Rumble Pak - Definition and Overview

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

It should be noted that while for its time the Rumble Pak was quite innovative and revolutionary, it was reliant on AAA batteries for its rumbling effect. Some third-party versions of the Rumble Pak, however, ran directly off mains power through the controller and did not require extra batteries, although this limited their effectiveness. The Dual Shock controller, released for the PlayStation later the same year, also did not require an additional power source, and housed a force feedback motor within it. In the 128-bit era of consoles, this feature comes standard in most controllers without using any battery power.

The game Star Fox 64 (known as Lylat Wars in PAL territories) came bundled with the Rumble Pak for easy distribution.