Nintendo Entertainment System & Sega Master System

By the time the NES arrived on Western markets in the mid-1980s, Sega had already developed the third iteration of its SG-1000 console; it was known as the Sega Mark III (1985). In addition to technical changes, its controller had also evolved in the direction pioneered by Nintendo. For the Western markets, the Mark III was repackaged as the Sega Master System (1986) and wrapped in a black case. The Master System was later introduced in Japan as well.

While the controllers are similar, Nintendo’s directional pad shows the influence of the handheld Game & Watch machines more clearly. Furthermore, Sega’s version only has two buttons, so the game needs to be paused using a separate Pause button on the console, for example. The upside was that Sega’s controller could be used with many home computers – and vice versa.

Technically, both controllers employ a similar switch design: There is a rubber mat inside the controller with a contact surface on the lower side to connect the signals on the circuit board. The rubber also acts as a return spring, as the rubber cone tries to return to its shape. This is a fairly precise and reliable design, and one that is used by nearly all digital D-pads and function buttons up to the present day.