NES Power Grips! Increases play, provides relief and feels good

[RegularGuyGamer 1,904]

Any other fans of the Power Grips out there? I've played with these things for years. It was one of my first purchases after getting back into NES gaming.

 

 

They provide a really nice feel for the new controller where for me feels too small at times. The backs back nice little notches that allow you to rest your pinky or some other restless finger.

 

However, the original packaging didn't do much to draw customers in.

 

 

And apparently these make "any player look totally in control". And now I wana know what out of control players look like 

[Gloves 11,222]

I've not seen these before but it does make sense. Having a grip to hold steadies the controller allowing for better precision. Neat!

[8-bit_boice 46]

I've had 2 pairs of these since I was a kid and they haven't left my controllers since. They do make the controllers feel so much nicer. I almost want to say that mine came bundled with the gray hard plastic cartridge holders with the black tops, I could be wrong about that and just got both at the same time.

Edited October 27, 2019 by 8-bit_boice

[DoctorEncore 3,688]

I have grips very similar to this for my Switch and 3DS. The more things change...

[m308gunner 352]

What?!? Why have I not heard about this till now?!? *runs to eBay* This is the second time in a week I've learned something completely new about this hobby I thought I knew.

[B.A. 1,139]

This is the first actual review I have heard about these, cool to hear that they actually make a difference in gameplay.  

Unlike this...who thought this was a good idea???

[jonebone 1,285]

Had these as a kid, and were a must for me after getting used to the larger Genesis controller. Nowadays I'm indifferent.

[MrMark0673 197]

15 hours ago, DoctorEncore said:

I have grips very similar to this for my Switch and 3DS. The more things change...

I never used power grips, though I’ve known for years people with bigger hands love them.  I was always was perfectly fine with the original dogbones.

That being said, I added grips to my Switch and I’ll never go back.  I only use it in handheld mode (I’ve never docked it) and after like a week I thought I need to do something about how I hold the system.  No brainer buy, definitely makes gaming more enjoyable.

[Link 2,490]

I’ve never seen these before. Pretty cool.

edit: LOOKS COOL 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Link

[ookii_risu 206]

That's neat! I have small hands, but I can't hold a regular NES controller anymore because the edges dig into me. I use dogbones.

[Alder 242]

Cool! I didn't know something like this existed for the NES. I have something similar for the SNES though. It's called the Super Score. I have one gray and one black, though I'm not really sure where they came from or what the original packaging looked like. I know they're from the era though because my uncle had one in the mid 90s.

Edit: here's a link, not sure how long it'll be alive though  

http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?StartRow=1&catid=8&threadid=105697

Edited October 29, 2019 by Alder

[empire 106]

They look kinda....sorta..... dank?

[LtCasual 27]

Yes! I had a set of these when I was a kid and loved them. I picked up a pair off of eBay a few years ago and they're just as good as I remember.

 

Power Grips plus this circuit board sticker from Nintendo Power was my main controller for a loooong time.

[MuNKeY 241]

Never knew these existed, I always preferred the dog bone controllers when they came out with the top loader but I just the bare blocked NES controller for several years 

[arnpoly 185]

I'll go +1 for the dogbone, definitely my preferred controller.  I can still rock a standard brick if need be, no problem.  I haven't tried the power grips though I would definitely like to!

[RegularGuyGamer 1,904]

On 10/30/2019 at 10:26 AM, empire said:

They look kinda....sorta..... dank?

Like a basement below in the flood zone after a hurricane

[a3quit4s 3,819]

These are like a must have on the PS Vita

[RH 4,562]

First I heard of these.  I’ve never had an issue with the standard NES controller, and I don’t even have a clue how they dig into someone’s hand.

However, whoever invented the single

Joycon and thought that using a single one for any form of multiplay, without an attachment/grip is a sadist. I even have the Mario Kart wheels and it’s still awkward due to the placement of the button or thumbstick, depending on the Joycon you have in-hand. Seriously, what was Nintendo thinking?

[Tulpa 3,294]

I actually prefer the rectangular NES controller. Need to find a couple of spares at some point.

[chromableedstudios 24]

Haven't tried these but I did model a new back that's a bit more chunky https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1782340

Are they hard plastic? Or foamy or something?

[MeganJoanne 365]

I'd always been the kind of gamer, probably a rarity that didn't grip NES controllers but held them with my fingers. But ever since the introduction of shoulder buttons one has no choice but to grip in order to be able to press said buttons and still maintain good control. Wasn't so bad with the SNES controller, nor even Playstation, I didn't have to hold those so tightly, but fast forward to today, I found that with the 360 controller because analog sticks are the main way of moving a character around and they are higher up than a d-pad I have to grip the controller even more, with that and the dual shoulder buttons introduced since the PS1 though now with the lower ones curved, one can't afford to lose control, but sometimes I get cramps in my palms from those grips digging in to them.

On an unrelated but sorta, I remember that one time long long ago I was working at Toys'r'us and one of my coworkers that I got along with, we had battled against each other like every night on the Playstation kiosk with the Battle Arena Toushinden demo until I got the console for myself that christmas, well he drove me home one morning because I invited him over to play the full game. Anyway, I didn't know how to drive, so he thought to get me behind the wheel of his car while in the parking lot of my apartment complex, confident that I could do it and that I wouldn't crash or cause him to get in trouble because I didn't have a permit or license to drive. He actually got nervous and bewildered with how I was holding the steering wheel, with my fingers, telling me I had to grip it, and had to remind me a few times when I gripped then went back to fingertips again. I was just so used to holding game controllers, NES, even SNES and Playstation with my fingers or a light grip. I drove around most of the way in the parking lot, but was not confident with it, afraid I would crash into someone's parked car, even though he said I was doing good. First and only time I ever drove a car, for a few minutes very slowly, I could've walked faster.

There's a reason why you have to grip, so you have total control, but I was doing just fine with NES controllers before controllers got more complexly designed.

[Hangoin 11]

My giant hands and I thank you!!!

 

[CMR 506]

I miss all the weird controller accessories you could get back in the day.