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An analog stick, sometimes called '''thumbstick''', often mistakenly referred to as a Joystick , is an input device for a controller, often a Game Controller , that is used for two-dimensional input. It consists of some sort of protrusion from the controller, and the input is based on the position of this protrusion. While a digital joystick relies on single electrical connections for movement (with contacts for up, down, left and right), an analog stick uses continuous electrical activity running through potentiometers. The analog stick has greatly overtaken the D-pad in prominence and usage in Console Video Game s. USAGE IN VIDEO GAMES In Video Game s, an analog stick is often used to move some game object, usually the Protagonist . It may also be used to rotate the camera, usually around the protagonist. The analog stick can serve a great variety of other functions, depending on the game. Today many analog sticks can also be pushed like other buttons on a controller. Its use is prevalent in 3D games, where more than 8 directions are needed (which is all that was offered on the d-pad). Using a d-pad in a 3D game greatly limited the ability to move. For example, in a 3D platformer like Mario 64, using a d-pad would allow Mario to move forward, left, and forward-left, but nothing in between. Some early 3D games like Resident Evil over came this limitation by allowing the left and right buttons on the d-pad, to spin the character instead of making the character move in that direction. However with the prevailence of analog sticks, the limitation of the d-pad no longer became an issue. Dual sticks Following the adage "two of something are better than one", two analog sticks offer greater functionality than just one. On modern Game Controllers , the position of the first stick is where the left thumb usually rests, usually to the upper left of D-pad. (A notable exception being Sony's iterations of the DualShock controller where the D-pad and left analog stick are reversed, probably for reasons of symmetry. See the picture to the right.) The position of the right stick is usually to the lower left of the face buttons. Although this is a slightly awkward position for the right thumb, it understandable seeing as the buttons that normally appear on the face on the controller are used more often. In most new games, two analog sticks are used. With genres such as Action , Adventure Game , Platforming , and Shooting , the left stick normally controls the protagonist while the right stick controls the camera. The use of a second analog stick alleviates problems in many earlier platform games, in which the camera was notorious for bad positioning. The right stick not only allows for camera control in third-person platform games, but it almost essential for most modern First-person Shooters like Halo . In Katamari Damacy by Namco, both analog sticks are used at once to control your character. The PSP has been criticized for the lack of a right analog stick. The reason behind this may have been the physical instability of the system that would result if the player were to use both analog sticks at the same time. HISTORY In 1982 Atari released the first controller with an "analog" stick for their Atari 5200 home console. However, the non-centering joystick design proved to be ungainly and unreliable, alienating many consumers at the time. During that same year, General Consumer Electronics introduced the Vectrex , a Vector Graphics based system which used a self-centering analog stick, obviously a precursor to the modern design. For many years, consoles ignored analog technology, instead using the digital D-pad . It wasn't until the emergence of 3D gameplay that the analog stick was brought back for widespread use. In 1996 Nintendo introduced a modern analog stick on their Nintendo 64 controller. Unlike the D-pad , the analog stick allowed for varying levels of pressure and 360-degree control, translating into more precise movements in games such as '' Super Mario 64 ''. Incidentally, '' Super Mario 64 DS '' was criticized by some for imprecise control due to lack of an analog stick on the Nintendo DS . analog controller that came packaged with some copies of '' NiGHTS Into Dreams '']] ''Super Mario 64'' was released in Japan on 23 June 1996. On 5 July 1996, Sega released '' NiGHTS Into Dreams '' for their Saturn console in Japan; bundled with it was the Saturn 3D Control Pad which featured an analog pad intended to give the player more fluid control over that game's Flight -based gameplay. During this same period of time, Sony was also creating a similar analog stick. Their first version was the November 1996-released "Dual Analog" controller. The Dual Analog featured three levels of analog (Flightstick, Full Analog and Analog-Off), and dual concave thumbsticks, while Nintendo's controller only had a single stick. The first revisions featured rumble, although this was removed for the American (and later Japanese) releases. In 1997 Sony had perfected their rumble technology and released their third analog revision to the market, the Sony Dual Shock. (Note: In 1999 , '' Ape Escape '' became the first major video game to require the use of two analog sticks.) Since then, all major Video Game Console Controllers have included two analog sticks, with the exception of the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo 's Wii controllers. On 16 September 2005, Nintendo showed the controller for their upcoming system, Wii (then code-named Revolution), which does not have any analog sticks on its main body. Instead, it features a gyroscopic sensor for three-dimensional detection, and a single analog stick as part of a "nunchaku-style" expansion. ANALOG STICKS AND ''MARIO PARTY'' ''Main article: Mario Party Series '' Analog sticks are normally intended to be used with the players' thumbs. However, many people who played Nintendo 's original '' Mario Party '', in which many of the Minigame s required the player to rotate the analog stick as rapidly as possible, instead used their palm, which often resulted in blistering or other injury. As a result, Nintendo agreed to provide special gloves to owners of the game. Future Mario Party titles would no longer include minigames of this type. EXTERNAL LINKS
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