Niles Mitchell of the YouTube channel Will it Work? has seemingly undergone the impossible: reviving one of Nintendo's most unsatisfactory pieces of wearable hardware and leveraging it on modern technology. Bridging an accessory, now over 30 years in age, into the modern era is no easy feat, yet Mitchell makes it look simple while playing Mario Kart Live on the Switch using nothing but a Nintendo Power Glove as the mainline controller.
Released all the way back in 1989, hilariously first debuting in The Wizard starring Fred Savage, Nintendo's Power Glove for the NES proved to be a rather unremarkable Nintendo accessory that still seemed to be on the outside a rather ingenious design. Second of its kind in the era, coming in three years after Nintendo's dance and fitness mat called the Power Pad, the Power Glove relied heavily on motion controllers, a form of input in gaming that utilized a player's movement as opposed to a traditional controller.
While the concept of motion-controlled gaming seemed quite remarkable at the time, the end result was anything but remarkable, given the immense amount of lag between actual inputs experienced via the Power Glove, not to mention the fact that only two games on the NES were compatible with the device.
Despite its disappointing nature, the accessory led Nintendo to be what it is today, a dominator in motion control sports and action-based video games, and has bled into the company's various platforms ever since, including most prominently the Wii and Nintendo Switch. Beyond its own future, similar design concepts were conceived through its inception via the likes of Sony's EyeToy, Gametrak system, Sega's Activator, and much more.
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Thus, Nintendo's Power Glove literally bred the rise of motion controls in the video game industry and is arguably among the most cherished pieces of motion control technology. And, according to Mitchell's rather ingenious blend of old and new Nintendo hardware, the Power Glove still seems to find some form of purpose even to this day. Released on Tuesday, May 31st, Mitchell's most recent video showcases him running Mario Kart Live on the Nintendo Switch using the untimely Power Glove as if it were a steering wheel.
Notorious for his utilization of realtor gaming tech on modern platforms, Mitchell, via his YouTube channel Will It Work? Prove time again that even the nostalgic forms of yesteryear remain useful to this day. The YouTuber paired together with a Nintendo Switch and 1977 Atari joystick with remarkable results and has even connected an Apple Watch with the Iomega Zip Drive, so a Power Glove on Nintendo's newest console doesn't seem all that difficult for the retro-tech wizard.
Utilizing a USB NES RetroPort v2 in tandem with the ConsoleTuner Titan One dongle, Mitchell was able to get the motion control Power Glove working on Nintendo's hardware. The v2 RetroPort is, as the name suggests, a USB port made entirely for the Power Glove, while the ConsoleTuner dongle is a specialized Switch device allowing users to connect their wearable controllers to the platform and also gives the tech a custom script for holding down the 'A' button for acceleration purposes in racing simulators.
In addition to these other necessary gadgets, Mitchell was also required to do some active woodworking in the design of a frame for his TV, as the Power Glove's sensors were built primarily for ancient CRTs. Mitchell not only showcased the glove working with Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, but also even Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It's not as streamlined as the original Switch joy cons, but it definitely adds some flavor and nostalgia to the experience.
