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The Nintendo 64 Controller was used as the primary form of input for the Nintendo 64 console. It featured two major innovations–the introduction of the analog stick and a trigger behind the controller. It was also the first Nintendo developed controller that allowed for expansion, with the memory card and rumble pak being the main attachments. It also included a red start button, four yellow "C" buttons, an A and B button, a D-Pad, and a L and R button. The N64 is the first Nintendo console that allows up to four controllers to be plugged in at once, whereas previous consoles only allowed two.
Unorthodox for a video game controller, there are three grips; it would be impractical to use the D-Pad, analog stick, and A, B, and C buttons at the same time. Another burden was the fact that if players were playing with the analog stick, it would be hard for them to reach the L button. The L button, however, was rarely used in games made for the console. Video games made for the Nintendo 64 would only almost always use two handles of the controller at one time. The three control styles were: 3D mode (where you hold the middle and right handles), 2D mode (where you hold the left and right), and FPS mode (where you hold the left and middle. This control style simuates the movement and aiming seen in many PC first person shooter games). The GameCube controller has a similar appearance to this one. The difference is that the N64 controller is in the shape of an 'M' (similar to the Virtual Boy's Controller).
On the Wii Virtual Console, Nintendo 64 games must be played with either the Classic Controller or the GameCube controller, which made some of the games difficult to play since the analog stick was not emulated properly. However, a third party adapter for the Wii allows N64 controllers to be connected to the GameCube controller ports. Another adapter exists that also corrects the analog stick for a GameCube controller.
Buttons[]
- A button - A blue button that is placed to the right of the analog stick.
- B button - A green button that is placed to the right of the analog stick. Is located next to the A button.
- Start button - A big red button that is usually used to pause the game. Placed directly above the analog stick.
- C buttons - Four small yellow buttons placed to the right of the A and B buttons. These buttons control the camera angle in some games and are sometimes used as extra action buttons in others such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
- D-pad - A directional pad that is placed on the left side of the controller. This is used in games such as GoldenEye 007 and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
- R button - A grey shoulder button placed on the right side of the controller.
- L button - A grey shoulder button placed on the left side of the controller. Rarely used.
- Z button - A grey trigger button placed on the back of the controller in the center.
- Analog stick - While not a button, it is the primary form of control and is placed in the center of the controller.
Expansions[]
Behind the controller is an expansion slot in which the player can insert relatively small cartridges inside to enhance the gameplay somewhat. These expansions can be removed by pressing the grey button under the protruding slot. The expansions include:
- Rumble Pak - The Rumble Pak debuted with Star Fox 64, and made the N64 the first console controller to have a rumble feature. It would be implemented in many future games, and some titles, such as Super Mario 64, were remade in Japan just to make use of it. Virtual Console games, however, do not have the rumble feature, even though the Classic Controller and GameCube Controller both have a rumble feature. A similarly-named peripheral was released for the Nintendo DS, and goes in the Game Boy Advance slot.
- Memory Card - Some games required the use of a memory card expansion. This feature is not emulated in Virtual Console or Nintendo Switch Online N64 games for some reason.
- Transfer Pak - this is a cartridge adapter that allows you to plug a Game Boy cartridge into your controller for use in games such as Pokémon Stadium.
It should also be noted that some expansions could only be implemented on the actual N64 console, such as the Expansion Pak, which increased the RAM to 8 megabytes from the original 4 megabytes, which allowed the player to play games such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and Donkey Kong 64.
Color variations[]
At launch, individual Nintendo 64 controllers came in the following opaque colors: Classic Grey (included with the console), Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, and Black. Later on, lots of other translucent colors were released for the Funtastic Series Nintendo 64 consoles. These are: Jungle Green, Extreme Green, Atomic Purple, Grape Purple, Watermelon Pinkish-red, Ice Blue, Fire Orange, Smoke Grey, Blue and Clear, & Red and Pink. The Blue and Clear color was exclusive to Europe and Japan. The Red and Pink one was exclusive to Japan only. Up next are the Funtastic colors that were exclusive to a contest that was held in Europe: Ocean Blue, Clear White, Deep Red, Grass Green, and Milky Blue. A Gold controller was bundled with the gold Nintendo 64 console. There was also a Blue and Yellow controller that was included with the Pikachu Nintendo 64 console. Two other variations of that one exist (both also have the same yellow bottom as the original version) which are Light Blue and Orange. These two variations are Japan exclusive as well. Exclusive to Australia is a Pokémon themed controller that is Yellow on the top and Blue on the bottom. A Donkey Kong 64 Banana Yellow controller also exists. Finally we have the special shiny controller colors: E3 Golden N Logo, Millennium 2000 Silver, and Golden Nintendo Power 100th Issue Edition.
Trivia[]
In 1997, Nintendo made a raffle through Nintendo Power with which everyone who won it would get a golden Nintendo 64 controller. At the end of the raffle in 1998, a few of them were rewarded to those who won the raffle. The purchase of a limited-edition golden N64 at Toys R Us also included 2 golden controllers.