Rumble Pak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rumble Pak is a device from Nintendo that provides haptic feedback while playing video games. Games that support the Rumble Pak cause it to vibrate in select situations, such as when firing a weapon or receiving damage, to immerse the player in the game. Versions of the Rumble Pak are available for the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo DS, and the Nintendo DS Lite. A select few Game Boy Color games use a similar technology built into the game cartridge. Since the introduction of the Rumble Pak, force feedback vibration has become a standard feature in almost every home video game console controller.
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[edit] Nintendo 64
The original Rumble Pak, designed for the Nintendo 64 controller, was released in April 1997 in Japan, July 1997 in North America, and October 1997 in Europe. It requires two AAA batteries and is inserted into the controller's memory cartridge slot, which prevents simultaneous use of the Controller Pak. This usually has little impact, as Nintendo 64 games are cartridge based and have the ability to store saved data in the cartridge. For games that support the Controller Pak, it is possible to switch between accessories at certain points, a method known as "hot swapping".[1]
The Rumble Pak was introduced bundled with the game Star Fox 64 (known as Lylat Wars in the PAL region) and made available as a separate purchase two months later. Rumble Pak support soon became a standard for N64 games. Launch titles Wave Race 64 and Super Mario 64 were re-released in Japan in July 1997 with Rumble Pak support.[2][3]
Several third-party versions of the Rumble Pak, such as the Tremor Pak, followed. Some draw power from the controller instead of batteries, but the lower power makes them less effective. The TremorPak Plus allows a memory card to be inserted simultaneously, eliminating the need to switch between two accessories.[4] The Hyper Pak Plus contains internal memory and allows the user to adjust the amount of feedback.[5]
[edit] Nintendo DS
The Rumble Pak for the Nintendo DS is a DS Option Pak shaped like a Game Boy Advance cartridge and is designed to be inserted in the system's Game Boy Advance game slot. In North America, it was first made available bundled with Metroid Prime Pinball,[6] but is now available through other promotions[7] or as a stand-alone purchase from Nintendo's online store. The accessory was released differently in Europe due to a delay of Metroid Prime Pinball in that region. Various DS games supporting the Rumble Pak (Metroid Prime Hunters, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, and 42 All-Time Classics) had been released in Europe before the accessory was available. The accessory was released as a pack-in with the game Actionloop in the UK.
Although the Rumble Pak works with both the Nintendo DS and the redesigned Nintendo DS Lite, it protrudes from the Nintendo DS Lite when inserted, as do Game Boy Advance cartridges, because of the DS Lite's smaller size. For this reason, a smaller version of the Rumble Pak is available in Japan, which is flush with the system when inserted. It was initially available in just black, but other colors produced by third party manufacturer eWin, such as white (see picture), have been released. Other color variations and releases in other regions have yet to be announced.
In addition, the game WarioWare: Twisted! can be used as a rumble Pak. This occurs when the game is not correctly inserted, the DS software only recognizing its rumble capabilities and treating it as a DS Rumble Pak.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Johnston, Chris (1997-05-23). Rumble Pak Titles On the Rise. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2006-06-25.
- ^ Super Mario 64 Info. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
- ^ Wave Race 64 Info. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
- ^ IGN Staff (1999-03-03). TremorPak Plus. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
- ^ IGN Staff (1998-06-12). Hyper Pak Plus. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
- ^ Harris, Craig (2005-08-22). Metroid Pinball Rumbles. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-06-25.
- ^ Harris, Craig (2006-05-02). Free Rumbles with Metroid Prime Hunters. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-06-25.
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