Do you remember the first time you experienced the N64 Rumble Pak? In 1997 I walked into EB Games to find the manager demonstrating his imported Starfox 64 (due in the States two months later). I joined the line of customers eager to give it a whirl, and soon found myself flying over Corneria and grinning as the controller shook, buzzed and rattled with every hit. The effect was great fun, and the store sold a lot of pre-orders that day.

The Rumble Pak (included with Starfox 64) changed the course of console controller design for both Nintendo and its rivals. Many N64 games supported the add-on, but I only recall three titles in which the rumble effect added a huge amount of impact to the gameplay: Top Gear Rally, 1080 Snowboarding, and–of course–Starfox 64. In each case, the tactile element–wheels on gravel, different snow types, a ship on the verge of destruction–played a major part in the experience and actually gave you constant useful feedback. (more…)