Rumble Paks

The Rumble Pak is a force feedback device released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 video game console. When attached to the controller, it would vibrate to reflect the action in selected games, such as the player crashing into the ground or being shot. more...

At the time, the Rumble Pak was quite innovative and revolutionary. It ran off of two AAA batteries. The Rumble Pak was first introduced and came bundled with the game Star Fox 64 (known as Lylat Wars in PAL territories) for easy distribution. Many games on the Nintendo 64 video game console afterwards started utilizing this aparatus, some notable games including GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark, and Super Smash Bros..

Like with all other accessories, there were various third-party versions. Some versions eshewed the batteries altogether and ran directly off main power through the controller, although this limited their effectiveness. Another variation included memory card functionality (replacing the need for two separate accessories). A third variation was the feature of being able to turn up or down the amount of feedback from the device. The Tremor Pak was the most popular third-party rumble device. It featured AA batteries instead of AAA; later versions supported Controller Pak fuctionality as well.

Later that year, the N64's competitor, the PlayStation, released their DualShock, a controller with a built-in rumbling device. The DualShock housed two vibrating motors within it. Both the DualShock and Rumble Pak accessories led to the standarization of rumbling in the next generation (sixth generation era) of consoles. The only exception was the Sega Dreamcast, which used an N64-style vibrating cartridge inserted into the controller.

Today, this Nintendo-originating technology is now considered standard on all gaming consoles and can be found in PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, as well as all future seventh generation game consoles’ controllers. The rumbling system can also be found on Nintendo DS, in the form of a GBA cartridge. It was included with Metroid Prime Pinball, for easy distribution. It is now available online as a separate purchase at The rumble pak can also be used in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

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