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[Dave Long]

I stumbled across two neGcon controllers this week at a Gamestop. Both were in fantastic condition and best of all, they cost me $4. Total for both. With Ridge Racer V purchased pre-owned a few weeks ago at $5.99, I'm playing that game with a neGcon for $10.

Anyway, I've never felt so inept with a controller in all my life! The first night I used it, I thought I was going to throw it though the TV. I usually just pick new stuff like that up and bingo, decent at the game and with a little practice, I'm competitive. Not this time. It took me at least three hours before I felt like I had a handle on it and even then I was only driving as good as I would with the analog stick. During that learning period I was almost talking out loud trying to get right and left correct every time. I'd be mentally browbeating myself while approaching each corner. TWIST THE RIGHT SIDE FORWARD TO GO RIGHT YOU DUMB ASS! Talk about a learning curve!

Now obviously, time has made these things sort of obsolete. In their heyday, they were the only way to get analog steering outside of a full steering wheel setup. So has the analog stick made them obsolete or will persistence reward me with some of the best control you can get with a console racer?

They're neat devices, no matter how practical they turn out to be. Makes me wish Namco would design a more standard controller for a console. They'd probably come up with something unique and yet rather comfortable.

 

[Argyle]

+1 vote for "junk"

 

[miyuru]

I've never used one, but I don't see why it'd be that hard to use. I mean you just turn it as if it were a steering wheel, right? Can you drive in real life BTW?

Either way, $4 is way worth it! Oh yeah, some guy did make a wheel out of it, he mounted some handles or something to the actual turning thingy and mounted the whole thing on like a broomstick or some PVC to the wall :lol

 

[ButtonMasher]

The neGcon is one of my favorate controllers for racers, at first it was very odd, after some serious use with it on the Need for speed racers, F1 Racers, GT1/2 and Rage Racer I fell in love with the thing. It's a real bummer nothing of the PS2 software supports the thing accept Ridge Racer V.

Keep using it and adjust to it, you'll hate using the DS controllers after that.

 

[radios shipping overview]

I like mine, and I don't think it's obsolete. The neGcon allows a much greater range of motion than an analog stick. The throw (short) and resistance (light) on most analog sticks are such that I have a hard time manipulating them precisely in tense situations like you'd find in most racers. I think that controller is the best way to get a similar amount of control to what you'd find in a steering wheel without having to anchor a wheel to a table. It's like the difference between an analog stick and a flight joystick for a flight sim.

It took me a while to get used to mine, too. Practice, and it'll become second nature before too long. You should hold it like a regular controller when you want neutral wheel movement, and when you turn, you should twist both of your wrists. Like when you turn left, twist your left wrist back and your right wrist forward. I find this motion to feel similar to what my wrists do when I'm driving, and it feels pretty natural.

 

[Miburou]

I bought one in 2001 when I was in Japan for $10, and I've yet to use it for more than 5 minutes. I'd have to go with "junk", I guess.

 

[Dave Long]

Dude, when I bought them I was like "No problem. These should be cool!" Then I plugged it in and started playing and as noted, the TV wasn't safe. You THINK it works like a steering wheel, but really, it doesn't. Because you twist it and because the rotation is in the middle, it's NOTHING like a steering wheel. You twist the right side forward to turn to the right and you twist it the other way to go left. In your brain, that doesn't compute for awhile.

Trust me on this. It's just not something you pick up and start winning races with. Not to mention you have to find your comfort zone to hold it. Until you figure out how to place your hands just right, it's very hard to RELEASE the accelerator when entering a corner while turning at the same time. And doing this is crucial for powersliding in RRV.

Like I said though, it gets better with practice. But it's not like the touch screen on the DS or an analog stick or any number of other innovations in control the last ten years. This thing requires you to actively think about how it works before you can become comfortable using it.

 

[ButtonMasher]

Another thing that I found was to go into the options of the race game(something you can hardly do with todays racers :\ ) and tweak the settings. Dead spots, Gas and brake, twist ect...

Move the gas up to the B button and the brake down to the A, much better that way. I like too set the twist to just past the 1/4 turn, that way you don't have to twist soo much.

It's a quality made controller overall, the twist is soo silky smooth.

 

[Cooper]

The neGcon allowed me to finally beat Wipeout, so I can't complain. I could never get past that last course (was it Greenland?) with the digital pad.

 

[aoi tsuki]

i picked one up for a few bucks when i worked at Gamestop, tried it for an hour with R4, and tossed it aside. It obviously wasn't natural, but i just couldn't get the hang of it, despite the fact i loved the smooth yet solid feel of the rotation. It i'll definitely give it a try again once i get my PS emu setup going. Interesting concept, and i really think it would've worked well in a game developed for it, kinda like with Virtual On and the twinsticks.

i hear it works for WOXL and WO3. Anyone try it with these games?

 

[Dave Long]

I did go into the options and make a bunch of changes to the dead zones and twist. I shortened up the throw pretty much after my second race with it. The full twist rotation is murder on your arms. Ridge V doesn't let you flip the I and II buttons for gas and brake though. You can only move gas and brake to the top buttons but that was even more uncomfortable for me.

I was hoping there was a FAQ that would list all the games this controller works with but unfortunately there is no such thing that I could find. A lot of PSX games definitely have built-in functionality though and obviously the best among them are Namco titles.

I definitely haven't written it off and in fact enjoyed using it for the change of pace it offered in control. I guess I was just totally blown away by my own ineptitude with it at first. When you've been gaming since the 70's, you think you've seen and done it all to some degree. Then along comes this neGcon thing and I felt like I was back in the 80's walking up to Defender in the arcades or something.

If nothing else, they seem to have some value on eBay, so I can always do the JackFrost thing and sell sell sell! I'm still really interested in what others think of it though. Even wondering how many people ever came into contact with one? These were the first ones I think I ever saw in a store.

 

[Enigma]

+1 for greatest third-party device ever! Imported one at the PSX (real) launch. Played the RRs and Ace Combats that way. Originally was flustered by it, and would switch back between the d-pad and NeGcon. After a 4-5 hours, the thing became a religion. It's why I'm looking at Ridge Racers with skepticism. I just can't imagine playing with the d-pad or disc. Heck, I don't even remember power sliding that often because with the NeGcon, you could race the fastest cars on clean runs without it. Better than a steering wheel for me. LOVED!!

 

[Marty Chinn]

Wow, so much hate for the godly NeGcon. I wish more games would support it. I don't find it so odd or unintuitive. Sure it takes some time to master it in a game, but no more than a normal steering wheel. It gives you all the precision of a wheel without the clutter or bulkiness of one. It was way ahead of its time and still could be used today. A billion times better than the crappy JoGcon too. The fact that you could do better in any game with a NeGcon than a analog pad should be reason enough to know its better. I guarentee you the best person with a pad would be beat with the best person on a NeGcon. You just get that much more precision out of it.

 

[dog$]

A billion times better than the crappy JoGcon too.

Now wait just a minute...

Yeah I know it's a dumb uphill battle but I'll defend the Jog anytime. Using it with thumbs as the pictures instructed was retarded, though.

fun fact: you can use the negcon with the PS1 version of Galaxian 3. Why you'd want to is another question but you can.

 

[john tv]

neGcon was totally awesome. Fantastic controller for Ridge Racer games back in the day. JoGcon, on the other hand, was garbage IMO.

 

[JackFrost2012]

neGcon 4 lyfe

I know someone who returned Burnout 3 because it didn't have neGcon support

DO NOT DIS THE NEGCON

 

[Carbuncle]

rage racer and negcon was an amazing eperience....

 

[FnordChan]

I positively love the neGcon. I played the absolute hell out of Ridge Racer when I first got my PS, and got fairly decent at taping away at the ol' D-pad. Then I picked up the neGcon and, bam, I'm instantly better at the game. Ditto for Wipeout, and various Ridge and Wipeout sequels down the line. It's just an amazing controller.

Damn, now I have to go play RRV. If you'll excuse me.

fnorDchan

 

[Joeholley]

That someone was me. NEGCON IS INFINITELY EXCELLENT

I can't see how people get confused with how to twist it... maybe people who are left-side dominant? I'm right-handed and it's always been very natural for me... turn the right hand clockwise to turn right and counter to turn left, just as you would a steering wheel.

Think Galaxian is bizzare? There are instructions in the US Tekken 2 manual for how to play it with the negCON. And this is before the controller was even released in the states.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

NeGCon is great-- it just takes a little getting used to.

 

[robot]

The jogcon wasn't my thing, but it did have an awesome d-pad (used it all the time for R4).
I have both, never use em - but refuse to get rid of em. Go figure.

 

[Defensor]

neGcon + Wipeout XL/Wipeout 3 =

 

[Dave Long]

I can't see how people get confused with how to twist it... maybe people who are left-side dominant? I'm right-handed and it's always been very natural for me... turn the right hand clockwise to turn right and counter to turn left, just as you would a steering wheel.

Um, I've never twisted a steering wheel in my entire life. You turn it like a wheel. It's really nothing like how the neGcon moves.

That said, I'm good with it now. Won two trophies on two of the Extra GPs and I'm rolling. It's a fine controller, but it definitely takes practice and thought to understand how to use it.