right|thumb|the power pad, side b right|thumb|the power pad, side a the power pad (known in japan as family trainer, and in europe and briefly in the united states as family fun fitness) is a floor mat game controller for the nintendo entertainment system. it is a gray mat with twelve pressure-sensors embedded between two layers of flexible plastic. it was originally developed by bandai. bandai first released the accessory in 1986 as the family trainer pack for the famicom in japan, and later released in the united states under the name family fun fitness. nintendo released it in 1988 as the power pad,bogost, ian (2005). the rhetoric of exergaming. georgia institute of technology. retrieved on 8 august 2009. along with the game world class track meet, which was a rebranding of an earlier game. ==overview== thumbnail|european version family fun fitness. the power pad accessory is laid out in front of the video display for various games, generally plugged into the second nes controller port, with players stepping on the large buttons to control gameplay. there are two illustrated sides to the pad: side a, which is rarely used, has eight buttons, while side b has twelve buttons numbered from 1-12. games using the power pad often test players on their timing and coordination, memory, "running" speed, or allow them to play music with their steps. games such as dance dance revolution can trace the lineage of their control mechanisms back to the power pad (see dance pad).webster, andrew. roots of rhythm: a brief history of the music game genre. ars technica. 3 march 2009.kohler, chris. out of control: the craziest game controllers evar - atari vs. nes. 1up.com. 11 july 2006. ==revival== in 2007, namco bandai games announced that the power pad would see a reappearance for the wii. this version of the pad will also work in conjunction with the wii remote. it was released as active life: outdoor challenge in north america  (known as family trainer athletic world in japan and family trainer in europe) in 2008. its sequel active life: extreme challenge was released in 2009. ==compatible g
1986_video_games 1987_video_games 1988_video_games 1989_video_games 1990_video_games Athletics_video_games Bandai_games Dance_pads Exergames Nintendo_Entertainment_System_accessories Nintendo_Entertainment_System_games