Rumble Pak
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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.
Nintendo 64
The original Rumble Pak, designed for the Nintendo 64 controller, was released in April 1997 in Japan, May 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 the use of the Controller Pak in the same controller. 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".The Rumble Pak was introduced bundled with the game Star Fox 64 (known as Lylat Wars in PAL territories) 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.
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 make them less effective. The TremorPak Plus allows a memory card to be inserted simultaneously, eliminating the need to switch between two accessories. The Hyper Pak Plus contains internal memory and allows the user to adjust the amount of feedback.
Sony added vibration capabilities to the PlayStation controller in 1997 with the Dual Analog Controller and later the DualShock, which both feature internal vibrating motors. Consoles after the PlayStation that support vibration tended to also build such functionality directly into the controller. In the sixth generation of consoles that followed the Nintendo 64, the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox all featured built-in vibration support, while the Sega Dreamcast used an external cartridge inserted into the controller.
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. It was first made available bundled with Metroid Prime Pinball, but is now available through promotions or as a stand-alone purchase. Although the Rumble Pak works with both the Nintendo DS and the redesigned Nintendo DS Lite, it protrudes from the DS Lite when inserted, as all Game Boy Advance cartridges do. For this reason, a smaller version of the Rumble Pak is available that is flush with the system when inserted.Notes
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