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View Full Version : Game Controller Family Tree

bapenguin
06-01-2005, 07:20 AM
Here's an interesting site (http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/) that has the "family tree" of game controllers. It's neat to see the evolution of some of the controllers. They even have the latest and greatest from the next gen console's at the bottom. Descended from a mixure of arcade controls and Nintendo's Game & Watch, The Nintendo Entertainment System controller is the daddy of all modern console controllers. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but this controller was possibly the first console controller that featured the still standard "hold with both hands and control with both thumbs" configuration. It's the controller from the system that resurrected home-video games after the big crash of 1983 and was also the system to own during the mid to late 80s.

Thanks Pikuru (http://www.pikuru.com/)
Heretic Machine
06-01-2005, 07:38 AM
I've never understood why the NES Max's control pad hasn't be used in handhelds, in an analog form...
Morratut
06-01-2005, 07:45 AM
The 6 button genesis and saturn pads still have the best Dpads EVER!!!
Tricky Thumb
06-01-2005, 08:11 AM
I found it a little amusing that the guy made sure to point out how other people copied Nintendo, but when you read the description of the Gamecube controller he makes no mention of how it looks similar to the Playstation controller's "Inward functions" where the D-Pad and C-stick are.

Not that it really matters, I don't even care. I just thought it was kinda funny how he omitted that detail when he's pretty concise about every other one.

Neat webpage though!
erasmus
06-01-2005, 08:36 AM
Where the heck did that Revolution controller come from? He indicates that it's a fake, but why even list it, when it's very unlikely that it will look like that.
Heretic Machine
06-01-2005, 09:18 AM
I found it a little amusing that the guy made sure to point out how other people copied Nintendo, but when you read the description of the Gamecube controller he makes no mention of how it looks similar to the Playstation controller's "Inward functions" where the D-Pad and C-stick are.

Er, I'm not seeing it. The two analog sticks have the placement of the XBOX, not the PS2. The PS2 has the analog sticks in the middle, rather than set diagnolly from eachother on the controller like they should be.
Derwin
06-01-2005, 10:15 AM
This is great, I love reading stuff about old video games.
Tricky Thumb
06-01-2005, 10:16 AM
Er, I'm not seeing it. The two analog sticks have the placement of the XBOX, not the PS2. The PS2 has the analog sticks in the middle, rather than set diagnolly from eachother on the controller like they should be.

No it's not the actual placement of the analog sticks that I'm talking about. It's the fact that the Gamecube controller uses the little circular areas in the center of the controller just as the PS1 Dual Shock did. The whole idea behind using those little circular nubs in the middle of the controller is to add more functionality (as in more buttons, ect) withouts making the controller itself bigger. Sony did this with the PS1 Dual Shock and Nintendo essentially took the idea. It's not like Nintendo hasn't come up with tons of their own innovations and ideas, but it's just funny how that guy points out every single thing taken from a Nintendo controller but doesn't point out this obvious similarity of the Gamecube controller.

It was just something I noticed, I'm not upset over it or anything.
petedog
06-01-2005, 11:25 AM
No it's not the actual placement of the analog sticks that I'm talking about. It's the fact that the Gamecube controller uses the little circular areas in the center of the controller just as the PS1 Dual Shock did. The whole idea behind using those little circular nubs in the middle of the controller is to add more functionality (as in more buttons, ect) withouts making the controller itself bigger. Sony did this with the PS1 Dual Shock and Nintendo essentially took the idea. It's not like Nintendo hasn't come up with tons of their own innovations and ideas, but it's just funny how that guy points out every single thing taken from a Nintendo controller but doesn't point out this obvious similarity of the Gamecube controller.

It was just something I noticed, I'm not upset over it or anything.

He did give the dual shock some credit by the graphic where the cube controller was of split ancestry, from the N64 controller and the dual shock.
CapnBob
06-01-2005, 01:12 PM
I found it a little amusing that the guy made sure to point out how other people copied Nintendo, but when you read the description of the Gamecube controller he makes no mention of how it looks similar to the Playstation controller's "Inward functions" where the D-Pad and C-stick are.

Not that it really matters, I don't even care. I just thought it was kinda funny how he omitted that detail when he's pretty concise about every other one.

Neat webpage though!


If you want to get that picky, you could argue that the offset button/directional input layout actually came from the Virtual Boy controller rather than the Dual Shock.
dr_wily
06-01-2005, 01:44 PM
SNES controller is the best ever
netcraazzy
06-01-2005, 02:21 PM
He mentions that the wavebird is the first wireless controller to be made by a 1st party but I seem to remember a wireless controller for the NES. It used infrared sensors, like a TV remote, instead of RF like modern wireless controllers but I'm almost 100% positive that it was manufactured by Nintendo.

Doh! Well I guess it wasn't 1st party. It was made by Acclaim. Here's a pic (http://www.nesplayer.com/database/accessories/acclaimwireless.htm)
Taco
06-01-2005, 02:23 PM
The Xbox360 Controller looks slick, I bet the PS3 controller follows in the footsteps of the original Xbox pad.
if76
06-01-2005, 04:12 PM
I think the ps3 controller will be functionally identicle to the xbox controller. Having 2 triggerstyle shoulder buttons and two clickstyle shoulder buttons just makes sense.
MosBen
06-01-2005, 05:22 PM
Listen, I know this is a really dangerous thing to talk about, but I did get the feeling that this guy is a Nintendo fan. As has been mentioned, he did seem to go out of his way to mention everything any controller has ever borrowed from a Nintendo design and did a pretty complete job of praising Nintendo's controllers.

I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, and I liked the idea anyway, it's just something that struck me as I read it...
Taco
06-01-2005, 05:25 PM
Functionally yeah, but the those friggen spears don't look to comfortable or to useful.

And of course he's a Nintendo fan, who cares? Did everyone read the article to critique his favorite console or to see a cool timeline of a bunch of controllers dating back to the 70's?
mister_slim
06-01-2005, 07:27 PM
Listen, I know this is a really dangerous thing to talk about, but I did get the feeling that this guy is a Nintendo fan. As has been mentioned, he did seem to go out of his way to mention everything any controller has ever borrowed from a Nintendo design and did a pretty complete job of praising Nintendo's controllers.
Nintendo does the best controller design in the industry. I'll admit I can't be bothered to explore that entire site and analyze for bias.
MosBen
06-01-2005, 07:59 PM
When you're looking at a text that covers history, it's important to make sure you're aware of the writer's bias. It's hardly a settled fact that "Nintendo does the best controller design in the industry". I really liked the Dreamcast, certainly a lot more that the N64. I flat out hate the GC controller. Nintendo has plenty of interesting ideas, but they're not indisputably perfect. As I read the blurbs he posted I got a feeling of heavy bias in favor on Nintendo. There's nothing wrong with that per se, it's just something to be aware of and to make sure we see.