"The Power Glove. It's so bad."
It's a line of dialogue familiar to many retro Nintendo fans, delivered in a non-ironic way in The Wizard, a movie that isn't exactly critically acclaimed but is fondly regarded by some. The peripheral itself was hugely fascinating at the time yet, ultimately, failed to achieve significant success, appearing and disappearing rather quickly from the NES scene.
Though its functionality has always been debatable and it's often been dismissed as sloppy, mediocre technology, this isn't necessarily fair. The origins of its development and the aspirations early prototypes held were actually impressive for the time, yet the mass-produced NES controller didn't necessarily reflect the original vision.
If you're interested in the Power Glove it's certainly worth setting aside some time to watch the video below from Gaming Historian, which was just uploaded this past weekend. It may change the way you think about the quirky controller.
Comments 20
I have an NES, but had never seen one in real life before
Watched the video. Loved every minute of it. The only thing I didn't get is how something like this is hated when its completely optional in the first place?
Still need to buy one to wear to work...
Couldn't they have made a game where you just punch stuff?
@vitalemrecords https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33qH3m5J88c
I remember my dad bought a NES at a yard sale and it had a power glove, but it was missing the black detection stuff so it only worked as a controller.
I had an NES but never a Power Glove. I've heard about how bad it was. If nothing else, it would still make a kick ass toy for a little kid. Talking into it like a communicator, using it to bring your tricked out spy car, setting off a detonation sequence to blast aliens/zombies/monsters/baddies.
What it lacks as a controller it could make up for with the power of a kids imagination.
@KirbyKirbyKirby Me either, all my friends had an NES back then and not a one had it. Only 1 or 2 even had the system that came with ROB.
I remember this being my first lesson in false advertising. I got one after seeing a Nintendo commercial including Mike Tyson's Punch out that showed what appeared to be "wii boxing like" motion controls as the child threw an uppercut with the glove that seemed to correspond to an uppercut thrown in the game. What a rip off. Eventually, after realizing that I was lied to, I cut the cord on this imposter with some scissors and left my improved wireless decoration sitting around to collect dust.
I had a Power Glove, it had to be modded to work with my PAL NES, although I never found out what made it incompatible. It really was as bad as people say, although in fairness the one shown in the AVGN video was clearly faulty, it was perfectly possible to get Mario to jump and complete the early levels of SMB.
I think the real reason the device didn't succeed was because it was trying to map analogue arm and finger movements into digital button presses. Rad Racer is a good example, it didn't matter how far forward you moved your hand, the car wouldn't accelerate any faster than it normally would. Likewise you couldn't move your arm a small amount to steer a small amount. I think this disconnect it why it was such an unsuccessful device.
I actually thought after the Wii that the next logical step for the Wii U was for Nintendo to create a modern Power Glove as its controller which would work much better with games built around it...
No, it didn't deserve a different fate.
Good video. I love that Nintendo were hesitant to license the power glove, claiming it was a gimmick. Kinda ironic considering current day Nintendo!
I spent my hard earned Christmas gift money on one of these when I was 10, and I still remember the feeling of disappointment and that this thing sucked, after about 3 or 4 days of trying to use it. It absolutely was a terrible gaming peripheral! But back then, we didn't have reviews or other means of vetting such a purchase. Nintendo Power basically was all we had, and at times it was a conflict of interest; it would still promote crappy games or accessories like the power glove.
I still have it safely stashed in my parents attic 330 miles away.
I laughed at the part where it said that Nintendo at first dismissed the Power Glove cause they thought it was to gimmicky.
Funny now how they try to cram motion controls and gamepads down our throat. So the Power Glove was too gimmicky but the Gamepad or the Wii motion controls aren't? Make up your mind Nintendo.
@Tasuki It was a different company back then, but it sure is ironic.
Even as an 8 year old, I was able to see through the marketing hype and I knew it would never work the way it was presented.
Also, this was not any more gimmicky than R.O.B.
bleh
bleh
I still don't get why there isn't a new version (or a clone) of the Power Glove yet. There is so much potential with the hardware that is already available.
Motion control and VR would be the most obvious features, but the Glove could also serve as a commander for all your electronical devices or even to command your smart home. The possibilities are almost endless.
But no, instead people buy this stupid smart watches. I still don't get why on earth people find them appealing.
@Mew What is that? Dodging? Yeah - how about a game where you just punch stuff?
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