When you think of Nintendo, what do you think of? Probably Mario in a colourful side-scrolling platform game, Link exploring the world of Hyrule or conquering epic dungeons, Kirby inhaling and swallowing items to obtain various abilities, or Donkey Kong and his crew with their bananas and barrels. Whatever it may be most of us are accustomed to at least one of Nintendo’s trademark characters or games. What most might not know about are the few clever and quirky video games and accessories Nintendo has produced over the years. I am not talking about the obvious, like the Power Glove or R.O.B.,  I am talking about some other products or games that may go over looked. For those enquiring minds that want to know, those who may want a refresher, or for those just looking for an entertaining read, you’re in the right place. Without further ado, let’s get to what I see as five clever and quirky Nintendo products or games that you might not know about.
DK BongosÂ
You’ve probably heard of the Rock Band or Guitar Hero series, as they’re the forefront of the rhythm/musical video game genre for North America. The guitars, microphones and drums are great and all, but there isn’t an option to rock out on some bongos is there? Well, Nintendo’s DK Bongos lets you do just that. Released in 2004 on the Gamecube, this peripheral is compatible with the rhythm game series Donkey Konga and the platforming game Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. The DK Bongos were, and still are, Nintendo’s clever way of rocking out. You can jam out to various songs from The Legend of Zelda, Mario, and even the Pokemon series, which is a treat. Not only that, but you can bring three others to join in the fun with you. While Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was also rereleased for the Wii, the DK Bongos are unfortunately incompatible with them, which is shame. Nonetheless, the bongos was an addictive and clever rhythm game to arrive in North America that allowed you the rare chance to actually physically play the famous DK Bongos that we could only previously be seen in the Donkey Kong video games.
Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
While I’m sure most of you have feasted your eyes on the DDR machines in arcades, or in some other context, the specialty in this version of DDR is that Mario and his pals are the lead characters and music from the Mario series are included. Similar to the Donkey Kong series, DDR is also a rhythm video game, but instead of using your hands you use your feet. Released in 2005 on the Gamecube, DDR Mario Mix was Nintendo’s first DDR game released on a home console outside of Japan. For me, it was the most amazing creation, as prior to its release I had to pay a dollar for three songs then embarrassingly dance in arcades filled with kids much older than me. Not to mention, my mom would be there clapping along and cheering me on. So having the opportunity to play a DDR game in my own home and be free from the peering eyes of the public while I danced to Mario themed music was a creation I had to get my hands on. Soon after, other DDR games started appearing on the Gamecube, and even on the Wii, but none that exclusively featured Mario and his friends.
Games with Tilt Sensor/Accelerometer Technology
Although tilt control is now taken for granted, it was such a cool and fascinating feature to play around with when incorporated correctly. One of the fondest original memories I have with tilt control is with two Gameboy games – Yoshi Topsy-Turvy and Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble. Both games make you tilt your handheld system in a way that makes the characters move in the desired direction. The tilt controls changed the way games were played since you wouldn’t be able to flail around everywhere or just click a couple of buttons, instead you had to seriously time and focus on what you were doing to achieve your goal or complete a level. It was such an innovative and creative feature for video games that moving the characters with a simple tilt was like the work of magic.
Gameboy Player
Did you know that there’s a hassle free and officially licensed way to play your Gameboy games on your TV? That is, if you have a Gamecube lying around somewhere. I don’t know about you, but I like playing my games on a big screen. So when the Gameboy Player was announced I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. The Gameboy Player allows you to play your Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advanced games right on your TV through your Gamecube. By using a an adapter plugged into your Gamecube, you simply pop in the Gameboy game you want into the adapter, put the adapters software disc into the Gamecube disc tray and start up your Gamecube to play your game. It’s a simple and great way to enjoy your Gameboy games especially if you have a large TV. I’ll admit that I do enjoy playing my copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap on a big screen from time to time and it’s something fans of Gameboy games may just want to look into to.
ASCII Keyboard Controller
While only released in Japan I must say this is quite the beast of a controller. Featuring an alphanumeric keyboard right in the center of a Gamecube controller (with the start button flushed to the left), it is only useable in Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II. It’s wired, requires to be plugged into two sockets (one for the controller and one for the keyboard), and doesn’t have rumble capabilities. While it’s wonderful for Phantasy Star Online, it would definitely be of more worth if it was compatible with other games featuring typed text. Even though it only released in Japan, you can probably find somewhere online to purchase it from if you’re dying to use it in your Phantasy Star Online adventures.
There is no doubt that my list may not be exhaustive or something that others may agree with, so, what are some Nintendo products that you think others might not know about? Better yet, if you have a product listed above share your memories of them in the comments below. This is just a handful of the nifty products Nintendo has released and hopefully they continue to make more creative and unique items in the years to come.