Hasta La Gadget!

The Mousou Controller (妄想コントローラ or “Fantasy Controller”) from Bandai taps into both the retro and mugen trends we have been reporting about for a while on this blog. On the market from March 20 priced 888 JPY ($9.80), the toy revisits video games like Street Fighter, Xevious and Famista, letting you play on the console controller-style key chain and hear the sounds from your favorite levels. Not only does this look like the real thing, even the key combinations work just as you would expect.

Mobile culture is all about convenience, and products like the Mousou Controller replicate the sensation of a beloved past time no matter where you are. Sure, this is a product that gamers and otaku will love, but these kinds of gadgets are not just for niche markets — they help us all get through the stresses of daily life, which is why we have seen such a range of mugen products.

Aiming squarely at the twenties to thirties male consumer base, Bandai expects to shift two hundred thousand of these mugen gadgets. You can pre-order it here.