Go-Go-Gaming Gadget! Trivia Quiz

Answer: NES

The NES cartridge wasn't always grey-- many special edition games (eg. "The Legend of Zelda") used other colours, such as gold, to great effect. The same colour would be used on SNES and N64 consoles before Nintendo moved onward to a disc system with the Gamecube and Wii (though the former used mini-discs). One thing is for certain. People who used the cartridges of yesteryear will always remember that blowing on the chips at the bottom would somehow make it work; this was because dust in the machine would cause the ROM cartridge not to be read. Nintendo had that covered too...with an NES cleaning kit. In later years, companies made a switch to disc-operated games, mostly because of cost and space. You can fit a much larger, more graphically-enhanced game on a disc for less cost. Makes you wonder why it didn't happen sooner.

Answer: Master System

Sega's first home console, the Master System was created to go head-to-head against the NES and the Commodore 64 in the early 1990s. It was later improved upon by its successor, the Genesis, which harboured games such as "Sonic the Hedgehog" and oodles of popular sports games (Sega was the go-to for sports back then).

The Master System remains a classic for Sega fans and many of their games became available for Wii's Virtual Console and other online services in later decades. Similar to the NES' basic controller, it only features two buttons (NES features A and B, Master Drive features 1 and 2) and an analog pad. To combat NES' "Duck Hunt", there was also a gun peripheral released. Go figure.

Answer: Mattel

The Power Glove, often considered to be one of the worst video game controllers ever made, was designed to be an immersive NES device which allowed players to control games not only with the buttons on the wrist, but with the movements of their hands.

This technique was one, many would claim, that wouldn't be perfected until gaming's seventh generation with the Wii...or even with an EyeToy. Unfortunately, it seemed no one was ready for it. Despite a 'wicked-awesome' design, the glove had shoddy responsiveness, bad games, and low sales. And now it's infamous.

The Power Glove first showed in 1989 and then waved its goodbyes very soon after.

Answer: Mario Paint

The SNES Mouse had its short day in the sun in 1992 and it seemed that Nintendo really wanted to push it. Although dozens of games were compatible with it, the device really only became popular with "Mario Paint", a game which does exactly what you expect it to do-- and considering most people begun to find Paint on the Microsoft 3.1 O/S in the same year, it's often overlooked as a clever application.

Although much of the 'game' was paint based, it also contains a fair amount of original music and mini-games only playable with the mouse (and pad). This would be another in a long line of peripherals for Nintendo consoles.

Some of us (*cough*me*cough*) would later buy games like "Yoshi Safari" as a used copy only to discover I needed the darn Super Scope to play it). Sigh.

Answer: Rumble

The N64 Rumble Pak was pretty cool at the time and some games took the concept and ran with it. Players of "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (one of the console's most popular games) would likely remember the Stone of Agony, an item which could detect hidden grottos that could be opened using the Megaton Hammer-- you'd know where they are because the Rumble Pak would shake.

It was released with the console's launch titles and was bundled with "Star Fox 64"; games right up until the end of the console's life-cycle kept using it.

A small button in the back of the controller would release the pak if you didn't want to use it or if you wanted to pop in a Controller Pak, a device used to save files on certain games (eg. "Quest 64", "Snowboard Kids", etc.). Because of the popularity of the rumble feature, games for the Game Boy Advance started including them in their cartridges ("Pokemon Pinball" comes to mind) and later generations of controllers had them built in.

Answer: PlayStation 1

Released in 1997 (in Japan), the DualShock was Sony's response to the Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak (you'll see a trend...don't worry). A better-fitting controller, it avoided the bulkiness of the N64 device and integrated some of the better features-- a stronger analog stick (two, in fact!), an option for dual analog-- this thing had it made.

It was so popular with players, in fact, that Sony made the DualShock 2 for the PS2 and, after a poor performance from the SixAxis on the PS3, the DualShock 3. DualShock 3 was the first to be wireless and the first to make use of small amounts of motion control (to match up to the capabilities of the Wii to some extent).

The plot thickens.

Answer: Wii Classic Controller

If there's one thing the Wii overdoes, it's peripherals. You can attach anything...ANYTHING...to a Wii Remote. Aside from the tennis racquets, golf clubs, hockey sticks, pom-poms, and maracas you can strap onto the Wii thanks to third-party gold miners, Nintendo also released a handful of attachments, many of which actually serve a purpose for players.

The Classic Controller, for example, is used to play many Virtual Console titles from NES, earlier systems, and later systems. It can also be used to control characters in certain Wii games (eg. "Super Smash Bros. Brawl").

When the Classic Controller is plugged into the Wii Remote, the Wii Remote is not used-- it simply powers the add-on. The Nunchuk works the same way, plugging into the bottom, but it doesn't disable the Wii Remote, it works in tandem.

The Classic Controller Pro was released a few years after launch; it has handles.

Answer: Turntable

The "DJ Hero" turntable is a unique device in that it can only really be used for "DJ Hero" games (of which there were two for seventh generation consoles). Created due to the popularity of RedOctane and Activision's "Guitar Hero" series, it was made to appeal to the rap and hip-hop gamer. By pressing the buttons, sliding the sliders, and spinning/scratching the record, you could play along with interesting mash-ups to complete the songs. Like "Guitar Hero's" guitars, "Dance Dance Revolution's" pads, and "Donkey Konga's" DK bongo drums, the game really only worked with a niche audience. Both "DJ Hero" titles were well-received by critics and considered successes to an extent, but they sold poorly, as many expected a game with an expensive, exclusive turntable controller would.

Answer: Move

The PlayStation Move was introduced by Sony in order to jump aboard the motion-sensitivity bandwagon (I told you the trend would return!). With enhanced motion controls, Sony hoped that the device would beat out Nintendo's waggle-friendly Wii Remote, refining the movements and providing for better gameplay.

It premiered at E3 in 2009 as 'the wand'...one year after Nintendo demonstrated the Wii Motion Plus, a device which could do virtually the same thing. Move showed up in stores in 2010 and while it was highly-anticipated, players found a lack of promised software titles, many of which would take several years to appear on the console.

In the same year, Motion Plus became standard in newly-purchased Wii Remotes and sold like hotcakes.

Answer: Kinect

There's a reason why I've neglected to post many Microsoft-exclusive controllers. Obviousness-- every Xbox and Xbox 360 controller, large or small, has a giant X on the center, and most of them only differ in the slightest differences (colour, size, etc.).

Many of Microsoft's attachments and add-ons are to facilitate online gaming; a keyboard for the controller, for example, or a wireless adapter, are standard attachments. This, however, is different. This is Kinect. Kinect was announced at the same time as PlayStation Move and its goal was to make the player the controller.

The camera tracks depth and motion to provide a completely immersive gaming experience in front of the television (much like EyeToy did somewhat unsuccessfully many years before). Like Move, the Kinect's launch as highly-anticipated and, perhaps, it fared better. Saleswise, it beat Move out in its first month (and year); it even had more games ("Dance Central" was a hit!). What's most interesting, however, is Microsoft's expansion of Kinect into different development sectors branching beyond gaming. Later commercials for Kinect depicted doctors performing surgery using the device.