Nintendo’s Power Glove is a wearable controller developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and first released in late 1989. It was marketed as an innovative, futuristic way to play games, creating quite the buzz with gamers. However, the glove’s playability did not live up to the hype.

The device, though officially licensed through Nintendo, was actually produced by Mattel in the US and was designed by Grant Goddard and Samuel Cooper. The glove itself features NES buttons on the forearm, in addition to additional buttons labeled 0-9 and a program button. In addition to using the buttons  themselves, the user can use the Power Glove to perform actions on-screen through various hand movements.

The Power Glove had only two games released with functionality for the device specifically in mind. These were Super Glove Ball and Bad Street Brawler; additional titles, such as Glove Pilot, were announced, but never actually released. Games without Power Glove support built-in could be played with the glove by inputting codes on the forearm keypad.

The accessory gained some early attention due to the early virtual reality mechanics and the aggressive marketing campaign, but was criticized for the difficult-to-use controls and ultimately discontinued by 1990. The device has since gone on to be somewhat of a joke within gaming culture. It lived on through popular culture, especially in the film The Wizard, which saw its antagonist making extensive use of the Power Glove.