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[JusDoIt]

Sounds about right.

 

[Tarextherex]

3D games

 

[Cathcart]

They brought it into this world and they can take it back out.

 

[Jumpman23]

D-Pad, Select/Start, four face buttons, L/R shoulder buttons, analogue stick, 3D platformers, split screen?, camera control for 3D games, hybrid hardware....and arguably some of the best games ever created.

 

[Thebullfrog]

Yes, the d-pad.
And the GameBoy
And the analog stick.
And shoulder buttons.
And a pile of the most influential games ever created.
And bringing gaming to the masses in a way that nobody else ever managed.
And rescuing the entire goddamned gaming industry after Atari did everything in their power to create the crash.

 

[Bakkus]

In before "THEN WHY DOESNT SWITCH HAVE ONE"

But yes it's one of them for sure, watching the video now!

It does if you use the non horrible controller to play your games.

 

[Liabe Brave]

Nintendo popularized it and hyped it with the N64, before anybody else.

The Atari 5200 had analog sticks more than a decade earlier.

D-Pad, Select/Start, four face buttons, L/R shoulder buttons, analogue stick, 3D platformers, split screen?, camera control for 3D games, hybrid hardware....and arguably some of the best games ever created.

They didn't invent shoulder buttons, the analogue stick, 3D platformers, or 3D camera control. (They may not have invented some of the others either, these are just the ones I'm sure about.)

 

[Nazgul_Hunter]

They made millions of kids grow up loving rpgs thanks to Pokèmon. I think that's an outstanding achievement having in mind that rpgs are one of the most difficult genres to jump on, specially for kids.

I almost wonder if the big innovations the west has made in RPGs these last few years have something to do with Pokémon inspiring kids-now-devs to get into RPGs

 

[dezzy8]

Their games are definitely the greatest contribution.

 

[EdgeXL]

I'd like to think that Nintendo's vast array of excellent IPs is their greatest contribution to gaming. Their amazing controllers are icing on the cake.

 

[CrazyHorse]

Super Mario bros on NES and Mario 64 are their best contributions. The first defined 2D games and the s find 3D.

 

[Jumpman23]

The Atari 5200 had analog sticks more than a decade earlier.


They didn't invent shoulder buttons, the analogue stick, 3D platformers, or 3D camera control. (They may not have invented some of the others either, these are just the ones I'm sure about.)

In the context of bringing these things to the home console market first, I'd argue they did. I'll admit though, Atari did analogue first.

 

[Fredrik]

Without the D-pad we would still be using joysticks.
I love joysticks.
So no, it was one of their worst contributions :/

 

[Dredd97]

Mario 64. It's the game that changed everything.

no
that will be space war or space invaders...

that changed everything...

 

[Lingitiz]

no
that will be space war or space invaders...

that changed everything...

Multiple games can change everything.

 

[optimiss]

In the context of bringing these things to the home console market first, I'd argue they did. I'll admit though, Atari did analogue first.

Didn't prior analog sticks like the 5200 not recenter themselves? I'm pretty sure the N64 also had the first thumb operated analog stick, which is quite a different experience than a hand operated one.

 

[Meesh]

The D-pad is still a pretty big deal to me, I can't even imagine playing the classics without it!

 

[RRockman]

It does if you use the non horrible controller to play your games.

Joycon has great sticks and clicky buttons. It's not horrible.

 

[Manmademan]

Didn't prior analog sticks like the 5200 not recenter themselves? I'm pretty sure the N64 also had the first thumb operated analog stick, which is quite a different experience than a hand operated one.

nope. The vectrex had the first self centering thumb operated analog stick.

I couldn't find a picture of one with someone actually gripping it, but the stick isn't large at all. This was 1983 or so.

The vectrex was vector based, and objects on the screen looked and moved like simple 2D polygons, using all 360 degrees of motion in many cases. There wasn't really much point to something like an analog stick this advanced on sprite based systems, which is probably why you didn't see a controller like this show up again until the N64/PS1 era.

 

[atr0cious]

nope. The vectrex had the first self centering thumb operated analog stick.

I couldn't find a picture of one with someone actually gripping it, but the stick isn't large at all. This was 1983 or so.

The vectrex was vector based, and objects on the screen looked and moved like simple 2D polygons, using all 360 degrees of motion in many cases. There wasn't really much point to something like an analog stick this advanced on sprite based systems, which is probably why you didn't see a controller like this show up again until the N64/PS1 era.

That controller looks more like an arcade cabinet and the stick is clearly for gripping with how thin and long the stem is. No way was that meant to be held like a controller.

 

[Manmademan]

That controller looks more like an arcade cabinet and the stick is clearly for gripping with how thin and long the stem is. No way was that meant to be held like a controller.

I've actually owned and used a vectrex, man. you're wrong here.

that stick is WAY too small to grip. literally impossible.

edit: some more searching came up with a picture with some hands to give you a better idea of the size.

edit: found a better one. The Vectrex is a REALLY tiny system.

 

[Muffdraul]

no
that will be space war or space invaders...

that changed everything...

Thank you for not calling out Pong. Pong was big in its day, but it was a trendy fad that for the most part had come and gone by the end of 1976. A few games followed in its wake, but not that many people gave a shit about them. Arcades weren't that crowded and were still mostly pinball machines. Nobody was talking about video games anymore.Then in 1978 Space Invaders hit and was an overnight mega-sensation, and video games have only increased in popularity since then. Space Invaders wasn't the first, but it was the one that truly kicked off the industry as we know it. That's how I see it, anyway. I was there.

Space Invaders was king of 1978. 1979 was Asteroids. 1980 was Pac Man. 1981 was Donkey Kong. For 1982, I can't think of a singular game that was king for that year. I can rattle off a list of rad games that were all big that year, but not one king to rule them all. Same for '83 and '84. And that was when I lost interest... until 1991 when I ended up buying a SNES as part of a scheme to establish credit after finishing school. And that's kinda why I'm here today.

EDIT: I had a Vectrex, and I never held the controller or saw anyone else hold it. I laid it down on the tabletop and hit the buttons with various fingers, like arcade buttons. The stick wasn't meant to be gripped like a 2600 stick or whatever, you just used your finger tips.

 

[atr0cious]

I've actually owned and used a vectrex, man. you're wrong here.

that stick is WAY too small to grip. literally impossible.

edit: some more searching came up with a picture with some hands to give you a better idea of the size.



edit: found a better one. The Vectrex is a REALLY tiny system.

Ok, I can now see why it's a failure, as if it's goal was to be held in the hands to be manipulated, it's built physically to go against this, the main indicator being the giant buttons going across in a straight line. Like the Master systems track ball controller, it looks like it was designed to be held in the lap.

 

[Manmademan]

Thank you for not calling out Pong. Pong was big in its day, but it was a trendy fad that for the most part had come and gone by the end of 1976. A few games followed in its wake, but not that many people gave a shit about them. Nobody was talking about video games anymore.Then in 1978 Space Invaders hit and was an overnight mega-sensation, and video games have only increased in popularity since then. Space Invaders wasn't the first, but it was the one that truly kicked off the industry as we know it. That's how I see it, anyway. I was there.

Space Invaders was king of 1978. 1979 was Asteroids. 1980 was Pac Man. 1981 was Donkey Kong. For 1982, I can't think of a singular game that was king for that year. I can rattle off a list of rad games that were all big that year, but not one king to rule them all. Same for '83 and '84. And that was when I lost interest... until 1991 when I ended up buying a SNES as part of a scheme to establish credit after finishing school.

EDIT: I had a Vectrex, and I never held the controller or saw anyone else hold it. I laid it down on the tabletop and hit the buttons with various fingers, like arcade buttons. The stick wasn't meant to be gripped like a 2600 stick or whatever, you just used your finger tips.

held mine all the time. probably because I didn't have it on a table- it was either on the floor or on a small desk- neither of which really had the room to lay the controller flat.

obviously you COULD do it that way- but using fingertips always felt weird for me. just hold it in the lap, use the thumb.

either way, no way could you grip that. not even with Trump hands. designed for thumbs or fingertips.

Ok, I can now see why it's a failure, as if it's goal was to be held in the hands to be manipulated, it's built physically to go against this, the main indicator being the giant buttons going across in a straight line. Like the Master systems track ball controller, it looks like it was designed to be held in the lap.

eh, the vectrex released in the US in 1982, right when the entire home videogame industry crashed. it also was a rather small self contained black and white system that looked a bit odd even by contemporary standards.

The controller was fine, and the stick was really cool. most games (at least the ones I played) didn't use all 4 buttons anyway- only one, maybe two at best. most games you'd be using your index and middle fingers for buttons 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 were just superfluous.

interesting system, but it was doomed by too many outside factors.

 

[Muffdraul]

Vectrex ad demonstrating how the controller was meant to be used:

 

[atr0cious]

Vectrex ad demonstrating how the controller was meant to be used:

Not seeing a link, but I was also looking for it.

It's pretty clear Nintendo had the first true thumbstick.

 

[Muffdraul]

One of several Vectrex commercials on YT where you can see someone using the controller:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8zTSfmITf4

 

[Cymbal Head]

The analog stick didn't become a standard until after N64, so they deserve credit, "invention" be damned.

 

[Spukc]

THEN WHY DOESNT SWITCH HAVE ONE"

2D GAMING IS DEAD THATS WHY 🤓🤓

 

[Manmademan]

Not seeing a link, but I was also looking for it.
It's pretty clear Nintendo had the first true thumbstick.

LOL. literally a guy using his thumb in that ad in the bottom left. you could use the stick either way, depending on what was comfortable.

there's no functional difference between the vectrex stick and the N64/Dualshocks that came later- except perhaps the vectrex stick was less prone to breakage.

The analog stick didn't become a standard until after N64, so they deserve credit, "invention" be damned.

by that logic the single analog stick on the N64 was never a "standard"- everyone is using the dual setup sony popularized with the Dual Analog/Dual Shock on PS1- including Nintendo. So why doesn't sony deserve credit for standardizing it?

 

[Spukc]

I've actually owned and used a vectrex, man. you're wrong here.

that stick is WAY too small to grip. literally impossible.

edit: some more searching came up with a picture with some hands to give you a better idea of the size.



edit: found a better one. The Vectrex is a REALLY tiny system.

Hahaha nope i played on a demo unit you play it like an arcade .. no way you hold the controller with your hands haha

 

[atr0cious]

LOL. literally a guy using his thumb in that ad in the bottom left. you could use the stick either way, depending on what was comfortable.

there's no functional difference between the vectrex stick and the N64/Dualshocks that came later- except perhaps the vectrex stick was less prone to breakage.

You're serious? Besides the fact that the example you're pointing out is a guy losing so his hand is off the controller while the other is still playing, and all the other marketing material on this page hammering this home, you're gonna say there was no functional difference between the two even though, the 64 is built for a thumb to rest on in it's width and the grooves as well as having a stem that's way smaller? Just stop

by that logic the single analog stick on the N64 was never a "standard"- everyone is using the dual setup sony popularized with the Dual Analog/Dual Shock on PS1- including Nintendo. So why doesn't sony deserve credit for standardizing it?

So all this is just to discredit Nintendo, even though the dual shock was almost literally an snes controller with extra buttons and stick. .

 

[Manmademan]

You're serious? Besides the fact that the example you're pointing out is a guy losing so his hand is of the controller while the other is still playing, and all the other marketing material on this page hammering this time, you're gonna say there was no functional difference between the two even though, the 64 is built for a thumb to rest on in it's width and the grooves as well as having a stem that's way smaller? Just stop.

Like I said- I've used both controllers. Its a self centering analog stick that could easily be used with thumbs or fingers. it's way too small to be used with a "grip."

pretending there's some kind of grand difference between it and the N64/Dualshock setup is lunacy.

So all this is just to discredit Nintendo, even though the dual shock was almost literally an snes controller with extra buttons and stick. .

all this to point out the silliness of "who gets credit".

Vectrex was the first to invent the self centering analog stick for home consoles, and the thing works well- whether you choose to use thumbs or fingers. Both nintendo, sony, and everyone after is taking cues from that.

Saying "well nintendo popularized the analog!" is nonsensical since literally no one uses the single analog setup the N64 came up with- the "popularized" design was the dual analog setup Sony came up with a year or two later.

Nintendo gets credit for lots of interesting things including the D-pad, but the analog stick isn't one of them.

 

[atr0cious]

Like I said- I've used both controllers. Its a self centering analog stick that could easily be used with thumbs or fingers. it's way too small to be used with a "grip."

pretending there's some kind of grand difference between it and the N64/Dualshock setup is lunacy.

You keep saying what you've done when there's a commerical for the vectrex in this thread that zooms in on how exactly you're wrong.

 

[Crayon]

I would say their cutthroat aggression was their greatest contribution. If you want to sell videogames you take no prisoners. They're not so much like that these days...

 

[Nostremitus]

LOL. literally a guy using his thumb in that ad in the bottom left. you could use the stick either way, depending on what was comfortable.

there's no functional difference between the vectrex stick and the N64/Dualshocks that came later- except perhaps the vectrex stick was less prone to breakage.



by that logic the single analog stick on the N64 was never a "standard"- everyone is using the dual setup sony popularized with the Dual Analog/Dual Shock on PS1- including Nintendo. So why doesn't sony deserve credit for standardizing it?

Sony launched the dualshock mid-gen because Nintendo standardized the analog stick and rumble. The second analog stick was because Nintendo standardized camera control with the C buttons. The PS1 launched with a pure digital controller without rumble or sticks. Dualshock was the response to standardization.

 

[Moondrop]

No, it's their game design sensibilities.

 

[Manmademan]

Sony launched the dualshock mid-gen because Nintendo standardized the analog stick and rumble. The second analog stick was because Nintendo standardized camera control with the C buttons. The PS1 launched with a pure digital controller without rumble.

The PS1 launched in 1994.

The N64 launched in 1996.

The Playstation Analog Joystick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Analog_Joystick
was announced in 1995, launched in April 1996 before the N64 released.

edit:

The Analog Joystick used potentiometer technology previously used on consoles such as the Vectrex; instead of relying on binary eight-way switches, the controller can detect minute angular changes through the entire range of motion. The stick also features a thumb-operated digital hat switch on the right joystick, corresponding to the traditional D-pad, and used for instances when simple digital movements were necessary.

the Dual Analog was a scaled down version of that, launched in 1997.

The Dual Shock with rumble showed up in late 1997.

The analog controllers on Sony's end weren't "mid gen" at all and were well in development before the N64 launched.

 

[WillyFive]

by that logic the single analog stick on the N64 was never a "standard"- everyone is using the dual setup sony popularized with the Dual Analog/Dual Shock on PS1- including Nintendo. So why doesn't sony deserve credit for standardizing it?

Because no one thinks that way and there's no reason to do so. Sony only added analog sticks because the N64 was eating their lunch at the time.

The PS1 launched in 1994.

The N64 launched in 1996.

The Playstation Analog Joystick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Analog_Joystick
also launched in 1996.

the Dual Analog was a scaled down version of that, launched in 1997.

The Dual Shock with rumble showed up in late 1997.

The analog controllers on Sony's end weren't "mid gen" at all and were well in development before the N64 launched.

The N64 was announced and publicly revealed years (since 1994) before release (as the Ultra 64), due to multiple high profile delays (it finally came out in mid 1996). Both the Saturn analog controller and Sony's multiple attempts were direct responses to the N64.

The PS1 would not be released in Japan for a few more months when this image was released, and the PS1 would not come out in the US until a year later.

 

[atr0cious]

The PS1 launched in 1994.

The N64 launched in 1996.

The Playstation Analog Joystick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Analog_Joystick
also launched in 1996.

the Dual Analog was a scaled down version of that, launched in 1997.

The Dual Shock with rumble showed up in late 1997.

The analog controllers on Sony's end weren't "mid gen" at all and were well in development before the N64 launched.

So you're just trolling now. Ok. And no it wasn't. The dual analog was a revision of the first ps controller, even your article states that.

 

[Manmademan]

Because no one thinks that way and there's no reason to do so. Sony only added analog sticks because the N64 was eating their lunch at the time.

you crazy? the PS1 drastically outsold the N64 worldwide. it was only ever close in the united states. and the analog flightstick was announced a full year before the N64 hit shelves.

implying that the dual analog flight stick is somehow a response to the single analog N64 controller is crazy. the two controllers are wildly different.

 

[Manmademan]

So you're just trolling now. Ok. And no it wasn't. The dual analog was a revision of the first ps controller, even your article states that.

some of us actually know what we're talking about here.

The Dual Analog was a scaled down version of the dual analog flight stick and included an "analog mode" that didn't show up on the Dualshock because of this.

The Dual Analog controller has three modes of operation: Digital, which disables the Analog sticks, Analog (as also found on DualShock/DualShock 2 controllers) and a unique Analog Flightstick mode that is not available on the DualShock or DualShock 2.

If a PS1 game is DualShock or Dual Analog compatible, the player may press the Analog button located between the two analog sticks to activate the analog mode. This is indicated by a red LED. If the Dual Analog controller is switched to analog mode while using a game which is not analog-compatible, the game will not register any button presses or, in some cases, the PlayStation will consider the controller to be detached.

That "analog flightstick" mode was made to emulate functions specific to the analog flightstick, because the dual analog was a scaled down version of that. Sony dropped that function for the Dualshock.

Dual Flightstick > Dual Analog > Dualshock is a pretty clear roadmap.

 

[Cymbal Head]

by that logic the single analog stick on the N64 was never a "standard"- everyone is using the dual setup sony popularized with the Dual Analog/Dual Shock on PS1- including Nintendo. So why doesn't sony deserve credit for standardizing it?

This is fine by me. Nintendo made the analog stick work well enough for it to be widely adopted, and the dual shock gets credit for taking proven elements and arranging them into the standard form we now have, more or less.

Gillette gets credit for innovating the 3 bladed razor, but that's not as important as the first razor with a disposable, interchangeable​ head.

 

[atr0cious]

implying that the dual analog flight stick is somehow a response to the single analog N64 controller is crazy. the two controllers are wildly different.

This is the goalpost strawman of the year. No one is talking about a flight stick and yet you try to fly the idea that Sony was only making a flight stick smaller instead of doing what they did from inception and borrow from Nintendo.

 

[WillyFive]

you crazy? the PS1 drastically outsold the N64 worldwide. it was only ever close in the united states. and the analog flightstick was announced a full year before the N64 hit shelves.

implying that the dual analog flight stick is somehow a response to the single analog N64 controller is crazy. the two controllers are wildly different.

You don't know much about this topic.

Yeah, the PS1 eventually outsold the N64 worldwide by the end of it's run, but that ignores the fact that the N64 was a major success at first (around 1996 and 1997). And frankly it takes major mental gymnastics and spin to try to sell the Dual Analog as not related to the N64, just because it has two (wow!) control sticks instead of one.

I bet you will also argue the SIXAXIS was not at all related to the Wii remote.

 

[Manmademan]

This is the goalpost strawman of the year. No one is talking about a flight stick and yet you try to fly the idea that Sony was only making a flight stick smaller instead of doing what they did from inception and borrow from Nintendo.

Pretty sure we were talking about the flight stick, since the sony flight stick was the first analog controller to hit the market since the vectrex in 1982.

Sony took that design, scaled it down for the dual analog (because that thing was BIG) then revised it further for the dualshock.

had there been no N64, you still would have ended up with the Dualshock at the exact same time. It wasn't a panicked reaction to the N64, Sony had it in development for years.

You don't know much about this topic.

Yeah, the PS1 eventually outsold the N64 worldwide by the end of it's run, but that ignores the fact that the N64 was a major success at first (around 1996 and 1997). And frankly it takes major mental gymnastics and spin to try to sell the Dual Analog as not related to the N64, just because it has two (wow!) control sticks instead of one.

I bet you will also argue the SIXAXIS was not at all related to the Wii remote.

NOW who's trolling? The PS1 consistently perpetually ahead of the N64. there was no "eventually" there, the N64 got dominated, and badly.

 

[D.Lo]

The PS1 launched in 1994.

The N64 launched in 1996.

The Playstation Analog Joystick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Analog_Joystick
was announced in 1995, launched in April 1996 before the N64 released.

edit:

the Dual Analog was a scaled down version of that, launched in 1997.

The Dual Shock with rumble showed up in late 1997.

The analog controllers on Sony's end weren't "mid gen" at all and were well in development before the N64 launched.

Lol no. Why such a desperate attempt to disprove that Sony obviously copied Nintendo.

The flight stick joystick is irrelevant, that is not a hand controller and was in no way designed to play regular games. That's like claiming a light gun was an early version of the Wii Remote pointer - game type specific controller/application vs all purpose control method.

The Dual Analgue and Dual Shock are utterly obviously direct repossess to the N64 controller's analogue stick and rumble. The N64 controller was first shown in 1995 (or maybe even 1994) and was delayed, and Mario 64 was the game that showed you needed analogue control for open 3D games to work well.

The fact Sony changed the controller that was included in the box with their console to match Nintendo's controller features is evidence enough that it was an after the fact catch up. I had to go out and buy a new PS1 controller because the one that came with it wasn't good enough for later games, whereas the N64 controller played every single game on the system through to the end.

 

[Regginator]

- introduced dpad
- introduced a targeting system
- improved/perfected analogue sticks
- Mario 64
- Ocarina of Time


I always have this top 5 when I get asked what Nintendo's best contributions are.

 

[atr0cious]

Pretty sure we were talking about the flight stick, since the sony flight stick was the first analog controller to hit the market since the vectrex in 1982.

We're clearly talking about modern analog sticks, not some sematic bullshit from arcade cabinets. This is getting pathetic.

 

[bionic77]

Has any company taken more risks or innovated more in gaming then Nintendo?

Sega used to be in that conversation until they went bankrupt. Can't think of anyone else.