One Handed SNES Controller: ASCII Stick Super L5 - Rare Obscure Or Retro - Rerez

[@RoseWaltz]

I know a guy with one arm who used a one-handed controller for Tekken. When a local comic/game/nerd culture store had a game contest he was allowed to bring in his controller so he could compete. The only person who had a problem with it was the guy who took second place.

[@rich1051414]

+Papallion Sunspell Yeah, I knew a kid in school who couldn't use his left arm. I think he had cerebral palsy, but it was only his left arm he couldn't use, and had to use a leg brace as well. He could kick anyone's ass in nearly any game using a one handed controller, but he also didn't get out a whole lot cause his parents were protective. The pad he used was similar to this one, but the directional pad had a mini stick poking out the middle. I have no idea what model it was.

[@nattupper6585]

That's awesome.

[@deadsouI]

Yeah and have you seen the blind pro street figther player?

[@jackthomas1448]

Would be cool if it were a more useful skill.

[@KnuckleHunkybuck]

@@jackthomas1448 What's more useful to a one-handed person than improving their abilities with their one remaining hand?

[@mzxeternal]

I remember this controller from back then. It was specifically marketed (at least from what I remember) as a controller specifically for RPG's. With the hours of leveling required in games like Final Fantasy 3/6, it was perfect for that. You could eat a snack, drink something etc while leveling. For that, that controller was great. At least at the time I remember, they were marketing it directly for what it was best for.

[@LukesGamerRoom]

Dont lie shane we know you broke terrence's shoulder solely for the purposes of that one handed example. What a trooper.

[@ryder5057]

XD

[@GatorRay]

Shane couldn't do that to Terence since he doesn't want him to quit.

[@techformsmaster930]

That grin at 4:15 though

[@techformsmaster930]

In all fairness it is probably sincere though.

[@nudl3Zz]

you cound have shown the backside of the controller at the beginning, would have been easier to understand how you play

[@azerd3243]

+nudl3Zz Also we never ended up knowing what the 5 switches(?) at the bottom do. You went straight into critiquing the controller without letting us know how it works.

[@R0ck4x3]

+azerd3243 My guess is 4 of them are turbo switches for the back buttons

[@DinobotTM2]

@@R0ck4x3 Turbo Switches for the back buttons and one single Turbo for both R and L

[@AlphaOmegaSin]

I only ever heard about this but never saw it in action. I got the one handed Ascii controller for PS1 which is awesome as hell, but this is neat as hell especially for the time it came out since even now there's not a lot out there like it

[@keatz2239]

Hello AlphaOmegaSin

[@danmcculloch2487]

When this was released back in the 90's it was marketed solely as an RPG controller to "free up one hand for drawing maps, making notes, etc." Back in the days before strategy guides were such a huge thing, or you could just download one for free we had to make out own notes & strategies.

[@BeatleBabe]

I'll have to pass this along to my cousin. He was shot back in December and lost all use of his left arm...his dominant arm, to boot. He's a hardcore gamer though and still *attempting* to play, one-handed. I didn't know one-handed controllers were even a THING til today, so this might just make his year!

[@Smaxx]

+BeatleBabe If he's into PC gaming (or emulation) you could also try out one of the keypads (think only big companies producing them right now are Razer and Logitech). This essentially gets you a small keyboard (like the area around WASD) together with a small joystick and/or trackball. So more possibilities than using mouse, stick, or keyboard alone.

[@ryanamberger]

This is an awesome controller. Anytime something like this is available for handicapped individuals, it's definitely a good thing.

[@darkflamesquirrel]

Dating sim with a one-hand controller? _sign me right the fuck up_

[@BeeFizzle]

+DFS Music i play visual novels one handed normally ;)

[@darkflamesquirrel]

_one-handed skill increases_

[@caligulajodorowsky]

That's why mouse is the preferred input for that genre.

[@zlckexym8701]

SNES mouse

[@evicteetori8738]

Pc master race

[@HighBrowComedy]

This kind of controller would work way better on NES

[@gaboesuarez]

It seemed to be a very good choice for amputees (really, no joking).

[@greensun1334]

Yes, i thought the Same. Those People with just one Hand have much more Feeling and Control in their one Hand...

[@KnuckleHunkybuck]

@@greensun1334 It might actually be a fun way for someone who recently lost an arm/hand to train themselves to better control it.

[@greensun1334]

That's what I meant!

[@PerkinsVR]

Rerez, you're slowly becoming my new favorite reviewer.

[@rerez]

+SgtPerkins Well I better keep up the videos! :)

[@hsjoberg]

+SgtPerkins Slowly? I would say quickly.

[@PerkinsVR]

Coco i only used "slowly" for dramatic effect. i'm already watching everything in his backlog, so i'd say he already is my new favorite reviewer

[@pinguijose]

can I play Bayonetta with this? please answer I need to know... for educational purpose.

[@SonicSammich]

...

[@ivanmegafanboy1981]

+pinguijose But, it already haves an easy one button mode. Seriously.

[@geckoo9190]

+pinguijose Ok connect the wires to your thing and use it as analog control and stop putting such revealing comments, I hope you clean your controllers before inviting friends to play.

[@EatWave]

+Iván Gerardo Casas Torres As did the Devil May Cry series with their Automatic Mode.

[@BigBoyGlasses]

pinguijose Thas's a very educational question but it would be fixe in gta 5 you know you only need one hand

[@RetroPowerUp]

Definitely cool for people who need that accessibility. I could totally see myself using this for RPGs! One of the reasons I loved playing Bravely Default on the 3DS is that you could play the majority of the game with just one hand!

[@captainnintendo]

If I remember correctly, Earthbound's controls are made so you can basically play the entire thing with your left hand (D-Pad and L-button) so this thing would be a nice fit ^^

[@Smaxx]

+Captain N Well, to be honest, for such gameplay the original SNES gamepad does just fine and you don't have to buy extra hardware. :)

[@foxman105]

One handed controllers are an obscure market, but if you think about it it's actually something that is greatly needed. If you loose a hand or even a few fingers.... you're done as a gamer. There aren't really alternatives for most modern consoles. A decent one handed controller would probably be a godsend for the handicapped. I'm surprised there isn't yet a manufacturer for such devices.

[@PANZERFAUST90]

lose*

[@maršals_ierednis]

@@PANZERFAUST90 just shut up

[@medes5597]

Microsoft and xbox is doing a really good job with accessibility on this front. I don't think they have a full one handed controller (they all require foot buttons AFAIK) but they've concentrated very heavily on accessible controllers.

[@MoteofLobross]

LOL I remember seeing this in an EGM back when I was in junior high. Me and my friends made fun of it constantly.

[@rerez]

+Mutt I always wanted to work for EGM. By the time I got old enough to be able to work for a game magazine they were all gone! :(

[@KovoRman]

+Rerez They got too busy jacking off to SNES dating sims with there amazing invention.

[@kingti85]

+Harley365 11 days later? Let's just assume the answer is yes and then we can go out and make our own friends.

[@GatorRay]

+Rerez You didn't injure Terence since he would quit if you did right?

[@digidragon2876]

Finally, George Wood can play any SNES game and still eat pizza at the same time.

[@ScrambledAndBenedict]

It's something I always loved about Jade Cocoon for the PS1, is the game had a one-handed layout. L1 was mapped to X and L2 was mapped to O, so you could play the entire game with just your left hand.

[@Musickiller062]

I have a friend who would love this device. He unfortunately lost one of his arms. But peripherals like this make it possible to enjoy games.

[@PixelParasite]

Certainly an interesting concept. I'm surprised multi-controller required speedruns didn't come up as another potential use for the controller. The last Games Done Quick event was impressive and there was in fact a run with multiple controllers used by the same player simultaneously. This could work for certain games in this style of play. As always, great video and I'll be looking forward to the next one.

[@pokemaniacalex8031]

I can play EarthBound with one hand and hold a can of Surge in the other! It's perfect for getting my 90's on!

[@MultiD43]

I have Ascii Grip for PSX, it was awesome when I got surgery done to fix tendons on my right hand. two months of RPG gaming on left hand during recovery :D

[@Fighter_Builder]

Finally! Now I can play Super Mario World and drink my coffee at the same time!

[@GameRevo]

I've always wondered how people who can only use one hand would play video games. This is a really cool piece of kit! The footage of the controller being used was really useful, because I was wondering how the grip would work. I actually didn't realise that the face buttons were on the back until the last clip, but aside from that I really enjoyed the video! It's much better than other hardware videos that never actually give you an idea of what it's like using the controller.

[@jpsplat]

@ 3:45 "You could be playing a video game in one hand and eat a sandwich in the other!" Fun fact kinda related to this, Earthbound can be played in its entirety using only your left hand (L button + Dpad). Somewhere in either the advertising or the instruction manual/guide book this was done so that players could "play the game and eat pizza at the same time"

[@EpicLebaneseNerd]

i am pretty sure a pirate would love this

[@caligulajodorowsky]

I don't see how a hook can hold that...

[@TheMamaluigi300]

+VeryNormal SimplePerson No, see, the pirate would use his normal hand for this.

[@EpicLebaneseNerd]

TheMamaluigi300 exactly :) so shiver me timers and hoist the main sail, we got snes games to play :)

[@jeremy2334]

Rami Merehbi n

[@beckybecky125]

@@caligulajodorowsky r/wooosh

[@neoasura]

I had the PSX version myself, I actually really liked the idea for playing turn based RPGs, flipping through the manual with the other hand. I wished we had more of these.

[@BackForwardPunch]

i think it'd work better with a design sort of like the colecovision super action controller, where the buttons are triggers, and then a dpad on top like this. Interesting controller!

[@JBrothersz]

I'm all about eating sandwiches!

[@stop836]

+JBrothersz and I like cheese

[@emptysaint]

+JBrothersz ah ya, bruh. Sandwiches all the effing time.

[@PandyGamers]

+The Cheesy Creeper hey that's my line

[@stop836]

Panda Plays no. I LIKE CHEESE. jk but I like cheese

[@ryderakashermhead8527]

JBrothersz same

[@hidearingo]

I had one of these. It might still be in one of my storage boxes. I remember it was marketed as a RPG controller, enabling the player to write down notes with the other hand. Japanese is not my first language, so I found it very useful when playing imported JRPGs back then.

[@shootinthebreeze1880]

Thank you so much for making this video it means a lot to me

[@clearlypellucid]

I remember seeing ads for this when I was young. They advertised it as being for RPGs, so you could use your other hand to take notes or draw maps.

[@mycroftb]

I remember seeing an ad for one of these, I think in Nintendo Power, and wanting one badly. Most of what I played was non-action RPGs, like the Final Fantasies and Earthbound. I didn't have anything where I couldn't hold a controller, just I thought I could feel more relaxed sitting back on the couch with my hands at my sides, instead of holding them up in front of me. (I loved Earthbound for being mostly playable with one hand for that reason, just using the D-pad and L for most things, letting me be a total couch potato and leaving one arm hanging limp to the side.)

[@stingtheeelthecat983]

Oh so that's where miyamoto got the idea for Mario run

[@GatorRay]

LOL!

[@dooplon5083]

Speaking of ASCII, I actually have an old ASCIIpad lying around in my bedroom! Since I don't have a console to play it on though, it just sits there in the box.

[@typecasto]

I could see this being useful for developers too. Testing the game with one hand and scrolling though the code looking for the bug with the other.

[@tonycaffeine2642]

A friend of mine I have known for 16 years, I am still amazed how he plays xbox or playstation with the one hand he has.

[@Dexter_Solid]

This controller was made for RPGs, so you could draw maps, or take notes as you played the game, I remember reading about this in an issue of EGM magazine back in the 90s when it came out.

[@SuperJLee2600]

Keep up the great work. Love these hardware oddity vids!

[@PictureProductStudio]

Well, that's an oddity, for sure. A great episode! And such a weird coincidence with an arm...

[@timpender812]

Almost an hour and no dislikes ? You're going to break KZbin . Great video dude.

[@goldenpun5592]

Knew a guy on 360 called OneHandedWarrior. He had a stroke when he was younger and could only play with one hand. This would be perfect for someone like that. Believe it or not we used to play Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and if you watched him you couldn't tell he was playing one handed. It's amazing what a person can adapt to.

[@DJMouthwash]

It only took three minutes for you to show the face buttons. Not the best allocation of your time.

[@Herowebcomics]

Wow! This thing is SO cool! And it is awesome for your friend!

[@PiriyaSambandaraksa]

Oooh I have this when I was growing up. For playing final fantasy VI one handed. The sales pitch back then was that you can play RPG one handed because you might want to hold a guide book on the other hand.

[@coldfleshfangs508]

Just a little F.Y.I this controller was actually made for people that have one arm or hand, hence the one" hand" controller, or could only use one hand at that time due to handicap or broken arm that's what it was made for. It was not made for masterbaters. There are people out there that only have one hand and want to play.!!

[@coldfleshfangs508]

+Max Power I know it really should have

[@cryptictides6081]

They made a lot of other controllers for disabled people including the one in the video

[@Purple_Sloth]

Double purpose ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@PANZERFAUST90]

masturbaters*

[@JamesJacksonKFPDad999]

I remember seeing this controller in Nintendo Power many years ago. I believe they wrote it was intended for RPGs, so players could use their free hand to take notes, draw maps, etc. (as you mentioned at the end of the video).

[@ryanschrafel9576]

There are two RPGs that you would think this controller was specifically designed for: Lennus (Paladin's Quest in the US) and Lennus 2. In both games, you select all of the battle commands with the D-Pad. Lennus 2 takes it a step further by having all of the menus operable only with the D-Pad.

[@MikeydCT]

I just watched the Doom review, you broke his arm over the whole flashlight gun thing didn't you!?

[@MeinTofu]

Yeah for one handed People this is pretty good, if they get used to it. It's often really hard to find games or consoles that work for someone that lost an arm etc, i think this thing is great!

[@TheFrenchy82]

nice ! never heard about this one ! thanks for the information !

[@CardsTricks42]

+Rerez This seems better for the NES. It would be a stopwatch style with A on one shoulder and B on the other.

[@diytacoma5758]

That great thought on how this controller can help have access to people who can only use one hand.

[@MrFixer1983]

Nice video, back im my PSone years I got also one of those one handed controller. Worked very good with RPGs.

[@davidross8242]

My buddy has Cerebral Palsi and has the ASCII grip one handed controller for PS1 so he can play FF: Tactics and Breath of Fire III and Chrono Cross!! These are fucking awesome controllers

[@karenshoemaker8179]

david ross Though you can play the battles in Breath of Fire 3 with a regular controller since L1 & L2 can be used to confirm actions. But yeah being able to play games with one hand is pretty cool.

[@PerrydactylShow]

This looks really cool actually! I wouldn't mind giving it a try

[@MightyCollector]

I saw this in Nintendo Power back in the 90s and wanted it ever since. Finally managed to get my hands (hand?) on one a couple months ago.

[@JohnSmithAprilMay]

There was also one available for PS One. The PSM issue I saw it previewed in quoted an ASCII (I think that was the manufacturer?) rep as saying that it's only meant for RPGs, so the player could keep notes with their right hand without constantly setting down the controller. Remember how Lufia II had everything mapped to the L button? Same rationale.

[@sowhazupguy]

Oh my God this is my favorite channel

[@TheFranco1234567]

You have such good material on your channel, i love it. You deserve waaay more suscribers and views. Keep up the great work! :)

[@rerez]

+Franco C Well I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)

[@Equimanthorn80]

I read a review or saw an ad for this thing back in the day when it was a brand new product and it was clearly marketed for RPG enthusiasts. You are supposed to use it with your left hand (or your right hand if you are left handed), which leaves your dominant hand free to take notes, draw maps, talk on the phone while you are grinding or whatever. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to sell it to the dating simulation fans in Japan. It makes sense, I guess. It's interesting that you are bringing up people who broke, lost or were born without one arm. That makes all kinds of sense and more companies should at least try to cater to them.

[@Ranookswierdstuffs]

nice video couldve covered the buttons on the back and i still have no idea what those little buttons on the edge are

[@CarmenOfSpades]

I might be remembering incorrectly,but I recall reading that this controller was made for RPGs so the player could write down notes while playing...

[@Macaque909]

The controller is only intended to be used for RPGs. The idea with this one is that you can play the game with one hand and read or take notes with the other hand. There were many RPGs released for Super Famicom exclusively in Japan. Most of these also had an official guide book to accompany them.

[@krysala]

I remember ASCII making one for the PS1 back in the day. I lucked out and got it on clearance from Software ETC. (damn, am I THAT old?) Anyway, it's true this thing is a dream for RPG's. Not having to stop play to turn the page on a strategy guide or scrolling down on the laptop for a downloaded FAQ-Walkthrough. Gotta admit. Freaking sweet. Good thing for Terrance that RPG's for the SNES tended to be pretty long. Should make that recovery period a bit easier to get through.

[@Kinaldio]

Earthbound could be played with one hand, your left hand to be specific. I loved playing that way, like you said it frees up a hand to eat a sandwich, drink a beer, smoke a joint, etc.

[@wruzicka78]

I remember seeing something like this when I was a teen. I remember it being marketed as a controller for RPG's only. It seemed strange to me that you played so many action games and did well in them.

[@matthewhibner1092]

This controller was meant solely for RPGs. ASCII had the idea that it would be easier and faster to look through strategy guides, write notes, and draw maps if your other hand were constantly free. It's meant to be held in the left hand (hence the slight angle of the cord on top) while you write or draw with your right hand. I give you credit for trying to play F-Zero with it though, looks frustrating!

[@TheSmokingCheesecake]

I remember seeing a blurb on this thing in Nintendo Power back in 1993.

[@title1pro]

Loving the videos man

[@timlarsson]

I really want that controller, I've been drooling over it since I first heard of it... 15 years or so ago. Never bought one though for some reason. It IS made for RPGs, freeing up one hand for a strategy guide for example. I just want it because my hands get tired when playing RPGs, but Shin Megami Tensei actually allows for one handed play on a regular controller! The L-button works as the regular accept/action button, so you only need your left hand. Perfect! Now, the quest of finding an ASCII L5 - I have seen one new in box...

[@jakublulek3261]

How many dating sims are on Super Famicom, let alone adult ones? For non-Nintendo consoles maybe but Nintendo would never allow something like that. PC is platform to go for dating sims.

[@KuraIthys]

Yes, unlicensed most likely. Though remember the Dating Sim is a largely japanese genre in some ways, and Most of what you hear about Nintendo's extreme censorship is actually attributed to Nintendo of America, rather than Nintendo in general... As for how many dating sims there are on the super famicom? I have no idea. There is of course Tokimeki Memorial... But one is not that large a number I suppose. XD (Tokimeki memorial is very much a dating sim, but it's about as innocent as the genre gets so... That doesn't really tell you anything much.) There are 1447 SFC games by the way, just in case you were curious. Finding an easy summary of what they all were is not exactly that easy... XD

[@jakublulek3261]

I know many visual novels even for NEC PC-9800 series but for Super Famicom? PC Engine had some, PC-FX even had adult ones but 18+ versions are and were on consoles very rare. Unlicensed are more likely, because in Asia were pirate cartridges common, but I doubt that they were ever in other language than Chinese or Japanese.

[@goldpieceleo]

Jakub Lulek No, he's just joking. He mean that if you have someone with you while you're playing you can hold her hand.

[@leonro]

Dating sims on any console are very rare.

[@jakublulek3261]

Outside of Japan, yes, they are very rare, but in Japan are whole series even for 3DS.

[@BaronSolace]

its worth noting that this was advertised as an RPG controller when it was released

[@KilbyTheCoolest]

Classic Rerez ❤

[@CasualPanels]

My only issue with this video is that you showed the back buttons almost at the end, so I was wondering if they really removed 4 buttons from the controller.

[@SonicSammich]

Not gonna lie. That's pretty cool

[@robin888official]

Or you could play against yourself. %-)

[@AlejandroRodolfoMendez]

Or play cooperative without having other people, like in battle city

[@mollyanderson657]

I hate you.

[@benadrylsmoke5481]

i have never seen that sort of emoticon used

[@sistaledaren]

Really cool concept. Might chop my arm of now.

[@LeoStaley]

Just found your channel, and I'm really loving your videos reviewing interesting controllers. Could you make a playlist of them?

[@ChoobChoob]

Underside of Controller: 3:12

[@33LB]

this might be useful for speed runners who do single player co-op speed runs (one speed runner controlling two characters at once).

[@M4R14NO94]

This controller could be useful for Q*bert 3 as well, especially with the sliding faceplate, since the game's controls require you to hold the gamepad in a tilted way.

[@KaiMangaKnight]

I think I remember something similar to that one hand controller for the ps1. It was marketed for RPG on ps1. I think I saw the ad in the Game Pro mag long ago.

[@AdversaryOne]

I remember seeing this advertised as a kid. I wanted one because even back then I realized that this was a great controller for RPGs, which there were tons of on the SNES. Who in their right mind would even consider using this for an action game?

[@kahncrane]

I have a deformed left hand and I find it hard to use some controllers. IMO the Gamecube controller is perfect, while something like the OG X-Box controller was impossible to use. Even though this is not a controller I'd use. This is a nice video that helps to inform, and let people know, we are not all the same. :)

[@NickAndWolf]

I was thinking Romance of the Three Kingdoms. You could easily pass the controller around and drink a beer.

[@DylanA1S]

All the things you review are so intresting a 1 hand control who thought that was a good idea

[@SuperDanny1212]

THAT is flippin' sweet dude! Thas so rad, that if i end up buying another SNES, im totally getting one. *I

[@TortureVisionTV]

Very strange. I think as long as I have both my hands I'll stick with a two-handed controller. But perhaps... if I started playing any of those dating sims... ;)

[@x977]

wow what a coincidence. I flipped out! I had elbow surgery today, and we have the same name. lefty is still sleep and i cant play many games. Cool controller!

[@MattHall]

I remember reading about this in Nintendo Power when it came out... definitely would have been useful at times.

[@MuttMondo]

This controller would probably be really useful for my uncle. He can only use one of his arms because of his MS. When his condition wasn't as bad, he used to play my cousin's Nintendo DS and was able to play stuff like Nintendogs pretty decently. I'd imagine something like this would be a heck of a lot easier to use than a standard SNES controller. Plus, I'm pretty certain he knows about the system considering he had a son who grew up during that era.

[@sircliffordmalcolmjac5870]

Good man! I have the fox hound hoodie!!

[@mrgatogris8863]

I love your videos man. !!

[@streetguru9350]

It needs to be made in the shape of like a Wii Nunchuck, with AB for index/middle and LR for ring/pinky, then the D pad just needs to be at a slight angle, or adjustable, and it'd be a much better design. Unless you're also missing fingers. Also you'd just need left/right versions.

[@DegArtGraphics]

Well good this is good for people who can only use one hand! (either hurt or amputated) Neat! Also where you can get it?

[@dbpooper7512]

This seems perfect for JRPGs, which are ideally played with a drink in hand. But what are those little switches on the bottom? Turbo toggles?

[@deathcube7255]

this is made for bad games that AVGN reviews.

[@Michirin9801]

The best types of action games for 1 hand controllers are games that only use a D-pad and 2 buttons, and well, some of my favourite games ever only use a D-pad and 2 buttons!

[@DarkwingGeese]

I used to own that years ago. The controller was mainly for J-RPGs and a few other games.