Several vintage video game platforms from the late 8-bit and early 16-bit generation use an input device with an 8-way directional control and two face buttons, often labeled B and A or 1 and 2. It's just barely possible to make a first-person shooter for these 8-bit machines, though it's tricky to provide a full range of control comparable to that of Id Software's Doom with two buttons and a joystick.
Console | Aim button | Attack button |
---|---|---|
Nintendo Entertainment System | B | A |
Game Boy | ||
Lynx | ||
Sega Master System | 1 | 2 |
Game Gear | ||
TurboGrafx-16 | II | I |
Genesis | B | C |
When the Aim button is not pressed, the game offers the tank control typical of a basic FPS.
The Aim button sacrifices movement options for attacking or otherwise doing things. It combines some function of the "use", "strafe", and "sights" keys from conventional shooters and the "Z-targeting" or "L-targeting" from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series.
Consoles with additional buttons, such as Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy Advance, can add things like jumping.