Looking for some exciting controller options to add to your retro gaming collection?
For decades, the Japanese gaming market has been blessed with a vast array of region-exclusive designs, colors, and exciting accessories that the rest of the world has missed out on. ZenMarket wants to help you access these oddities and rarities, so we’ve compiled a list of the platforms that support Japanese controllers, along with standout models to look out for on each system.
If a console is listed here, the official - and many third-party - controllers such as these and many more sold in Japan will work with your system.
Sony Playstation Controllers
The “Dual Analog” Controller
The strange missing link between the original stick-free PlayStation controller and the legendary DualShock pad is the Analogue Controller. It features unique concave thumb sticks that are oddly reminiscent of the modern PS4 and PS5 designs, longer hand grips, and a weird analogue flight mode, which made the LED turn Green.
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Many of the better-condition examples of this controller can be found in Japan and though this pad was also released in other regions only the Japanese controller had a single motor for vibration function compared to a complete lack of vibration in other regions.
Biohazard ASCII Controller
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Complete with stylish Biohazard decals, this controller is admittedly as monstrous as some of the enemies in the games it’s intended for use on. That said, it was quite ahead of its time thanks for features such as its back trigger, designed to simulate the hand feel of in game weaponry. ASCII has produced some fascinating controllers over the years, and this one is no exception. Though this pad was also released in the West with region specific Resident Evil branding, the Japanese version was once packaged with herbal tea that matched the colour of the in-game healing herbs.
Pingu ASCII Controller
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Cute penguins/seals on a solid and dinky interpretation of the PlayStation DualShock pad? Yes please. Pingu is quite a popular character in Japan despite his originating in Switzerland and having a big portion of his initial audience residing in the UK.
A Japanese region exclusive PS1 game was released, and this controller was the perfect counterpart for simulating Swiss penguin culture. Though we can’t guarantee this product will help advance your Penguinese language skills it’s certainly unique and a remarkably competent controller like many of ASCII’s products.
Sony PlayStation 2 Controllers
SEGA Fukkokuban Controllers
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A SEGA Saturn controller… for your PS2?!
An unusual set of controllers that are the product of a SEGA and Sony collaboration to be used with SEGA-published retro titles on the PS2. These controllers are great with fighting games but not so great for fully 3D titles. The SEGA Saturn pad is highly regarded as a pad for 2D gaming and we’re not one to disagree. These will set you back a pretty penny and are quite rare… but they are exceedingly cool.
Nintendo Game Cube Controllers
ASCII keyboard controller
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Arguably best used with the game it was pretty much exclusively designed for - the keyboard was intended for the chat features on Phantasy Star Online I&II - this absolute unit of a controller was also fully usable for most other GameCube titles. Though a case could be made for it not being an essential or even particularly practical GameCube accessory – especially considering it’s eye wateringly expensive to get hold of these days - one could still get creative and use the extra width between handgrips to hold a sandwich during extended Doshin the Giant sessions, or stash a spare pair of pants for your Eternal Darkness and Biohazard playthroughs.
HORI Game Boy Player controller
mage Source: Mercari Japan
Reminiscent of both the NES dog-bone controller and the Super Famicom/SNES controller, this thing adds that extra bit of retro flair to the whole format and is a rare but exceptional pad for use with the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy player adaptor. It’s compatible with other standard GameCube titles- just remember that, obviously… there are no analogue sticks!
Spice Orange Controller
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This one is a common colour in Japan, but worth mentioning as it’s possibly the easiest pad to obtain on this list – though that makes it no less cool an accessory. Matching one of the stock colour GameCubes released in Japan and just a generally great colour overall, we’re baffled why this one was never introduced to the Western market. Zenmarket is always to happy to help you with all your orange controller needs.
Sony PlayStation 3 Controllers
Exclusive Colors
There were a couple of Japan exclusive controller colors for the PS3 we’d keep an eye out for – the gold one because it’s well..gold, and the gun metal grey controller, which is less flashy but just looks like the correct color to play Japanese-exclusive mech games with. Go figure.
Console Counterpart Pads
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There were a number of beautiful special edition controllers for the PlayStation 3 in Japan – the downside is that these were bundled in with matching consoles. However they can also be found loose in the wild and look great. Final Fantasy XIII, XII-2, Tales of Xilia and Uncharted 3 and Yakuza 5 have all had special edition variants that are worth keeping an eye out for.
It's worth noting that if you’re looking for a complete console set, the PS3 is the only fully region free console on this list so is a great starter console for import gaming. For more on this, check out our article on region-free consoles (here)
Nintendo 64 Controllers
HORI Mini Pad
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For gamers who think the N64 controller was actually a bit of a mess --while the writer of this article is generally an apologist for Nintendo’s wonky three-legged design, the HORI Mini Pad is a much more traditional and frankly more sensible controller all around. It bears a surprising resemblance to the later-released GameCube pad and looks cute, additional to its generally more functional design blueprint.
Two Tone Controllers
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Though Europe did see a two-tone pad (a blue and white one), Japan received a couple more of colour variants for their market - a red and white version, and a slick black and white variant that came with Mario Kart 64. These do stand out nicely compared to the solid block colour pads and are certainly some of the more affordable items on this list!
Sega Saturn Controllers
Different Color Scheme across the Board
An absolute powerhouse for 2D fighting games and shmups with some interesting Japanese region e it makes for an appealing import prospect. While the controllers and accessories released in Japan were similar to the those in the West, their Japan-exclusive colour combinations just have the edge on cool factor- especially when compared to the PAL region, where everything (bar the Virtua gun) came in boring old black.
The Saturn also received a couple of great fighting sticks, such as the Pro Virtua Stick, designed for Japan’s excellent lineup of fighting games. Across the board, there are grey and white versions of the standard controllers, an arcade racing joystick (wheel), and the Virtua Gun—which is perhaps the best-looking peripheral in black but is inexplicably blue in the PAL region and black in Japan.
Our pick of the bunch would be the white 3D controller, which epitomises '90s weird and wonderful—a controller you must try out with titles such as Nights into Dreams. Remarkably ahead of its time, it features a sensible button layout and maps closely to the Dreamcast controller, while arguably being superior thanks to its better D-Pad.
The vast majority of games work with the analogue stick, though there are a handful that don’t—including the earlier Daytona release and Virtua Fighter 2 (though the D-Pad on this controller works fine anyway). It’s a great controller, arguably best in its Japanese livery.
Sega Dreamcast Controllers
Direct Online Range
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We could fill this section with the list of controllers that SEGA used to sell on their now long-defunct Direct online store – the best way to describe these is to put it simply. The lovely original Dreamcast controller in a wild array of colours and prints ranging from leopard print controller to shiny pearlescent blue and pink and there were even the marble and wood effect for the classy and more discerning customer.
These are very rare and can be pricey, but if you want something collectible and shiny these are worth looking out for!
Orange ChuChu Rocket! Controller
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An absolute banger of a puzzle game — and in Japan, it came packaged with a stunning little controller. It’s part of Japan’s fun trend of orange-coloured accessories, and while it’s not even the only orange controller for the Dreamcast (there’s also one with the early circular Start button floating around), if you forced us to pick just one, this cool, semi-transparent ChuChu Rocket! pad would be the one.
Console Counterpart pads
Though it’s a bit sad to find these kicking around as strays, separate from their matching consoles, you do occasionally come across loose controllers from some great limited-edition Dreamcast sets. There are some real gems out there — exclusive colour variants like the Hello Kitty controllers, the CODE: Veronica pad (rare but easier to find in red than the even rarer blue S.T.A.R.S. version), a Sonic the Hedgehog controller, and even Seaman controllers (go ahead and Google it — you’re safe if you spell it right).
We recommend buying and maintaining the full sets where possible, but these are still seriously cool controllers on their own if you happen to spot them!
