Sega Genesis Hardware Revisions

A user by the name of Ace over on the Sega-16 forums has an interesting thread detailing the various hardware revisions of the North American Sega Genesis and how to tell them apart. Go here to check it out.

asciiPad SNES Controller

The asciiPad Turbo Controller for the Super Nintendo is probably one of the best controllers ever designed. While normally you should avoid third party controllers, in this case you need to make an exception. The asciiPad is a licensed controller and appears to have been made in the same factory as the original first party controllers with some of the same parts. This controller is solidly built and feels great in your hands. The cord is a generous eight feet in length. The buttons are smooth and responsive. They also feel solid under your fingers and can really take a beating. The cross pad seems to be exactly the same as the original controllers which is a real plus. The controller also sports turbo and auto turbo buttons on the A, B, X, Y,  L and R buttons. This really comes in handy on some games. This is especially true when trying to bomb jump up a vertical shaft while playing Super Metroid. It's doable without a turbo controller but trying to get the timing is really tricky if you don't have one. It also has a turbo switch on the start button which can give you a slow motion effect on many games. All in all, the high build quality along with the long cord and turbo options make this controller a winner.

What were advertisers thinking when they dreamed up the above ad? In spite of this horrible advertisement, I bought one for my Super Nintendo back in the early nineties when they first came out and have been using in steady for the past two decades. It's still going strong.

Talk about truth in advertising. The asciiPad is such a great controller that none of the other controllers can come close.

AMAZON LINK

Super Nintendo Turbo Controller (AsciiPad)


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Encounter

Here's a fun little vintage stop motion short from 1982 produced by Joel Fletcher. It's called Encounter and it tells the story of two knights in the middle ages who have a bit of a run-in with some aliens. He also has an article about the making of the film on his website. Enjoy!