My PS2 controller is behaving pretty amazingly oddly

[*Laurelindo*]

I play Final Fantasy 2 on FF Origins right now and for some reason the controller randomly makes actions on its own.
Last time the character started walking when I stood still (and walked out of the town I was in, by the way), and then the menu opened and the cursor starting scrolling down all the time, then stopped, then scrolled down again, then stopped, then scrolled a few more times, then stopped again.
I closed the menu, and then after a while it started acting randomly again.
What on earth is this?

[Depression Moon]

don't use cheap memory cards. Official ones only. http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-2-Memory-Card-8MB/dp/B00004YRQA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1285189074&sr=1-1-catcorr

[*Laurelindo*]

I use a Memory Card for the PSX, and the controller always used to work perfectly fine.
I found the disc a few weeks ago (I had lost it) and the controller still worked excellent until I was about to enter the Mysidia Cave, then it started doing this crap all of a sudden.

Does my using the PS2 display settings Fast and Smooth have anything to do with this?
I think I started using those settings somewhere around Mysidia Cave.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Is it only with this game? I'd make sure that you aren't pressing any buttons or moving the analog stick or D-pad while booting up the system.

[Hollycat]

Not always the memory card, a certain release of dualshocks had that glitch, ussually caused by a small wiring defect under the left analog stick. I got one too

[Jessweeee♪]

Is it always just actions that are done with the analog stick? They may be sticking a tad. Mine do that. They'll get stuck just ever so slightly off center and the character will go on a slow walk. It happens with age, especially if you rest them upside down at times.

[blackmage_nuke]

Just to make absolutely sure it's not the memory card, play the game without a memory card for a while to see if you still experience problems.

[Jessweeee♪]

I didn't know a memory card could do that.

[Darkswordofchaos]

Ive had controllers do this i just unplugged them and restart the system and plug back in and fixd

[Vyk]

I think a lot of analog sticks set a resting spot when the system turns on, and if that spot is not center, it'll think its being pointed in the opposite direction. Though that doesn't sound like what is happening here. That would be a constant problem, not a random issue

[Carl the Llama]

I don't think FFII uses the stick so I don't think its that... not much I can say that will help... have you tried using a different pad?

[Jessweeee♪]

Most games you can just press the Analog button and the left stick will behave like the D-pad I think P:

[*Laurelindo*]

Thanks for all your feedback. :p

The easiest solution I've found to the problem that seems to help at least for a while, is to simply unplug the controller and plug it back in.
This makes the characters behave normally for about five minutes, but then they do the random walk and menu scrolling again.

I will try playing without the memory card and see how that goes, otherwise I might consider buying a new controller; the one I've got now does feel rather worn-out.

[Jessweeee♪]

Next time it happens try setting the controller down, nudging the analog stick just a teeeeensy bit and see if you can get it to stop, and then if it does, just don't touch the controller at all and see if it happens again.

If that works, then you'll just have to bump it back into place every now and then or just buy a new controller P:

[Jessweeee♪]

Next time it happens try setting the controller down, nudging the analog stick just a teeeeensy bit and see if you can get it to stop, and then if it does, just don't touch the controller at all and see if it happens again.

If that works, then you'll just have to bump it back into place every now and then or just buy a new controller P: