It's odd how some pieces of clearly false video game folklore end up becoming real the more time passes, while other, more outlandish events (like ET cartridges being buried in the desert) turn out to be true.
Sadly, it seems this isn't the case with an infamous PS1 controller, which, every now and then, does the rounds on social media with people expressing amazement that it actually got released:
The only image of this controller known to exist was printed in Official PlayStation Magazine and reads:
It may look strange, but AFD Entertainment's Handheld Heroine is undoubtedly the best third-party controller on the market. The first in a line modeled after popular female PlayStation characters, this Lara Croft version features the most comfortable and responsive analog controllers you'll ever grasp. The secret? A mass of silicone tops each stick, providing a formfitting cushion for your thumbtips. However, we are a bit puzzled about the "constant shock" feature, which activated a continuous, adjustable rumble effect whenever turned on. AFD's future Handheld Heroines include Dino Crisis' Regina, Final Fantasy VIII GF Shiva and Fear Effect's Hana Tsu-Vachel (available in both hooker disguise and towel). If only all women were this easy to handle!
We can't believe it was real, either, because it seems like it actually wasn't.
Tomb Raider fan @falldogs suspected something was fishy five years ago, reporting that the horrific Lara Croft PS1 pad was, at best, a custom job and never went into mass production:
The same fan also points out that an equally worrying Lara Croft memory card does exist, and was almost certainly the inspiration for the controller mock-up / fake.
However, digging a little deeper into the history of this troublesome article reveals that it was, in reality, an April Fool's Day prank penned by OPM's Chris Baker ("AFD" clearly stands for April Fools' Day. It was so obvious).
As reported by Virtual Lara:
Dating to April 2000, the item appeared in the 'Official PlayStation Magazine' and it was written by Chris Baker. The product was stated to have been created by 'AFD Entertainment' and priced for £30.01. It should be pretty clear from the writing, the 'AFD Entertainment' and the odd price that this isn't a real product.