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<blockquote data-quote="The Feedster" data-source="post: 528764" data-attributes="member: 259515"><p>Depending on your point of reference, any game controller can look 'weird'. Back in 1975, when <em>Pong</em> was played with simple rotating knobs, Microsoft's curvy Xbox 360 joypad would have looked 'space-age', Nintendo's Wii Remote akin to 'magic'.</p><p></p><p>But while a buttons-and-joystick combo is ideal for most games, there are those that just aren't satisfied with tradition. The question is: where do do you draw the line between 'visionary' design and 'that'll-never-work lunacy'? Witness 10 of gaming's weirdest controllers.</p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-massage-me-jacket-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>The <em>Massage Me</em> gamepad jacket</p><p></p><p></p><p>You want odd? Let's kick off with a wearable gamepad that lets avid gamers give their partner a back massage while they play.</p><p></p><p>The <em>Massage Me</em> system uses soft and flexible buttons embedded into a Tron-style jacket. The controller layout is repeated several times for neck, shoulders and lower-back rubdowns.</p><p></p><p>"The best massages come from playing games that require the player to press a lot of buttons and combinations," says the <em>Massage Me</em> website. Er, yes.</p><p><a href="http://www.massage-me.at" target="_blank">www.massage-me.at</a></p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-rapid-river-paddle-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>The <em>Rapid River</em> paddle</p><p>The coin-op industry has dreamt up more than its fair share of zany game controllers. Gun replicas were used to great effect in <em>Silent Scope</em> and <em>Time Crisis</em>. <em>Top Skater</em> featured a tilting skateboard; some of you might remember sitting on tilting plastic motorbikes playing <em>Hang On</em>.</p><p></p><p>Namco's <em>Rapid River</em> was part of this trend, a white water rafting game that featured a 50-inch RP screen, a simulated dinghy and a 'paddle' controller. You stuck your oar in to turn left or right and rowed like an amateur canoeist to move forward. A classic.</p><p>(Picture courtesy of <a href="http://www.arcadeflyers.com" target="_blank">www.arcadeflyers.com</a>)</p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-gamerunner-treadmill-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>The <em>GameRunner</em> treadmill</p><p>Forget Nintendo's <em>Wii Fit</em> (I know I have). The <em>GameRunner</em> aims to offset the boredom of physical fitness by incorporating treadmill movement into your favourite first person shooters.</p><p></p><p>Actually, there's no running involved... "Players wouldn't last very long if they had to run," says the <em>GameRunner</em> website, so "the <em>GameRunner</em> is tuned for walking".</p><p></p><p>But this still means that you can physically wander through an FPS - the faster you walk, the faster your character moves onscreen. A set of bike-style handlebars takes care of direction, boasting various triggers and buttons that can be configured to activate other controls.</p><p></p><p>Watch the videos online.</p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-dk%20bongos-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>The <em>DK Bongos</em> controller</p><p>Thanks to the likes of <em>Guitar Hero</em>, modern gamers are quickly getting used to abandoning their joypads in favour of strumming plastic guitars.</p><p></p><p>But this isn't a new trend. Konami's <em>GuitarFreaks</em> is arguably the coin-op precursor to <em>Guitar Hero</em>. Put it together with a <em>DrumMania V3</em> cabinet and you've got a pre-millennium version of <em>Rock Band</em>.</p><p></p><p>But perhaps the strangest instrument-based controller was Nintendo's DK Bongos. These plastic drums memorably featured in <em>DK Bongo Blast</em> for the <em>GameCube</em> (not to mention the <em>Donkey Konga</em> series and <em>Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat</em>).</p><p></p><p>You hit the left bongo to swoop left, thwacked the right bongo to soar right... and then you used a gamepad.</p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-OCZ-neural-actuator-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>The OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator</p><p>You know where you are when a game asks you to "press START". But what about "think START"? Or "imagine START"?</p><p></p><p>The preposterously-titled <em>Neural Impulse Actuator</em> from OCZ claims to add an element of 'mind control' to gaming. Strap on the headband and its carbon nanofiber-based sensors will translate your body's electrical biosignals into computer commands.</p><p></p><p>We've already reviewed the <em>Actuator</em> here and it actually seems to work. "In real terms," says our reviewer, "(the <em>Neural Impulse Actuator</em>) means you can turn a corner, pop to zoomed sniper mode and headshot an opponent halfway across the map, all without actually touching a key or clicking a mouse button." Nice.</p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-power-glove-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>The Nintendo <em>Power Glove</em></p><p>Back in the 1980s, technologists were loved-up with virtual reality and Nintendo's <em>Power Glove</em> (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYBzKFm-rd0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYBzKFm-rd0</a>) was an attempt to bring some of VR's multi-million dollar futurism into the living room.</p><p></p><p>The 1989 <em>Power Glove</em> was based on VPL's DataGlove technology. It could detect 3D movement (such as pitch, yaw, roll) and whether the fingers of the glove were being flexed.</p><p></p><p>With the addition of NES controller buttons, Nintendo had a revolutionary gaming controller on its hands.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, the <em>Power Glove</em> was criticised for its imprecise controls and only two games (<em>Super Glove Ball</em> and <em>Bad Street Brawler</em>) were ever released for it. 17 years on and Nintendo returned to the 3D idea for the Wii's control system.</p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-bass-fishing-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>The Sega Dreamcast <em><strong>Fishing Rod</strong></em></p><p>Some games inspire the development of controllers that just can't be used for anything else. Take Sega's relaxing Dreamcast title, <em>Get Bass</em>, aka <em>Bass Fishing</em> (US).</p><p></p><p>To truly play this fish-sim properly you needed to invest in the <em>Fishing Rod</em> controller.</p><p></p><p>Cast your lure into the superbly rendered lake environment and then wait... wait for it... and... wait. Force-feedback technology built into the plastic rod would tell you when you had a bite.</p><p></p><p>But hooking a bass was just the start of a strategic tug-of-war as you tried to land the struggling fish without snapping the line or snagging it on underwater obstacles.</p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-novint-falcon-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>The Novint <em><strong>Falcon</strong></em> <strong>3D controller</strong></p><p>Novint makes a bold claim for its Falcon controller, saying that its technology "transforms the user experience by adding realistic interactive 3D touch to computing".</p><p></p><p>While it looks like the accidental offspring of a satellite speaker and an angle-poise lamp, think of the <em>Falcon</em> as a 3D mouse. It can move up and down, forwards and backwards just like a traditional mouse. But the <em>Falcon</em> can also move up and down.</p><p></p><p>At the same time, small motors in the controller provide haptic feedback giving you a sense of texture and shape. Watch the demo online.</p><p></p><p><strong><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-eyetoy-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></strong>Sony <em><strong>EyeToy</strong></em></p><p>More than simply a webcam, Sony's <em>EyeToy</em> <a href="http://www.eyetoy.com/" target="_blank">http://www.eyetoy.com/</a> stands out from the crowd because it almost abandons the idea of a controller altogether.</p><p></p><p>Instead, the player is the controller. In its debut game, <em>EyeToy Play</em>, players could interact with onscreen objects in a series of party games - punching invading ninja warriors, heading a football or copying dance moves.</p><p></p><p><em>EyeToy</em>'s genius is its simplicity and, while the collision detection is often poor, the easy interactivity arguably makes up for it. Despite its undoubted success, the <em>EyeToy</em> camera's popularity has been hit hard by the decline of the PlayStation 2 platform and the arrival of the Nintendo Wii.</p><p></p><p><strong><em><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-ship-controller-250-90.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></em>ShipDriver</strong></p><p>While I could have featured the <em>Resident Evil Chainsaw</em> here, or the cool PS2 <em>Katana</em> controller, this list wouldn't be complete without gaming's best (and only) desktop ship controller.</p><p></p><p>Made by the company that manufacturers <em>RailDriver</em> (the only desktop train cab controller, don't you know), ShipDriver includes an interchangeable tiller, a ship's wheel, and a modern steering wheel to let you match rudder control to your virtual boat.</p><p></p><p>Of course, that means you need some virtual boat software to go with it. Look out for Ship Simulator 2006 coming to a store near you soon.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/8513/s/15aca59/mf.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> <a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/sendemail2.html?title=10 weirdest-ever games controllers&link=http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/10-zaniest-games-controllers-410203" target="_blank"><img src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a><a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=10 weirdest-ever games controllers&link=http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/10-zaniest-games-controllers-410203" target="_blank"><img src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/8513/s/15aca59/story01.htm" target="_blank">More...</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="The Feedster, post: 528764, member: 259515"] Depending on your point of reference, any game controller can look 'weird'. Back in 1975, when [I]Pong[/I] was played with simple rotating knobs, Microsoft's curvy Xbox 360 joypad would have looked 'space-age', Nintendo's Wii Remote akin to 'magic'. But while a buttons-and-joystick combo is ideal for most games, there are those that just aren't satisfied with tradition. The question is: where do do you draw the line between 'visionary' design and 'that'll-never-work lunacy'? Witness 10 of gaming's weirdest controllers. [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-massage-me-jacket-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]The [I]Massage Me[/I] gamepad jacket You want odd? Let's kick off with a wearable gamepad that lets avid gamers give their partner a back massage while they play. The [I]Massage Me[/I] system uses soft and flexible buttons embedded into a Tron-style jacket. The controller layout is repeated several times for neck, shoulders and lower-back rubdowns. "The best massages come from playing games that require the player to press a lot of buttons and combinations," says the [I]Massage Me[/I] website. Er, yes. [url]www.massage-me.at[/url] [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-rapid-river-paddle-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]The [I]Rapid River[/I] paddle The coin-op industry has dreamt up more than its fair share of zany game controllers. Gun replicas were used to great effect in [I]Silent Scope[/I] and [I]Time Crisis[/I]. [I]Top Skater[/I] featured a tilting skateboard; some of you might remember sitting on tilting plastic motorbikes playing [I]Hang On[/I]. Namco's [I]Rapid River[/I] was part of this trend, a white water rafting game that featured a 50-inch RP screen, a simulated dinghy and a 'paddle' controller. You stuck your oar in to turn left or right and rowed like an amateur canoeist to move forward. A classic. (Picture courtesy of [url]www.arcadeflyers.com[/url]) [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-gamerunner-treadmill-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]The [I]GameRunner[/I] treadmill Forget Nintendo's [I]Wii Fit[/I] (I know I have). The [I]GameRunner[/I] aims to offset the boredom of physical fitness by incorporating treadmill movement into your favourite first person shooters. Actually, there's no running involved... "Players wouldn't last very long if they had to run," says the [I]GameRunner[/I] website, so "the [I]GameRunner[/I] is tuned for walking". But this still means that you can physically wander through an FPS - the faster you walk, the faster your character moves onscreen. A set of bike-style handlebars takes care of direction, boasting various triggers and buttons that can be configured to activate other controls. Watch the videos online. [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-dk%20bongos-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]The [I]DK Bongos[/I] controller Thanks to the likes of [I]Guitar Hero[/I], modern gamers are quickly getting used to abandoning their joypads in favour of strumming plastic guitars. But this isn't a new trend. Konami's [I]GuitarFreaks[/I] is arguably the coin-op precursor to [I]Guitar Hero[/I]. Put it together with a [I]DrumMania V3[/I] cabinet and you've got a pre-millennium version of [I]Rock Band[/I]. But perhaps the strangest instrument-based controller was Nintendo's DK Bongos. These plastic drums memorably featured in [I]DK Bongo Blast[/I] for the [I]GameCube[/I] (not to mention the [I]Donkey Konga[/I] series and [I]Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat[/I]). You hit the left bongo to swoop left, thwacked the right bongo to soar right... and then you used a gamepad. [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-OCZ-neural-actuator-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]The OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator You know where you are when a game asks you to "press START". But what about "think START"? Or "imagine START"? The preposterously-titled [I]Neural Impulse Actuator[/I] from OCZ claims to add an element of 'mind control' to gaming. Strap on the headband and its carbon nanofiber-based sensors will translate your body's electrical biosignals into computer commands. We've already reviewed the [I]Actuator[/I] here and it actually seems to work. "In real terms," says our reviewer, "(the [I]Neural Impulse Actuator[/I]) means you can turn a corner, pop to zoomed sniper mode and headshot an opponent halfway across the map, all without actually touching a key or clicking a mouse button." Nice. [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-power-glove-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]The Nintendo [I]Power Glove[/I] Back in the 1980s, technologists were loved-up with virtual reality and Nintendo's [I]Power Glove[/I] ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYBzKFm-rd0[/url]) was an attempt to bring some of VR's multi-million dollar futurism into the living room. The 1989 [I]Power Glove[/I] was based on VPL's DataGlove technology. It could detect 3D movement (such as pitch, yaw, roll) and whether the fingers of the glove were being flexed. With the addition of NES controller buttons, Nintendo had a revolutionary gaming controller on its hands. Unfortunately, the [I]Power Glove[/I] was criticised for its imprecise controls and only two games ([I]Super Glove Ball[/I] and [I]Bad Street Brawler[/I]) were ever released for it. 17 years on and Nintendo returned to the 3D idea for the Wii's control system. [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-bass-fishing-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]The Sega Dreamcast [I][B]Fishing Rod[/B][/I] Some games inspire the development of controllers that just can't be used for anything else. Take Sega's relaxing Dreamcast title, [I]Get Bass[/I], aka [I]Bass Fishing[/I] (US). To truly play this fish-sim properly you needed to invest in the [I]Fishing Rod[/I] controller. Cast your lure into the superbly rendered lake environment and then wait... wait for it... and... wait. Force-feedback technology built into the plastic rod would tell you when you had a bite. But hooking a bass was just the start of a strategic tug-of-war as you tried to land the struggling fish without snapping the line or snagging it on underwater obstacles. [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-novint-falcon-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]The Novint [I][B]Falcon[/B][/I] [B]3D controller[/B] Novint makes a bold claim for its Falcon controller, saying that its technology "transforms the user experience by adding realistic interactive 3D touch to computing". While it looks like the accidental offspring of a satellite speaker and an angle-poise lamp, think of the [I]Falcon[/I] as a 3D mouse. It can move up and down, forwards and backwards just like a traditional mouse. But the [I]Falcon[/I] can also move up and down. At the same time, small motors in the controller provide haptic feedback giving you a sense of texture and shape. Watch the demo online. [B][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-eyetoy-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/B]Sony [I][B]EyeToy[/B][/I] More than simply a webcam, Sony's [I]EyeToy[/I] [url]http://www.eyetoy.com/[/url] stands out from the crowd because it almost abandons the idea of a controller altogether. Instead, the player is the controller. In its debut game, [I]EyeToy Play[/I], players could interact with onscreen objects in a series of party games - punching invading ninja warriors, heading a football or copying dance moves. [I]EyeToy[/I]'s genius is its simplicity and, while the collision detection is often poor, the easy interactivity arguably makes up for it. Despite its undoubted success, the [I]EyeToy[/I] camera's popularity has been hit hard by the decline of the PlayStation 2 platform and the arrival of the Nintendo Wii. [B][I][IMG]http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/zany-ship-controller-250-90.jpg[/IMG][/I]ShipDriver[/B] While I could have featured the [I]Resident Evil Chainsaw[/I] here, or the cool PS2 [I]Katana[/I] controller, this list wouldn't be complete without gaming's best (and only) desktop ship controller. Made by the company that manufacturers [I]RailDriver[/I] (the only desktop train cab controller, don't you know), ShipDriver includes an interchangeable tiller, a ship's wheel, and a modern steering wheel to let you match rudder control to your virtual boat. Of course, that means you need some virtual boat software to go with it. Look out for Ship Simulator 2006 coming to a store near you soon. [IMG]http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/8513/s/15aca59/mf.gif[/IMG] [URL="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/sendemail2.html?title=10 weirdest-ever games controllers&link=http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/10-zaniest-games-controllers-410203"][IMG]http://rss.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=10 weirdest-ever games controllers&link=http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/10-zaniest-games-controllers-410203"][IMG]http://rss.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif[/IMG][/URL] [url=http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/8513/s/15aca59/story01.htm]More...[/url] [/QUOTE]
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