The Power Glove was a tool for NASA, caused corporate infighting, inspired a fake CES demo, and became a nearly universally hated toy.
Hey there, 80’s kid, this one is for you! The Duck Hunt gun was the coolest Nintendo accessory on the market for a long time, but all of that changed when the Power Glove was announced.
When players wore the power glove, they would use their body movements (and not just thumb speed) to control their game. At the time, the idea was thrilling! But, remember, this was before the days of wearable tech and smartphones. As a result, the glove seemed like something straight out of a Hollywood movie to many of us.
The hyped-up Nintendo accessory seemed unstoppable, and the media hype only helped elevate the expectation of gamers everywhere. For example, in the Fred Savage movie, The Wizard (which also starred a very young, very cute Christian Slater), the glove was showcased in media for the first time.
The Story of the Nintendo Power Glove is a 15-minute documentary that explains how the glove went from being the future to one of the biggest failures in gaming history. From its early origins as a way to ‘air-conduct’ music to one of the biggest scams at CES, the glove has a fascinating story behind it:
