When it comes to weird controllers, it’s hard to find one more iconic than the DragonQuest Slime Controller. It follows a long tradition of strange accessories for video games from the WuTang Clan: Shaolin Style Controller to holding a literal baby doll for Babysitting Mama, gamers are used to seeing some odd accessories made to “enhance” their gaming experience.
As companies like OtterBox join the gaming accessory market, there’s the potential to see even more wacky and wild accessories out there. It’s a perfect time to look at some forgotten accessories as a reminder of why they should, or shouldn’t be, forgotten forever.
10 Top Rider Motorcycle Controller
Imagine being a kid with a full-blown motorcycle as a game controller back in 1988, how cool is that? Top Rider was developed by Human Entertainment and was released exclusively in Japan. The bike players sat on was inflatable, and the game was controlled by a unique handlebar controller. The game wasn’t even playable without the odd peripheral without using a rather obscure cheat code.
9 Hands Free NES Controller
Less on the weird side and more on the absolutely awesome one, the Hands Free Controller was an attempt to make games more accessible for disabled gamers. Players used their mouth and tongue to move a stick for the D-Pad and breathed in or out to press the A and B buttons. With accessibility in games becoming more of a priority in recent years, it’s cool to see there were people out there all the way back in 1989 trying to do the same.
8 3RD Space Gaming Vest
As well all know, gamers want to know what it feels like to get shot in the chest. Wait, what? No seriously, it’s literally in the 3RD Space Gaming Vest’s product description. “Get pounded with body slams, crushed with G-forces, and blasted with bullet fire.” Yeah, it didn’t exactly sell well as expected.
This concept isn’t new either, it just seems that accessory designers have forgotten them too. The Aura Interactor came out back in 1994 and advertised itself heavily for use with Mortal Kombat II because everyone wants to experience a fatality. One thing is for sure, we won’t be seeing these gaming accessories at Paris Fashion Week.
7 ASCII Stick Super L5
Another awesome adaptive device to increase accessibility in games, the ASCII Stick Super L5 was designed so players could enjoy their favorite games using only one hand on the SNES. It was primarily designed to work for RPGs but could be used with any other genre for those willing to try.
6 Wii Inflatable Kart
For those times when a little plastic steering wheel isn’t quite good enough for that immersive kart racing experience, why not try the Wii Inflatable Kart? Players could blow up the cart, sit inside, and get the full karting experience. With the Wii Football and Wii Bowling Ball somehow existing, it seems only fitting this over-the-top unnecessary accessory would also exist.
5 The Joyboard
Balance boards existed for games far before the Nintendo Wii. The Joyboard was out all the way back in 1982 for use with the Atari 2600. There were only three games designed to work with the peripheral — Mogul Maniac, Off Your Rocker, and Guru Meditation.
4 Super Nintendo LifeCycle Exertainment Bike
Healthy gaming on Nintendo consoles was a thing far before Wii Fit released. the Super Nintendo LifeCycle Exertainment Bike, or the Exertainment for short, was a full exercise bike designed to let players get a workout while they gamed. It was designed to only work with two games, Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally and a combination cart with it and Speed Racer.
The idea of a full-on exercise bike for games still hasn’t died either. CyberBike was a unique game released for the Wii with a special bike controller built specifically for the game. With fans even making exercise bikes for Nintendo Labo, it seems this is a popular concept that may pop up over and over again.
3 Nintendo 64 Bio Sensor
The idea of sensing a player’s heartbeat to directly affect the game they are playing is an incredibly unique idea. Sadly, this old Nintendo 64 accessory was only ever used for one game: Tetris 64. Blocks speeding up or slowing down depending on the player’s stress levels is a curious concept, and it’s sad this Japanese exclusive peripheral never saw any more uses.
2 Jaguar Nu-Yell JN-100 / Singer IZEK Sewing Machine
Seriously, there was a sewing machine designed to be used with the Gameboy Color! The two sewing machines hooked up to the console using a link cable and could be used to create custom stitches. Unsurprisingly, they only worked with a single game: Rakku Rakku Mishin, or as it’s known in the United States, Sewing Machine Operation Software.
1 Rez Trance Vibrator
Rez was a musical rail shooter released in 2002 that didn’t get a lot of sales but was highly praised by critics. It also has one of the most adult accessories ever to exist in video games. Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the game’s producer, said the product was “kind of a joke, but a very serious joke” and that it had no “intimate” implications, which some gamers buy as a dubious claim at best — and understandably so.
The concept of using vibrations to make games more engaging is still something accessory designers are working with today. These accessories have been used to play Fall Guys and even more wholesome games like Animal Crossing. We’re not going to judge, but it makes sense that not everyone has heard that these accessories exist.
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