Secure and/or lockable connecting arragement for video game system

A female connector for a handheld video game remote control device for electrically connecting said handheld video game remote control device to an additional handheld video game control device having a male connector, said female connector comprising:

• an outer housing;
• an opening disposed within said outer housing and shaped to receive a male-type insertion portion of a mating male connector of said additional handheld video game control device, wherein at least one projection is formed on an inner surface of the opening, the at least one projection being configured to be received in a corresponding recess of the male-type insertion portion of the mating male connector so that the male-type insertion portion can only be inserted into the opening in a single orientation;
• a channeled projection within said opening, said channeled projection including:
• a plurality of channels on opposite sides of the projection,
• a terminating end surface defining the end of said plurality of channels, and
• a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in respective ones of the plurality of channels, the plurality of electrical contacts being disposed to make sliding electrical contact with corresponding electrical contacts in a recess of the male-type insertion portion of the mating male connector when the male-type insertion portion is inserted into the opening, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts include a first electrical contact being coupled in use to ground, a second electrical contact being coupled in use to a voltage source, a third electrical contract being coupled in use to a serial data line, and a fourth electrical contact being coupled in use to a serial clock line, and wherein said first, second, third and fourth electrical contacts are disposed with respect to said terminating end surface such that when said male-type insertion portion is inserted into said opening, the first and second electrical contacts make electrical contact with associated counterpart electrical contacts on the male-type insertion portion before the third and fourth electrical contacts make electrical contact with associated counterpart electrical contacts on the male-type insertion portion.