I've recently got this game as I saw Cinemassacre's James and Mike episode on this game and thought it looked awesome.

http://cinemassacre.com/2016/12/12/abobos-big-adventure-part-1-james-mike/

http://cinemassacre.com/2016/12/19/abobos-big-adventure-part-2-james-mike/

I've tried using Joy2Key like the readme suggests (my first time with this program) to play it with my Xbox One USB controller but it didn't work. I followed the instructions provided by the readme file link to their site as well:

http://www.abobosbigadventure.com/gamepad.php

I also tried putting a copy of the CFG file in the game folder but to no avail.

Nothing wrong with using the keyboard but AVGN Adventures and Super Meat Boy PC's RSI warnings have taught me that games like that are suited for gamepads.

(I don't have an NES USB and if I wanted to use one, I would use a Famicom USB instead because the NES is just a bad version of the Famicom)

EDIT: Just tried their NES CFG download solution but that didn't help either

Hi there!
So, just for fun, I tried running the game with joy2key and my PS4 controller (don't own an Xbox) and it was working just fine. I'm really not a tech-savvy person (unlike practically everyone else here), but I find joy2key really simple to use...
So, maybe you could elaborate a little on what the problem is? Does the program not recognise your controller at all? When the program is running, while you're creating a new configuration, when pressing a button/pushing a stick the respective field on the right side should be highlighted.
The cfg file should not be copied anywhere - just leave it in the folder it's created in. Also the program has to be running in the background to function as intended (pretty obvious, but since you're a first time user... ;) ).
Lastly, I still had to mouseclick on the game window once or twice to start the game (standard configuration doesn't include mouseclicks, although you could add this if you so wish).

I assumed you had to run it in the background so that's that covered. The problem is that it won't detect my input when running the game. The field on the right -column name: keyboard- is highlighted and afterward shows the key shown. There are three fields on the left when double clicking the icon like so in the attachments.

The second controller input (top one), which is the NES one the site provides, is only there because the first one I did myself didn't work either.

I load up the game with the program running in the background, and yes, I have to mouse click to start (after skipping Flash Player ads) but after beginning, it doesn't detect my joy2key bindings and thinks I'm still using the keyboard: none of my gamepad button presses work and I am forced to quit the game.

deleted

I've never played the game and never used Joy2key, but I just tried it with my 360 controller and it immediately works.

Mhm, so, at the risk of being redundant - using your setup, you should be able to write "sap" (or "pass", or whatever) in notepad. Does that work?

The highlight I was talking about looks like this (att. - lights up when right stick is pushed up). I seem to be using a different version of the program, mind you. Have you read the j2k FAQ? They suggest a couple of solutions...

I use xpadder to bind keyboard inputs on my x360 controller for some years, it works perfectly, cost a little for a lifetime licence.

http://xpadder.com/

If you own xpadder, here is a profile I created sometime ago for this game.

http://xpadder.com/forum4/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5741

You need to press the "Others" tab and check use POV and use those for directional input.
The normal directions are for the analog stick(s).

A newer alternative to Joy2Key is J2K.

I was intending to use the thumbsticks because that's what I use on my emulators for both Famicoms, N64 and Dreamcast.

EDIT: doesn't matter:I've just tested it and the POV buttons did not work either. Write them where in notepad? I need to know the place in the CFG file.

I was merely trying to figure out whether it is only the game that doesn't recognise your controller input, or whether joy2key doesn't recognise controller input whatsoever...

Joy2key should basically make your PC think your controller input=keyboard input, so, if the problem is only with the game, opening any other program (like notepad), and having assigned letters to some buttons (in your case: S, A, P) you should be able to write just by button pressing.

It doesn't detect my input at all. I just tested it in notepad now and pressing the buttons did nothing.