Remember, The N64 Switch Controller Will Destroy Your Palms
We can't wait to get to grips with the retro classics of the Nintendo 64 on Switch, however, players are expecting a familiar problem from the '90s to rear its head. Rumours of a collab between the current-gen console and the nostalgic N64 came true, with a host of old favourites finding a place in today's market.
Whether you want to save Hyrule as Link, race to the top of Princess Peach's castle, or fly across the galaxy as Star Fox, Nintendo has you covered. Another big addition that's still to make the cut is Mario Party for all your minigame madness. If you played back in the day, you might see where this one is going.
Why will the N64 controller destroy your palms?
Alongside the addition of N64 and SEGA Genesis games, both these classic console controllers will be released. An updated version of the old peripherals can be used to replace your Joy-Cons, so you can play how you were supposed to all those years ago. For anyone who's ever played the OG Mario Party, you're in for more palm-shredding horror.
Basically, Mario Party's release in 1999 contained a number of minigames where you had to spin the analog stick as fast as possible. Instead of using your fingers, players realised it was much quicker to use their palm to whir the stick. Unfortunately, it led to a number of injuries.
Remembering the nostalgic days of visiting A&E with your palm in tatters, players quickly took to Twitter and said they can't wait to experience the same agony when Mario Party (surely?) eventually releases. Some even suggested Nintendo release the now-infamous gloves Nintendo posted in the aftermath.
What happened with the N64 controller drama?
As you can imagine, kiddies burning a hole in their palm quickly led to parent complaints. In fact, there was a case brought to the New York Attorney General’s office. To try and prevent further injuries, over 1.2 million gloves were sent out to N64 owners.
In 2002, a spokeswoman for New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (via CNET) said, "One kid got a tetanus shot. The alarming thing was how little time some of these children spent playing the game before they were injured... One parent said their child had been playing the game for 15 to 20 minutes when they got a second-degree burn."
Prevention is better than cause, and with gaming having a come a long way in the past 22 years, we're sure Nintendo has come up with a workaround, so your palms aren't left redraw. Critics are right though, maybe Mario Party is missing out on the party for this exact reason.
With calls for more games to be added to the N64 expansion - and rumours of more from Rare's impressive catalogue - here's hoping this is just the tip of retro classics landing on Nintendo's little powerhouse.
