NES controller

References

1. ^ abManualNES Control Deck manual
   How we know

   CONTROL PAD … SELECT BUTTON … START BUTTON … BUTTON B BUTTON A

   Claim page

2. ^ abManualNES Control Deck manual · CHM, NES-004 controller · iFixit, NES controller · Computer Entertainer, February 1986
   How we know

   Your NES includes two identical controllers.

   NES-004 (MODEL NUMBER)

   The controller shipped with the original Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. It has the model number NES-004.

   area a little before Christmas, 1985 by Nintendo of America.

   Claim page

3. ^ abInterviewIwata Asks: Game & Watch, vol. 1 p. 5 · Nintendo: Game & Watch history
   How we know

   それに、このタイトルでは … 初めて十字ボタンを採用しました。

   Our translationAnd this title was the first to adopt the cross button.

   ファミコンが発売される１年前に … 十字ボタンが『ドンキーコング』で初めて採用されたんですよね。

   Our translationThe cross button was first adopted in Donkey Kong, a year before the Famicom came out.

   『ドンキーコング』＝ゲーム＆ウオッチのマルチスクリーンシリーズの第２弾ソフト。 … １９８２年６月発売。

   Our translationDonkey Kong: the second title in the Game & Watch Multi Screen series. … Released June 1982.

   またこのシリーズから方向入力に初めて十字キーが登場しました。

   Our translationAnd with this series the cross key first appeared, for direction input.

   Claim page

4. ^ abManualNES Control Deck manual
   How we know

   SELECT BUTTON (Controller ① only). … The SELECT button is used to … select the particular variation you want to play from the menu displayed at the begin- … START BUTTON (Controller ① only) … push the START button to … start the game. The START button can also be used to take a … If you push the START button in the middle of a game, the game will freeze … (pause) where it is until the START button is pressed again. … The ④-way Control Pad moves the main character of the game up, down, left, and right; … although its function may vary from game to game. … Buttons A and B perform different functions in different games.

   Claim page

5. ^ abcWikiNESdev Wiki, “Standard controller”
   How we know

   While S (strobe) is high, the shift registers in the controllers are continuously reloaded from the button states, and reading $4016/$4017 will keep returning the current state of the first button (A). Once S goes low, this reloading will stop. … Hence a 1/0 write sequence is required to get the button states, after which the buttons can be read back one at a time.

   Status for each controller is returned as an 8-bit report in the following order: A, B, Select, Start, Up, Down, Left, Right. … Each read reports one bit at a time through D0. … Primary controller status bit |+-- Expansion controller status bit (Famicom) … The first 8 reads will indicate which buttons or directions are pressed (1 if pressed, 0 if not pressed). … controller 1 is read through $4016, and controller 2 is separately read through $4017.

   The original Famicom's hard-wired second controller (II) is missing the Select and Start buttons. Its corresponding bits will read as 0 … These gave the same standard 8-bit report, but through D1 instead of D0.

   Claim page

6. ^ abCodeSuper Mario Bros. instruction booklet · Xkeeper0/smb1prg.asm 330–353, 364–376, 402–407, 428–433, 622–626, 638–645
   How we know

   Use this button to move the mushroom mark to the

   Press this button to begin.

   330GameMenuRoutine:
   331	LDY #$00
   332	LDA SavedJoypad1Bits                         ; check to see if either player pressed
   333	ORA SavedJoypad2Bits                         ; only the start button (either joypad)
   334	CMP #Start_Button
   335	BEQ StartGame
   336	CMP #A_Button+Start_Button                   ; check to see if A + start was pressed
   337	BNE ChkSelect                                ; if not, branch to check select button
   338StartGame:
   339	JMP ChkContinue                              ; if either start or A + start, execute here
   340ChkSelect:
   341	CMP #Select_Button                           ; check to see if the select button was pressed
   ⋮
   

   364	CPY #$01                                     ; was the B button pressed earlier?  if so, branch
   365	BEQ IncWorldSel                              ; note this will not be run if world selection is disabled
   366	LDA NumberOfPlayers                          ; if no, must have been the select button, therefore
   367	EOR #%00000001                               ; change number of players and draw icon accordingly
   368	STA NumberOfPlayers
   369	JSR DrawMushroomIcon
   370	JMP NullJoypad
   371IncWorldSel:
   372	LDX WorldSelectNumber                        ; increment world select number
   373	INX
   374	TXA
   375	AND #%00000111                               ; mask out higher bits
   ⋮
   

   402ChkContinue:
   403	LDY DemoTimer                                ; if timer for demo has expired, reset modes
   404	BEQ ResetTitle
   405	ASL                                          ; check to see if A button was also pushed
   406	BCC StartWorld1                              ; if not, don't load continue function's world number
   407	LDA ContinueWorld                            ; load previously saved world number for secret
   

   3 more excerpts on the claim page

7. ^WebiFixit, NES controller · CHM, NES-004 controller
   How we know

   Width: 4.86 inches (123.4 mm) … Height: 2.096 inches (53.2 mm) … Depth: .6875 inches (17.5 mm)

   4 7/8w x 3/4h x 2 1/8l (in) … 12.38w x 1.9h x 5.4l (cm)

   Claim page

8. ^InterviewIwata Asks: Game & Watch, vol. 1 p. 5
   How we know

   この十字ボタンは、ものすごく試行錯誤していました。

   Our translationWe went through an enormous amount of trial and error on this cross button.

   本当にたくさんの試作品をつくりました。 … 手元を見なくても、きっちり操作できるように … 十字ボタンの真ん中を少し凹んだ形状にしたりとか、 … 横井さんはものすごくこだわっていましたから。

   Our translationWe made a great many prototypes. So it could be worked precisely without looking at your hands, Mr. Yokoi was very particular, about things like making the middle of the cross button slightly concave.

   Claim page

9. ^PatentUS patent 4,687,200 (cross-shaped switch)
   How we know

   MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SWITCH … Aug. 18, 1987 … inventor: Ichiro Shirai, Kyoto, Japan … Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd., Kyoto, Japan … Aug. 9, 1985 … Continuation of Ser. No. 521,116, Aug. 5, 1983, aban … doned.

   character moving switch 8 is formed in the shape of a … cross and is adapted such that characters 9a to 9d are … selectively displayed responsive to the pressing direc … 1, a body 1 comprises a liquid crystal display plate 2. … Referring to FIG. 2, the hand-held type game playing apparatus is the same as the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, except the below described points.

   Claim page

10. ^PatentUS patent 4,687,200 (cross-shaped switch)
    How we know

    1. A multi-directional switch which can be manually … actuated in multiple directions by a depressing action … with the tip of a finger of an operator … (b) an integral key member disposed above said base … having a downwardly concave upper surface for … receiving a fingertip of the operator

    6. A multi-directional switch according to claim 1, … the manipulation portion of said key member includes … a plurality of protrusions extending outwardly … from a central portion of said key member

    the shape of a cross is formed with inclinations so as to … become concave in the center. With these inclinations, … the operational surface 14 is fitted perfectly for the … touch of the fingers

    8. A multi-directional switch according to claim 6, … including four protrusions, two of said protrusions ex … said four protrusions thereby defining a cruciform … shape.

    Claim page

11. ^PublisherNintendo, Company History
    How we know

    Launched the home video game system, Family Computer System (known as Nintendo Entertainment System outside Japan.)

    Claim page

12. ^CodeSuper Mario Bros. instruction booklet · Xkeeper0/smb1prg.asm 4913–4918, 5000–5010, 5024–5025, 5142–5161, 4372–4378, 4702–4711, 213–216, 186–188, 4080–4083
    How we know

    Jump... ... Mario (Luigi) jumps higher if you hold the button down longer.

    Accelerate ... Press this button to speed up, then jump and you can go all the … Fireballs ...... After you pick up the fire flower, you can use this button to throw

    Walk to the right. … (Push button B at the … Crouch. … (Super Mario only.)

    If you wish to interrupt play in the middle of a game, press the START button. … The pause tone will sound, and the game will stop. Press the START button again

    4913	LDA A_B_Buttons                              ; check for A button press
    4914	AND #A_Button
    4915	BEQ NoJump                                   ; if not, branch to something else
    4916	AND PreviousA_B_Buttons                      ; if button not pressed in previous frame, branch
    4917	BEQ ProcJumping
    4918NoJump:
    

    5000ProcPRun:
    5001	INY                                          ; if mario on the ground, increment Y
    5002	LDA AreaType                                 ; check area type
    5003	BEQ ChkRFast                                 ; if water type, branch
    5004	DEY                                          ; decrement Y by default for non-water type area
    5005	LDA Left_Right_Buttons                       ; get left/right controller bits
    5006	CMP Player_MovingDir                         ; check against moving direction
    5007	BNE ChkRFast                                 ; if controller bits <> moving direction, skip this part
    5008	LDA A_B_Buttons                              ; check for b button pressed
    5009	AND #B_Button
    5010	BNE SetRTmr                                  ; if pressed, skip ahead to set timer
    

    5024SetRTmr:
    5025	LDA #$0a                                     ; if b button pressed, set running timer
    

    Walk to the left.

    6 more excerpts on the claim page

13. ^CodeSuper Mario Bros. instruction booklet · Xkeeper0/smb1prg.asm 2337–2341, 4921–4930, 5000–5003, 4361–4371, 213–216
    How we know

    Swim... ..When you're in the water, each press of this button makes you bob

    2337	LDA AreaType                                 ; check area type
    2338	BNE ChkStPos                                 ; if water type, set swimming flag, otherwise do not set
    2339	INY
    2340ChkStPos:
    2341	STY SwimmingFlag
    

    4921ProcJumping:
    4922	LDA Player_State                             ; check player state
    4923	BEQ InitJS                                   ; if on the ground, branch
    4924	LDA SwimmingFlag                             ; if swimming flag not set, jump to do something else
    4925	BEQ NoJump                                   ; to prevent midair jumping, otherwise continue
    4926	LDA JumpSwimTimer                            ; if jump/swim timer nonzero, branch
    4927	BNE InitJS
    4928	LDA Player_Y_Speed                           ; check player's vertical speed
    4929	BPL InitJS                                   ; if player's vertical speed motionless or down, branch
    4930	JMP X_Physics                                ; if timer at zero and player still rising, do not swim
    

    5000ProcPRun:
    5001	INY                                          ; if mario on the ground, increment Y
    5002	LDA AreaType                                 ; check area type
    5003	BEQ ChkRFast                                 ; if water type, branch
    

    2 more excerpts on the claim page