Page 17 - Old School Gamer Magazine Issue #40 FREE Edition

SNK would later incorporate a similar button layout with 1981’s Vanguard arcade cabinet.
Mattel’s Intellivision (1980) is credited as being the first video game console to ditch the popular joystick method in favor of a
flat, disc-shaped input device as
the console’s directional input mechanic. While not nearly as precise as the Yokoi’s D-Pad, the Intellivision controller’s disc offered 16 available directional inputs. Instead of a multi-finger or full- hand joystick grip, the Intellivision’s disc was operated with a single thumb. This generally translated
into quicker and more precise inputs.
DOWN
While Mattel’s disc control innovation was certainly a welcomed alternative by some versus joystick-based controllers, it wasn’t without its flaws. The disc was prone to mechanical failure due to the controller’s relatively flimsy internal membrane and loose spring-based fulcrum. It
also tended to attract particulate and dirt inside due to the gaping spaces revealed when the disc as pressed. Nonetheless, the
Intellivision heralded the embryo of what would eventually become a controller-wise industry standard, but the video game crash of 1983 in North America certainly acted as
a speed bump in the road to future innovations.
As mentioned, it was during this time when Japan-based Nintendo was actively expanding upon
the widespread applications
for its newly-developed D-pad method, perhaps most notably
for the Nintendo Famicom. Aside from the 8-bit console’s host of other technical and performance advancements, the Famicom’s
use of the D-pad for navigational operation further lowered its barrier to entry for new and experienced gamers alike.
Simply put, the D-pad served as
a considerably more intuitive and responsive control option when compared to most earlier methods. When the Famicom branched out to other parts of the globe in the form of the Nintendo Entertainment System, this realization became more apparent. With very little instruction, an NES controller could be picked up and used deftly with comfort.
UP
When it became apparent that Nintendo’s D-pad represented the new norm in controller direction methodology, most competitors
and collaborators followed suit. It wasn’t long before Sega, Atari, and an influx of third-party controller manufacturers developed their own versions incorporating the D-pad mechanic. As most games of that era were 2D in nature, the D-pad was universally adaptable to nearly every gaming genre, machine, and style of play available.
Nintendo Co Ltd wisely obtained a worldwide patent for their D-pad technology (US4687200A), which has expired as of 2004. An abstract for said patent reads as follows:
“A four-directional switch which can be turned on and off in four
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