10 'Revolutionary' Gaming Features That Already Happened 20 Years Ago

6. Analogue Sticks

With the N64, Nintendo were credited with bringing controllers up to speed with the 3D gaming arenas of the time. As the D-Pad was no longer fit for purpose, Ninty's analogue stick allowed gamers to immerse themselves in 3D worlds like never before. Naturally, it wasn't long before it was copied, with Sony introducing their dual analogue sticks soon after. They have since become an important feature of every controller for every generation of console since. But, hang on a minute... The origins of the analogue stick are a little murky, but it certainly wasn't Nintendo that created the first. 1976's 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System console featured a pad with analogue control, though in this case it was two-axis rather than 360 degree control so it may not count as full analogue in some peoples' minds. Even so, a real analogue stick made an appearance on the Medgadrive way back in 1989 thank to a Japanese company called Dempa. They released the XE-1 AP, which was the first controller to have a fully 360 degree analogue stick. Unfortunately, barely any games made use of the function and the technology disappeared for a few years until Nintendo brought it back and took the credit instead.