The SNES was the first gaming console with an ergonomically designed controller. In contrast, the original NES’s controller was just an uncomfortable rectangular box, which is probably why most people choose it when they’re chasing the record for world’s largest controller.
Unveiled today as part of a promotion for the 2012 version of the Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition, this embiggened NES controller is fully functional, complete with suitably spongy buttons according to Shiny Shiny. The 3.6m long creation was built by an electrical engineering student named Ben Allen, along with Stephen van’t Hof and Michel Verhulst, in about four weeks.
And maybe it’s just me, but I’m kind of getting tired of new records that are only minor improvements over the previous accomplishment. When I heard the record for world’s largest controller had been broken, I had hoped it would be the size of an aircraft carrier or something. I mean this is certainly big, but it could be bigger. [Shiny Shiny]
Ozoneocean
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 3:51 PMFrom what I’ve read, the Sega Megadrive/Genesis came out before the SNES, so that system would have been the first with the ergonomic controller?
Also one of the most influential designs since many of the future consoles had controllers resembling it.
Anyway, yes, the original NES controller was horrible, as is this giant size one.
Ozoneocean
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 4:07 PMYep, just looked it up- The Sega Megadrive came out in 1988, as opposed to the 1989 SNES, and that Megadrive controller was more ergonomic that the SNES one by a considerable factor, albeit with less buttons and functionality.
James Beshara
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 7:31 PMI would have to agree. The genesis/Megadrive 3-button controller was amazingly ergonomic, and ahead of its time by a year.
Kent
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 4:06 PMWhy the hell did it take them four weeks?
Aaahh uni students, too many bongs perhaps.
Shigga
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 4:34 PMI think the controller needed to withstand a fair bit of pressure
darthdvd
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 4:38 PMWell some parts of the snes controller such as the shoulder buttons and the 4 colour buttons on the righthand side of the controller have been copied onto new controllers but yes the basic look and feel of the megadrive controller is similar to todays controllers such as the xbox/360. The snes controller made my hands cramp.
Sicarius123
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 5:23 PMIs this just a massive box with buttons piggy backing an actual NES controller? The control fed through a hole in the middle of the device is suspicious.
yrrnn
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 5:42 PMIf you look at the other picture it doesn’t look like there’s a hole there…I think it’s just an unplugged controller resting on the table for whatever reason.
Bigmac
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 9:22 AMI think the original XBOX controller was bigger…