Do you think that the basic gaming controller has not changed for the last couple of decades?
Well, you are right -- to some degree. The general form of sticks, buttons and functions are the same for most models. But there are some weird exceptions from the general rule.
Here are the top 8 most bizarre controllers the video game industry -- enjoy!
1. RailDriver controller
Do you like simulation games? If you do, you have never tried the Rail Driver simulator with the specially made train cab controller. It has switches, 34 buttons, throttle, brake, and reverse -- even more stuff to push and pull than the actual train drivers would have! What a joy, right?
2. Butt Sniffin' Pugs Ball
Using trackballs in video game controllers is not something new, but the indie Butt Sniffin' Pugs game with the realistic dog butt would definitely surprise you. To play the game, you have to manipulate the huge ball -- it helps to take your dog around the park. Sniffing other dogs in the park gives your pug new abilities like peeing or biting. Sounds amazing for all the dog lovers out there.
3. Atari Mindlink
This one was promised to be one of the most technological superior controllers of all. But as always, Atari had troubles with releasing both the controller and the games to support it. The Mindlink was advertised as the controller that would read your mind providing the effortless control over the game. How it actually worked? The headband was not able to read your mind, so it simply monitored your forehead movements and thus caused some intense eyebrow workout.
4. R.O.B.
R.O.B -- or the Robotic Operating Buddy -- was the part of the Nintendo Entertainment System and looked cute. But it only worked with two games, so you did not have much to choose from. Reading optical flashes from the screen, the R.O.B controller allowed you to lift and position items by the robotic hands.
5. Resident Evil Chainsaw
Most game-based controllers are all goofy (some are even adorably goofy), but the Resident Evil chainsaw-looking controller is too hilarious. Created by NubyTech to celebrate Resident Evil 4, it looks exactly the same as the favorite tool of the game’s Chainsaw Man, and is also covered in blood. But it only works as a collector's item -- the layout of buttons and sticks is so uncomfortable that your game characters have no chances of surviving in their missions.
6. Death Crimson
It is hard to call the Death Crimson controller a mass-produced thing, as it has never seen the actual market. But the overall concept is still weird enough for this list. This massive sculpture measuring over 6 feet long and weighing over 110 pounds looks monstrous. You would have to manipulate this huge sculpture to aim at the screen and shoot, and it required some pre-gaming training.
7. Wu-Tang Controller
Do you remember a PS1 fighting game called Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style? We neither! But it definitely impressed some people, and it resulted in this weirdly looking custom controller. It is the standard Dualshock PS1 pad on the inside, but the outside looks like the iconic Wu logo -- impressive but completely unusable, especially for fighting.
8. Laser Scope
Made by Konami years ago, Laser Scope is a nightmare for all those gamers who get irritated by the game sounds. It was designed for shooters and worked like a head-mounted light gun. You had a rudimentary microphone, and whenever you needed to shoot in the game you had to yell the command into the mic. It was always too sensitive and would activate by any background noise, so you had no chance to play the proper way.
Luckily, control solutions today aren’t so cumbersome!
Which one do you think is the weirdest controller? Or would you like to try a couple of them out? Let us know in the comments below.
Published: Dec 12, 2016 11:36 pm