A pointing device is a human interface device that allows a user to input spatial data to a computer. CAD systems and graphical user interfaces (GUI) allow the user to control and provide data to the computer using physical gestures by moving a hand-held mouse or similar device across the surface of the physical desktop and activating switches on the mouse. Movements of the pointing device are echoed on the screen by movements of the pointer and other visual changes. Common gestures are point and click and drag and drop.
A game controller, gaming controller, or simply controller, is an input device or input/output device used with video games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game. Input devices that have been classified as game controllers include keyboards, mouses, gamepads, and joysticks, as well as special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games. Controllers designs have evolved to include directional pads, multiple buttons, analog sticks, joysticks, motion detection, touch screens and a plethora of other features.
The NES Advantage is an arcade style controller manufactured by Asciiware and released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. The device is meant to rest on a flat surface at a comfortable level, such as a tabletop or the floor, with the player seated behind it. This way, it can be used like an arcade game joystick—with the left hand using the joystick and the right hand operating the buttons.
Berzerk is a multidirectional shooter designed by Alan McNeil and released for arcades in 1980 by Stern Electronics of Chicago. Following Taito's Stratovox, it is one of the first arcade video games with speech synthesis. Berzerk places the player in a series of top-down, maze-like rooms containing armed robots. Home ports were published for the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, and Vectrex.
A gamepad is a type of video game controller held in two hands, where the fingers are used to provide input. They are typically the main input device for video game consoles.
A D-pad is a flat, typically thumb-operated, directional control. D-Pads are found on nearly all modern gamepads, handheld game consoles, and audiovisual device remote controls. Because they operate using four internal push-buttons, the vast majority of D-pads provide discrete, rather than continuous, directional options—typically limited to up, down, left, and right, and sometimes offering intermediate diagonals by means of two-button combinations.
Double Dribble is an arcade basketball video game developed and released by Konami in 1986. It was the second basketball arcade video game by Konami, following Super Basketball. It was considered the most realistic basketball sports video game upon release, with fast-paced action, detailed players, a large side-scrolling court, innovative cinematic slam dunks, and detailed sound effects, beginning a trend where presentation would play an increasingly important role in sports games.
An arcade controller is a collective set of input devices designed primarily for use in an arcade cabinet. A typical control set consists of a joystick and a number of push-buttons. Less common setups include devices such as trackballs or steering wheels. These devices are generally produced under the assumption that they will be used in commercial settings, such as in video arcades, where they may be heavily or roughly used. Durability is one of the distinguishing characteristics of "authentic" arcade parts when compared with numerous, low-cost arcade imitations designed for private use in the home.
The V.Smile is a sixth-generation educational home video game console manufactured and released by VTech. Titles are available on ROM cartridges called "Smartridges", to play off the system's educational nature. The graphics are primarily sprite-based. The console is often sold bundled with a particular game, with most of them having a game called "Alphabet Park Adventure." Several variants of the V.Smile console are sold including handheld versions, or models with added functionality such as touch tablet integrated controllers or microphones. The V-Motion is a major variant with its own software lineup that includes motion sensitive controllers and has Smartriges designed to take advantage of motion-related "active learning". The V-Motion and Smartridges however are fully backwards compatible with other V.Smile variants and V.Smile Smartridges, and a V-Motion Smartridge can also be played on V.Smile console or handheld, albeit with limited functionality. However, in 2010, V.Smile NEW and OLD were canceled. VTech still made games for V.Smile Pocket and V.Motion.
The Dual Analog Controller is Sony's first handheld analog controller for the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the DualShock. Its first official analog controller was the PlayStation Analog Joystick (SCPH-1110).
Body Blows is a 1993 fighting game, developed and published by Team17 for Amiga. A version for MS-DOS followed the same year. The game has been compared to Street Fighter II. It was followed by Body Blows Galactic and Ultimate Body Blows.
Star Wars Trilogy Arcade is an arcade game developed by Sega's AM Annex subsidiary and released in 1998. It is a 3D rail shooter based on the original trilogy of Star Wars films, released alongside their special editions. Accompanied by the Star Wars Trilogy pinball game, it is the second in Sega's Star Wars Arcade series; it is preceded by 1993's Star Wars Arcade and followed by 2000's Star Wars Racer Arcade.
Space Lords is a video game released in arcades by Atari Games in 1992. It is a first-person perspective space combat video game.
Tetris Giant, known as Tetris Dekaris in Japan, is an arcade game released in Japan in 2009 by Sega that features a giant version of the game Tetris. It is played on a large 70" DLP Projection Monitor, running on Sega System SP. It is controlled using giant joysticks, the right joystick being slightly lower than the left one, with a built-in shaker "rumble" motor, a device that Sega refers to as "Deka Lever". The playing field is 6 cells wide by 7 cells high as opposed to almost universal 10 cells wide by 20 high. The game can be played with up to two players.
Necromancer is an action game created by Bill Williams for the Atari 8-bit family and published by Synapse Software in 1982. A port to the Commodore 64 followed in 1983. The game was rereleased by Atari Corporation on cartridge in the style of the Atari XEGS in 1987.
Fire Away was a series of handheld electronic games marketed by Tandy beginning in the 1980s. In all, there were six different products in the line, nearly all of which were actually licensed by Tandy rather than being original Tandy games. The games looked to capitalize on the popularity of the video game Space Invaders which was released in 1978.
Survivor is a multidirectional scrolling shooter written by Richard Carr for the Atari 8-bit family and published in 1982 by Synapse Software. A Commodore 64 port by Peter Adams was released in 1983.
Attack at EP-CYG-4 is a shoot 'em up video game created by Mike Edwards for the Atari 8-bit family and published by his company BRAM, Inc. in 1982. It allows two players to cooperatively control the action against a computer enemy, in a fashion similar to Synapse Software's Survivor, also released in 1982. EP-CYG-4 was the first of Edwards' game efforts, and its success led to the creation of Zombies, which was published by Electronic Arts as Realm of Impossibility.
The Atari CX40 joystick was the first widely used cross-platform game controller. The original CX10 was released with the Atari Video Computer System in 1977 and became the primary input device for most games on the platform. The CX10 was replaced after a year by the simpler and less expensive CX40. The addition of the Atari joystick port to other platforms cemented its popularity. It was the standard for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers and was compatible with the VIC-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, MSX, and later the Atari ST and Amiga. Third-party adapters allowed it to be used on other systems, such as the Apple II, TI-99/4A, and the ZX Spectrum.
