Supersized NES Controller

Here I will show you how to build a giant NES controller that is 30 inches long and 12.5 inches wide.

For this project, you will need:

1. Gray spray paint
2. Red spray paint
3. Black spray paint
4. Red acrylic paint
5. Dark gray acrylic paint
6. Fine tipped paint brushes
7. X-acto knife
8. A pencil
9. A few pieces of paper
10. (7) 30 x 20 pieces of foam board

Here I have measured my NES controller in centimeters but you can find the sizes online. Then I changed each measurement by multiplying it by 2.5 and changing all the centimeters to inches. Above are the schematics for the controller.

Here are the sides of the controller. Both of the long sides are 30 x 2.8 inches of foam board and both of the short sides are 12.5 x 2.8 inches of foam boards. Here in the second picture is a piece that makes the front and the back of the controller. For this you need to make three 12.5 x 30 inch foam board rectangles. For two of these you keep them normal then you cut a small rectangle about 10.3 x 28.5 inches out of the third rectangle. This should look like the last picture above.

First draw out the (3) d-pads on the foam boards with each side being 2 inches long. Cut out all of the d-pad pieces with an x-acto knife then draw the arrows and the circle on one of them. After you do that you cut out the arrows and the circle then glue the three d-pads together with the one with holes on top. Next also draw and cut out a 7 x 7 inch square of foam board (this will be important later).

Next is the easier part, set a compass to one inch and draw four circles. Then cut out the four circles and hot glue them onto two other foam circles so that you have two foam circles that are two boards thick. Next draw two rounded rectangles on some more foam board for the start and select buttons. After you do this make two more foam rounded rectangles. Now glue two of them together and make the two buttons.

Next look at this picture I have posted above and get your yardstick and measure and write out all of the distances between the pieces. Almost all of the measurements are in inches. Your board should look just like the board above.

Next you will cut out the 2nd to bottom slot on the controller to create the indent for our start and select buttons (this piece that you cut off is crucial so don't throw it away). After this you will glue a 3 x 8 inch foam board rectangle on the back of the controller where you just cut our hole.

Spray paint the d-pad black, the two buttons red and the select and start buttons black.

Next get the long sides that are 30 x 2.8 inches then get the short sides that are 12.5 x 2.8 inches and paint both of them gray. After that, get the board that has all of the measurements on it and spray paint the two squares in the right corner. It does not have to be perfect. After that look at your indent in the board then get a piece of paper and cut it so it is the same size as the indent. Next spray paint in that indent while holding down the paper over it. After this, spray paint the big square from step three gray.

In this step you are going to paint the black parts onto the controller. First cut pieces of paper out to cover the middle rectangles of the face of your controller (tape these pieces down). Next get the piece from step 6 and jam it back into the hole you just spray painted. Now your controller should look like the first picture above. Next cut out the writing on the board that says d-pad. After this you will cut two squares of foam board, each with sides that are 3.25 inches long. Now after you have put the squares down on the squares that you just spray painted and have the paper on the middle rectangles, you can spray paint the whole thing black (also you need to weigh down the squares with something heavy). After you pull all of the paper and foam off it should look like the last picture above.

Next glue on the big square that you spray painted in step eight and glue it behind the d-pad hole then glue the d-pad onto the square that is now behind the controller face piece. The red buttons go on the newly painted gray squares and the two rectangle buttons go in the gray rectangle.

Next is a really fun step, first you will paint all of the rounded rectangles (except the big one) a dark gray with acrylic paint. After that you will paint all of the words and letters in a red acrylic paint. You will need to paint an A and a B, a start and select and the Nintendo logo. The last picture above shows where all of this goes.

Next add the front panel from step two by gluing it to your controller face. After that glue your long and short side pieces from step eight on the sides to give it depth. Now glue the third big rectangle that you did nothing with, from step two and glue that on the back.

Now if there is anything you missed while spray painting feel free to go back and spray paint a corner or two.

Now you're done and here is your supersized NES controller.