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WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

Hey, Chris Bentley here with another special episode of Here and Now Anytime for you.

Today, we're continuing our collaboration with our friends at WBUR Podcasts

and airing the second part of their limited series Hidden Levels,

which is all about video game design.

And this week, we're going to hear about the mainstay of video game controllers, a device

so effective, it kind of just seems like it was always there, to me at least, the joystick.

But as Amory Sievertson of WBOR's endless thread found out out there's a lot more to it than that.

And Amory, I learned a lot from your story, which we're going to hear in a minute,

some things that surprised me, like that you've never played Mario Kart.

Okay, okay.

Yes, this is true.

I had never played Mario Kart.

You will hear me play a little bit of it in the piece. And spoiler alert, I'm terrible at it, Chris. Turns out. Hey, you got to start somewhere. Thank you. Yes, you got to start somewhere. That makes me feel a little better. Yes. Well, gamer or not, most people have probably seen a joystick somewhere or used one. it's, you know, one of those things where its power is kind of an simplicity.

I remember reading... or not. Most people have probably seen a joystick somewhere or used one. It's, you know,

one of those things where its power is kind of an simplicity. I remember reading a quote from a

video game designer once. I can't remember who it was, though, recalling like the first time that

he ever played a video game as a kid and how he was like enamored with that sensation of the

character on screen going the same direction that he was moving the controller.

You know, simple thing, but like beautiful.

...