TONE AND COLOR

Figure 1. Nintendo 64 with game controller and console. 

How Tone is Operating

As seen in Figure 1, the Nintendo 64 utilizes tone in a very subtle but effective manner. For instance, in the design of the console, the areas where the remote controllers are to be plugged in and the area into which the actual game itself goes have been designed in a lighter tone of gray to contrast the darker tone of the overall console. This small but significant distinction allows for the user to immediately identify these key areas and begin playing much faster. 

How Tone is Interacting 

In the console, tone interacts in a very interesting way with the scale of the distinctive areas with a different tonality. In the console for instance, tone acts as an attention grabber for those areas that are found in a smaller scale (in comparison to the overall size of the console) that require the users attention. By using tone to distinguish these areas, the design of the console remains balanced. 

Figure 2. A close up of the Nintendo 64 game controller. 

How Color is Operating

The use of color, in both the console and the controller, are very minimal and only applied to areas when necessary in this original version of the Nintendo 64. As seen in Figure 2, color operates as an indicator of the function of each button. Although the colors are not conventional to the average person, the color choices are based off what is common in the gaming console world. For instance, the use of red as "start".  

How Color is Interacting 

Color interacts the strongest with the use of shapes in the case of the controller. Even though the shapes (circles for the most part) distinguish the areas in which the controller has the buttons needed to be visible by the user, the colors chosen distinguish the function of these buttons to the user. By utilizing vibrant colors in these buttons, the user is able to quickly glance at the controller and distinguish which button it is he/she needs.