best game controller

[super_dos_man]

there's been sooooooooo many topics on the worst game controllers. but the question is what are the best?

[Lemmi]

ive always liked the Genesis 3 or 6 button cont.

then the Saturn controllers

Jaguar cont. are easy on my big hands

 

for 3DO i like the rounder Goldstar cont.

[BydoEmpire]

The Epyx 500xj was my favorite 2600/c64/Amiga joystick by far. The Colecovision Super Action controller is also really comfotable and functional.

 

For 16-bit systems the SNES standard pad is about as perfect as you can get. All buttons easily accesible, super tight dpad, comfortable size.

[SteveW]

Atari CX-40. The best, most natural game controller ever designed. They got it right, first try.

[Schmead55]

For the 2600 i've always preferred the WICO commander.

[JB]

Limiting it to 1st-party console controllers, because I don't want to wade into the endless sea of 3rd-party and PC pads...

 

 

Saturn analog controller is, IMO, the gold standard for gamepad layout. I don't know of a device yet that I'd rather have for general usage.

 

 

 

 

I can't think of a handheld joystick I can tag as overwhelmingly superior.

 

Even my most-favored controller designs have serious flaws. The 5200/7800/4a joystick design has a lot of potentional, and is already better than other handheld joysticks, but it was never evolved to the level it needed.

 

 

Sega's Dreamcast joystick takes the crown for panel sticks, though. Or the Japanese Saturn stick, which is the same thing with 2 more action buttons.

[A.J. Franzman]

Atari CX-40. The best, most natural game controller ever designed. They got it right, first try.

Ummmm..... Second try?

(CX-10)

[Jess Ragan]

The MK2 Saturn controller, easily. Great button layout. Comfortable, ergonomic design. A D-pad that's precise no matter what direction you push it. It's everything I want from a joypad plus a whole lot more.

 

Surprisingly, the Dual Shock holds up pretty well too. It's not great for 2D games thanks to the poor D-pad design, but for 3D games, there is none better.

 

JR

[cimerians]

The original Atari stick for me (cx-10??)

 

I've always liked the SNES pad too.

 

I never tried the Saturn analog controller.....heard good things about it.

[Atari-Jess]

SNES pads

[+kisrael]

Atari CX-40. The best, most natural game controller ever designed. They got it right, first try.

Ummmm..... Second try?

(CX-10)

What's the CX-10?

 

Anyway, I'm also sentimental about that stick, for the old pixeltime.com site I made up the following tribute:

but in practice, they're pretty rough on the wrists, and a lot of games could have benefited from a second button. For that generation, I'd have to say Epyx 500XJ, Wico Ergostick, Amiga Powerstick, or even the one that came w/ the gemini/columbia home arcade.

 

All time, I have to give the nod to the Xbox revamped design, though GC is a close second.

[A.J. Franzman]

Atari CX-40. The best, most natural game controller ever designed. They got it right, first try.

Ummmm..... Second try?

(CX-10)

What's the CX-10?

CX-10 is the original version of the Atari joystick that came with the first version "heavy sixer" console, only produced for about a year. The CX-10 looks nearly identical to the CX-40 but internally they are very different. The CX-10 stick presses on springs which then transfer pressure (through a plastic plate which holds the springs in place) to the switch contacts. The result is that once contact is made, the stick does not stop - there is little to no "feel" for when you have moved the stick far enough - it continues to travel and can be pushed to very extreme angles. Some people who only know about the CX-40 have thrown away good CX-10s thinking they were broken! Some people love this version of the controller, but I hate it.

Edited May 30, 2006 by A.J. Franzman

[kirin jensen]

O2 joysticks remain my fave. I'd love to adapt a pair for use on the 2600.

[bones]

2600 Slik Stik for me, hands down.

short throw = quick response = high scores

[Shawn]

Dreamcast had a beautiful controller.

[Ze_ro]

I always used to say the Jaguar controller was my favorite, and it still is... but I'm really starting to like the Xbox 360 controller. If it wasn't for the battery pack sticking out the back, it would be perfect (I don't have a wired one yet, I'm guessing it fixes that).

 

I also liked the original Xbox controller (the big huge one that everyone else hated), and the Dreamcast controller.

 

--Zero

[Atariboy]

I hated everything about the Dreamcast controller. That and the unreliability of the system are about the only faults I can see with the Dreamcast.

[+kisrael]

DC controller has its good and bad points.

I think its triggers are kind of silly.

It kind of needs a second analog controller.

The VMU was a terrific idea but underutilized.

The wire at the bottom was kind of dumb.

Over all fairly comfortable and generally not too bad.

 

Re; the DC itself...I hate the stupid beeping it does when it forgets the time and what not. Xbox copied that from them too, at least the inability to remember the damn date and time when the thing is unplugged.

Edited May 31, 2006 by kisrael

[brpocock]

For analog/3d... GCN controllers. The Nintendo originals are good; the MadCatz ones with soft (gel) grips are a slight improvement for some things. I particularly like the "blind" button arrangement ... A,B,X,Y are all distinct "braille'able" shapes.

 

For digital/2d, the Saturn controller wasn't bad, but I'd have to lean toward something more like the "figure 8" SNES control pads. A bit small for my hands, but you know, Caucasians are just too damned tall.

 

Actually, for modern digital/2d, the GBA or NDS layout is pretty nice, and a decent size. The SP and Micro are too small, and the GBA doesn't have a backlight, so it's not great for portables, but it's quite playable in e.g. multiplayer Final Fantasy on GCN, which is kinda surprising as it's a "2-and-a-half-D" game. (2D world but 3D view)

[n8littlefield]

For classic, I'd have to go with the 6-button Genesis pad. I loved that thing, it was so confortable and had the best layout for fighting games.

 

For current controllers it's a hard choice. Functionally I love the 360 controller, it's well designed and is just a great all around controller. For comfort though - the Cube controller just melts into your hands. If they had given it a bigger d-pad I would have said it's the perfect controller.

[Classic Pac]

Genesis 6 button and the one for the Playstations Sony original

[liveinabin]

We had a big multi round vote on this last year didn't we?

 

The winner was Intellivision, by a landslide majority

[+kisrael]

We had a big multi round vote on this last year didn't we?

 

The winner was Intellivision, by a landslide majority

I think it was a few years ago.

 

I was a staunch advocate of the GC, but since then I've come to admit that the Xbox edges it out a tad.

[Cheese007]

DC controller has its good and bad points.

I think its triggers are kind of silly.

It kind of needs a second analog controller.

The VMU was a terrific idea but underutilized.

The wire at the bottom was kind of dumb.

Over all fairly comfortable and generally not too bad.

 

Re; the DC itself...I hate the stupid beeping it does when it forgets the time and what not. Xbox copied that from them too, at least the inability to remember the damn date and time when the thing is unplugged.

At least the DC or XBOX don't think it's January 1st, 1994 24/7 like my Saturn. I,ve gotta replace the battery for that and the dead batteries in all 8 of my VMUs. Those CR 2032s are hella expensive.

Anyway, back on topic. I LOVE the DC, GC, and XBOX pads. They don't give me hand cramps like a certain other company's controller who for confidentiality reasons shall be called "sonny".

[dgo]

I always loved the konix speedking joystick in my c64 days. Even better control than the beloved arcade joysticks

 

I also kinda like the GC controllers, very intuitive design.

 

And I also think microsofts original sidewinder gamepad for the pc needs to be mentioned. One of the first and imo best digital gamepads for the pc.