Total Control 3

Description

The Total Control 3 is an accessory that allowed Sega Saturn controllers, including the standard pad, Virtua Stick, 3D Control Pad, and Twin Stick, to be used on the Dreamcast. It was part of EMS’s “Total Control” converter line. What made the TC3 distinctive was its Saturn compatibility.

Plugging a Saturn controller into the adapter would make the Dreamcast recognise it as an equivalent accessory:

• A Saturn Control Pad mapped to a standard Dreamcast controller, with the C and Z buttons assigned appropriately.
• A Virtua Stick was recognised as a Dreamcast’s Arcade Stick.
• The Saturn 3D Control Pad emulated the Dreamcast’s steering wheel peripheral, though only the X‑axis of the analog thumbstick was detected and the analog shoulder triggers were ignored.
• The Saturn Twin Stick could be used in Twin Stick mode for Cyber Troopers Virtual‑On: Oratorio Tangram. A dedicated pause button sits on the adapter, since Saturn Twin Sticks lacked one.

The adapter included a VMS slot, so save data could be stored directly while using Saturn controllers.

Compatibility varied by game. Some Dreamcast titles fully supported Saturn pads, while others only partially mapped inputs. Retrospectively, the Total Control 3 was a niche but beloved accessory, especially for fans of Saturn’s six‑button fighting pad and Virtual‑On Twin Sticks. It also bridged Sega’s two console generations, letting players carry forward their preferred Saturn hardware into the Dreamcast era.