Favourite or best controller?

[jacodemon]

Yep, ok, mouse and keyboard . ASIDE from that.

I'm looking to start some debate on here about controller design and what it has meant for your gaming over the years: look at the Wii now, or the invention of the d-pad, or light guns, or twisty paddles...

I'll start with my favourite (duh my pic gives it away somewhat) - the Namco Negcon. What a beautiful beast! A unique appearance. Intuitive, delicate, sensitive analogue control and analogue buttons years ahead of its time. Gave an advantage over users of other contol pads by genuinely improving a player's ability to input commands, like how with the Negcon you could feather the analogue airbrakes in Wipeout XL (Wipeout 2097). Totally sweet.

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

New 360 one, ripped off ps2 one with bumper and triggers but i like the size and design more.

 

[Ixus Illwrath]

NES controller morphed into the SNES controller morphed into the PS1 controller morphed into the PS2 controller and that is where I stand on controllers.

Worst of all time, on the other hand:

N64 - There was no way to fully utilize this controller. no way at all. Multi-armed Hindu gods would have difficulty wielding that contraption.

Gamecube - Nintendo didn't learn it's lesson

Genesis - terrible ergonomics

'The Duke'

 

[shadow skill]

I would say Dualshock 2 has been the best I have used.

 

[OctoBush]

i like cabegube controllers.however, i dislike the wiimote for now.

 

[poleboy]

N64 - There was no way to fully utilize this controller. no way at all. Multi-armed Hindu gods would have difficulty wielding that contraption.
Gamecube - Nintendo didn't learn it's lesson

You must be doing something wrong. The N64 controller can be held in multiple ways and some are just plain wrong. What I don't get at all is how you can dislike the Gamecube controller. That thing was pure perfection, ergonomically anyway.
Besides, nothing is as monstrous as the original Xbox controller. Between the weight and the huge distance between various buttons and sticks, simply using it caused me physical pain. Don't even get me started on the emotional pain.

EDIT: After some consideration, you have a point with the N64 controller. There was really no way to reach ALL the buttons at the same time. Fortunatly, it was rarely necessary.

 

[Ixus Illwrath]

i like cabegube controllers.however, i dislike the wiimote for now.

Cabegube is the coolest word I've ever said out loud.

 

[Ixus Illwrath]

N64 - There was no way to fully utilize this controller. no way at all. Multi-armed Hindu gods would have difficulty wielding that contraption.
Gamecube - Nintendo didn't learn it's lesson

You must be doing something wrong. The N64 controller can be held in multiple ways and some are just plain wrong. What I don't get at all is how you can dislike the Gamecube controller. That thing was pure perfection, ergonomically anyway.
Besides, nothing is as monstrous as the original Xbox controller. Between the weight and the huge distance between various buttons and sticks, simply using it caused me physical pain. Don't even get me started on the emotional pain.

Cmon man, I'm convinced Nintendo is on a quest to create an unusable controller.

How do you use the analog stick while using the trigger button and the d-pad on the 64 controller? it's impossible. Offset analog sticks on the 'Cabegube' controller? utter nonsense.

 

[zirnitra]

the N64 controller my particular favourite part as the trigger button underneath probably the the best fps controller ever made for a console.

 

[Ixus Illwrath]

the N64 controller my particular favourite part as the trigger button underneath probably the the best fps controller ever made for a console.

I would have to say anything with dual analog made that thing way obsolete. Like WASD+mouse made hitting page up/page down for y-axis viewing obsolete.

 

[Fire Daemon]

I like the SNES controller. Simple but complex with enough buttons for any game of the time.

 

[fix-the-spade]

The Dual Shock is the most enduring and effective design, so I'll be going with that.

Although the N64 controller is a work engineering and design art

 

[jacodemon]

The S Controller for the Xbox. Though the Duke was always good for a laugh.

Prefer it to the 360?

 

[jacodemon]

I like the SNES controller. Simple but complex with enough buttons for any game of the time.

Yes. My current theory is that the SNES pad unlocked new potential in gaming by introducing new complexity to console control, so I might say that the games of the time could then be designed with better, deeper control systems. Rather than... the other way round.

No matter how many times I edit and re-edit that paragraph I can't seem to make it any clearer.

 

[jacodemon]

N64 - There was no way to fully utilize this controller. no way at all. Multi-armed Hindu gods would have difficulty wielding that contraption.
Gamecube - Nintendo didn't learn it's lesson

You must be doing something wrong. The N64 controller can be held in multiple ways and some are just plain wrong. What I don't get at all is how you can dislike the Gamecube controller. That thing was pure perfection, ergonomically anyway.
Besides, nothing is as monstrous as the original Xbox controller. Between the weight and the huge distance between various buttons and sticks, simply using it caused me physical pain. Don't even get me started on the emotional pain.

Cmon man, I'm convinced Nintendo is on a quest to create an unusable controller.

How do you use the analog stick while using the trigger button and the d-pad on the 64 controller? it's impossible. Offset analog sticks on the 'Cabegube' controller? utter nonsense.

Were there any games on the N64 that required you to use all three "arms" at once? Aside from just weapon/item changes etc?

 

[Wengle]

Either the Gamecube or 360 one.

 

[anNIALLator]

It's got to be the 360's controller. I used to think that the Playstation ones were best but i have since found that the 360 one fits much better in your hands, and concave sticks are better than the convex ones on the Playstation. The triggers definetly feel better than the PS3's R2 and L2.

 

[shadow skill]

N64 - There was no way to fully utilize this controller. no way at all. Multi-armed Hindu gods would have difficulty wielding that contraption.
Gamecube - Nintendo didn't learn it's lesson

You must be doing something wrong. The N64 controller can be held in multiple ways and some are just plain wrong. What I don't get at all is how you can dislike the Gamecube controller. That thing was pure perfection, ergonomically anyway.
Besides, nothing is as monstrous as the original Xbox controller. Between the weight and the huge distance between various buttons and sticks, simply using it caused me physical pain. Don't even get me started on the emotional pain.

Cmon man, I'm convinced Nintendo is on a quest to create an unusable controller.

How do you use the analog stick while using the trigger button and the d-pad on the 64 controller? it's impossible. Offset analog sticks on the 'Cabegube' controller? utter nonsense.

Were there any games on the N64 that required you to use all three "arms" at once? Aside from just weapon/item changes etc?

Better question would be "Did the controller design allow for such a configuration to exist assuming the developer was sane?"

 

[sunami88]

God I love the 360's controller. I loved the S last gen, but once the 360 paddle came out I knew it would be tough going back. I never got much into the DualShock*'s, but then again I'm mainly an FPS whore.

i like cabegube controllers.however, i dislike the wiimote for now.

Cabegube is the coolest word I've ever said out loud.

Agreed.