8 replies to this topic

[Reaperman]

Here's a quick question, and if there's any place to find the answer, this is it:

Shortly after the release of the PSone system, there was an odd 3rd party controller which was designed to attach to the front of the system, essentially turning it into a portable (assuming you bought it a screen and battery too). What the heck was this controller called? It'd be easier to find (and buy) if I knew the name of it.

?

Edited by Reaperman, Thu Apr 7, 2011 8:07 PM.

[Austin]

Hm, I've never heard of that but I would be interested to see what it is.

[Reaperman]

I've been destroying google looking for such a device.

The closest that I've seen today is this:


And just maybe I got confused about the above controller's function all those years ago. But I haven't given up on finding this phantom controller yet.

Clipping a controller to the front of the console does bring up a couple problems like needing to deal with the memory card slot, and the shoulder buttons. Not to mention the difficulties involved in actually using the thing.

I picked up the official psone lcd today which is what prompted this sudden need.

Edited by Reaperman, Thu Apr 7, 2011 11:12 PM.

[wood_jl]

This is for the PS2, but it is kind of what I thought you were thinking about.....



http://www.amazon.co...ASIN=B00008W747

[SlowCoder]

Seems to me things like this would make the controller very front heavy. Probably would not take long for your hands to get tired, awkwardly trying to hold the controller up while playing.

[Reaperman]

wood_jl, on Fri Apr 8, 2011 1:32 AM, said:

This is for the PS2, but it is kind of what I thought you were thinking about.....

I've got a couple of those, and they're just great. Screen could be more detailed, but nobody's perfect.

Quote

Seems to me things like this would make the controller very front heavy. Probably would not take long for your hands to get tired, awkwardly trying to hold the controller up while playing.

I'm not sure it was designed to be picked up and played. That would put an awful strain on the ports, unless it also gripped the system from other places.

...But then again, the more I search, the less sure I am that the thing exists. That Joytech that I posted above looks really close in shape to the memory that I have. I've been through countless 'oddball controller' threads on forums across the internet looking for this thing--and all I've found out is that I also want a playstation pachinko controller.

I've started expanding my search to battery packs too, thinking that maybe there was a battery platform that the psone sat on that had a built-in controller. no luck yet.

Edited by Reaperman, Fri Apr 8, 2011 9:06 AM.

[Rex Dart]

I think I've seen the thing you're talking about, and I believe it was more of an arcadey-style joystick setup, not meant to be held in one's hands.

[Reaperman]

HAH! I'm not crazy. (about seeing this controller, anyway)

According to this 2004 DP thread, it was made by "game elements" (possibly aka 'gem gaming') and it was hard enough to get info on back then--even talk of this device is rare. I still haven't seen a picture of it, but at least I know that it does exist. It *may* have been featured in a gamepro holiday shopper's guide (January 2003?). If anybody's got a gamepro stash, I'd love a pic of this item.

Ebay doesn't seem to have one. This is going to be one of those 'set up a search and wait a few years' kind of deals, I think.

Edited by Reaperman, Fri Apr 8, 2011 9:18 PM.

[Reaperman]

Bingo

Below is a shot of the Philips Attachable PSone controller.



The "game elements" (aka gemini access/gem gaming) controller may be different still, or it may be a rebrand of the Philips. Still looking into it. It's cool that I found one, but the pic doesn't quite line up with my memory of it.

I don't know why days of searching have only yielded a single forum conversation and a postage stamp sized thumbnail, but it seems that the internet has a few gaps.

Naturally I'm currently shopping for the philips.

EDIT:

Second style located. This is the one that I remember. Known as the "control element," and sold at best buy. Both philips and gemini seemed to have a controller with this name, so I suspect they're identical.



EDIT:
(HERE) is an article describing the product, as well as a little info about the gemini/philips relationship.

Not quite a happy ending yet, as I still need to locate one for sale.

Edited by Reaperman, Sun Apr 10, 2011 10:38 PM.