Many video game weapons are so bizarre and incredible, we figure there's no way technology
will ever make them real.
And yet, there are plenty with real-life counterparts, some of which really blur the line between
fact and fiction.
Just try to fight the urge to build these yourself.
Squall's Gunblade
Most gamers thought it would be super-cool to wield a gunblade like Squall's in Final
Fantasy 8 from the first moment it appeared.
Of course, it's hard to imagine that a weapon like that would have any real-world applications
besides looking cool, but it turns out that pistol swords were very real throughout history
— and we're not just talking simple bayonets.
"Advance!
EN GARDE!
AHHHHHHH!"
Pistol swords and knives existed in France and Germany, dating back to the 1500s.
Even though these combined weapons seem pretty cool, they weren't widely used, due to both
the expense of slapping two weapons together, and how one part of the weapon would make
the other part completely unwieldy...sort of like a camera phone.
But not, like, a good one:
"What is this?"
"The hell?"
"Why does the phone have a camera go through it?"
"It's a camera phone.
Jermaine wanted one for his birthday."
"Where'd you get it?"
"I made it.
It's homemade."
"Yeah, it's a piece of s---!"
"Well, how come Jermaine likes it so much?"
"You can have it."
Still, at least they look pretty dang cool.
Tira's Ringblade
SoulCalibur’s Tira likes to use a giant, bladed ring as a deadly hula hoop/sword combination.
The weapon might seem silly, but the ringblade is actually a giant chakram, a ring that can
be tossed through the air and cut with its sharp blades.
Remember Xena: Warrior Princess?
Turns out, parts of it were totally real.
Chakrams were used by ancient Sikhs, and were worn on the arm before being spun on a finger
and then flung at an enemy.
These bladed rings were more than capable of cutting through a man, and they seem a
lot more dangerous than daggers, since they would continue to slice into flesh upon impact.
It probably works best if you make this noise, though.
"Shya!
AY YAI YAI YAI YAI!"
The Demon Sword of Paracelsus
Sure, it has one of the coolest names ever, but also one of the most misleading, since
it's not, y'know, an actual sword.
This weapon from Resident Evil 3 is, however, a railgun, and while we might never use a
railgun against undead monstrosities, there are real-world, non-zombie-related applications
for such a device.
The US Navy actually crafted a $500 million electromagnetic railgun after a decade of
development.
It requires its own small power plant to send a 25-pound projectile flying at speeds of
up to 4500 miles per hour — which makes it both a hefty investment and a power hog.
“They missed.”
C. Viper's Stun Glove
Crimson Viper from Street Fighter 4 is a badass femme fatale who exhibits a shocking grasp
when it comes to fights.
But you don't have to be a World Warrior to wield one of these bad boys, because it seems
as if people make stun gloves all the time online.
One aspiring crimefighter even created a glove that can stun, has a laser pointer, a flashlight,
and an armored sleeve.
The device was so impressive, that none other than Kevin "Waterworld" Costner invested in
it.
That said, we don't recommend crafting any zap-gloves and electrocuting folks for no
good reason.
Johnny Law might have something to say about it.
“Shocking.”
Cloud’s Buster Sword
Even though he physically shouldn't have been able to, Cloud Strife wielded the comically-large
Buster Sword in Final Fantasy Seven.
While no one handled anything as cartoonishly big in real life, zweihanders were pretty
much the real-life equivalent of the Buster Sword.
These two-handed weapons had large blades, but could still be swung around effectively
by guiding the blade with a hand near the hilt and one on near the pommel.
These greatswords could be used to fight multiple combatants, usually to defend a point like
a door.
Sadly, as cool as these weapons are, we see no room for Materia slots — so no thanks.
Bouncing Betty
In Borderlands 2, Bouncing Betties are modified grenades that pop up and send projectiles
flying everywhere.
Just in case you thought these weapons were complete works of fiction, believe it or not,
they actually existed back in World War II.
The S-Mines, or Bouncing Betties as they were known to American forces, were dug into the
ground by German forces and would pop up when triggered, sending shrapnel flying everywhere.
Like most weapons used in past wars, these mines were highly devastating.
They were sort of like the traps in Home Alone, but, slightly less hilarious.
"Heads up!"
"Then the main charge exploded, sending 350 steel balls in all directions."
"Ahhhhhh!"
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