Controller (Grey)

Description

The N64 Controller (sold as Controller Bros. in Japan) launched alongside the console offering a “M‑shaped” design with three grips, allowing players to hold it in different ways depending on the game. The centre grip housed the analogue stick, Nintendo’s first on a home console, was crucial for 3D movement in titles like Super Mario 64. The left grip carried the traditional D‑pad, while the right grip placed the A/B buttons and the four yellow C‑buttons, originally intended for camera control. A trigger (Z button) sat beneath the analogue stick, giving the controller a gun‑like feel in shooters such as GoldenEye 007.

The controller was praised for its forward‑thinking analogue input and modular expansion slot (supporting the Controller Pak, Rumble Pak, and Transfer Pak), but it was also criticised for its awkward ergonomics and fragile stick mechanism. Despite these flaws, it set the template for 3D control schemes and remains one of the most recognisable controllers in gaming history, and laid the foundation for the modern gamepad.

For the first time controllers came in multiple colours. The default, bundled controller being in grey. At launch, blue, green, red, yellow, and black were also available. In Japan the colourful lineup of controllers were sold as Controller Bros (コントローラ ブロス), presenting the colour variations as a family of “brothers.” All colours had the hardware model NUS-005, but were sold under different retail SKUs e.g. Blue – NUS-A-CB (045496860066), Black – NUS-A-CK (045496860073), and Grey – NUS-A-CG (045496860028).