"I mean, who's going to when you're busy running through the maze, when you're in the middle of a complex puzzle that's going to open up the next stage, or when you're defending the earth against hordes and hordes of baddies. It's thankless, mostly. But, I don't mind. I'm all about the work. That's satisfaction enough for me."

Indeed, the D-pad, or D as she likes to be called, takes care of all the in-game menu functions like cycling through items or changing weapons without pausing the game. "Anything to get you from the beginning to the end faster. I don't need you to thank me. I'm at peace doing my job. I'm an in-the-trenches kind of girl."

Often, D is found quietly smiling in the background while the other controller parts take spotlight. Such as the Joystick. "People were so enamored with the Joystick when N64 first came out. Rightfully so. We were entering the 3D world after all. Joystick really allowed that to happen. He deserved the attention."

D adds, showing tenderness for her compatriot, "even under all the pressure and abuse he takes. People angrily hitting him side to side when they're having trouble steering, or when they can't reach that high up platform. I worry for him. But, he shows great poise."

About the button array on the far right. " They're some characters. A and B are funny, always bragging about how they've been through it all. Between you and me, though. They're A and B by name, but those bastards haven't been on the NES controllers, neither on the SNES. They're a little slow to realize they're just offspring. But hey, you need A and B, right? Essential."

A love affair? "Me and C. So many things in common, really. That's why I dig him so much. Sometimes he takes on the in game menu responsibilities. I admire, though, how he controls the camera and axillary commands. It takes such effort and dedication in my opinion." D nods and smiles. "He's so cute, too. All yellow arrows."

When asked about L and R, she smiles and the blush fades. She is happy to move on from discussing C. "L and R are some crazy you-know-what's. Don't even get me started on Z. They talk so much trash about one another. You should have been there when they dissed the Rumble Pack for a week straight. I swear the boy was about to cry. It's all fun and games, though. Fun and games."

Overall, D is very content for the service she's provided to countless gamers. When asked, she always replies that she is happy. Age and the decline of the video game cartridge has seen the neglect and collection of dust on a lot of consoles and hardware. Through it all, D smiles.

She smiles when I mention the Duck Hunt Power Gun and the Power Glove. Sega Master System and other predecessors.

"I'm just happy," she says. "Nothing lasts forever and I consider myself lucky. We were on the cutting edge. And now we're legend to a lot of people. And nothing is over. Gamers from time to time come back and play Super Mario 64. Any Mario is timeless, really."