Whenever you pick up a joypad these days, one thing is common – the presence of analog control. It’s impossible to imagine playing a modern game without this level of precision, but it’s easy to forget that two decades ago digital control was the norm.
The system that changed everything was the Nintendo 64, which turns 20 this very year, and released in the US on this very day, September 26, back in 1996.
Defining the way we play
Nintendo has a history of defining the rules when it comes to gaming interfaces. It was the first company to use the now-commonplace “Digital Pad”, incorporating it into its line of Game & Watch portable LCD systems when it became clear that a joystick wouldn’t suit the mobile nature of the titles.
The N64 pad arguably ranks as Nintendo’s most groundbreaking pad
The D-Pad would also be factored into the iconic NES controller, which also bucked industry trends by offering two action buttons rather than the traditional one. Years later the company would break new ground again with the SNES pad’s ergonomic design, diamond-shaped four-button cluster (another common sight on modern pads) and left and right shoulder buttons.
Even when compared to these notable examples of innovation, …read more
Source:: techradar.com – Gaming
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