Thomas Jefferson said, “With great risk comes great reward.” Unfortunately not in this case, as these gaming accessories demonstrate! From the creative and imaginative to the bizarre, here are the 10 weirdest video game peripherals ever!
10. R.O.B.
With great hopes of revolutionizing gaming, R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Body) was released for NES in 1985. But this friendly robot companion had a short lifespan. The NES robot series only yielded two games: Gyromite and Stack-Up. Nonetheless, R.O.B. gained new life as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series.
9. NES Power Glove
In 1989, NES licensed the Power Glove, although the company was not involved in the design or release. Despite its futuristic appearance and promise of allowing gamers to “play with power,” it fell short. The glove had limited motion controls and wasn’t very practical. “It’s so bad…”
8. Sega Fishing Rod
With the release of Sega Bass Fishing on Dreamcast in 1999, came the Sega Fishing Rod accessory. It was also compatible with the sequel, Sega Marine Fishing. In addition to the reel, the controller contained six buttons. Bizarrely, another Dreamcast game, Soulcalibur, can also use the fishing controller.
7. Game Boy Camera and Printer
The Game Boy Camera and Printer were released for the handheld gaming system in 1998. The 8-bit grayscale camera was essentially a toy for creating user-generated content. It took grainy digital images. The printer utilized thermal paper to “burn” save images into a hard copy, including accomplishments from certain games.
6. SegaScope 3D and Famicom 3D Glasses
The Famicom 3D System was released exclusively for Japan by Nintendo in 1987. Sega offered SegaScope 3-D created for games such as Space Harrier 3D. They operated on active shutter technology to display a stereoscopic image. They were too early for this tech to take off, but part of the evolution that brought us toward VR gaming.
5. Nintendo U-Force
The U-Force was made by Broderbund for the NES in 1989. The peripheral looks like a laptop or the game Battleship. Instead of living up to its promise of making gameplay easier, its motion controls were ineffective. The U-Force may be viewed among the worst game peripherals ever created, but we still have four more worse ones to go.
4. Rez Trance Vibrator
Rez is a musical rail shooter game released in 2001. Its peripheral can only be described as one of the weirdest ever – the Trance Vibrator. The concept was to increase the player’s sensory immersion by placing this vibrator somewhere in contact with their skin for feedback. Players quickly realized its capacity for alternative uses. Yikes.
3. Nintendo Roll & Rocker
Games where players could put their feet into the action, such as Dance Dance Revolution and Tony Hawk: Ride, were all the rage. The Nintendo Roll & Rocker is a directional controller in the form of a tilting teeterboard. Players stand and tilt their weight in the four cardinal directions to control the game. Unfortunately, the peripheral failed to live up to its promise.
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2. Sega Activator
The Sega Activator is an octagonal device that lies flat on the floor. The player stands on the grid and their physical movements control 16 different actions via distinct regions. The peripheral promised to be compatible with all games but wasn’t. It was also inaccurate. Worse, it cost a bundle. It vies for the title of worst controller ever.
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1. Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller
If Resident Evil 4’s Chainsaw Controllers deserve props for at least one thing, it’s their wicked, bloodied appearance whose aesthetics perfectly match the thematic mood of the horror franchise. However, in terms of use, the controllers are clunky and cumbersome. They make a nice collectible on the shelf, but not something you want to fumble with throughout the game.
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