The Credible Hulk’s Top 5 Game Peripherals

Accessories for gaming consoles have been around since the Atari. They have come in a myriad of types, from essential to zany to useless. I’ve had my fair share of them over the years. Other than Nintendo with their mostly pointless attachments, there hasn’t been cause for me put money down for one in a while (except the Dance Central camera i.e. Kinect). Here is my list of peripherals. You’ll notice this covers the gamut from pointless to necessary. Why? It’s my list and I’ll do what I want.

5. Power Glove (NES)

Though I’ve held the power in my hand, I’ve never owned it. After seeing the power this controller held, I needed it. Looking back now, I have so many questions. Is this one size fits most? What utility is there in strapping a controller to your wrist? Are we meant to play games one handed? What do those other buttons do? I need answers!

4. Rumble Pak (Nintendo 64)

I remember seeing the commercial for Star Fox 64 where it showed that the Rumble Pak was included. This was the first I’d ever heard of such a thing. I called my friend who had just purchased it, asking him what the Rumble Pak did. After his explanation I quickly called him a liar. He insisted this truth and I promptly hung up. Now I forgot it this feature even exists. The last creative use for it was in Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

3. Expansion Pak (Nintendo 64)

Only Nintendo would do something like this. Nearing the end of the N64’s life, they released an RAM Expansion Pak increasing the RAM from 4MB to 8MB. Not only did it improve the performance of many games by upping the multiplayer or increasing graphical fidelity, but it was essential for a handful of games. Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, and Zelda: Majora’s Mask all required it to play.

2. Memory Card (Playstation One)

The memory card. For two console generations, it was an essential piece of hardware. Got the new Playstation console for Christmas but no memory card? It’s going to be a long wait until you go to the store and get one. CD based systems lacked the ability to store data, though the Xbox changed that, adding a harddrive to consoles. The best use for a memory card outside of storing data was in the original Metal Gear Solid. Little has compared to that since.

1. Game Genie / Gameshark (Various)

When my friend brought his NES Game Genie over for the first time, we became drunk with power. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles? Defeated. Battletoads? Annihilated. Nothing stood in our way. I’ve only ever had these for the NES, Genesis, and N64, but they were all fun. Particularly when the Gameshark was used to unlock the hidden Alcatraz level in San Francisco Rush six months early. Whoops.

These were my favorite peripherals. Sadly, many did not make the list ( I ❤ u Super Scope 6) What was your favorite console accessory? Comment below!

Fight broke out in the barracks and my PS2 memory card was stolen. I went on a bloody rampage.