WiiNoob

GameCube Mod: The One-handed Controller

There are many reasons for one-handed gaming. Sometimes, a user doesn’t have two hands because of an accident, injury or problem with mobility. Other times, users just don’t feel like lifting their other hand. Maybe it’s just easier to lay back and relax while one hand holds the controller and the other hand holds a cold soda or reaches into a bag of tortilla chips.

It turns out the hack was done by someone who calls himself (or herself) Hasse. Hasse’s brother is unable to play games, because they require use of both hands. Hasse, who says he runs a business in technical product innovation took it upon himself to build a prototype controller that allowed for one-handed use.

The controller is made up of a GameCube controller that has been hacked, chopped and rearranged in order to create a single device that detects motion rather than needing input from the left D-pad. He began with a handful of controllers in order to find the one that was the one that is the most comfortable to hold. This allows for the user to tilt the controller in order to steer in a game like Mario Kart Double Dash (which is shown in the video example below).

Recent changes in controller technology, like the introduction of the Wii Remote and touchscreen interfaces of the Nintendo DS and the iPhone, have helped push innovation and improve the accessibility of games.

Other console makers have followed in those steps with devices such as PlayStation Move and Microsoft’s Kinect, but this mod is the first we’ve seen that actually allows for full-on play with only one hand.

As accessibility becomes more of a priority to console manufacturers we will see new ways to play games. The industry is constantly maturing and evolving, if new users are welcomed into the medium, it can be better overall for the entire business.

Check out some of our other favorite mods such as the DS Rumble, or the Wii Console mod. Still, the GameCube controller is by far a favorite mod, seeing as how it was made in order to help improve someone’s gaming experience.

Via: Hasse’s Hacks