The Analog Joystick on the Nintendo 64 controller.
A smaller version of the joystick that is controlled with the thumb, much like the D-pad, sometimes called 'D-stick', as it's often used to control directional movement. It's a standard input device on most 3D consoles. The difference between the D-pad and the D-stick is that the stick is pressure sensitive, allowing the player to control their characters speed, as well as direction, just using their thumb. Where as the older D-pad only lets the player move the avatar in 8 directions, with no control over speed.
Though the analog joystick works better for 3D games, many criticize it's use in 2D sidescrollers, as there is less of a distinct different between up or down and left or right, making it easy to accidentally duck or in some cases, even jump. Some controllers attempt to counter this by putting a plastic octagon boarder around the stick, so that when it's pushed to it's limits, it 'clicks' into space in a specific direction.
The idea of the Analog Joystick first appeared on the Atari 5200 controller, but didn't really catch on until the Nintendo 64 controller. From there, Sony followed and added two analog sticks to their controller, creating the Dual Shock. The two analog stick design is widely used in consoles today, especially as a way to control console FPS games. The stick on the left is often used to control direction, while the stick on the right is usually used to control the camera or menus.
The analog joystick is often used in a [[gameplay clich�?�?�?©]] that has the player rotate the stick as fast as possible, often resulting in blistered thumbs or raw palms.