I can't figure out how to do it.

You know, I made my little raspberry pi and most of the time I would like to not have a keyboard hooked up to it. But how do I get into the pause menu from the joystick?

Thanks a lot!

Update. I built the controllermap program from libsdl but the configuration doesn't seem to be able to detect me pressing the left, and up, directions? So weird. I was hoping I could use that to map the start button to 'P' or something but pretty speculative. Any thoughts is that the right track? Every other button works already in PICO-8. Anyone else able to get into the pause menu with your joysticks how'd you do it? Thanks.

Resolution:

I could never get controllermap (or gamepad tool) to complete, but took its partial output and grafted in "lefty:a1," for the up/down that it would never detect. It comes out this way, works perfect including start = pause menu. Excellent!

030000001008000001e5000010010000,EEEKit USB NES Controller,a:b0,b:b1,back:b8,start:b9,leftstick:a0,leftx:a0,lefty:a1,platform:Linux,

I too would like to know this. I've got Pico-8 integrated into RetroPie and it'd be nice to not need a keyboard.

The text says SPLORE is completely usable with the joystick but it's kinda crippled if you have to get the keyboard to switch games. Hmm.

The only solutions I think of seem awfully overengineered. Why doesn't the "start" or similar button in the middle of most gamepads open the pause menu?

Thanks

about the controllermap, pico8 only reads the left analog stick! make sure you're mapping your directions to that one! if you have an actual analog stick on your controller, that's the one you'll use (the dpad won't work, and you can't map it). if you don't have one (a nes usb gamepad for instance) your dpad is an analog in disguise, so you can map it. have a look at this thread:https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=3250

also the button you want to use as pause should be mapped on the little button on the right (not sure if "start" or "guide")

To be perfectly clear, the "joystick" I have is these nes clones.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01N1UWM5K

I will read that and keep fiddling with controllermap again. It is encouraging that they are talking about start being mapped to pause in that thread. Thank you once again ultrabrite

I haven't figured out how to complete controllermap yet. I skip the d pad pressing space, when I get to the left joystick (in controllermap's picture) nothing happens if I hit left or up, if I press right or down it goes on then returns to it at the end with like <--> so I press left, right and it turns to (up/down arrows). and I press up, down nothing happens. Hmm.

I believe now I am on the right track getting a right controllermap and might find my answer researching sdl2 more generally. I think it is indeed possible and I need to straighten out my mapping. I will post what the mapping is when I get it sorted. Thanks for the leads

I know this is a bit old but I just got a Pi 3 running PicoPi and coming across the same issue of not being able to get to the menu without a keyboard.

I see your solution but I don't know where to copy/paste that to? Or is there more to this whole thing that I've missed?

If you have that same controller you should be able to add that definution it to the sdl_controllers.txt file in the pico8 directory (~/.lexaloffle/pico8 for me)

I have a Buffalo USB famicom style controller and a PS2 to USB thing. I believe both worked out of the box using START to bring up the menu... but if you have either of those and they aren't working I can upload my file so you can try that.