Favorite and Most despised Contollers of all time?

[+RangerG]

Would someone please explain to me why they like the Intellivision disc? I really think the Intellivision has some good games and it has great nostalgia factor, but my thumbs just can't take the discs. If you like/tolerate them, did you get used to them as a kid or when the machine was popular back in the day? I have the INTV II, but are the INTV discs any better? I vote the Intellivision discs easily the worst. They look cool and I want to use them, but they just really detract from the system. By the way, I agree with many about the 5200 sticks. They are a royal pain to fix and keep working, but it is unfair to call them one of the most uncomfortable. The firebuttons may be one of the worst, but the actual joystick movement is smooth and the stick fits nicely in the hand.

[Raijin Z]

Faves....

DUAL SHOCK 2

NES Max

Gamecube

 

Hated...

ATARI 7800!!!

Tandy controllers... those awful boxes with the brittle stick

Jaguar

N64

Dreamcast

[Invader_dag]

i just don`t dig the X-box controllers, even the S, it just doesn`t have a good feel, and the colored buttons are too hard. But i did despise the Genesis controllers. But i loved the Dreamcast Controllers, which everyone else seemed to hate. I like most controlles, but the Gamecube and SNES controllers are my favorites, just for sheer feel, and creative design, they don`t just mirror each side. thats just my $.02

[Emehr]

Boffo Bo:

original 2600 stick

NES (as uncomfortable as they look, I could play on this for hours)

Genesis (3 or 6 button, they're both great)

Sega Arcade Power Stick (excellent for 2600 and 7800 usage, don't play Ms.Pac without one!)

Lynx II (does this count? )

SuperNES (really nice, I almost forget I'm holding it after a while)

GameCube (I like the design, although as stated in a recent post the 'Z' button is a little hard to find)

 

Floppo Poo:

7800 Pro-Line

the D-pad on the PlayStation controller (horrible for Street Fighter-like movements)

those little nubbins on the back of the NES Max that leave imprints on your fingers

 

Jason

[joeybastard]

BEST:

Atari Paddles

CV SuperAction Sticks

N64

O2 sticks

 

WORST:

TG16 - they work fine but hurt my hands

7800 sticks

Intellivision Discs

Wico CV sticks

[+kisrael]

Back in the day (of one stick/one button) you had some real innovation in stick design, because there were so many workable options. Now, most third party controls are just slightly malformed versions of the stock.

 

So, going over memory lane:

Gemini/Columbia Home Arcade - decent stick w/ built in paddle - B

Amiga PowerStick - tiny but comfortable...tiny stick = good control - A-

Wico - overrated. Too huge. The giant black and red one could be tolerable, but that grey and black pseudo-flightstick looking thing would rotate so the orientation of stick wasn't quite N/S/E/W. C-

Epyx 500XJ - terrifix. So comfortable, great clicky feel. A.

Wico Ergostick - a 500XJ with nice soft rubber all around, same great feel. A+.

 

 

 

In terms of System: (graded on a curve, considering what the competitors were doing at the time.)

Atari 2600 - elegant, but hard to push. B-.

Intellivision - "precision" my ass. If I can't tell how to go exactly East, NOW, and not "East by North East" I don't want it. C-.

Colecovision - Bad response. Good 2nd button. C.

Atari 5200 - floppy fish. D-.

Vectrex - ok stick, bad button placement. C.

NES - elegent, boxy but comfortable. B.

Gensis - Lame and derivative. Ooh, a third button. Buttons not in a crosspad formation. Props for backwards compatbility with old "atari" standard though... B.

SNES - brilliant arrangement of 4 buttons as gamepad, shoulder buttons. B+.

PSX - rip off of SNES, no decent crosspad, two many similar shoulder buttons. C.

N64 - the return of the analog stick! good button differntiation. Scrapey joystick top tho. Most games made ok, conservsative use of crosspad if they also used the stick - A-

Dreamcast - big but not bad. VMU was clever idea, not used well enough. Nice triggers. - A.

PS2 Dualshock 2 - nice symmetry, but not that comfortable. too many similar buttons. Dualshock 2 really sucks--those should NOT be analog buttons, just makes 'em squishy, and you can't really judge the pressure. B-.

GameCube - Sooo comfortable for long termplay, good button differntiation, too-tiny crosspad. If I had to pick one controller for videogames from now on, this would be it. A.

 

I know I'm biased a bit, but Nintendo and to a lesser extent Sega have been the only innovators in controllers lately. Sony ripped off the SNES and then the N64 in analog sticks, but get some points for symmetry and pressing "in" is kind of useful. Xbox's ripoffness is widely known. Just adding in more buttons really isn't innovation. Breakway cords are a little clever.

[PuddWakkr]

My Fav's:

Dreamcast

Snes

Xbox

Nes Advantage Stick

Genesis 3 button

2600 paddles

 

Not my Fav's

NES

TG16

N64

Gamecube

Genesis 6 button (add more buttons and make it smaller??)

PSX/PS2 dual shock

[Defiance131]

I'm a fan of fighting games, so I've always been on the look out for good, sturdy arcade-style fighting sticks. Being cursed with repetitive stress injury in my right wrist after 13 years as a journalist, arcade sticks are a must for me in fighters like Soul Calibur and Virtua Fighter. But that's not to say I can't kick bigferret's ass without one. Anyway, all that was to set up this page here that some of you might've seen before. Now to my list.

 

LOVE IT:

Dual Shock -- Ape Escape is the game that got me to appreciate the Dual Shock. As a late entry into the PSX market, it took me a bit to get used to the controller. Now it's second nature.

GameCube standard -- A very comfy controller for someone with small hands like me. PSO has made this controller second nature to me.

Wavebird for GameCube -- Not quite as comfortable as the regular GC controller, but the best wireless controller out there.

Saturn analog pad -- It's probably the reason why I love NiGHTS so much. And it spawned the Dreamcast controller.

ASCII Saturn Stick -- A great arcade stick if you can find one. One of my faves.

ASCII Dreamcast -- Best arcade stick this side of the X-Arcade. Very solid construction, and the first stick I bought that made me feel like I was playing in an arcade. Great for Soul Calibur and Mark of the Wolf.

Thumbstick on the Neo-Geo Pocket Color -- Hands down, the best control stick on a handheld. Great for fighting games and overall comfort. Poor NGPC.

Logitech force feedback wheel -- Turns GT3 into a whole new experience. Really enabled me to get the tougher licenses (never did get the S though). Now the new Logitech wheel boasts 900-degree rotation, vs. 300 for the current model. *sigh*

 

DESIGNED AND TESTED BY MONKEYS:

XBOX -- The S-controller is an improvement, but those black and white buttons really make me wonder what they were thinking.

Original Saturn controller -- Not my least favorite, but not nearly as good as the 6-button Genesis pad.

Gameboy d-pad -- It's been relatively unchanged for years. The GBA d-pad can't hold a candle to the NGPC's thumbstick, though I do like the d-pad on the GBA SP.

 

I haven't played with bigferret's Atari stuff a whole lot, but two controllers that make me say are the 5200's and the Jaguar's. Eeeeep.

[Raijin Z]

PS2 Dualshock 2 - nice symmetry, but not that comfortable. too many similar buttons.  Dualshock 2 really sucks--those should NOT be analog buttons, just makes 'em squishy, and you can't really judge the pressure. B-.

 

You're obviously using it wrong.

[+kisrael]

PS2 Dualshock 2 - nice symmetry, but not that comfortable. too many similar buttons.  Dualshock 2 really sucks--those should NOT be analog buttons, just makes 'em squishy, and you can't really judge the pressure. B-.

You're obviously using it wrong.

How so?

• In not finding the grip comfortable? (thumbs too far extended to hit the sticks)
  
• In finding too many similar buttons? (especially on the shoulders...my pointer and index fingers don't feel that different to me when I'm not looking)
  
• In thinking that the buttons, usually used for on/off tasks, don't have a nice solid response?
  
• In having trouble knowing how they feel pressed "partway"? Compared to the proper throttle buttons, like DC or GC, they really suck...I never feel confident that they're all the way pressed (like, the gas on GTA:3 or :VC)--that is just a ridiculously small amount of give to put in "255 degrees of sensitivity"--so I tend to overdo it, which hurts after a while
  

To me, the Dual Shock 2 is a ridiculous, uncomfortable, relatively unimaginative controller whose only saving grace is symmetrical controles and the ability to click the sticks in.

[Raijin Z]

• In not finding the grip comfortable? (thumbs too far extended to hit the sticks)
  
• In finding too many similar buttons? (especially on the shoulders...my pointer and index fingers don't feel that different to me when I'm not looking)
  
• In thinking that the buttons, usually used for on/off tasks, don't have a nice solid response?
  
• In having trouble knowing how they feel pressed "partway"?  Compared to the proper throttle buttons, like DC or GC, they really suck...I never feel confident that they're all the way pressed (like, the gas on GTA:3 or :VC)--that is just a ridiculously small amount of give to put in "255 degrees of sensitivity"--so I tend to overdo it, which hurts after a while
  

To me, the Dual Shock 2 is a ridiculous, uncomfortable, relatively unimaginative  controller whose only saving grace is symmetrical controles and the ability to click the sticks in.

 

Dreamcast controllers are better? Have you ever played a racing game for two hours? Your index fingers' joints are royally fucked after havent to stay bent so far for so long. Imagine having to drive cross country if you could only flex your ankle to press the gas pedal, and weren't permitted to reposition your foot. For anything else I feel like addressing, I've provided these visual aids.

 

The resistance until the button "clicks", and where 100% is achieved.

 

Where most people keep their thumbs in games that require use of both the analog sticks and the d-pad.

[+kisrael]

Haven't done a DC racer for 2 hours, but got some good long racing in on Rush 2049 or whatever it is. Seemed ok.

 

I find the button doesn't so much click as crunch. Very poor feedback.

 

And re thumb placement...the way you draw, the thumb looks stretched in a bad way. Is that how you're supposed to hold it or is there a better way?

[Raijin Z]

My thumbs are longer then the ones I doodled. The biometrics are correct, though. I'd take a video of it, but I don't have WinXP drivers for my pencam.

[Paralistalon]

I think the N64 controller was the best controller ever made.

 

The worst one would be the Atari 7800 one, because it's the only controller that makes my hand hurt after a few minutes of playing.

[VidGameKing]

the one controller I hate above all others, would have to be all the ones from the 16-bit era that were flat. also including the ones for the SMS, NES and brittish 7800. at least in the 8-bit era some of the joysticks were made to feel real comfortable in your hand ie: the Wico Command stuff, with that notch in the fron that fits your trigger finger just right you can play for days on end. I enjoy all modern joysticks 32 bit and up, excluding 3DO they suck too. but thats just my personal preff, if I was to be required to pick one of the flat joypads that was to be the one I would live with the most it would be the SNES, it you fingers can just roll onto it.

 

thats my two bits.

[Raijin Z]

I think the N64 controller was the best controller ever made.

...except the grips were angular and uncomfortable (Dreamcast), and the stick had terrible texture, so your thumb would always slip off while playing games where you almost constantly held up, like in FPS games (Dreamcast).

[ultravi0let]

fave;

Dual Shock 2; love useing both analogs for driving games

 

worst;

N64; i've broken so meny of these

[+kisrael]

fave;

Dual Shock 2; love useing both analogs for driving games

 

worst;

N64; i've broken so meny of these

How far back does your gaming go?

I mean, I feel kind of opposite of you, in that N64 is pretty good and Dual Shock 2 is pretty bad, but I wouldn't put either of them in the category of best ever / worst ever. And just because they break? I've broken like 1, and my system has gotten plenty of multiplayer (incl mario party) use--and even that 1 wasn't 'broken', just squishy 'cause juice got in it.

[+kisrael]

I think the N64 controller was the best controller ever made.

...except the grips were angular and uncomfortable (Dreamcast), and the stick had terrible texture, so your thumb would always slip off while playing games where you almost constantly held up, like in FPS games (Dreamcast).

Why do you keep saying Dreamcast? As an better example or something?

 

Anyway, I found the top texture painful, not slippery...

 

Heh, the original Mario Party and those stupid spinning games...ouch!

[+kisrael]

the Wico Command stuff, with that notch in the fron that fits your trigger finger just right you can play for days on end.  

thats my two bits.

You mean like that big grey base, black stick one?

It's random turnability drove me nuts.

Plus, it had a large "throw"...it was comfortable to hold for long periods, but moving it around would be tiring in the long run I think...

[ultravi0let]

fave;

Dual Shock 2; love useing both analogs for driving games

 

worst;

N64; i've broken so meny of these

How far back does your gaming go?

I mean, I feel kind of opposite of you, in that N64 is pretty good and Dual Shock 2 is pretty bad, but I wouldn't put either of them in the category of best ever / worst ever. And just because they break? I've broken like 1, and my system has gotten plenty of multiplayer (incl mario party) use--and even that 1 wasn't 'broken', just squishy 'cause juice got in it.

 

well, i've only been playing games for about twenty years

 

i've got through six N64 controllers; all my other consoles i'm still on the one i brought for the system

[DeV0]

The most sucky:

 

2600 stick, These are not fit for human consumption. Major cramps/blisters

Arcadia 2001, um, do i need to explain?

Intellivision, Ditto

Colecovision, What where they thinking with this?

DC, Just plain awful

Xbox, original and s model, Why do the buttons suck?

 

The least sucky, more blowy

 

7800 pads, Luv em, Must have a working one though which can be hard to find. Can be used on 2600, 7800, coleco, c64, amiga

NES Dogbone, these are very cruisy for the hand muscles.

N64, They rock for FPS's, look stoopid but rock none the less

PSX / PSdual shock, Awesome possibly the best ever

Gamecube, Soooo comfy

Snes, Just plain good

Any thrustmaster pc Pad.

[+kisrael]

i've got through six N64 controllers; all my other consoles i'm still on the one i brought for the system

Yimminy crickets, what are you doing to them?

And what breaks, the analog stick?

 

I've seen a few broken sticks, but I know my cousins abuse 'em and step on 'em etc, and one where the rubber mat for the z button folded under itself a bit making it a usable but less snappy, and one that was sticky internally probably 'cause of a spill.

 

I see the sticks looking a little worn, you see the dust from where they grind, but very few actually end up busted.

 

And I dunno if potential durability issues is enough to put any single controller in "worst ever" territory.

[PuddWakkr]

And I dunno if potential durability issues is enough to put any single controller in "worst ever" territory.

 

Ask the atari 5200 controller owners

[+kisrael]

And I dunno if potential durability issues is enough to put any single controller in "worst ever" territory.

 

Ask the atari 5200 controller owners

Really? People played with those damn floppy non-centering pieces of crap long enough to break them???