But the problem was that it was uncomfortable to play with, and players would even get blisters in their palms because of the joystick. Then, if you wanted to play 3D games, say Mario Party or Super Mario 64, you’d use the joystick in the middle handle and the C-buttons in the right handle. With the M-shaped controller, the idea was to give players the best of both gaming worlds the outer handles, which housed the D-pad and the C-buttons, were meant for traditional, usually 2D, games. Although it looked unique, the controller wasn’t the most ergonomic. Another great thing about it was that it could handle a four-player split-screen and still run smoothly.īut with the pros also come some cons. What drew people into the N64–besides the fun, top-tier games you could play with it–is how it revolutionized 3D movement in video games with its C-buttons and joystick, which competitor consoles like PlayStation didn’t have. It’s the first console to feature 64-bit gaming (hence the name), which meant higher resolution and overall better performance, and the last to have a cartridge-based format. Known for its iconic M-shaped controller, analog stick, and chunky cartridges, it’s probably the most fondly-remembered gaming console of all time. N64 is Nintendo’s fifth-generation video game console, which they released in 1996. What Is N64? Photo by Céréales Killer from Wikimedia Commons

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