Gun controllers for game consoles have evolved quite a bit since Duck Hunt. The latest is Activision‘s Top Shot Fearmaster, a rifle-shaped controller that comes with the new game, Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts. We’ve tried it out, and the Fearmaster is one badass peripheral, but it’s made even better with a dash of science.  You see, not only does the Fearmaster make it more natural to target things than a regular controller would — it can also measure your heart rate and hand tremors to improve (or worsen) your accuracy. For example, if your heart starts beating too fast, the screen may blur a bit until you calm down.  The Fearmaster measures your heart rate from a pair of metal sensors on the gun — one on the handle and the other on the barrel. It can also tell how much your hands are shaking via a camera sensor up front (accelerometers aren’t accurate enough, the gun’s designer says).  The bad news: The gun works with a sensor unit that you put on top of your TV. That’s annoying in the first place, but if your TV has a small or slanted bezel (and what TV these days doesn’t?), you’ll have to put it in front of the set. It’s small enough not to block the screen, but it’s a non-optimal position.  However, the rifle works so well that it’ll probably be worth it for most players. Playing a few minutes of Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts, I quickly got the hang of the rifle, but realized how imperative it is to stay in control. With a pride of lions in front of me, targeting the leader was challenging, but much easier when I held my breath for a few seconds (which tends to slow heartbeat slightly).  The Fearmaster itself is well balanced, coming in two pieces that snap together. All the Xbox controls are in logical places on the gun, with joystick and A/B buttons above the handle. I didn’t like the placement of the rifle stock, though. Making it full-size would enlarge the controller considerably, but without the butt resting on your shoulder it feels fairly unnatural. Then again, so does the lack of kick.  Nonetheless, the Fearmaster miles ahead of using the basic controller for a game like Dangerous Hunts, and I can only hope its functionality gets extended to more games. You can only get the Fearmaster with that title, which launches for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Oct. 23 for $79.99. You can also get the game without the gun for $39.99. The Wii version, which just uses the regular Wii remote, is only $29.99, but Activision will also sell the title with a sensor-free Fearmaster (essentially just a plastic shell) for $59.99.  What do you think of the idea of gun controller that reads your “fear?” Share your thoughts in the comments.  The Fearmaster is a gun controller with a twist: It can read the heart rate and the steadiness of the user's hands to produce a more or less accurate shot in the game it's packaged with, Cabela's Dangerous Hunts. The whole package (available October 23) will cost $79.99 for Xbox 360 or PS3. A Wii version, which doesn't have the sensors, will cost $59.99.  Standard game controls are on logical points on the controller.  Here you can see some of the other controls on the gun.  The Fearmaster comes in two parts, which go together like this.  The batteries come out of the controller like shotgun shells.  Cabela's Dangerous Hunts, Screen Shot 1  Here's a screen shot from the game the Fearmaster will be packaged with.  Cabela's Dangerous Hunts, Screen Shot 2  Cabela's Dangerous Hunts, Screen Shot 3  Cabela's Dangerous Hunts, Screen Shot 4  Cabela's Dangerous Hunts, Screen Box Art
We've come a long way since Duck Hunt. Activision's Fearmaster is gun-shaped controller that can tell how scared you are.