Games
Think the new Kinect looks crazy? Here are ten controllers that make Microsoft’s add-on seem sane.
Microsoft revealed an all new Kinect to go with its brand new Xbox One console, and while it turns you into controller, it’s far from the most absurd way of playing games we’ve seen. We take a trip down memory lane to look at ten controllers that range from the outright daft to the somewhat disturbing.
Steel Battalion Controller
Ever wanted to control your very own giant robot? Capcom’s 2002 Xbox game Steel Battalion let you do exactly that, and came with its very own gargantuan £120 controller that had two control sticks, around 40 buttons and its own set of pedals too. If you had room for the whole contraption, you’d be set for one epic mech game – but if you want to buy one now, you’ll be looking to fork out even more than the original price on eBay.
Sega Bass Fishing Rod
Originally an arcade game with a gimmicky controller, Sega Bass Fishing found its way onto the company’s short lived Dreamcast console, and brought the fishing rod controller with it. While it makes perfect sense for a fly fishing game, what’s odd about it is that you can use it play fighting classic Soul Calibur too, complete with motion controls that beat out the Wiiby six years.
Sega Activator
It might look like an octagonal hula hoop, but this ring actually beat Kinect to body control by several generations. It’s powered by infrared sensors: when you wave your hand or foot over any of 16 defined points, these are then interpreted as a button press by the Mega Drive - but it just didn’t work as well as was advertised. A lack of support, a high price and restrictive gameplay meant the Activator quietly slipped away from store shelves, never to be seen again.
Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor
After the success of Wii Fit, it seemed like Nintendo had its finger on the pulse of exercise and health games, and that was set to continue with the Wii Vitality Sensor: a fingertip pulse oximeter sensor that hooked up to the Wii Remote and logged a number of signals from your body, including your pulse. Despite a big unveiling at the E3 games expo back in 2009, the accessory never saw the light of day.
Power Glove
Nintendo’s Wii wasn’t the company’s first foray into motion controls - far from it. Way back in the 1980s, the original NES got a taste of the future thanks to the Power Glove, a futuristic looking glove that had a controller strapped on top and used triangulation technology. ‘Cool’ was the buzzword that it tried to portray, but all it became was a glove that no one really wanted - it only ever worked with two games.
Atari Mindlink
While Kinect makes your whole body the controller, Atari’s Mindlink set out to make your mind the controller instead. A set of controllers and software were combined together to create the Atari Mindlink System, a combo headband with an infrared transmitter and receiver. The system could hook up to your Atari VCS 2600, Atari 7800 and Atari home computers, and would let you control on-screen action with your mind - unfortunately, it was never released.
Amiga Joyboard
Nintendo’s monster-hit lifestyle title Wii Fit owes its success to the inclusion of the Wii Balance board, but the Balance Board itself owes some inspiration to an Amiga creation spawned many years before in 1982: the Amiga Joyboard. Just like the Balance Board, it was controlled by a player’s foot movement, but it didn’t find much support outside of the single game that was released for it upon launch. Skateboarding fans might remember something similar in recent times with Tony Hawk Ride and the physical skateboard controller that was, frankly, equally useless.
Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller
When it comes to controllers, it’s usually all about function: it’s rare for a company to build a pad designed to get you in the mood for a single game. But that’s exactly what Capcom did with accessory maker Nyko, launching a commemorative zombie slaying GameCube and PlayStation 2 controller made in the shape of a chainsaw, which came complete with sound effects, blood splatter and display box. You could change your weapon’s position in the game by raising or lowering the controller thanks to motion tech, and even use the pull-cord on the controller to start the game. While it looks cool, its weight doesn’t exactly make for comfortable extended play sessions.
DJ Hero decks
Leading off the plastic guitars and drums explosion of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, publisher Activision tried to repeat its success with with DJ Hero and its semi-realistic DJ decks, which let you scratch and mix like a pro, or a pro pressing primary coloured buttons repeatedly, anyway. While the controller was solidly made, the game was not so well received, and the series petered out after one sequel.
Donkey Konga Bongos
When you think of Donkey Kong and the action games that made Mario’s gorilla pal a star, you wouldn’t expect barrel themed pair of bongos to be top of the To Do list, would you? Well, Nintendo made some for Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, a Nintendo GameCube platformer played with the bongos, as well as Donkey Konga – a rhythm game from the people who made Taiko Drum. Nintendo had Guitar Hero beat to the punch by a couple of years, although it was with the wrong instrument. Maybe next time?
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