Peripheral Promises Unfulfilled
by alzabo
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2008However, one must also mention the all-rounder of console peripherals, the arcade stick, unlike the previously mentioned devices they are almost never game specific and can be used for fighting games, SHMUPs and classic games like Pac-Man, Robotron 2084.
The topic of non-specific controllers & peripherals brings me to my most fondly remembered console accessory, the Sony Dual Analog.
The Dual Analog predates the Dual Shock in the American retail channel by roughly a year, and other than it's lack of rumble it is noticeably larger than any other 1st Party Playstation gamepad. I personally find it to be the most comfortable Playstation gamepad ever produced, the rubber nub-less concave analog sticks and beefy grips are extremely comfortable for marathon gaming sessions. I bought mine in 1997 because of early analog support Playstation games like Colony Wars and Bushido Blade.
When the Dual Shock was released in 1998 I was very disappointed that it was not the same size as the Dual Analog, so I continued to use my Dual Analog well into the PS2 era. I finally retired the Dual Analog in late 2001, figuring that the Dual Shock 2 was better suited for most PS2 titles.
While the Dual Analog is a fairly rare Playstation accessory today, it isn't worth that much even with the original box. I think one of the reasons that such an excellent controller isn't more fondly remembered or desired is because the Dual Analog was only useful for a handful of games before it was supplanted by the Dual Shock and a flood of analog+rumble supported games.
Oh well, I still enjoy using mine ever once in a while. The controller's "beefiness" just seems right when I'm playing Godhand.
Do you fondly remember a specific peripheral? Let us know in the comments. Article Permalink