99% Invisible Hidden Levels #2: Stick It to 'Em
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Oct 10, 2025 Amory Sievertson, a producer and reporter known for his insightful stories, dives into the fascinating world of joysticks. He traces their evolution from early flight controls to modern gaming, revealing how they revolutionized our interaction with machines. Amory explores the intuitive feel of joysticks, the innovative Nintendo 64 design, and the military's surprising adoption of gaming technology. The conversation also highlights joysticks' cultural significance, their physical appeal, and even their medical applications.
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Hands-On With The Atari 2600
- Jeff Bujak's Prodigy game room holds thousands of retro games including an Atari 2600 and its classic joystick.
- Amory tries the Atari stick and finds it stiff and tiring despite its historical importance.
Thumbsticks Made Play Easier
- The N64 introduced the thumbstick, shrinking joystick control beneath the thumb for smoother motion.
- Thumbsticks reduced wrist strain and enabled longer, more precise play sessions.
Two Sticks For Movement And Looking
- Moving to 3D games added a Z-axis and required separating movement from looking.
- Dual analog thumbsticks solved this by assigning one stick to view and one to movement.