Joysticks may not be so common these days, unless you are a competitive beat-'em-up player, of course, but their influence can be seen in the analogue sticks seen on PlayStation DualShocks and Xbox Wireless Controllers. But even in their arcade heyday of the '80s and '90s, none ever came near the size of the giant one that was built in New Hampshire, US.

The nine-foot-tall joystick is made of wood, rubber, and steel, and has claimed a spot in the forthcoming book of Guinness World Records 2022.

Related: 5 Fighting Games That Are Better With A Joystick (& 5 That Are Better With A Controller)

Credit: Mary Flanagan. Cover photo credit to Robert Gill.

The enormous joystick was created by Dartmouth College professor Mary Flanagan and is based on the original classic Atari controller - just that it is nearly 14 times bigger. Flanagan built the contraption in 2006 as a tribute to her childhood memories of "maniacally" playing Atari 2600 videogames.

Flanagan also wanted to explore what it would be like when a single-player experience becomes a more collaborative effort as it takes at least two people to operate the giant controller and play classic Atari titles such as Centipede and Breakout.

The Dartmouth professor is an artist, chair of the college's film and media studies department, and Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor in Digital Humanities, as well as a game designer. Growing up, Flanagan said the Atari 2600 was one of her most influential digital experiences.

"To have this common pop culture artifact just erupt in the middle of a space and allow people to play something familiar, yet not familiar, was exciting," she said.

Now, the Guinness World Records 2022 book will record the giant controller as the world's largest. For those who don't know the Atari 2600 controller on which it is based is an eight-direction joystick with a single red button.

The joystick has toured the UK, US, and Spain, and is now part of the permanent collection of the ZKM Centre for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Flanagan is continuing to make artworks and exploring the idea of collaboration and sharing of "otherwise single-person gaming experience" and investigating the cultural and sociological effects of technology.

"Games can be universal and provide people with an opportunity to connect in novel ways," Flanagan has said. A sentiment with which TheGamer heartily agrees.

Next: There's Nothing Sacred About The Movie Theater Experience Anymore