Video game controllers have evolved a lot since their initial introduction. In fact, the first gamepads used to translate user input into on-screen action are almost unrecognizable compared to what gamers use today. Nintendo, in particular, has often been at the forefront of innovation and invention when it comes to how game controllers have changed over the years, introducing many new features that have gone on to become standard in the industry.
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However, not every experiment was a success and some Nintendo controllers didn’t catch on like its most popular products. For every hit like the Wii Remote or Joy–Con, there’s a baffling miss that makes you wonder how anyone even came up with the idea. Maybe the shape and design was wildly impractical or perhaps the features of the controller were just too weird for most players.
And while Nintendo itself has been responsible for creating some of the most bizarre gaming controllers, third-party hardware manufacturers have contributed a lot of strangeness over the years too. Check out these weird controllers made for Nintendo platforms.
[Featured image by Marcin Wichary via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]
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