Controller Regional Variations

aldo0109

n00b
Joined
May 11, 2018
Posts
5
Sorry if this has been asked before, had a search but can’t find any answers.

I’m looking for NG CD controllers on eBay. All the ones I’m looking at are marked as Japanese version, will only work on Japanese systems.

Is that correct? Are the controllers actually regional?

I can’t find anything online to confirm one way or the other.
 

GohanX

Horrible Goose
20 Year Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2001
Posts
12,490
There only difference on ntsc Neo CD systems is a jumper in the motherboard, hardware is identical.
 

Tech&Music

Another Striker
Joined
May 14, 2016
Posts
325
A Neo Geo controller couldn't possibly be region locked by the way they were designed. The button/D-Pad switches are wired straight to the console. More modern controllers internally connect the switches to a serial data chip which streams serial data to the console, so you don't need pins for every single switch (this is why the Neo Geo controller plug has so many pins). If it did have a serial interface, then region locking would have been possible, but I know of no console that does this.
 

oliverclaude

General Morden's Aide
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Posts
7,688
If it did have a serial interface, then region locking would have been possible, but I know of no console that does this.

That's also my experience. Controllers can be locked to certain games, not regions. Example: You can't play R-Type Final on the PS2 using the PS2-Saturn Pad, but said controller works on any PS2 regardless its region.
 

Ray

New Challenger
Joined
Sep 29, 2014
Posts
61
If it did have a serial interface, then region locking would have been possible, but I know of no console that does this.
The PAL Super Nintendo has a controller region lock, you cannot use American SNES or Super Famicom controllers on it without a mod. Apparently only some of the PAL motherboard revisions do this, and it can be circumvented by bridging some parts on the controller port board. Leave it to Nintendo to come up with arbitrary region locking, god forbid you buy a foreign controller!
 

Neo Alec

Ned's Ninja Academy Dropout
20 Year Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2000
Posts
11,927
A Neo Geo controller couldn't possibly be region locked by the way they were designed. The button/D-Pad switches are wired straight to the console.
Well, I mean it's possible. They could have changed the pinout for different regions. I don't know why they would though.
 

madman

Blame madman, You Know You Want To.,
Joined
Jun 1, 2007
Posts
7,518
Well, I mean it's possible. They could have changed the pinout for different regions. I don't know why they would though.

But they didn't, so no point theorizing about it. SNK was well aware of importing/exporting of games and systems.
 

-SD-

Camel Slug
Joined
May 10, 2016
Posts
510
Out of pure curiosity.... does anyone here own a mahjong controller and actually use it? Is the game itself actually fun to play because there’s about four or five MVS/CD games and about another four for the Pocket, which does seem like a damn lot of fuss if it’s boring...
 

Heinz

Parteizeit
15 Year Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Posts
22,334
Out of pure curiosity.... does anyone here own a mahjong controller and actually use it? Is the game itself actually fun to play because there’s about four or five MVS/CD games and about another four for the Pocket, which does seem like a damn lot of fuss if it’s boring...

The mahjong games are in Japanese and the controller was released in the asian market only. Why? because mahjong is popular in asia so no it's not a lot of fuss at all it's quite appropriate.
 

Neo Ash

NG.com Audiophile, Club Member,
Joined
Feb 21, 2004
Posts
4,893
Sorry if this has been asked before, had a search but can’t find any answers.

I’m looking for NG CD controllers on eBay. All the ones I’m looking at are marked as Japanese version, will only work on Japanese systems.

Is that correct? Are the controllers actually regional?

I can’t find anything online to confirm one way or the other.

Nominated for 2018 Noob of the year.
 

Craig

Stupid Bitch.,
15 Year Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Posts
3,333
The PAL Super Nintendo has a controller region lock, you cannot use American SNES or Super Famicom controllers on it without a mod. Apparently only some of the PAL motherboard revisions do this, and it can be circumvented by bridging some parts on the controller port board. Leave it to Nintendo to come up with arbitrary region locking, god forbid you buy a foreign controller!

I've never had that problem...
All I own is NTSC/U controllers and I have a few PAL snes and have never once had a problem...
 

GohanX

Horrible Goose
20 Year Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2001
Posts
12,490
I have a few PAL SNES controllers. They work on some NTSC systems and not others. No idea why.
 
Top