The world of video games has always been about pushing boundaries, and sometimes that means creating some truly bonkers accessories. While many of these oddball peripherals ended up in the bargain bin, some were genuinely brilliant. From plastic instruments that turned your living room into Wembley Stadium to fishing rods that brought the thrill of angling into your bedroom, these gadgets added a whole new dimension to gaming. They might have looked silly, but they were responsible for some of our fondest gaming memories. So dust off your old consoles and join us on a nostalgia-fuelled journey through 16 of the weirdest and most wonderful video game peripherals that actually delivered the goods.
Guitar Hero Controller
The plastic guitar that launched a thousand living room rock stars. This five-button wonder turned rhythmic button mashing into an art form, making everyone feel like a guitar god. The Guitar Hero controller brought the excitement of rock concerts into our homes, complete with whammy bar for those face-melting solos. It might not have taught us real guitar skills, but it sure made us feel cool.
Wii Balance Board
Who knew a glorified bathroom scale could be so much fun? The Wii Balance Board turned your body into the controller, bringing a whole new meaning to ‘throwing your weight around’ in games. From ski jumping to yoga, this unassuming white board got us off the couch and moving. It even found use outside of gaming, with some physios using it for rehabilitation exercises.
Steel Battalion Controller
The Steel Battalion controller was the mech simulator enthusiast’s dream come true. This behemoth boasted 40 buttons, 2 joysticks, and 3 foot pedals, spread across a control panel that wouldn’t look out of place in a fighter jet. It was expensive, impractical, and absolutely brilliant. Playing Steel Battalion with this controller made you feel like you were really piloting a giant robot, even if your wallet felt considerably lighter afterwards.
PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter
The Sharp Shooter turned the PlayStation Move controller into a surprisingly convincing plastic rifle. It added a new level of immersion to shooting games, making you feel like a proper action hero. The pump-action reload and moveable scope were nice touches that added to the realism. It might have looked a bit daft, but when you were in the game, you felt like Rambo.
Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller
Nothing says ‘survival horror’ quite like a blood-splattered chainsaw controller. This gruesome gamepad, shaped like the chainsaw wielded by Resident Evil 4’s terrifying Dr. Salvador, was as impractical as it was cool. It was bulky, uncomfortable, and absolutely perfect for die-hard Resi fans. Playing through the game with this monstrosity certainly added to the fear factor.
Samba De Amigo Maracas
Shake your way to victory with these plastic maracas for Samba De Amigo. These colourful controllers turned your living room into a Brazilian carnival, getting players moving to the beat. The maracas were responsive and fun, adding a tactile element to the rhythm game genre. They might have driven your neighbours mad, but they were a blast at parties.
Tony Hawk Ride Skateboard
The Tony Hawk Ride skateboard promised to bring the thrill of skateboarding into your living room. While it didn’t quite live up to the hype, it was an ambitious attempt at making a more immersive skating game. The board was sturdy and responsive, detecting your movements as you tilted and turned. It might not have replaced real skateboarding, but it was a novel way to experience the game.
DK Bongos
The DK Bongos turned your GameCube into a percussion powerhouse. These plastic bongo drums were used primarily for the Donkey Konga series, but also worked brilliantly with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Slapping the bongos to the rhythm was surprisingly satisfying, and the built-in microphone that detected claps added an extra layer of interactivity. They were loud, silly, and incredibly fun.
Sega Fishing Rod
Sega’s fishing rod controller for the Dreamcast brought the peaceful art of angling into the digital realm. It was surprisingly realistic, with a reel that you could wind and a motion sensor that detected your casting movements. The force feedback gave a good approximation of a fish on the line. It might not have smelled like the real thing, but it was a great way to go fishing without leaving your sofa.
Power Glove
The Power Glove might be infamous now, but it was revolutionary for its time. This wearable controller for the NES allowed you to control games with hand movements. While it didn’t work as well as advertised, it was an early precursor to motion controls that would become standard decades later. Plus, it made you feel like a cyborg from the future, which counts for something.
Steel Batallion Controller
When it came to mech simulators, the Steel Battalion controller was the ultimate kit for the job. This colossal setup for the Xbox was a beast, boasting 40 buttons, twin joysticks, and three foot pedals spread across a control panel that looked like it came straight out of a fighter jet. From start-up sequences to emergency ejects, every function had a dedicated button, making you feel like a true mech pilot. Sure, it was pricey and took up a good chunk of living room real estate, but nothing could match the immersion it provided. Steel Battalion wasn’t just a game—it was a full-on cockpit experience that left you feeling like a hero of a mech anime.
Taiko Drum Master Drum
The Taiko Drum Master controller brought the traditional Japanese drum to home consoles. This flat drum controller and two drumsticks allowed players to bang out rhythms in time with on-screen prompts. The drum was surprisingly sturdy and responsive, giving a satisfying ‘thwack’ with each hit. It was a great way to annoy the neighbours while getting a decent upper body workout.
Resident Evil 4 Wii Zapper
The Wii Zapper turned the Wii Remote and Nunchuk into a lightweight plastic gun. While it was designed for various games, it found its true calling with Resident Evil 4 on the Wii. The Zapper made aiming and shooting feel more natural and immersive. It might have looked like a toy, but it added a new layer of tension to the horror classic.
Mega Drive Menacer
Sega’s answer to the Super Scope, the Menacer was a modular light gun for the Mega Drive. It could be configured in different ways, from a pistol to a rifle with a scope. While it didn’t have many compatible games, it was a solid piece of kit that made light gun games more engaging. The wireless design was ahead of its time, freeing players from the tangle of cords.
Sega Activator
The Sega Activator was an octagonal ring that sat on your floor and turned your body movements into game controls. It was meant to allow full-body control for fighting games, but it was finicky and hard to use effectively. Despite its flaws, it was an ambitious attempt at full-body motion controls, years before the likes of Kinect. It gets points for sheer ambition, if not execution.
Rez Trance Vibrator
The Rez Trance Vibrator might be the strangest peripheral on this list. This, er, ‘personal massager’ was designed to vibrate in time with the music and action in the psychedelic shooter Rez. While its intended use was questionable, it was an interesting attempt at adding extra sensory feedback to the game experience. It certainly made Rez a more… intense experience.
Katy Willis is a writer, master herbalist, master gardener, and certified canine nutritionist who has been writing since 2002. She’s finds joy in learning new and interesting things, and finds history, science, and nature endlessly fascinating.
