact pad has different resistance properties to a microswitch, but in this case i would have thought that no buttons or directions on a pad would work reliably.

I have a 6 button megadrive pad and when I play sf2 etc.. the 2 buttons that work do the same thing