I have added another oddball Famicom controller to my collection: the Top Rider inflatable motorcycle!
This is definitely one of the most interesting Famicom controllers ever made. It is about what you think it is - an inflatable motorcycle that you ride on. The handlebars, which are removable, are the only actual functional controller, with start/select buttons and the gas/brake control built into the handles themselves.
Its actually a pretty cool controller, hooking it up it reminds me a lot of motorcycle games that I have played in arcades. The controls work pretty smoothly.
There are, however, two caveats. One is that it is a massive pain in the ass to actually blow the thing up, especially if you aren`t used to doing so like me. I thought I was going to pass out by the time I got it fully inflated. Therefore this is one game that probably isn`t going to be played with very much in my household, neat though it is.
The other thing is that this controller was designed for 7 year old Japanese kids rather than 37 year old, 6 foot tall foreigners. If you fall into the latter category, this is what you will look like when riding it:
For comparison`s sake please note the similarity:
It is massively uncomfortable for an adult to use the controller as a result, which is too bad. Of course it is possible to use the handlebars without the motorbike so I might stick to that.
Its kind of a must-have item for anyone collecting oddball Famicom stuff. It was never released outside of Japan, and even in Japan it is a hard one to find (this is the first one I`ve ever seen, I won it on Yahoo Auctions). This one doesn`t have the box which made it within my price range, with it I don`t think I could have afforded it!