The n64 controller

corblimey

I was asked this the other day and had no real answer to it. So here goes:

"Why was there a middle leg on the n64 controller?"

It was such an odd thing to be asked, I was sort of flummoxed, and basically all I could think of was 'it was designed that way'. It does seem kind of superfluous, though. You'd hold the controller by the left and right legs, what did the middle leg add to the mix?

Irish Halo

But the analogue stick was on the middle stick:


Or are you asking why the analogue stick was not on the LHS? Well it was one of the first major, popular consoles to offer an analogue stick and I think it was assumed that the d-pad would be used initially by 3rd parties instead of the stick.

corblimey

Fair enough, but there's what looks like a lot of wasted space there, you could easily move up the stick a few inches, and remove the middle leg?

dclewis

ever since I have had an n64 which seems years now. I have never held the left leg only the middle and right. I never ever used the d pad. I always wondered why they put it there.

DavyD_83

Think it'd be a way more valid question to ask why there was a left leg? Not sure I ever used that
And the middle leg had the (Z?) trigger button on it.

Retr0gamer

The d-pad was there for more traditional games. It was also put there for some games for lefties since the N64 while excellent for right handed people, is a dog for lefties. You have to remember it was a brave new world. The Saturn analogue pad came first and employed an analogue and d-pad in easy reach but it was aping the N64 pad which was shown years before. Before the N64 pad the only other analogue pad was the 5200's. You also have to remember the the dual shock design which put the analogue stick and d-pad within easy reach was a bit of a joke at the time of release and people complained it was uncomfortable compared to the much better N64 design. The dual shock is a pretty horrendous design that people only find comfortable because of some form of Stockholm Syndrome because we have used it for so long.

B.A._Baracus

Ah the N64... memories.


But it depended on the game in question.
Some games would require you to control using the stick, with your left hand, and the buttons with the right (Duke Nukem 64 pops to mind)

But other games you would control with the d-pad (left hand) instead.

Star Lord

DavyD_83 wrote: »

Think it'd be a way more valid question to ask why there was a left leg? Not sure I ever used that
And the middle leg had the (Z?) trigger button on it.

^ This is my opinion too!

The middle 'leg' with the analogue stick and Z trigger felt very natural, particularly when playing FPS games, like Goldeneye!

im invisible

prefered the way the controls were set up for Turok, analog stick for looking, c buttons for moving

machiavellianme

ah simultaneously the greatest and worst controller I have vere owned.
I love the feel of an n64 controller. Sits neatly in your hands (middle and right legs) up until the dreaded white dust pours from your analog stick and it just rattles around in the housing. Went through 6 official controllers between myself and 3 brothers (mainly on oot and goldeneye, although cokers bad fur day broke one), the last of which gave up 2 months ago. The replicas have held out better but feel awful

Kinski

This is why it's a shame that Nintendo are committed to developing gimmicky controllers like waggle-motes and touchscreen tablets these days. They could have - should have - been designing controllers which innovated in small and subtle but highly significant ways, continually refining and rethinking how we play console titles.

One simple thing that was actually good about the Wii Remote was that it allowed the player to rest her arms apart, which feels much more natural than bringing them together to grip those chunky little controllers that are standard. The comfort was, however, offset by the necessity of waving the damn thing around. But a simple little thing, probably completely incidental, that could have caused a rethink in controller design.

Kinski

Incidentally, some English guy has a website wear he sells refurbished (to order) N64 pads with USB connectors on them. Looks like he does a really good job on them, even taking out the dodgy old analogue sticks and replacing them with ones from the GameCube pad. Despite seemingly being just a hobbyist business, from the pics the controllers looked really good, all very professional looking. But he was charging 60 quid or something.

o1s1n

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Before the N64 pad the only other analogue pad was the 5200's..

Wrong! The Vectrex has an analog stick too. :P

Edit - just want to add to that, not only did the Vectrex one come out in 1983, it's still better than the n64 piece of crap. My one worked perfectly whereas lots of my N64 pads feel like a metal pole in half dried cement!