That's really cool! Where do you get the parts to do this? Is it difficult to put it together? I would really like to try this myself!
@Voicy thanks man
I'm kinda proud of this one for the fact that I did it a lot "neater" and in half the time. But it's the MK controller that scored me some TV time! lol
@Eugene
It's not that difficult if you approach it in a step-by-step manner. Basically you have 3 main parts to the build that you'll need to focus on:
- The wooden box construction
- The arcade parts that you'll need to import from the U.S
- The Hori EX2 arcade stick that you'll need to disassemble for the circuitry
For the wooden box
Either build your own box or get someone to build the box for you. I've used supawood (also known as MDF). It's 12mm thick and honestly, it should not be made from anything thicker than that. The dimension of the box are 50cm X 30cm X 9cm (WxLxH).
For the arcade parts
Go to this website:
www.lizardlick.com
I ordered a couple of HAPP competition joysticks and a SANWA joystick (used in the capcom controller - for fun). I also got some SEIMITSU buttons (30mm snap in) but also ordered a whole lot of other buttons to play around with. I seem to prefer the Seimitsu buttons for some reason. These guys (lizardlick) are awesome and accept PayPal for online payment and ship to South Africa. I suggest you take the most expensive option WITH insurance (just in case). Shipping alone will be about $45 but it's worth it, you should have your stuff within 2 weeks!
For the circuitry
You'll need to get your hands on a Hori EX2 arcade stick for the XBOX 360. You can get one from either Incredible Connection, or, from Take2.co.za (via their "more USA" option). If you go for the latter, you'll wait about a month or more for the stick to arrive.
Once you have your stick and MADE SURE THAT IT'S WORKING FIRST, you can open it up.
This is where it gets hairy. If you don't have a clue on anything electronic OR have never worked with a soldering iron - I suggest you get help. If you are used to this stuff, you'll realize how easy it is. Simply de-solder all of the existing buttons on the circuitry and unscrew a few screws here and there and PRESTO - the circuitry will come out - no problems.
Now all you need to do is to solder some wires back onto the circuitry board to basically "extend" the connections. These new wires will connect to your buttons and joystick that you imported (one signal wire, one ground wire per button/switch).
From there on out it's simple a matter of slapping everything together. Drill some holes for the buttons and joystick, test your new toy and then decorate it
That's the short version. There are lots of guides out there to help you. To be honest, I went in eyes closed and I still managed to pull it off. My first box took me 3 weeks to build. My second one, which looks a lot neater, took me 1 week. Experience is everything.
The usual questions are:
Can you use an XBOX360 wireless controller? - The answer is YES. But the wiring is a lot more difficult. There are guides for that on the internet - but seriously, good luck if you're going to attempt that. I chose the Hori EX2 arcade stick because the wiring on that is straight forward - which means there's a lot LESS chance of you screwing it up.
Can you make a controller like this for the PS3? - Definitely! You can buy a similar Hori EX2 Arcade stick for the PS3 and use that. OR, you can use a controller which is sold by LizardLick that makes things a LOT easier. In fact, making a controller like this for the PS3 is 10 times easier than the XBOX version, AND IT'S WIRELESS. You'll need a wireless PS3 controller and a small component from LizardLick.
Why doesn't LizardLick sell that component for the XBOX360? - Due to Microsoft imposing licensing politics on the micro-controller for their controllers. It's not available to unlicensed third parties.
Maybe we can sticky-this topic? It's a great how-to guide!
!!
