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The classic joystick and video gaming have an affiliation dating back to the late 1960s, maintaining a decades-long status as the industry standard for directional input. However, as video game companies began shifting focus from away arcade games and more toward home consoles and handhelds, it became clear that a joystick isn’t always an ideal option.
By the mid 1980s, the arcade scene was in full swing. Cabinets such as Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Dig Dug had long become mainstays, while simultaneously home consoles and handheld games had proven themselves as commercially viable products. Though some early consoles such as the Magnavox Odyssey 2 and the Atari 2600 made use of a more traditional joystick, the need to hold the device made it cumbersome to use at times. Joysticks in arcades have the benefit of being fixed to heavy machines, so a few enthusiastic movements during an intense match typically won’t cause an issue. Having to use one hand to grasp and the other to control is inherently a more limiting way to play games.
Then along comes the directional pad (or D-pad for short). Rather than a stick that pivots in the desired direction, the D-pad is a small thumb-operated control pad that requires far less movement to operate. While its familiar layout had already been implemented in arcade games such as early as Blockade in 1976, it wasn’t until Gunpei Yokoi came up with a cross-shaped button, first appearing on Nintendo’s handheld version of Donkey Kong, that its potential was fully realized. This new design allows players to easily hold the game with both hands, using only their left thumb to choose an on-screen direction, leaving the right thumb free to jump on command. The D-pad was used on various Nintendo Game & Watch titles, breaking into mainstream consciousness in the mid 1980s with success of the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System. A quick roll of the thumb was now all it took for players to move freely in all four directions, while diagonal movement could be achieved by pressing two directions at the same time.
Although the concept was quickly adopted by other companies, Nintendo held a patent on their D-pad design from 1985 until 2005. This patent forced competitors to find similar, but not identical directional controls to what Nintendo had developed. For example, the well-known Sega Genesis controller has a round disc molded into the familiar cross shape. The disc pivots under the thumb similar to Nintendo’s design, though it’s arguably less responsive. The Sony PlayStation, by contrast, features four individual buttons arranged into a cross.
Though still a standard feature on virtually all modern controllers, the D-pad has been largely overshadowed by analog thumbsticks. As 3D gaming began to dominate the scene in the mid 1990s, the need for more precise and versatile directional input quickly became apparent. Nonetheless, it seems unlikely that the D-pad will be retired any time soon. Having a firm digital option when browsing options and menus is still very handy, especially in games with RPG elements. It’s also still widely used in fighting and other types of 2D games. For me personally, I find the D-pad absolutely necessary with titles in the Tony Hawk franchise.
When Nintendo designed the Joy Cons for their highly successful Switch console, they curiously opted to use four round buttons arranged in a diamond pattern rather than their tried-and-true cross-shaped design. Though the Switch is an overall home run in both its design and commercial performance, this particular aspect has been met with criticism. To be fair, the standard D-pad does appear on Nintendo’s Pro Controller and various third-party options, some of which are officially licensed. If this consumer demand is any indication, the D-pad is a feature that’s likely to stick around in some form for generations to come.
