Evolution of the Console Controller – Dreamcast Fishing Controller (1983)

At launch, the Dreamcast included a number of controllers beyond the standard controller. One of these was the Dreamcast Fishing Controller. Designed for use in fishing games, it was a motion sensitive controller preceding the Wii Remote. The controller features a reel, buttons, and an analog stick. It is compatible with six Dreamcast fishing games. The Fishing Controller was, in part, an effort by Sega to bring the variety of controls available in arcades to home gamers. It is also notable as an example of blending traditional and motion controls in a unique controller intended for a very specific genre of games, rather than in a generalist controller like the Wii Remote.

It is not widely known that the Fishing Controller can be used in Virtual Tennis in a manner strikingly similar to using a Wii Remote for tennis in Wii Sports, though this is an Easter egg. It was similarly able to swing weapons in Soul Calibur.

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Gift of Ben Wilhelm, 2012.025.015