15 Video Game Firsts We Take For Granted

The history of the controller D-pad is a long and storied one, and what is technically the 'first' use of the D-pad depends on what your definition of a gaming platform and a D-pad actually is.

The more recognisable D-pad design - IE, four buttons, one each for up, left, right and down - was first developed in 1982 by Gunpei Yokoi for a Donkey Kong handheld game. It was then used in Game and Watch titles, before Nintendo finally went and implemented the design on their NES system.

Before that, however, there are a few things similar to the D-Pad we know and love. A very similar design to a D-pad appeared in Cosmic Hunter on the Microvision, with similar designs also used on the Atari Game Brain, an unreleased console that was the precursor to the Atari 2600.

So technically, Nintendo patented, and still owns, the rights to the D-pad that we recognise as being the industry standard (the iconic cross design on the NES controller). If you look at your other controllers, you'll find they always slightly vary from Nintendo's design, as the big N still owns the patent and the other manufacturers don't want to get into trouble.