How to Replace N64 Controller's Broken Joystick

[mediummastagh3]

just got mine in the mail, things like heaven, thank you so much

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@mediummastagh3 You're welcome! Let us know if it improves your skills in Goldeneye or Mario Kart!

[mediummastagh3]

@VideoGameMuseumCom makes games so much easier, its just perfect, probably going to order 2 more for my other controllers once i get some money.

[gossameriv]

I'm just, speechless. I'm so freaking happy. I've never told any shop I've bought something from that the item I bought from them brought me so much joy but please let me say it again, THANK YOU FOR THIS!

I'll buy two more for my other controllers in a few weeks once I've run them through the gauntlet of games I'm currently testing them with, no problems so far and they're working great. Thanks guys and I hope you keep them in stock because I'm spamming these all over the net for you.

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@gossameriv Glad to hear it! We love these too!

[Nintendo64loVe]

This joystick made me jizz in my pants.

[Anaman536]

i am 16, ahve an xbox 360 and a pc, yet i play n64 more than both... i love you old nintendo! and after 12-14 controlelrs(about 1 per 8 mo.) im glad i can replace 1 or 2 of the joysticks and multiply my experience even further! Thank you!!!

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@Anaman536 Glad to hear you love the N64!  Have any favorite games?

[longlostmatthew]

great video! would love to see third party controllers fully set up like this! :D

[ninendowii2000]

also if you lose the 2 small screws no big deal i got 1 controller that i lost the 2 screws , theres no real reason those screws were there, lol just the main 7 you gotta worry about

[CodyBrookhart]

While these chips are good, they're way too sensitive for FPS and racing games, not to mention SSB.

Is there anyway you can tell us what chip is in there so it can be reprogrammed? Some people have cracked them open and taken pictures of the internals only to notice that you all have removed the labeling from the main chip.

Is this to prevent people from trying to get it to work like it should or what?

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@CodyBrookhart Good questions. While some people love these, others prefer the feel of the original N64 joystick. As far as reprogramming these goes, we're not sure how you'd do so or who to even contact, since we simply distribute these and are not their manufacturer.

[CodyBrookhart]

@VideoGameMuseumCom Then who manufactures these replacement sticks?

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@CodyBrookhart Just as we try to keep our suppliers private, our suppliers generally keep their manufacturers private as well. I'll be more than happy to pass along your question to our supplier of these joysticks; however, I can't make any promises that I'll be able to get the answer for you.

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@CodyBrookhart I spoke with our supplier. Their impression is that the original manufacturer of these has taken steps to protect the chip. They felt that the manufacturer motive was that they were trying to prevent copying of their product. So, I'm sorry that I don't have more info for you.

[Tailslol]

another big thanks you! ill can repear and mod further my grey blue moded original gamepad!

[lolmymag]

DUDE I LOOOOVE YOU we're buying four of these for christmas :) my poor Goldendoodle (my gold N64 controller) broke in just a few weeks. I can't waaaait to fix her. And I'm really glad I found this video, because my sister and I took her apart and weren't sure how to put her back together :P

question: does it matter if you mix up the inside screws with the outside screws? are they different?

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@lolmymag Glad to hear it. The screws in the memory cards slot are really small. I'd have to double check, but I believe the three holding in the joystick are smaller than the outside ones. Good luck!

[lolmymag]

@VideoGameMuseumCom alright, thanks, i'll take a look when the joystick comes. hahaha now i might actually have a chance at beating my sister at Goldeneye >:)

[lolmymag]

@VideoGameMuseumCom My controller is different from yours. The joystick doesn't seem to have that toothy plugin, it has red and black wires that attach in two different places. Is it not gonna be compatible?

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@lolmymag There were a lot of different version of N64 controllers made. This process will only work with original genuine Nintendo branded N64 controllers.

[lolmymag]

@VideoGameMuseumCom hmm, alright, well thank you!

[RetroBasement]

lmao 10$ PEOPLE YOU REALIZE YOU CAN GET ANOTHER N64 CONTROLLER FOR 10-15 lulz woops caps lock

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@RetroBasement Unfortunately, you get what you paid for. You're right, there are a lot of cheap alternatives, but I think that's why these are so popular. People are sick of poorly made N64 controllers that break or wear out quickly and are happy to finally find a high quality solution. Best part is that these will can be put right into their original Nintendo 64 controllers, so they don't have to put up with a weird generic controller's shape, etc.

[Prism12220]

Hey VideoGameMuseumCom guy I have one question about the joystick thing. Does it lag at all? As in does when you push the joystick forward does it take a few seconds before it comprehends the action your prompting it to do?

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@Prism12220 We haven't had any reports of lag with these joysticks. Just let us know if you have any other questions, and happy retro gaming!

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

Thanks Om3GaMaN69 for the unpacking and testing video!!! Glad it made it safe & sound to Australia!

[theimporter]

Pretty good a and a cheaper alternative to the HORI mini pads. Too bad it's a year too late for me, I already spent a fortune on 4 HORI mini pads -_-

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@theimporter Your right, I here those are fantastic but brutally expensive. Let us know if you want to give one of these a shot.

[theimporter]

@VideoGameMuseumCom

No thanks, I spent $200 on these 4 controllers, got to live with my choice :(

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@theimporter Yeah, I hear you!

[techguy348]

I have a replica nintendo 64 controller and when I bought it, I thought it was ok. After a year, the control stick acts up. I can use all of the directions but when I hit this one direction it thinks I am holding he opposite direction slightly. I bought this hoping it works

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@techguy348 It'll be interesting to hear whether or not this replacement joystick is compatible with the reproduction N64 controller you purchased. Best of luck with the restoration.

[Leny1777]

@techguy348 IT dosen't matter about how weird it feels. Its cause your not used to it. The important thing is that you play alot better on tthe joystick now?

[Cigaretteboatsrule]

I'm seriously looking into buying this product, I have two 64 controllers that need new joysticks, and the design of the improved joystick is really how it should've been done in the first place.

[NoNameC68]

@Cigaretteboatsrule Have you made up your mind about buying one? I'm also deciding if I want to buy one or not. : )

[Cigaretteboatsrule]

@NoNameC68 I'm still thinking about it. I'm hard up for extra cash to spend for now, but It does seem like a very good product and judging from the video, I think it's how Nintendo should've built them in the first place. But for me I'm most likely to ask the question on how this would work for me playing Perfect Dark, Goldeneye, The Legend of Zelda:Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask, Turok etc..

[themangodess]

Now do a video of you greasing the shit out of it so it doesn't break again (please)

[skaterpie]

I've got one of those knock off controllers from Asia, it doesn't use the six small connectors, it uses wires soldered into the board labelled x and y axis. any idea how to replace those? can you feed the wires/s into the slots? or soldering into the board

[StylexSai]

Why buy this for 10 bucks when you can buy a new controller for 10 bucks? Not hating or anything, but it just makes no sense to me.

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@StylexSai Good question. It all depends on personal preference:

If you can buy a new genuine N64 controller for $10, go for it. That would be a great deal, and there's nothing like the original. Of course, it'll wear out so make sure you buy a backup.

Maybe you could buy a generic control for $10. Some are probably ok, but I've never found one that I really liked.

Finally, consider the option of an original N64 controller with a better than original joystick: great feel, great function.

[StylexSai]

@VideoGameMuseumCom Well, I have 1 N64 controller that is practically worn out. I may give this a shot in the future.

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@techguy348 Yeah, it's amazing how quickly original N64 joysticks wore out. This is definitely a replacement worth trying if yours is going bad.

[datapenguin]

@StylexSai Because with this you would never have to buy another controller ever AGAIN!!!

[GeniusFishSticks]

How well does the stick work with Mario Party mini games?

[nintendoboy17]

Really got to get me one of these sticks. Glad to know that it's easy to repair/mod. The N64 is my favorite console, but man that analog stick sucks.

[Dyliles]

I love this product, definitely does help with racing games. However it's something you do have to get used to, it's a lot more sensitive than the original part. I found that shooters became a lot more difficult for me, but I have another controller with the original piece that i will use for them.

And there was one time it wasn't really responding(at a starting menu), but I unplugged the controller and plugged it back in and that fixed it.

[Mortanme]

Can I use a gamecube joystick?

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@Mortanme Yes, but it is quite a complicated process and requires soldering, installing a microcontroller, etc. Google: "Gamecube analog stick in N64 controller mod" to see how other guys have done this.

[BrandonJMorrow94]

The control stick has a hard time fitting in the contact and the first time i put it in the game said no controller so i took it apart and re installed it and now it works but random buttons will go off? is there anything i can do?

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@BrandonJMorrow94 That's quite strange. I'd try it in another controller. Just let me know if that works.

[BrandonJMorrow94]

@VideoGameMuseumCom It stopped doing it after a while, but the joystick seems like it goes up down left and right easily but diagonally its really sensitive

[DancingBunnyInc]

I just received my joystick in the mail, and the installation was really simple! But the most important thing about this replacement stick is that it really does improve your gameplay experience. I would recommend this to anyone who played n64 as a kid, it brings your old games to a new light, and I am extremely happy with this product.

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@DancingBunnyInc Glad to hear it! Happy retro gaming!

[Alle1222]

I bought two of those.. and I play alot of super smash bros. With theses joysticks you can't go down from a platform, jump or even run. WHYYYY?!?!?!? and these joysticks can't either do smooth circle motions compared to the old joysticks.

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@Alle1222 Sorry to hear about the issue. Double check the connection inside the controller by unplugging the joystick from the controller's board and plugging it back in firmly. If the connection isn't making good contact, it can cause issues.

These are working great for most people. However, if yours aren't, we're happy to accept a return for a full refund. If that becomes the case, just contact us through eBay or Amazon with your order information to initiate the return process. 

[AnonymousNothing]

And yes! A bad stick will tear your Mario Kart skills asunder. Same with Yoshi's Story.

[AnonymousNothing]

I was not aware that replacement sticks for the N64 controllers were "updated" like this. Very nice.

[egraham111]

Is there an estimated date when you will your ebay store will be reopened? Really keen to get some of these joystick replacements.

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@egraham111 Thanks for checking in. We're enjoying a vacation right now and will be back online toward the end of June.

[dingwei7]

Ok, if you can help me with this it would be great. Everytime I open a controller to clean them, I put it back together and it's really sqeeky when your holding it and moving it. Any suggestions??? Cheers!

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@dingwei7 It sounds like something in the casing may be out of alignment. Maybe pop it apart and try putting the casing together again.

[dingwei7]

@VideoGameMuseumCom It's the same for every one of them though. Does yours do this?

Thanks very much.

[VideoGameMuseumCom]

@dingwei7 Post a video of the issue, and I'll be more than happy to take a look at it.

[UrameshiGU]

@dingwei7 I believe that is caused by not tightening the screws enough on the back of the controller. I had this same issue after I cleaned all of my N64 controllers, as I was afraid of stripping some of the screws, but the problem ceased after making sure each and every one was fully screwed in.

[mastergd]

i received my stick today. very easy install, works great. odds are pretty good ill be buying one or two more in the future.