Shape

• One of the most striking specifications of the N64 controller is its shape. Best described as an "M" shape, the controller features three grips and was designed to be held in a variety of positions. The familiar D-Pad is positioned on the left-most grip; the analogue controller is positioned on the central grip while the rest of the action buttons are placed nearest the right-most grip. The controller also has a trigger button and an expansion port at the back for extra accessories. There are also "L" and "R" buttons on the top corners of the controller.
  
  

Movement

• Gamers will be familiar with the traditional D-pad which is comprised of four directional buttons; left, right, up and down. However, the analogue joystick was a new feature which was implemented to accommodate the new three-dimensional game-play of most Nintendo 64 games. The analogue joystick gives players greater mobility in the 3D environments. Its placement is also an important factor in the success of the controller. Gamers can either hold the controller on the left or central grip. Either way, the joystick is within reach to make the gaming experience comfortable.
  
  

Action Buttons

• The N64 controller features a variety of action buttons. The "Start" button is placed in the center of the controller, while the blue "A" and green "B" buttons are placed on the right-most side of the controller. These two buttons are used for performing actions such as jumping, accelerating and running fast. There is also a "Z" button --- sometimes called the "trigger" --- at the back of the controller below the expansion port. This button is so-called because it is used as a trigger in many shooting games.
  
  

C-Buttons

• Another new feature of the N64 controller was the introduction of the C-buttons --- four circular yellow buttons. These are placed above the "A" and "B" buttons and are laid out in a similar fashion to the D-pad. The C-buttons were originally designed to control the in-game camera of "Super Mario 64" so that the player could look in the direction they needed to go. Later games such as "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" evolved the use of the buttons, allowing players to assign items to them to make it easy to access them in the course of the game.
  
  

Expansion Port

• The expansion port was another innovation of the N64 controller. It was originally designed to accommodate the memory pack which was used to save games when the game cartridges themselves didn't have enough built-in memory. It also accommodates the "Rumble Pack," which makes the controller vibrate when there is any kind of collision in a game. This feature added to the overall gaming experience and has since become a standard feature of every major game console controller.