Why did so many 2nd-gen controllers have numpads?

>>3377475
The Atari 2600 set the precedent of console games having different modes. 2nd gen consoles made things a bit "easier" by allowing you to select your game mode via key pad rather than flipping a switch on the actual console. This and the whole advent of the personal computer I guess (i.e. trying to replicate a keyboard).

I'm not familiar with any Coleco games that actually used all of the buttons (personally I just select the game mode I want, unlug the controller, and promptly plug in a genesis 6 button), but I think I have a couple 5200 games that do (space dungeon??).

I don't know, that's my theory though...

I figure they were just copying the most common interface of the time without a clear plan of how to use it

intellivision did have a math games that used it. Other than that system, I never saw a controller with a numpad.

Most of the time, games would come with overlays that indicated which button did things.

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>>3377475
Cause they were looking into the future, and did it for the sake of how cool it would be to have people making retro gaming machines with just a number pad and some simple deskmounted controller.