Super NES/FC Specialty Controllers

ASCII Stick

Picture Not Available

Manufacturer:	ASCIIWare
MSRP:	Unknown
Country:	Japan
Licensed:	Probably
Year:	Unknown

This is a interesting SNES controller. First off, the name is a misnomer; there is no stick on this controller at all! It is a small, round controller that fits in the palm of your hand. On top there is the usual directional control button, and L, R, select and start buttons. The four main buttons are placed on the bottom, all color coded with the turbo control switches on the front side of the unit. The B and Y buttons on the bottom are elevated, and the A and X buttons are normal, so you can tell the buttons apart by touch. This "stick" is great for RPGs if you find a regular controller uncomfortable after long playing sessions; however, this is a very poor choice for action games, where precision feel of the stick is important. Also, this controller was only released in Japan. Definately one of the more clever controllers available.

ASCII Grip

Manufacturer:	ASCIIWare
MSRP:	$24.995 US?, 2200yen?
Country:	Japan
Licensed:	Yes
Year:	1995?

This is a controller similar to the above ASCII Stick. The A and B buttons are underneath in a trigger-like position, and the X and Y buttons are repeated on either side of the D-pad so that the controller can be used with either hand. Start is at the top, select at the bottom, and L and R are under the D-Pad. It's smaller and lighter-weight, but still very similar to the Playstation ASCII Grip (which was released in the US). Also, it is made all out of plastic, as opposed to the rubber grip that the PSX one has. As a side note, the controller also comes packaged with some kind of score sheet for Derby Stallion.

Pic ripped from eBay, info from jtkauff@yahoo.com

JS-306 Power Pad Tilt

Manufacturer:	Champ
MSRP:	Unknown
Country:	US
Licensed:	Probably
Year:	Unknown

This is another joypad, like the Turbo Touch 360, with a non-traditional directional button. The directional button is round instead of cross shaped, though the four corners on the top of the button are depressed, so as to form a cross shape on top, for a more accurate feel. This allows for true eight directional control. In additional to the usual operation of the controller, it allows for a special "tilt" control; you can hold the pad level with the ground, and rotate it left to right and front to back to move your character. It is good for racing games, but not games where accuracy is important. It should be noted that this controller has a dual setting (slow and fast) turbo fire only, it does not have autofire. The shape of the controller is that of two circles, the size of one of the ends of the standard SNES controller, with a triangle with the base side up, with a smaller circle on the end of the triangle instead of coming to a peak. The start and select buttons are in the middle of the small circle, with the directional button on the circle on the left and the four main buttons (A, B, X, Y) on the right circle, in the usual fashion. The triangle has four levels; the first has the slow motion and the turbo switch for both the L and R buttons, the second has two turbo buttons for the X and A buttons, the third has has two turbo switches for the Y and B buttons, and the fourth level has a switch to turn the tilt on and off.
(Taken from an article in EGM #54)

Super Game Boy Controller

Picture Not Available

Manufacturer:	Altus
MSRP:	Unknown
Country:	US, Japan
Licensed:	Probably
Year:	Unknown

This controller, as the game suggests, is for use with the Super Game Boy GB-to-SNES adapter, thought it can also be used as a regular SNES controller. I was told this was released in the US as well as Japan. This nifty little controller resembles, and is shaped like, the lower half of an original Game Boy. It is greyish white, like the original Game Boy, is roughly the same length as the Game Boy across, is about two inches wide, and the corners are rounded, like the bottom of the original style Game Boy. There are even little grooves on the bottom right corner, like the speaker on the Game Boy! Now, you can feel like you are playing a real Game Boy Classic, without the blurry green screen! This controller has six buttons, the two A and B buttons used by the Game Boy, which also correspend to the A and B buttons when in Super Famicom mode, are right above the "speaker groove", and are colored just like the orginal GB buttons. There are four other buttons, used to activate special SGB macros, and function as their respective buttons when in SFC mode; Mute-L, which mutes the sound, Speed-Y, which is used to change the speed of the game (true slow motion?), Color-R, which is used to change color schemes, and Window-X, which is used to bring up the SGB menus. These buttons are white, to match the controller body, and go across the controllers at a 45 degree angle, above and to the right of the A and B buttons. The select and start buttons are slightly below and to the right of the directional control on the left hand side. Above the select and start buttons, in the center of the pad, is a switch that allows you to switch between SFC and SGB modes. The Super Game Boy logo is placed above the SFC/SGB switch. These macros work just like a programmable joystick; when pressed, they execute a series of controller motions to perform their respective function. The only drawback to this controller, is that there is no turbo fire capability, which means you can't have true turbo fire, something that you can have if you use any turbo fire SNES controller instead. Otherwise, this is a great controller; I only wish I could get my hands on one!

Turbo Touch 360

Manufacturer:	Triax Technologies
MSRP:	$24.95 US (?)
Country:	US
Licensed:	Probably
Year:	Unknown

This control pad has a special directional control button; unlike other control pads with a raised directional control button, theirs is completely round, and the top is below the surface of the controller body. This, according the their ads, "eliminates 'numb thumb', has quick response, better control, true circular, easy diagonal and longer play and higher scores, guaranteed". It also has turbo fire on/off for the A, B, X and Y buttons. An original idea in controllers; effective, I can't say myself, but nevertheless, original.