The following is a list of video game controllers created for Nintendo consoles.
Color TV Game 15
The Color TV Game 15 system was Nintendo's first system which had controllers. These controllers came in the form of two paddles connected to the console with cables. The controls on these paddles consisted of a simple dial in order to control the on-screen paddles in the system's built in game library.[1]
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System controller is an oblong brick-like design with a simple four button layout. It consists of two round buttons labeled "A" and "B", a "START" button, and a "SELECT" button.[2] Additionally, the controllers utilized the cross-shaped joypad, designed to replace bulkier joysticks used in earlier gaming consoles’ controllers.[3] The NES controller could also be unplugged as the NES featured two custom 7-pin ports on the front of the console.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The controller used for the SNES introduces two additional face buttons: X and Y. The four face buttons on the right side are arranged in a diamond shape. Two shoulder buttons are also added and is more ergonomic over the NES controller. The controller was designed by Lance Barr.[4][5] The Japanese and PAL region versions incorporate the colors of the four action buttons into the system's logo. The North American version's buttons are colored as follows: the X and Y buttons are lavender with concave faces, and the A and B buttons are purple with convex faces. Several later consoles derive elements of their controller design from the SNES, including the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Xbox, and Wii Classic Controller.[6][7]
Virtual Boy
The controller for the Virtual Boy has 4 surface buttons: select, start, B, and A. The face also includes dual directional-pads meant to be used for controlling games in a 3D space. Finally, two small shoulder buttons are placed on the back of the controller's grips and the system's power button is placed in the center of the controller.[8] The Virtual Boy system is powered by 6 AA-batteries held in the battery pack on the controller or by an AC power adapter which also connects to the back of the controller.[9] Additionally, the power cable used in the power adapter is the same power cable and power supply used for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. While the Virtual Boy controller differs greatly in design from Nintendo's other controllers, the directional pads closely resemble the directional pad of the Game Boy but larger and with a steeper slope inwards. Since the Virtual Boy was designed for single player use, the system only has a single controller port on the underside of the console. Due to this single port, the Virtual Boy only ever sold with one controller per unit.
Nintendo 64
The Nintendo 64 controller is Nintendo's fifth generation controller and features ten buttons, an analog control stick, and a directional pad. The controller is in the shape of an "M", and was designed to be held in three different positions. First, it can be held by the two outer grips, allowing use of the D-pad, right-hand face buttons and the "L" and "R" shoulder buttons (but not the "Z" trigger or analog stick).[10][11] It can be also held by the center and right-hand grip, allowing the use of the single control stick, the right-hand buttons, the "R" shoulder button, and the "Z" trigger on the rear (but not the "L" shoulder button or D-pad).[10] Finally, the controller can be held by the center and left-hand grip, allowing for a combination of the D-pad, L-shoulder, analog stick and Z button (but not the "R" shoulder button or right-hand buttons).[10]
The design is versatile, but it is also controversial because a player is unable to access all the buttons with the player's hands in any one position. Accessing all buttons would require the player to switch hand positions. The controller also includes four "C buttons" on the top, which were originally intended to control the camera in the N64's three-dimensional environments.
GameCube
The GameCube controller is Nintendo's sixth generation controller, released along with the GameCube in 2001. The standard GameCube controller has a wing grip design and features a total of six digital buttons, two analog sticks, a d-pad and two hybrid analog triggers/digital buttons.[13]
The primary analog stick is on the left, with the D-pad below it. The four main face buttons are to the right of the controller. The face buttons include a large green "A" button in the center, a smaller red "B" button to its bottom left and the kidney-shaped "X" and "Y" buttons to the right and top of the "A" button, respectively. There is also a yellow "C" stick below the main face buttons. A Start/Pause button is located in the middle of the controller. On the shoulders of the controller there are two analog triggers marked "L" and "R," as well as a "Z" button above the "R" trigger.[13]
The standard GameCube controller provides haptic feedback by way of a built-in rumble motor rather than using an external Rumble Pak add-on like the Nintendo 64 controller.[13]
Wii
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote ditches the traditional gamepad controllers of previous gaming consoles for a one-handed remote control-based design. This was done to make motion sensitivity more intuitive, as a remote design is more optimal for pointing. Another goal with this design was to help the Wii appeal to a broader, non-gamer audience. The body of the Wii Remote measures 5.82 in long, 36.2 mm wide, and 30.8 mm thick. The controller communicates wirelessly with the console via short-range Bluetooth radio, with which it is possible to operate up to four controllers as far as 10 meters[14] (approx. 30 ft[15]) away from the console. However, to utilize pointer functionality, the Wii Remote must be used within five meters (approx. 16 ft) of the Sensor Bar.[16] The controller's symmetrical design allows it to be used in either hand. The Wii Remote can also be turned horizontally and used like a Famicom/NES controller or steering wheel.
Wii U
GamePad
The Wii U GamePad is the standard controller for Nintendo's eighth generation video game console. It incorporates traits from tablet computers and also has traditional input methods, such as buttons, dual analog sticks, and a D-pad. It also features touchscreen and motion controls. The touchscreen can be used to supplement a game by providing second screen functionality or an asymmetric view of a scenario in a game. The screen can also be used to play a game strictly on the GamePad screen, without the use of a television display. Conversely, non-gaming functions can be assigned to it as well, such as using it as a television remote.
Pro controller
The Wii U Pro Controller is a video game controller produced by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. It is available in Black and White. It is the successor to the Wii Classic Controller and has the same buttons but with the added features of a power button, and pressable analog sticks. In 2013, a year since the Wii U's release, a hacking website Hackaday found a way to use a Wii U Pro Controller and Wii U GamePad on PC.[19]
Nintendo Switch
The main controllers usable on the Nintendo Switch include the Joy-Con and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. In addition, Nintendo has also released the Poké Ball Plus controller, made for Pokémon: Let's Go and Pokémon Sword and Shield,[20] and a Nintendo Switch GameCube Controller made for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
Nintendo also released revised variations of some of its previous controllers that are compatible with the Switch hardware, each of which includes wireless functionality, additional buttons for Switch-specific functions and an internal rechargeable battery. Thus far, these include Switch-compatible versions of the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64 controllers, released alongside catalogs of legacy titles for each of those systems made available through the Nintendo Switch Online service.
Joy-Con
The Joy-Con are the primary controller(s) of the Nintendo Switch video game console. They consist of two individual units, each containing an analog stick and an array of buttons. They can be used while attached to the main Nintendo Switch console unit, or detached and used wirelessly.
Nintendo Switch 2
References
- Color TV Game 15 retrieved 5 November 2019^
- Nintendo Entertainment System Instruction Booklet Nintendo, 1989^
- Steven L. Kent. The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World Prima Publishing, 2001^