Rumble Pak
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N64RumblePak.jpg
The Rumble Pak is a force feedback device released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 video game console that when attached to the controller would rumble to reflect the action in selected games, such as the player crashing into the ground or being shot. The Rumble Pak was introduced and came bundled with the game Star Fox 64 (known as Lylat Wars in PAL territories) for easy distribution.
While for its time the Rumble Pak was quite innovative and revolutionary, it was reliant on AAA batteries for its rumbling effect. Some third-party versions of the Rumble Pak, however, ran directly off main power through the controller and did not require extra batteries, although this limited their effectiveness. Some third-party versions also included memory card functionality combined in the same unit. Other third-party versions had the feature of being able to turn up or down the amount of feedback from the device.
The Dual Shock controller, released for the PlayStation later in the same year, also did not require an additional power source, and housed a force feedback motor within it. In the 128-bit era of consoles, this feature comes standard in all controllers without using any battery power.
Today, this Nintendo-originating technology can be found in PC, Playstation 2, X-Box and GameCube controllers. It will also be included in the wireless controllers of all of the next generation consoles.Template:Cvg-stub