Introduction
This variation on our NES Controller project makes use of a very large amount of LEGO bricks in order to make a very large USB game controller in a classic NES style. While fundamentally no different then the original project, it does require a gross amount of LEGO parts in order to build.
On the upside it's really fun to play Super Mario Brothers on a massive oversized game controller.
Video Overview
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Download the free LEGO Digital Designer software.
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Download our Giant LEGO NES Controller file for use with LEGO Digital Designer. (Click the link and then click the Download button found on the site.)
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Within LEGO Digital Designer you can grab a parts list. Use this list and buy way too many bricks from BrickOwl or BrickLink.
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Once all your parts show up use the "Generate Steps" feature built into Digital Designer to create your own directions.
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Run a very long line of tape from a Ground connection on the Touch Board all the way to the end of the board.
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Use a small piece of double sided foam tape to secure down all the Pushbuttons.
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Our current code doesn't allow for a "Start" and "Select" button. None the less, we wired them in anyways so we can eventually add functionality when we update the code.
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Connect the colored side of the B button to Pin 0.
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Connect the colored side of the A button to Pin 1.
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Connect the white side of each button to the Common Ground.
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Position and tape down the four D pad buttons.
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Put your LEGO D Pad in place and test to make sure each button is being pressed. You should hear a little "click" then pressed.
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Make a Common Ground line from your Touch Board around your D Pad.
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Feel free to attach it to the original Common Ground you made. Test with a Multimeter to make sure all your connections are strong.
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Connect each of the D Pad buttons to the Touch Board.
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We used Pins 14, 16, 17, and 18. Again, it doesn't matter which numbered pins you use as we can change things in the code.
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If you want to wire in the Start and Select buttons do so now.
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Open up Arduino. Open a new project window. Copy and Paste in this code.
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You're probably going to need to change a but of code. Lines 14-21 let you change which Pin is which button.
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For instance, in Line 14 says that Pin 15 is the "Down" button. If you connected your "Down" button to a different pin you need to change that number. Same thing for all the other pins.
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Our code makes your computer think that our Touch Board is a USB KeyBoard. When you press one of your Pushbuttons your computer types a keyboard key. You can change which keys are pressed in the code.
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For example, line 111 control shows that the "A" Pushbutton will in fact type the letter A when pressed. If you change Key_A to Key_F that button will now type the letter F. The other buttons are controlled the same way.
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Seriously. Test everything again with a multimeter.
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Make sure your double sided tape is holding your buttons down.
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Make sure you code is correct. When in doubt, open up a text document and start pressing buttons. Does the "Up" make your curser go up? Does the "A" button type the letter A?
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Use this link to play Super Mario Brothers in your web browser.
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Notice how this website requires you to use the Z and X keyboard keys to control Mario. You'll need to slightly modify the code and re upload.
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If you've got access to a Raspberry Pi you can use your controller with that system as well.
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