Overview
XE-1APOriginally released by Dempa Micomsoft for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) console in 1989, this analogue controller has the following features:
- Six face buttons
- Four shoulder buttons
- Analogue thumbstick
- Analogue slider, for a third axis or throttle, which can be rotated to suit the user
- Two grip handles, at the bottom, to grip the controller
- Four switches
The controller was an attempt at simulating/miniaturizing the HOTAS controls of arcade cabinets such as Sega's After Burner II on a handheld controller for home systems.
Compatibility
Hardware
While it was originally created for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) console, it was also compatible with various other Japanese systems.
The XE-1AP was compatible with the following systems:
Consoles:
Computers:
Software
The XE-1AP was compatible with the following games on Sega consoles:
Sega Mega Drive (Genesis)
Sega Mega CD (Sega CD)
Sega Super 32X (Sega 32X / Mega 32X)
Legacy
Released in 1989, its use of shoulder buttons predates the release of the SNES controller in 1990. Its use of grip handles and four shoulder buttons also predates the PlayStation controller's 1994 release by five years. Its use of an analogue thumbstick also predates the Nintendo 64 controller's 1995 announcement by six years and its 1996 release by seven years. Its additional analog slider was also a precursor to the second analog stick of the PlayStation's Dual Shock controller in 1997.
The XE-1AP is similar in design to the Sega Saturn's 3D Control Pad, released in 1996. In turn, the Saturn's 3D Control Pad was the basis for the 1998 Dreamcast controller, which in turn was the basis for the 2001 Xbox controller, in turn the basis for the 2005 Xbox 360 Controller.
References
See Also
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