62 replies to this topic

[tz101]

I have thought this since it came out way back when. The stock controllers have convex (domed) buttons and I grew up on VCS and NES which had concave (indented) buttons.

Try as I might, I just could never get the feel for the SNES stock controllers because of the domed fire buttons.

Anyone else feel the same?

[accousticguitar]

I don't like any Nintendo controller, domed buttons or not.

[Austin]

I like the differentiation of the X/Y buttons (concave) versus the A/B buttons (convex). The controller in general also feels comfortable to hold for long periods of time, too, but that's just me.

[GKC]

I don't think I have ever been intuned enough to notice something like that but the shape of the controller I have noticed and the square NES controller is by far the most uncomfortable controller I have ever used. It sucks because some of my favorite games are on the NES but I would rather hold a Porcupine than that for 30 minutes.

Edited by GKC, Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:05 AM.

[Nimtene]

GKC, on Fri Jan 28, 2011 11:56 PM, said:

I don't think I have ever been intoned enough to notice something like that but the shape of the controller I have noticed and the square NES controller is by far the most uncomfortable controller I have ever used. It sucks because some of my favorite games are on the NES but I would rather hold a Porcupine than that for 30 minutes.

Then lucky for you that they released the NES dog-bone controller!

[GKC]

Nimtene, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:04 AM, said:

GKC, on Fri Jan 28, 2011 11:56 PM, said:

I don't think I have ever been intoned enough to notice something like that but the shape of the controller I have noticed and the square NES controller is by far the most uncomfortable controller I have ever used. It sucks because some of my favorite games are on the NES but I would rather hold a Porcupine than that for 30 minutes.

Then lucky for you that they released the NES dog-bone controller!

I honestly had never heard of it before and had to look it up. It looks like it would solve my problem. I could play 1943 for HOURS  

Thanks

[high voltage]

All these Japanese wrong way round joypads suck.

[The_Laird]

accousticguitar, on Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:13 PM, said:

I don't like any Nintendo controller, domed buttons or not.

Agreed 100%

[soloman]

Can't say I've ever had a problem with the SNES controller.  It's comfortable to hold and it's not like my fingers slip and slide off the buttons.  I played Donkey Kong Country for about 10 hours straight when it came out.  Every other controller has been a nightmare.  The N64 controller has one of the worst designs I've seen in a modern controller, the Gamecube controller's tiny little c-stick and lack of a second top-left button made some multiplat games wonky, and the Wii's controller also limits what developers can produce what with four buttons to work with.  Donkey Kong Country Returns was fun but it could've been perfect if I didn't have to waggle to perform basic actions.

[Arkhan]

Take two controllers apart and combine all the buttons you like into one controller?  

It might help!

[tz101]

Could this be easily done? I have taken many controllers apart for cleaning, and the buttons have slots molded into the underside so that you cannot get confused putting the controller back together. The concave buttons would not fit into the convex button holes in the top controller housing, from what I have seen.

[Arkhan]

tz101, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:06 AM, said:

Could this be easily done? I have taken many controllers apart for cleaning, and the buttons have slots molded into the underside so that you cannot get confused putting the controller back together. The concave buttons would not fit into the convex button holes in the top controller housing, from what I have seen.

I dunno, bust one open and see.  I am curious, but also lazy.  sometimes the controllers have identical slotting for all of them so you can rearrange them no problem.

[Cynicaster]

Never been much of a SNES fan in general, but I always thought the controllers were nice.  Both SNES and Genesis had great controller designs.

Maybe not perfect, but nothing as bad as Colecovision or N64 (two of the worst in history, IMO).

[Arkhan]

The N64 controller is the dumbest controller of all time.

[AtariLeaf]

Never had a problem with either the NES or SNES controllers. In fact a youtube buddy sent me two NES pads modded for the 7800 and I like them better than the Euro pad.

[Multijointed Monster Maker]

Or how about, how every developer intentionally programmed SNES games to run slow because of perceived limitations, but in reality it always had the ability to run fast gameplay, nobody ever tried.

This pisses me off about websites like smwcentral.net where I'd suggest a new idea and they'd dismiss it as impossible, just because it has never been done before.

[AtariLeaf]

Arkhan, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:44 AM, said:

The N64 controller is the dumbest controller of all time.

Its up there with the CV, 5200, and 7800 sticks IMO. Never tried the Jaguar controller but it looks horrible to use. What a weird looking thing.

[mbd30]

The N64 controller isn't that bad if you grip it in the center so that your thumb rests comfortably on the analog stick, rather than try to grip it on the sides and reach your thumb over.

[Arkhan]

mbd30, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:42 PM, said:

The N64 controller isn't that bad if you grip it in the center so that your thumb rests comfortably on the analog stick, rather than try to grip it on the sides and reach your thumb over.

Isolating the d-pad is total blasphemy.

[mbd30]

Arkhan, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:47 PM, said:

mbd30, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:42 PM, said:

The N64 controller isn't that bad if you grip it in the center so that your thumb rests comfortably on the analog stick, rather than try to grip it on the sides and reach your thumb over.

Isolating the d-pad is total blasphemy.

The d-pad is so rarely used though.

[Arkhan]

mbd30, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:52 PM, said:

Arkhan, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:47 PM, said:

mbd30, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:42 PM, said:

The N64 controller isn't that bad if you grip it in the center so that your thumb rests comfortably on the analog stick, rather than try to grip it on the sides and reach your thumb over.

Isolating the d-pad is total blasphemy.

The d-pad is so rarely used though.

Well jee, I wonder why.

[TheGameCollector]

Arkhan, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:26 PM, said:

mbd30, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:52 PM, said:

Arkhan, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:47 PM, said:

mbd30, on Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:42 PM, said:

The N64 controller isn't that bad if you grip it in the center so that your thumb rests comfortably on the analog stick, rather than try to grip it on the sides and reach your thumb over.

Isolating the d-pad is total blasphemy.

The d-pad is so rarely used though.

Well jee, I wonder why.

"If YOU need instructions on how to get through the seven koopa hotels (with the Nintendo 64 controller), check out the enclosed instruction book"

The instructions for the system mention the controller's weird shape and how each game's manual will say "hold the controller like this" showing a diagram at some point. The stupidest position was the unused "left" position where you would not even put a hand on the right side of the controller where the main buttons were. It was unused, yet it was shown in the system manual.

[wood_jl]

I don't care whether or not the tops of the buttons are convex or concave, nor do I see a reason to care, as long as the controller's comfortable and functional.

The SNES controller is both (to me), and was revolutionary in introducing the shoulder buttons.

The N64 controller is weird, heavy, and waaay too much crap hanging under it if you want rumble.  I don't care for the design, but it's still functional (most of the time) and comfortable, so I give it a "pass."

The Jaguar controller is large and heavy, kind of awkward, but it's comfortable and functional.  It passes.
Same for Dreamcast.

The *original* Xbox controller - I mean the LARGE, original "The Duke" controller for XBOX1:  This is the only controller whos buttons bothered me.  Playing a racing game where you're "flooring the gas" for a long time?  The convex, oval-like buttons have a fairly pointed ridge on the top that will start biting into your thumb.  THIS IS THE KIND OF CONVEX I CAN COMPLAIN ABOUT.  Plus, too large/too much plastic.  Functional, but not comfortable.

Other contenders are:

Intellivision:  Neither functional (try to line up a diagonal) nor comfortable (love the side fire buttons)

Colecovision: Functional, but extremely uncomfortable (short stick and fire buttons)
Atari 5200:  Neither functional (for long) nor comfortable (side fire buttons)
Atari 7800:  Functional, but uncomfortable (side fire buttons)

Whoever decided that fire buttons should go on the side of the controller was probably a product designer first, and a gamer last.  If you think the SNES buttons suck, you must really have something to say about side fire buttons, eh?  Just a wee bit more uncomfortable than the slight convex of the SNES controller, eh?

[AtariLeaf]

Great post above

[Cliff Friedel]

The worst controller for me was the intellivision controller, although the colecovision's and the 5200's were fairly close in suckiness as well.  Never got the idea of the stubby stick with the giant rectangle controller underneath.  It was like you purposely had to put your one hand in an uncomfortable position and lock it there so you could move the stick with your other hand.  Plus, with two buttons on each side, you basically had your first two fingers on one side and your thumb moving between the buttons on the other side.  Forget using the numpads without looking, especially if you had overlays on them.  Dumbest thing ever.