Wrestling With Gaming

XBAND was a multiplayer network and modem for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis that was released all the way back in 1994! XBAND featured skill based matchmaking, the ability to send and receive email, instant message-like chatting, electronic newspapers, leaderboards, multiple gamer profiles, nationwide stats, and worked by adding network play to pre-existing games like Super Mario Kart, MK, Street Fighter, Madden, NBA JAM, and more! XBAND had more features than XBOX Live did at its launch, and it was all made possible in 1994 for SNES and Sega Genesis consoles (There’s a Saturn version too!). So what happened to XBAND and why wasn’t it a success? This documentary features new and exclusive interviews with XBAND’s developers, its users, and the team that’s worked to bring XBAND modems back to life so that you can play your 16 bit consoles over the internet today. Join me as we look back at the true start of online console multiplayer networks. This is the Story Of XBAND!

The Glove was a late 90s hand motion controller for the Nintendo 64 and original PlayStation. The Glove is often compared to Mattel's Power Glove for the NES but is it really a fair comparison? The Glove had unique features such as being able to use analog controls with games designed for digital only input, was compatible with the entire game library of both systems, had great reviews, and was advertised for 2 years. So why did it fail and did it really work, or was it another gimmick like the NES Power Glove? This is the story of The Glove.

25 years before the Wii Fit Balance Board, Amiga released the first balance board for home consoles: The Joyboard. The Joyboard was a balance board that was released for the Atari 2600 in 1983. Amiga made a couple of sports titles for it as well as a "follow the leader type of game. Released in the midst of the video game crash of 1983, the Joyboard is an often forgotten piece of gaming history.

This is a quick look at the C&L Controls Championship Joystick and the brief history behind it. The Championship Joystick is a great, but rare and unassuming fight stick for the SNES. Designed by an inventor and manufactured by a DoD contractor who later, well, "borrowed" the design.

In 1998, a Canadian Company named TranDirect created and an online home banking cartridge for the Super #Nintendo and tried to sell it to banks. Oddly enough, this was their SECOND online banking program for a 90s video game console as they had successfully sold and released similar software for the Amiga CD32 in 1994. Although it was never released, TranDirect did leave us with a 5 minute long mini-infomercial and tidbits of information for those willing to do a little bit of research.