Anyone familiar with the Sega Master System knows that a lot of the games had the jump and action buttons reversed from what most would consider being normal. Now maybe if you grew up with a Master System, you might find this method to be the normal method. But for the rest of us, it’s backwards. For me, games like Alex Kidd are nearly unplayable because I cannot get myself used to this setup.
Now, I’m sure that I’m not the first person to do this, but since I’ve never seen it myself, I thought I would share my project with everyone. It’s pretty simple really. I just reversed the wires running to the 1 and 2 buttons on my Master System Controller. The controller can be disassembled with a Phillips screwdriver. Then just desolder with white and blue wires running to the 1 and 2 buttons. I used a desoldering iron to get most of the solder off, and then a desoldering wick to get the rest. Then simply reverse the wires and resolder everything. I tested it and everything works perfectly. I couldn’t believe how much easier it was to play Alex Kidd.
All I have to do now is label my controller as “reversed” so I don’t mix it up with my regular controller. Some games don’t need the reversed configuration. Just remember, that Master System controllers don’t have “start” buttons. They just use the 1 button instead. With the reversed setup, the 2 button will become the “start” button.
Disassembled controller. Note that I’ve already desoldered and reversed the white and blue wires. I forgot to take an official “before” picture.
Finished product.
