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Seven Failed Foot-Based Game Controllers

Posted by kdawson on from the clutch-foot-brake-foot dept.

Ant writes "GamePro.com says the path to Wii Fit's success was paved with a slew of failed foot-based controllers. Here are seven particularly awful ones that are currently collecting dust in the attics of gamers worldwide."

14 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. The original foot controller by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Funny

    "The fax software isn't working! I hold the paper I want to fax up to the screen, and step on the foot pedal"

    "Foot pedal???"

    "Yes, the foot pedal, the one with the two buttons on it."

    "That's not the way it works."

    "Well, it SHOULD BE! I'm returning this software. *click*"

  2. Burying the Lead... by Tickenest · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think we can all agree that more impressive is the fact that seven foot-based controllers actually exist!

    --
    This is the NFL, which stands for "Not For Long" if you keep making those bulls*** calls.
    1. Re:Burying the Lead... by earthbound+kid · · Score: 4, Funny

      Indeed. Two or three feet tall, sure. But a seven foot one? It seems like the only market for them would be bored NBA players.

  3. Re:Missing option: SNES Advantage by c_forq · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have a friend (when sick with a cold) who beat Mario Bros with his feet (left big toe on the D-pad, right big toe on A/B) on a normal NES controller. Also I don't know if I would say the NES Power Pad was a failure, a lot of people I know had it and we all had a blast playing Track and Field.

    --
    Computers allow humans to make mistakes at the fastest speeds known, with the possible exception of tequila and handguns
  4. Re:Missing option: SNES Advantage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who can't beat Super Mario Bros. and get to at least level 50 on Duck Hunt with their feet?

    It seems to me that the Xbox controller was designed for use with your feet. The PS controller is impossible to use with your feet because the analog thumbsticks make it impossible to properly seat your feet. And the L1/L2 and R1/R2 controls are impossible to operate. The only problem with the Xbox controller is the two trigger controls, but you can put it on a surface that you can push the controller to operate them. And yes, I have just tested this. Clearly, Sony is falling behind in the foot controller market.

  5. Power Pad? by steltho · · Score: 3, Funny

    There is no way the NES Power Pad should be on this list. Any device that allows you to run the 100m dash in 6.3 seconds has to be declared a success.

    1. Re:Power Pad? by CastrTroy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Same with the DDR pads. While they aren't quite as cool as the ones on the arcade machine, they also don't cost thousands of dollars. I've used them on occasion, and they work pretty good. Even for people who are serious about DDR. Maybe if you're one of those tournament DDR players these things don't cut it. But for how use, they do the job just fine.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    2. Re:Power Pad? by Nyall · · Score: 3, Informative

      The article specifically mentioned one version of the DDR pads. it wasn't about them not being as cool as the arcade machines or cost. they were too slippery and would move about the floor.

      --
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification
    3. Re:Power Pad? by ushering05401 · · Score: 5, Funny

      "they were too slippery and would move about the floor."

      For my friends and I the powerpad on a slippery surface was the only way to go, but we were a pretty violent bunch even as youngsters.

      There was a whole new excitement to playing when you knew that sooner or later that pad was going to get ripped out from under you - just as you were landing a hurdle - sending you slamming to the floor.

      After a while we decided a player would automatically win the game if they were able to jump off the pad without falling when another player tried to spring this on them.

      Actually, now that I think about it... after a while we all feared getting on that fucking powerpad, but no one wanted to be the pussy who admitted it and backed out of the game.

  6. yeah right by Nyall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    #2 the Arcade Mx body force. They say it was only demonstrated at CES.
    yes lets make a top xyz list of silly ideas and mention items that weren't ever sold? wtf. Companies are allowed to experiment, granted it should have been obvious on paper it wouldn't work.

    These top 10 (or 7 or 8..) lists always seem to make stretches so they can have content.

    --
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification
  7. Re:DDR Dancepad? by Asmor · · Score: 2, Funny

    Obligatory: http://xkcd.com/359/

  8. All these funny comments but.. by AbRASiON · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Some of you guys are forgetting our disabled friends in the gaming crowd.

    There's a fellow over at shacknews who has lost the ability to do much with one hand (if I recall) and I always feel for the guy when I hear about things like this, it must be so difficult to enjoy a good game when you're using a controller with one hand (that being said he's still finished some pretty awesome games)

    I can imagine a good engineer could whip up some kind of combo controller which supports both feet one hand and an elbow perhaps to get yourself some fairly good controls but of course the market is so small, it's not made, so these people just sit ignored sadly.

    http://home.comcast.net/~rcmerritt/aboutme.htm

    So be thankful you have what you have when some of you make jokes on such a topic.

  9. Wii or switch gaming by tepples · · Score: 2, Insightful

    it must be so difficult to enjoy a good game when you're using a controller with one hand Do you have a Wii console? A lot of Wii games don't need a Nunchuk. And then there are games that use only two buttons or even just one button.
  10. Re:Missing option: SNES Advantage by Cornflake917 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Remind me to bring my own controller if I ever come over to play Xbox games with you.

    --
    Abaddon: An Xbox 360 Indie game