Summary
Most gamers lovelimited edition controllers. They’re a way of giving a fandom of a particular franchise something physical that signifies their love of a game or series, often coming with interesting patterns and paving the way to a big release. In recent years, the likes of these controllers seem to be dying off, withcolor palette swapsbeing favored over game-themed iterations.
Whilst Nintendo and theirlimited edition Switch consolesstill bring out fun and flavor of what great limited edition hardware can look like, they’re more often than not an entire console bundle, instead of a controller-only option. Countless titles deserve to be given the limited-edition controller treatment, but sadly, far too few have had the luxury.
Racing games aren’t exactly the first game genre players will be thinking of when they’re looking for a stylish limited edition controller, butNeed for Speed Unboundis a perfect contender.
Being one of the more stylishNeed for Speedentries, it merges cel-shading and graffiti art with a realistic art style. As a result, gamers were treated to a slick racer with itsgraffiti art styleleaping from the screen. How could gamers not imagine that style elevating the standard game controller to something so much more?
Assassin’s Creed Originsmarked the franchise’s refreshed new RPG style, taking fans back to the startwith Medjay Bayekin the heart of Ancient Egypt. It was the perfect moment to mark the occasion with a new themed controller for fans to usher in the change.
The game’s Egyptian theme alone had the potential for so many great design ideas. The controller could have incorporated the golden theme of the game, and Egyptian hieroglyphs could have made for one mighty fine gamepad.
Few franchises have been around longer thanMortal Kombat. The game debuted to gamers back in 1992, and the franchise has continued ever since tovarying degrees of success, but the most recent entries in the series have gone down as surefire hits for many gamers thanks to the visceral fatalities, responsive combat, and beloved fighters.
Following the events ofMortal Kombat 11,Mortal Kombat 1was to usher in a brand-new timeline resetting the universe, a momentous occasion that should have been marked with a limited edition controller for fans to celebrate. Whether the controller took inspiration from the series' most notable fighters or the long-standing history, there was plenty of material to make a fighting fit controller for fans to fawn over.
Cassette Beastswas one of thebest indies to release in 2023. Developer Bytten Studio took the well-knownPokemonformula and breathed new life into the genre with fresh gameplay mechanics, a top-notch soundtrack, and an appealing visual style that cemented it as a must-play for anyPokemonfan.
Add to that an array of colorful and creative monster designs, and there’s the potential to make a truly beautiful indie controller, one that could celebrate all of what makesCassette Beastsso great.
3Borderlands
Unhinged Cel-Shaded Goodness
TheBorderlandsfranchise is probably the go-to game for many when it comes to gamers wanting to load up agreat looter-shootertitle. After all, the franchise’s striking cel-shaded visuals helped make the game a fan favorite for many games out there. Well, that and the great comedy writing and all of the inventive guns on offer.
TheBorderlandsfranchise features so much material for inspiring a great limited edition controller. It could use the array of great characters and iconic Psycho masks to truly bring the controller to life, but sadly, this design idea has yet to become a reality.
Ghost of Tsushimais regarded by many fans as one ofPlayStation’s best exclusives. Taking place on the gorgeous Japanese island of Tsushima, the game was packed with so many beautiful moments and artful sequences, almost like a dramatic painting come to life.
A limited edition controller could have taken inspiration from Jin’s gold and black ghost get-up or infused the falling leaves, much like The CaliWorkshop did with theirstunning custom controllerfor the game. In short, there were so many great artistic options. It’s a shame Sony didn’t release a final limited edition controller for one of PlayStation 4’s swansong exclusives.
Everyone knows aboutAvatar. Despite releasing in 2009, the film remains as the highest-grossing movie of all time, thanks in part to the visually striking world of Pandora and its inhabitants. The film universe has since expanded with the 2022 sequelAvatar: The Way of Waterand the 2023 gameAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the latter of which was the perfect opportunity for a limited edition controller.
The game has stunned players just as much as the film did for cinema-goers, and with hints that thegame could impact future movies, a limited edition controller could be a perfect way to celebrate the universe as a whole. Whether taking inspiration from the planet of Pandora itself or the skin of the native Na’vi, there’s no doubt that a limited edition controller would have wowed gamers and fans alike.
