Many times, gamers can get very bored by just having a system with games. I mean, what's the fun in a flight simulator game if you have to use a controller? Why not just use a joystick or flight pad? These are the sorts of things that make systems interesting, accessories. Without accessories, systems would be very bland and generic. You wouldn't have any variety, and most of the time, everything would feel the same. So, without further adue, I'm going to place a list of accessories each with brief descriptions for your unremorseful pleasure.

Nintendo Light Gun/Zapper
Probably one of the best accessories for the system, the zapper was a unique gun shooting tool that allowed you to pull a trigger to disperse a round. Not only did it have a neat design, but it resembled a pistol and was very light. There were several games made for it that utilized it well including the classic, Duck Hunt. However, the key to the success was that it was included in almost every NES frontloader out there. So almost every gamer was able to taste the satisfaction of blowing away soldiers in Operation Wolf, or sniping clays in Duck Hunt. Either way, this has to be the most successful accessory for the NES (aside from the GG). Besides, there's two different versions, grey & orange.

Nintendo Powerpad
Unfortunately, the Powerpad did not have the same turnout as many would've thought it had. The powerpad was a unique device that was able to sense people's feet and thus allow interactive, physical games like World Class Track Meet, and Athletic World. Many developers didn't take the time or money to develop for the pad, and thus, there was a lack of games for it. For more people, they were too lazy to run or jump when they were suppose to. Although it was innovative for its time, the Powerpad did very little to change the gaming world (except make a few people get decent exercise).

Nintendo MAX Controller
Although having its unique futuristic design, the NES MAX wasn't too much of an improvement over the original controller. Although it did have a unique control pad, many people preferred the more stable 4-way pad where they could have reliability rather than traction. The NES Max also is smaller than the normal size controllers, and thus, caused problems for people with big hands. Although this controller is very uncommon, it's still nothing worth getting unless you have some good top-view shooting games.

Nintendo Advantage Controller
This is probably one of the most underrated controllers for the NES. Back then, Nintendo came out with a very unique, and somewhat large controller that was perfect for flight-sim games. The great thing about the Advantage was that it featured many different options. You had the ability to play your game in slow mode, turbo buttons, and even switch players. The key feature was the joystick which was perfect for Top Gun or shooting games. It also had big buttons in case you had trouble hitting the small ones. It was perfect for the time and the gaming generation.

Game Genie
Quite possibly the best accessory for the NES, the Game Genie was a special add-on device that allowed the user to input codes in conjunction with a game. Thus, it basically allowed gamers to cheat on their games. I'm not a big fan on cheating, in fact, I hate it. But this device was excellent for the perfect system. Many gamers were limited by the fact that they could only use cheats in the actual game, rather than creating/adding their own outside of the game. The GG helped solve these problems. You would enter the codes into the game genie, and then they would work with the game. Some people created their own codes, while strategy guides and others released codes. This device was created by Galoob and was probably one of its greatest successes. Aside from cheating, the game genie also makes an excellent device for helping NESes work. Thanks to Ruudos, I was informed that Nintendo sued Galoob (but big N lost) for making this device and they had never supported the device in anyway. So as you can see, Nintendo wasn't a big fan of profit loss, those greedy pumpkins.

R.O.B. (Robot Operating Buddy)
Although an absolute failure, ROB was one of the first interactive accessories between your NES and the TV. The idea of ROB was to do actions based on the player's input which would in effect cause a change in the game. It was some neat stuff, but the idea failed in many developer's minds. There were only two games made for the ROB, Gyromite and Stack Up. Personally, I don't have one at home so I have no idea of how it works. But from what I've seen, ROBs are collector's items. There are also two different versions, one that uses 4 AA batteries and one that uses one D. Most of the time, ROBs don't work because they lack a certain part or piece. So if you see one at a yard sale, don't expect everything to be there. Unfortunately, ROB would've made a much better drone for getting ice tea out of the refridgerator rather than being used with a NES game.

Nintendo Satellite
Another neat little device Nintendo created was a portable four-player hookup accessory. The NES Satellite, was basically a 4-player port that was portable and used infrared technology. The unit on the control deck would receive a signal from the portable satellite, which had the controllers plugged in, and then it would forward the response to the module so that the game responded to the 4 players. Not only could you get fast and fun action, but you weren't forced to buy the four score accessory. Either way, this was a neat little device to have if you enjoyed playing multiplayer games with your friend.

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