Before something exists, someone must imagine and design it, a task that is not at all easy and, in many cases, may not turn out to be successful the first time.
This is not the case, since Nintendo was right in the development of the first controls, which are the basis of the current controls. In addition, the Japanese company has always innovated, adding in future updates elements that have been replicated by all console manufacturers for their controllers. Let’s see what these creations are and some insights into their origin.
Nintendo invented the controls for all consoles
The first stop is the Japanese trains. Gunpei Yokoi took the train every day and quickly realized that many workers used their calculators to “play”. This gave him the idea to create a small platform with a game to, precisely, entertain himself during the journey.
This is how the Game & Watch was born, more or less, in 1982. The problem was that there were no portable consoles before this one, so a mechanism had to be invented to play them. This is where the D-Pad or D-Pad was born, allowing you to play on the first portable console. This design was then implemented in the NES controller and all console controllers integrate it.
Many people think that this development actually comes from Sony, but this is not the case, the first to create it was the Japanese company for the Nintendo 64. We are talking about analog joysticks, which were created to improve control in 3D games, as is the case of Super Mario 64. You can find them on all current console controllers.
Interestingly, the next invention is also credited to Sony, although it is actually a Nintendo creation. The first time vibration was introduced was on the Nintendo 64 controller. In this case, it was an accessory, a haptic feedback system called the Rumble Pak.
Okay, this early technology differs a bit from Sony’s DualShock, which was built into the controller itself. But come on, the idea of the controller vibrating was introduced on Nintendo consoles and subsequently copied around the world.
If you own the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S at home, you have one or more controllers for those consoles. Currently, all of this works without the need for cables, but Nintendo has also been a pioneer in this area.
The first time it was possible to play without the need for cables was on the Nintendo GameCube, in 2002. The WaveBird system was developed, a wireless control system based on radio frequency that offered better response and greater range than traditional infrared controls.
Nintendo has had and continues to have a huge influence on the video game industry. Just look at the Nintendo Switch, which has been copied in recent years by many manufacturers, creating portable consoles that are more like laptops capable of running PC games.
