ChaosBench’s Giant Working N64 Controller Turns Mario Kart Into a Full Body Workout

Nintendo 64 controllers already look chunky next to modern pads, with three grips and a stick planted in the middle. ChaosBench took that layout and enlarged it until ordinary button presses turned into arm movements that require real force.

ChaosBench began with creating a digital model of a typical game controller, which was then hollowed out with Meshmixer to create place for the internals. The finished shell was then cut into manageable sections that could be 3D printed in PLA plastic. This was a bit of a challenge because getting those pieces to stick together properly required a combination of plastic welding and super glue. Once they were joined, some automotive body filler was applied to cover the seams before a good sanding and a coat of primer and paint in the standard gray color. The problem was that the filler wouldn’t stick to the printed plastic properly, so you couldn’t help but notice the cracks and chips as soon as you looked closely at it. However, from a distance, it appears to be a standard N64 pad, but scaled up for display purposes.

The custom button caps have sunken letters on them, which prevent the button from spinning around and becoming weird when pressed. There is a microswitch under each button, however the early version just binds to the button opening until ChaosBench went back and modified the clearances somewhat. However, on their own, those microswitches couldn’t properly return the bigger buttons, so ChaosBench replaced them with some heavier springs to accomplish the job. Now, pressing a button requires more effort than a mere nudge, and tapping a button quickly is nearly a deliberate activity.

The zero-delay USB encoder translates inputs into signals that a computer can interpret, which is ideal for playing emulators. The board can only handle 12 buttons, therefore the Z trigger and one of the C buttons are now off-limits. To make matters worse, the built-in stick does not support diagonals, so attempting to play Super Mario 64 will be difficult. Mario Kart 64 looks to be coping well, but only just.

Internal wiring is more involved than with a typical controller, therefore ChaosBench used extension cables and heat-shrink tubing to seal the joints. The mechanisms are squeezed between the controller’s front and rear portions, held in place by printed spacers that ensure everything is perfectly aligned. The good news is that both Super Smash Bros and Super Mario 64 appear to register inputs correctly, but the stiff springs and missing diagonals throw the timing of every action off, and Mario Kart 64 turns the accelerator into a real workout that requires you to keep the button mashed at all times. ChaosBench assembled the controller to the best of his ability, considering the encoder’s constraints and the physical enormity of the object. The end result is a functional game controller that looks good from a distance and still responds to input when plugged in, even if it pushes the player harder than a regular controller ever would.
[Source]