ASCII PAD 64 Turbo Controller

Alright, I’m trying to figure out exactly what the deal with this controller is, so if you have any knowledge or ideas, please comment.

Last week, I ran across this auction (which the seller later ended early).

To summarize:

For auction I have one of the rarest pieces from my own personal video game collection , an actual Official Nintendo 64 Turbo controller.. The only one I have ever seen! Unlike other turbo action controllers designed for the Nintendo 64 , this controller carries the Nintendo 64 Official Product Logo and is the exact same design as the other official controllers!

The controllers Turbo Functions are activated with the corresponding switches on the front of the controller , which can be set for multiple speeds very easily.. My last picture shows a recent test on the video game Mario Party – Set on Super Hard Mode.. Where I was able to beat all 3 opponents while getting over double the previous set record.

I had never seen this controller myself, so I was rather interested. After contacting the seller, they forwarded this info that another collector emailed them

Apparently ASCII was given permission by Nintendo to design a turbo controller for the N64. (ASCII made arcade sticks for the super nes that nintendo licensed ). From what I was told from another collector , the controllers were made in very limited numbers and given unique colors to seperate them from the other clear color controllers. For some reason though After they were completed Nintendo would not allow them to be mass produced. Still , they carry the official N64 Logo. The controller itself is exactly the same as the regular controllers down to every detail besides the turbo buttons which can be set to different speeds.. The collector that contacted me with this information did tell me that he was lucky enough to have the same controller as me but in clear black. He said what we both had was ” very rare “.

So, to me this implies that it’s a pre production controller. Not a prototype, but one that was completed prior to a full production run.

Looking around more, I find out this controller is most likely the ASCII Pad 64, a controller which was announced, but never saw the light of day. I even came across a 1999 article discussing the announcement.

Then, on Play Asia I find this page for the Japanese Version of the controller. Which given its presence on Play Asia, makes it look like it had an official release.

Looking further, I find this auction for a silver Japanese version on eBay.

Aside from color, I can’t see any huge difference in the controllers.

My question is this, is the first auction incorrect and this is just a Japanese controller, one which does seem to be relatively hard to find and is pretty nifty as well? I’m not completely sure, and I’m hoping one of you may have an idea.

Also:

Signed Gears Of War 2 Poster – Up for auction is a Gears of War 2 Poster signed by the Epic development team. I believe this to be 1 in 13 in existence. This poster is kinda holographic and 3D( some of the picture is press in and stands out) as you can see in the pictures and is printed on think poster stock, almost a cardboard/plastic material. The posters dimensions are 22″x28″ I will be rolling this up(loosely) and sending in a tube, so the poster does not get damage.

I recently received my package I had won back in February for the “13 days of Gears” contest, and I’m selling some of the stuff, except the TV of course. Please check out my other auctions for the Marcus Fenix Bronze statue, and golden weapon codes, as well as a book and a cd soundtrack. I’ll have the locust bust on eBay in the next couple of week

Custom Starcraft Plush Reaver Toy – Ended auction, but it’s too damn cute not to mention.