The NES Controller.
The NES controller is the main controller for the NES. While previous systems had used joysticks, the NES controller provided a directional pad. Its four buttons along with the D-pad simplified the controls, helping the NES to be phenomenally successful. The controller was painted grey with a black face with grey stripes.
Redesign
When the NES2 was released in the 1990s, designed to resemble the SNES, the controller was redesigned to resemble the SNES controller. Its "dog bone" shape was notably different from the simple rectangular shape of the original.
Legacy
The NES controller is the most well-known controller in Nintendo history. It has appeared in subsequent media along with Nintendo merchandise and even future games. The Wii Remote acts as an NES controller substitute for all NES Virtual Console titles.