NES Controller

3D Model

Released in 1985 in North America, the Nintendo Entertainment System revolutionized the whole gaming industry, which was otherwise decaying severely after the Video Game Crash of 1983. As for the controller for this system, Nintendo used Gunpei Yokoi’s cross-shaped directional pad, which had been developed for earlier handheld LCD games (the Nintendo Game & Watch series).

In the mid-80s, Nintendo wanted to differentiate their system from its competitors by marketing the NES as a “household entertainment device”, rather than a “videogame console” (hence the front-loading mechanism to insert the game cartridges, designed to resemble a VCR). This is also true for the controller, which uses the D-pad instead of the more arcade-like joystick, which is what most home consoles used in years past.