Infographic Category Gaming

The Evolution of the Playstation Controller

By | source: Sep 14th, 2013

I love video games. There’s such a magic in escaping into video games that test your mind, hand-eye coordination and your persistence. I grew up with a sister who owned an NES, so I got schooled on Super Mario Bros. 1-3 to much avail. After that I received an N64 for my birthday. I absolutely loved wave racing, Banjo Kazooing, and Mario Karting to my hearts content. But then I went over to my neighbor’s house to spend the night. They had just gotten a Playstation (one) and we ended up playing Final Fantasy VI all through the night. It was amazing. Even though a lot of it had to do with the brilliance of that game, some of that allure to Sony’s system was its unique controller.

Four shapes as buttons and TWO joysticks?! ‘What a silly thing,’ I told myself. Little did I know that this controller would revolutionize how 3d games work. With one joystick controlling the character and the other controlling the camera, you can have one of the most intuitive platforming configurations imaginable. Well, I suppose it’s debatable, but playing Ocarina of Time recently on the N64 was a bit annoying when the only camera control was the Z button which shifts it to the back of the character. On the other hand, it’s interesting how little Playstation has altered their model of control in almost 20 years. Do you think Sony is lacking in innovation, or merely sticking with the best? Let us know by commenting below!

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