Densha de Go! train controller review: this is awesome

Imagine if you were really into a video game series, but no one brought out a controller that kept you playing properly for 14 years. Unfortunately, this is exactly the situation that fans of Densha De Go! have been found until recently. Taito’s original train driving franchise has been around since the mid-’90s on countless systems and devices, but it’s just not the same if you can’t slam the brakes with a giant lever when you arrive. at the station 17 seconds late.

This month, however, a company called Zuiki came to the rescue with the release of a Densha de Go! controller for Nintendo Switch. It works with the latest version of the game, Hashirou Yamanote-sen, and this is the first console controller to be released since the Wii iteration in 2007.

In all fairness, the show isn’t even meant to be an ongoing business these days. Apparently the latest version of the story, Densha de Go! was released for the PS2 in 2004. But various spinoffs and ports continued to appear, and the game underwent a full reboot for arcades in 2017, simply titled Densha de Go!. An adaptation of this game made its way to the PS4 last year as Densha de Go! Hashirou Yamanote-sen, then at the Switch in March. Until now, however, you couldn’t play this version with a train controller.

The arcade reboot provided a solid foundation, and Hashirou Yamanote-sen is a great addition to the series. It uses the Unreal engine and is much more technically advanced than any other Densha de Go! title, with almost photorealistic 3D graphics. The game centers on the JR Yamanote Line, the circular route that circles Tokyo’s busiest neighborhoods, and the experience is deeply authentic – the buildings and features of the station are clearly recognizable, with an audio mix that will sound familiar to anyone who has visited the city before. Really, the only thing missing are the station specific jingles that play at the start.

The Switch version isn’t as bright as what you get on the PS4, unsurprisingly, but it does quite well. You will see the resolution visibly drop every now and then, but the thing about Densha de Go! is that you’ll mostly focus on icons and stats in the HUD rather than counting the pixels of the graphics, and on the Switch the fidelity is decent enough to give a compelling impression of a train ride if you don’t. pay too much attention. The PS4 version does support virtual reality, however, which depending on your perspective can be more or less immersive than using a dedicated train controller.

So about this controller. As with the recent arcade version, Zuiki opted for a “one-handle” design, as opposed to many traditional ones. Densha de Go! controllers that have separate levers for acceleration and braking. With this one, you push to brake and pull to accelerate, with a thumb button to unlock that final range of motion. It is no different from an automatic shifter on a car. Almost everything is plastic, but the controller is high quality – it has a heavy build that won’t budge on your coffee table while you use it, and the grip has satisfying clunks between each setting.

Do you need it to play the game? No. But also … somehow? Hashirou Yamanote-sen has been released on PS4 for almost a year without any controller support, but it has always been well received in Japan. However, when using a PS4 or Switch controller, you need to hold an analog stick in position to maintain your speed or braking force, and the game recognizes fewer degrees of each. With this Zuiki controller, you get eight levels of stopping power plus an emergency setting that requires more physical force to activate. The ratchet stick design means each brake position stays where it is once you’ve moved into it, as opposed to an analog controller stick that returns without constant pressure. Acceleration, on the other hand, has three levels that can be left as is while you cruise, with two higher speeds that recover if you don’t hold them in place.

The controller makes the game a much more physical, responsive, and satisfying experience. Densha de Go! It’s about modulating your speed – you have to accelerate and brake at the right time between stations, and stop perfectly at the right place on the platform. You will be penalized if you are wrong. It’s one of those arcade games that can be both relaxing and stressful at the same time, with a simple and challenging concept that provides immense relief when you pull off a good race. This feeling is only amplified when you have more direct control over the game.

I have owned several iterations of Densha de Go! over the years. From the Dreamcast version with the popular Type 2 controller to the Osaka Loop Line-specific PSP game when I lived in this city, to the eerily fascinating monochrome port of WonderSwan from 1999, all have had their own appeal. However, the Zuiki controller offers arguably the best home experience yet. I would have preferred a PlayStation compatible version for better graphics and VR support, and Hashirou Yamanote-sen doesn’t have the most content in the series, but this version of Switch bodes well for the future of the franchise.

Having said that, it will obviously be a niche product. Zuiki says he won’t earn more once the stock runs out, and at 14,850 yen ($ 135), it’s clearly aimed at converted fans. Taito released a plug-and-play controller with an HD port of Densha de Go! built a few years ago for almost the exact same price, which would probably be a better entry point for newbies. The Zuiki controller does not even include the Hashirou Yamanote-sen game, which was not released outside of Japan.

Still, it’s a well-executed product, and its existence is a welcome surprise. Hopefully it won’t take 14 years before the next one – or better yet, hopefully this one gets 14 years of support. I know I would be willing to use it to travel beyond the Tokyo city limits.