10th September 2006, 3:36 PM
The Intellivision controller was vertically oriented, like all controllers before the NES -- what they call a 'joypad' is horizontially designed, the key difference.
If you want to mention predecessors, almost all of those "inventions" built on older ideas.
-D-Pad: enhanced (MUCH enhanaced) version of the Intellivision disc, which was a flat version of a 2600-style small joystick.
-Joypad: horizontal vs. vertical orientation switch, simply.
-R.O.B. - um I don't know if this has any comparable products, before or after...
-Shoulder buttons - didn't the Intellivision have side buttons? Or rather, two side buttons that both function as "button 1"...
-three-pronged joypad - that was new, as far as I know.
-analog stick - these were the first kind of game controller invented, predating all console joypads to the best of my knowledge... Nintendo didn't even come close to inventing the analog stick. They weren't even first with an analog stick on a console controller -- the Atari 5200 had one too. It just popularized the idea (creating the modern mini analog stick design).
-Rumble - invented for and first used in PC joysticks and steering wheels as force feedback. Nintendo simplified and copied the idea for consoles, getting rid of the tactile feedback and making it simply a controller that shakes. The N64 was the first game console to use force feedback, though.
-Giant main button - like how early controllers (2600, etc) had only one button? :)
-analog click - unsure if this was a new idea or not... maybe? Shoulder buttons that function as analog controls weren't new, though; this is just two-level instead of a gradual control (two buttons instead of analog axis, simpler form of a similar idea).
-Touchscreen - PDAs, anyone?
Of course everyone here probably knows all of those things by now, but I wanted to say them anyway. :)
Good. There never was going to be rumble in the nunchuck, as far as I know, so that's no loss...
Quote:The d-pad is vastly superior and an innovation over Intellivisions failed design. There's a reason why no one went back to the Intellivision design.
If you want to mention predecessors, almost all of those "inventions" built on older ideas.
-D-Pad: enhanced (MUCH enhanaced) version of the Intellivision disc, which was a flat version of a 2600-style small joystick.
-Joypad: horizontal vs. vertical orientation switch, simply.
-R.O.B. - um I don't know if this has any comparable products, before or after...
-Shoulder buttons - didn't the Intellivision have side buttons? Or rather, two side buttons that both function as "button 1"...
-three-pronged joypad - that was new, as far as I know.
-analog stick - these were the first kind of game controller invented, predating all console joypads to the best of my knowledge... Nintendo didn't even come close to inventing the analog stick. They weren't even first with an analog stick on a console controller -- the Atari 5200 had one too. It just popularized the idea (creating the modern mini analog stick design).
-Rumble - invented for and first used in PC joysticks and steering wheels as force feedback. Nintendo simplified and copied the idea for consoles, getting rid of the tactile feedback and making it simply a controller that shakes. The N64 was the first game console to use force feedback, though.
-Giant main button - like how early controllers (2600, etc) had only one button? :)
-analog click - unsure if this was a new idea or not... maybe? Shoulder buttons that function as analog controls weren't new, though; this is just two-level instead of a gradual control (two buttons instead of analog axis, simpler form of a similar idea).
-Touchscreen - PDAs, anyone?
Of course everyone here probably knows all of those things by now, but I wanted to say them anyway. :)
Quote:People keep asking me about this so I checked it out. There's no rumble in the nunchuck attachment.
By the way, the final Wii-motes do have rumble in them.
Hope this clears everything up.
Matt
Good. There never was going to be rumble in the nunchuck, as far as I know, so that's no loss...