Train simulators are cool. They’re cool for a number of reasons, including that trains are excellent. But, perhaps most importantly, those sims don’t only allow players the chance to conduct them, but also buy rad controllers.
The first Densha de Go! was released in 1996 in Japanese arcades. The game arrived on the PlayStation 2 the following year. Since then, it’s spawned a slew of realistic simulators, cool peripherals, and impressive arcade releases.
The game got a new release in 2017 as Densha de Go!!, and it was packaged in a train-like cabinet. Inside, there were realistic controls, a touch screen, and multiple monitors. It was a simulator, where the point was to conduct the train from one station to the next.
Then, in December 2020, the arcade game was ported to the PS4 and the Nintendo Switch as Densha de Go!! Hashirou Yamanote Sen and included the entire Yamanote Line and other new content.
Dubbed Densha De Go!! Dedicated One Handle Controller For Nintendo Switch, this new peripheral aims to realistically recreate the sensation of operating a train. The levers that control a train are notched and lock in place, and this controller is outfitted with a series of internal gears. This makes operation intuitive and means that experienced players don’t have to keep looking at the controller’s base to see what gear they’re in. Instead, they can simply click them into place.
According to Famitsu, this is the first time in fourteen years that a Densha De Go controller has gone on sale.
The controller looks to be fairly complicated with a breaking mechanism and gears to change speed. On the base of the controller there are also face buttons for easy input as well.
Check out the promo clip below:
The Densha De Go!! Dedicated One Handle Controller For Nintendo Switch will be released on August 8 in Japan. It’s priced at 14,850 yen ($134). No word yet on an international release.