u/FromTheBackroads

Sharing a piece of esoteric Switch tech. Had to import this from Japan as it wasn’t available anywhere in the Philippines (at least, not in the physical and online stores I searched through). Steering wheels and pedals for games like Mario Kart are easy to find, ditto for flight simulator peripherals, heck even Toy Kingdom had taiko drum controller sticks in stock, but I’m feeling a bit left out as a rail simmer. 😅

I’m deeply interested in Japanese trains, and with a self-imposed break from the corporate rat race due to autistic burnout clearing up my weekdays, it was only a matter of time before I got into rail simulator games. The Zuiki Mascon was initially developed in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch as a specialised controller for just one game (電車でGO!! はしろう山手線) which had been released the previous year. The hardware mimics the master controller (mascon) lever of a typical Japanese train, with a hand rest on the other side and your usual assortment of Switch buttons in between.

Even though it was specifically designed as a Switch peripheral, people eventually started using workarounds to get the Zuiki Mascon to work with PC games. (I’ve got my eye on the Switch 2 myself and am hoping to play the 電車でGO!! series on it eventually; alas, as mentioned I am not currently working so I’ve had to put buying a Switch on the back burner.) In due course, Japanese rail sims released on PC began building native support for the controller into their inner workings. In the second picture I’m using the Zuiki Mascon with the 走ル列車 rail simulation game on PC, though for extra immersion and tactile play I’ve chosen to map some functions to the PXN CB1 button box (on the upper right hand corner of the picture) in place of the Switch buttons. Feels more like being in a real driver’s cabin with me reaching up to trigger wipers or lights and so on.

Absolute life changer, this: fine-tuned acceleration and braking feel so much more natural and realistic as opposed to using a keyboard (or, if I were playing a rail sim on Switch, a Joy-con).

I know rail simming is something of a niche hobby in our corner of the world (even more so specifically for Japanese trains) but if you’re a chap in the Philippines who plays such games, or has a strong interest in the Japanese railway system in general, here’s my hand raised high and saying hello! 🙋‍♂️

Just trying to find joy wherever I can in these dark days. Autistic burnout is no picnic.

That said, I’m feeling incredibly chuffed about this new gift to myself!

Any other rail simmers out there?

Just trying to find joy wherever I can in these dark days. Ereyesterday, I finally pulled the trigger on a long-desired purchase and here it is, fresh from Amazon Japan. Truth be told, all I wanted from this was the mascon proper; instead of using the tiny buttons on the Zuiki I’ve elected to bind other commands (reverser, horn, lights, wiper etc.) to my PXN CB1 button box on the upper right. Fantastic setup for tactile play to both entertain and soothe my burnt-out brain.

Box purchased at their Las Piñas branch (P 130). Absolutely delicious - the stuffing is dense and moist, and not quite as sweet as their regular Spanish bread. Splendid with hot chocolate.

From a Japanese-style bakery chain in Manila.

Spotted in a local toy store.

Spotted at a local hospital. Evidently not a case of a letter simply dropping off; you can see the same message facing the other side of the door.

Paris Baguette is a bakery-café chain of Korean origin, but this flavour of cheesecake is only available at their branches in the Philippines.

Was doing a round of auditory stimming as I often do to relax in the evening - bopping around to music whilst walking in circles around my room - and for some reason my divergent mind locked onto Powerline today. I’ve been looping Stand Out and I2I for who knows how long. Ran across this gem and tossing it out for the rest of the community. Cheers.