When Microsoft first came up with its Xbox game console (not the Xbox One, which is actually the Xbox Three, and will be hereafter referred to exclusively as the Xbone for clarity’s sake) they had an uphill battle to gain market share. As such, they courted a number of exclusives from auteurs, visionaries, and nutcases. Ultimately it was their hijacking of an in-development Macintosh shooter, a little thing called Halo, that got their foot in the door, but there were a lot of other fascinating attempts.
None moreso than Steel Battalion. It was a giant mech game a la Gundam or MechWarrior, but with a twist: it cost $200+ and could only be played with a massive custom controller. And, Microsoft was quick to point out, it could only be played with a massive custom controller on Xbox. As you can see in the image, the controller is a beast. It is every bit as complex as an instrument panel for a real war machine, and it requires a dedicated tabletop. Even the wing pieces don’t come off easily for storage, requiring a screwdriver and a prayer–after all, can you disassemble the control panel for an M1A1 Abrams for easy storage? I think not!
The game made sure to remind you of its hardcore pedigree at every turn, too. You had to run through a whole startup sequence with this thing, and if your mecha–called a vertical tank in the same way that you might call an automobile a horizontal airplane–was too damaged, you’d have to pop that big red button and slam it to eject. And if you failed? The game erased your save files.. The only way it could be made more hardcore is if you had to physically fight someone for a copy.
Actually, that wasn’t too far from the truth. Only a limited number were made (by a company called, of all things, Nude Maker) but they clearly underestimated the market for people willing to buy both an oversized game controller and an oversized Xbox. After the first run sold out, they made another. In response to fanboy howls, the second (but also limited) run had blue buttons instead of green ones. You know, so you could tell if you were hardcore enough to buy a $200 game controller and a console that was mostly empty space inside first instead of being a johnny-come-lately who only bought a $200 game controller and a console that was mostly empty space inside later on.
These things are rare as hens’ teeth, and it’s clear that the good folks at Goodwill had no idea what it was. The controller was actually priced as two separate units: the pedals for $9.99 and the upper control deck for $19.99. $29.99 is absurdity, madness, for something so rare and sought-after; then again, it takes a practiced eye to see it for what it is instead of a deluxe PC controller or a piece of aftermarket military hardware. But it was complete, missing only the little bit of the Xbox cable that was supposed to break when you tripped over it but instead just got lost.
No game disc (and I did look) but really, who cares? The disc is the easy part, and there were only two games ever made that use it: Steel Battalion and the online-only Steel Battalion: Line of Contact, which can now only be played with a system link since its servers are long-since deactivated. That’s right, kids: if there are two people crazy enough to both own game discs, Xboxes, these controllers, and a system link cable, they can duel to the death. Loser forfeits their save data!
Store: Goodwill, Oxford, MS
Asking Price: $29.99
Bought?: Yes
Value: $150
Geekfully Thrifting with Alexp01 