Gaming History: Controllers

This is a new, hopefully monthly segment where I'll be looking at hardware and issues surrounding video games. While consoles and games are hugely important to the gaming experience, there's another major factor which can change gameplay dramatically and that is the controller. There was a lot of speculation recently before the announcement of the PS4 and Xbox One controllers, as to their shape, size and features which shows that even in an era where the consoles and their specs are hugely important to gamers, the controllers are still a large part of the experience.

Before I get to the controllers of the present day however, I'd like to go through controllers generation by generation. For each, I'll be posting a picture of the controllers I own from said era but I'll be discussing ones that I've experienced and even some that are just too interesting not to mention.

(Controller for the Binatone Colour TV Game Mk. 10 - 1977)

As with a lot of the controllers for first generation video game systems, the Binatone Colour TV game (which is essentially a pong console) gives the player an analog knob which can be rotated about 360 degrees in either direction. As most consoles of the era played pong and its variants, this was a good way to control the paddle, and feels a lot more precise than a digital input. If you've ever tried playing pong on any sort of "Classics Collection" you'll understand.

The Magnavox Odysey controller is the only real odd one out of the well known controllers of the time. Released in 1972 it may well have been the inspiration for a lot of the controllers that followed in the first generation, with its three analog knobs; one for horizontal movement, one for vertical movement and a final one which would change the direction of the "ball" in sports games, allowing players to cheat as much as they liked.

(Controller for the Commodore Plus/4 - 1984)

The second generation of controllers was split almost equally between joysticks with a single button and numberpads with joysticks or control knobs. The classic design of the era is that of the Atari 2600 which featured a joystick with a single button at the side. Although the original versions of these were stiff and not always reliable, it allowed players to play a far greater variety of games such as adventure games, arcade games and sports titles. The Plus/4 joystick pictured above is the only controller I own from the second generation although I have experienced the Atari 2600 and 2600 Jr. controllers also. Compared to those, the Plus/4 controller is a lot more responsive and reliable.

As for the controllers which featured numberpads, the best known of these are the Intellivision and Colecovision. Both of these had a 9 digit numberpad with a control knob at the top. This layout made certain games easier to play (having only one button does have its downsides), but most games of the era only required one button, so nine seemed superfluous.

(Left: NES Controller - 1983   Right: Master System Controller - 1985)

With the arrival of more complex games in the third generation came more complex controllers. The NES controller featured two action buttons, a d-pad and start and select buttons. Several games featured combinations of the two buttons and a direction to increase the amount of actions a player could achieve. The start button also made for a handy pausing tool, a function only seen before on the Atari 5200. Compared to the joysticks of the previous generation, and the controllers of today, these are very small.

The Master System controller is essentially an NES controller without a start or select. To pause a game on the Master System, the player must get up and press the button on the console itself which can prove difficult in the middle of an intense game such as Fantasy Zone. The only other major console controller in the third generation was the Atari 7800 which went back to the roots of the 2600 controller and featured a joystick with two buttons eitherside. While this could achieve the same results as the Master System controller, the rectangular options must have seemed more of a space age choice at the time.

(Top Left: Sega Mega Drive Controller - 1989, Bottom Left: Sega Mega Drive 6 Button Controller - 1989,
Right: SNES Controller - 1990)

The SNES and Mega Drive were the main focus of competition in the fourth generation, and for competing systems their controllers had far more differences than in the previous generation. Sega had decided to go with a 3 button approach, with a D-pad and start button, while Nintendo decided on a 4 button controller, with L and R shoulder buttons, D-pad and start/select buttons. With this giving the SNES controller 3 buttons more than the Mega Drive (4 if you count a select button), fighting games and anything else that required more than 3 buttons suffered on Mega Drive. A 6 button version of the controller was released, although it wasn't compatible with every title.

Other controllers released in the fourth generation included the Turbografx16 controller which was essentially the same as an NES controller with added autofires for both buttons, and the Neo Geo AES controller which gave players a full arcade style joystick with four buttons. The AES didn't enjoy much success due to its large price tag, but was a system which attempted to bring full arcade games to the home console market that gave gaming one of the most interesting controllers around.

(Left: Sony Playstation Controller - 1994,   Right: Nintendo 64 Controller - 1995)

With the fifth generation of video game consoles came even more variety; no two controllers of this era even resemble eachother. The two most classic designs are pictured above; the Sony Playstation controller which, with the addition of dual analog sticks later in its life has remained pretty much the same up until the modern day. Its four face button, four shoulder button, d-pad, start and select layout was inspired by the SNES controller (from the days Sony were going to partner with Nintendo to build the SNES CD). The Nintendo 64 controller is often derided for "being designed for people with three hands" but was the first controller to offer players a choice between using the d-pad and analog stick comfortably. Every controller in the next generation allowed players to do that, and so it's only fair to give credit to the N64 controller for that, as well as featuring camera control and extra functions with the yellow D-pad.

Sega's effort for the fifth generation was much like the 6 button controller for the Mega Drive with shoulder buttons. A later revision added an analog stick at the cost of the controller looking like a pancake. The 3DO controller was somewhat of a cross between the SNES and Mega Drive controllers, with 3 buttons, start and select and shoulder buttons, but with the console at $699.99 it didn't catch on. The final notable controller of the fifth generation is the Atari Jaguar which to my mind is probably the worst designed controller ever. Not content to choose between a 9 digit numberpad and a regular controller, Atari forced both into the design, making it a large, difficult to operate mess.

(Top Left: Nintendo Gamecube Controller - 2001, Top Right: Sega Dreamcast Controller - 1999
Bottom Left: Sony Playstation 2 Controller - 2000, Bottom Right: Microsoft Xbox Type S Controller - 2001)

Possibly the best known video game consoles, the sixth generation brought 4 main controllers with similar, but not indistinguishable designs together. The first to be released was that of the Dreamcast; featuring 4 face buttons, a left and right trigger, analog stick, d-pad and a start button, as well as somewhere to put a memory card. The concept of triggers on consoles may seem familiar to gamers now, but the Dreamcast was the first to show the way. Whether they were used for racing games, guarding in fighters or doing a Crazy Boost in Crazy Taxi, the triggers proved their worth as an addition. The PS2 controller had the least changes from the previous generation, in fact apart from being black it's hard to discern any changes save for a rumble feature. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Gamecube seems to have a much more standard design, when taking the N64 controller into account. The C-stick is the main defining feature, alongside new X and Y buttons and triggers which can also be used as buttons. Personally I find these to be a little awkward when compared to the simple triggers of the Dreamcast and Xbox, but with concepts like Super Mario Sunshine they work well. The final controller of the sixth generation is that of the Xbox. Originally a huge circular monstrosity, Microsoft quickly realised that it needed a redesign. The Type S controller integrates all of the features of the original controller, although the Xbox's only real bit of individuality are the white and black buttons.

(Left: Sony Playstation 3 Controller - 2006, Right: Nintendo Wii Controller - 2006)

The seventh generation of video games is possibly one of the strangest; the PS3 once again featured a very similar version of the previous generation's controller, this time with wireless capability and triggers instead of R2 and L2 shoulder buttons. The Xbox 360 also features a controller without much changed; removal of the white and black buttons, an Xbox button in the centre for online options and wireless capability seem to be the only modifications from the Type S.

The Wii introduced the world to motion control gaming with its revolutionary new controller. As can be seen from previous controllers, Nintendo weren't afraid to change things up a bit, and while everyone may have their opinion on the Wii and its games, the fact remains that the sensor bar is responsive and the first party games make good use of the Wiimote and Nunchuck. So much so in fact, that the Wii's sales inspired the Playstation Move and Xbox Kinect controllers which brought a sense of unity to gaming experiences in that whatever console you were playing, there was a motion control option for you.

So finally we come to the current generation; the WiiU is the only console I currently own but its controller is of extreme interest. I can't imagine what an NES gamer would have said, if you'd shown them this in 1985, but it'd have probably given them a heart attack. Featuring a large touchscreen, dual analog sticks, a d-pad, four face buttons, two bumper buttons and two shoulder buttons, +/- buttons, home, power and TV control as well as an accelerometer, camera, speakers, microphone and gyroscopic something or other, this is the most complex controller ever released. Some might say too complex, or too gimmicky, but the simple fact that this exists is amazing, especially in a time where the other major companies have released essentially the same controller for the past 3 generations.

The PS4 controller (which I've had a little go on) has been streamlined and is a slightly different shape to previous generations. With the start and select buttons renamed and moved up to the top of the controller, and a new touchpad, it retains most other features of the PS3 controller. The Xbox One controller appears to be the most similar to its previous iteration, this generation. There are changes but mostly subtle ones and I've not had a chance to try one out yet, so I can't say whether it's improved at all. Still, its amazing how far controllers have come in 20 years and with talk of this being the last console generation perhaps this is a definitive look at them.

(Top Left: Logitech Steering Wheel for PS2, Top Right: Joystick Controller for Gamecube
Bottom Left: Flight Stick for Sega Mega Drive, Bottom Right: Light Gun for Sega Dreamcast)

There have been many first and third party control accessories, some better than others and too many to even begin to describe. Light guns, steering wheels and joysticks are among the most common, but the PS1 and Dreamcast both got Fishing Rod controllers, and I'm sure there are even crazier add ons out there. My proudest Mega Drive achievement to date was completing Streets of Rage using only the Flight Stick above which took some doing. Personally unless a game requires an accessory, I'll use the controller but with systems such as the Wii, there's the possibility of using the controller as all kinds of things, so perhaps we'll see less accessories in future.

If you play any kind of video games you'll probably have a favourite controller, whether that's just because you're used to it, or it stands out above the rest with cutting edge features and design. Personally I'd have to list my top 5 controllers as follows;

1. Playstation 2  - Classic and in my view, the best of the Playstation controllers
2. Wii                - Responsive and the first console to really get the motion controls right
3. Dreamcast     - With good triggers, and a place for your memory card, this is a solid controller.
4. Nintendo 64  - Classic design, which works well for most N64 games
5. WiiU             - Tons of features, including being a remote for your TV and console

I'd be interested to hear what your favourite controllers are, and why. Feel free to disagree, but be glad that you've had the choice of so many. After all we could be stuck in 1972 twiddling knobs and keeping our own scores.