Top 10 unique game controllers

6 - NES Zapper

For use with Duck Hunt and many others
NES, 1985

On the one hand, Nintendo’s controllers have laid the foundations of today’s standard gamepads. The success of the NES made the two-hand shape, D-pad and buttons combination familiar to millions, with the SNES adding shoulder buttons and the N64 an analogue stick.

On the other hand, Nintendo can always be relied on to make some more imaginative controllers as well. With its cute name, sci-fi styling and bright orange colour, the NES Zapper was one of the more successful add-on controllers Nintendo made. The Zapper was simple, effective and completely intuitive, as was its main partner game, Duck Hunt. Balancing traditional Nintendo cuteness with a challenging difficulty curve, there were few early NES games aside from Mario that contained anything as satisfying as the shot duck spiralling earthwards or as weirdly memorable as the dog who chuckled when you missed.

Sadly, Nintendo succeeded in squandering the good will generated by the Zapper with the SNES Super Scope, an unwieldy and ugly device which was compatible with very few games and had a prodigious appetite for batteries.

5 - Sega Fishing Rod

For use with Sega Bass Fishing and Sega Marine Fishing
Sega Dreamcast, 1999

Fishing is a solitary, sedentary and contemplative pastime that allows you to pass time slowly in the peace of the countryside. Sega Bass Fishing had a cheesy rock soundtrack and a guy who yelled ‘FISH!!!” at the beginning of each round. It was, to put it bluntly, not a game concerned with realism, and yet Sega, displaying all the acumen and business savvy that was to send the Dreamcast to an early grave, saw fit to make a realistic fishing rod controller.

However, the fishing rod controller was excellent; it was the right size and everything about it felt thoroughly convincing, hence its place half-way up the list. While fishing for bass was dull, a sequel, Sega Marine Fishing delivered the game such an excellent controller deserved. Marine Fishing refined the fish AI and allowed you to pit your wits against much more interesting foes than bass, including fast moving Barracuda and massive Mako sharks. Sadly, by the time Marine Fishing appeared, fish were the least of the doomed Dreamcast’s problems.