What's the best and worst console controller?

[Zac Smith]

I'm going to have to be a dick and say things like Kinect and Eye Toy, actually having nothing to hold is the most comfortable. But technically you want an actual control. Still though I'm going to be different

I'm going to say the Guitar Hero / Rock Band guitars. I am a guitarist myself, so picking those up just felt natural to me

Worst in my opinion, was the original Xbox control, they were clunky as hell, luckily for me when I got my original Xbox it came with 2 of the redesigned smaller models

 

[Falseprophet]

Best: DualShock 3 and its predecessor. Light and sturdy--I drop them all the time from 3 or 4 feet high and they're none the worse for the wear. I know most of my friends with larger hands prefer the 360's, but that feels huge and clunky in my hands.

Historical honourable mention to: The Sega Genesis controller--the controller that introduced the idea of ergonomics and showed just how horrible the NES controller was.

Worst: There were a lot of bad controllers before and including the NES era, but I think the worst of the lot was the Intellivision controller:

Worst: Commodore 64. I have no idea what old schoolers see in this...thing. We've moved onto much bigger and better things since then. And for a good reason.

Um, C64 wasn't a controller, it was a computer that used controllers. Although companies like Epyx tried to put out fancy-pants controllers like this...



...I always found the plain old Atari 2600 joystick to be the best and most rugged controller of its day.

 

[Waaghpowa]

As far as design and button layout goes, Xbox and ps3 are the same. Quality/value it's the ps3 one for not making me pay 30 more dollars on rechargeable batteries. Always liked the Cube one though.

 

[DustyDrB]

Worst: The N64 controller. It really cramped your hands together.

Best: The Wiimote + Nunchuck. It's so comfortable. I can lay on the couch, one hand resting on my torso and the other dangling on the floor. I'm a big fan of the split controller. Make this standard.

 

[scorptatious]

Best: Quite possibly all of the Playstation controllers. Sure they haven't changed all that much over the three console generations. But you know what they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Worst: As much as I loved the N64, I'd have to say that it's controller is probably my personal worst. It's odd design makes it feel a bit awkward when handling it for the first time, at least until I realized I only had to hold the middle and right parts.

 

[Rockchimp69]

Best: PS3 controller grew up with it love it

Worst: tie GameCube controller and Xbox 360 controller can't get used to the change of the left stick and the d-pad find it hard to use maybe it's just me growing up with play station controllers

That's funny cause I was really used to the playstation controller from literally only having played Sony games consoles but when I tried an xbox 360 for the first time it came as naturally- if not more than the PS type. I guess I just naturally prefer that shape, it feels more robust to me.

Best: Xbox 360 controller for those reasons with a mouse/keyboard coming close behind only because the fact that keys have a binary output rather than a smooth analogue one which means that you can't vary your speed.

Worst: I would have to say the Sixaxis controller. It had the classic design of the controllers I was familiar with and was even streamlined a bit (e.g. smaller, less clunky and no analogue button) but all 3 of my controllers became almost unplayable through normal use.
The analogue sticks became sticky and unmovable, the triggers became too loose and unpredictable and the R3 & L3 stick buttons stopped working sometimes.


Mind that I haven't played that many different controllers.

As far as design and button layout goes, Xbox and ps3 are the same. Quality/value it's the ps3 one for not making me pay 30 more dollars on rechargeable batteries. Always liked the Cube one though.

Personally I think everyone should get the play and charge kit but that is also just an extra cost. Another problem like this is the extra cost on the older versions of the 360 for the wifi adaptor.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Best I'd say would be gamecube, fits the hand well and it's very hard to break.

This but I take it a step further and say the minicron controller made by Mad Catz for the Gamecube. That is still my favorite controller of all time.

I've always hated the Xbox controllers. Just too thick for my liking...

 

[GreyKnight3445]

Best: xbox 360. its the portal of controllers (IMO)
worst: PS3. its like the Kane and Lynch 2 of controllers (again IMO)

 

[BanthaFodder]

Best: I'd say either Dualshock 3 (with rumble) or Gamecube. they both feel just right. and the shoulder buttons are frigging amazing. Sony's got the right idea; new console =/= the need for a new controller design. explains why I don't care for the classic controller much... it's ALRIGHT... but... meh...

Worst: alrighty, here's my top 3 WORST controllers ever.
1. the CDi controllers. a stiff d-pad with a vestigile joystick, unresponsive buttons, and one being a dvd remote. and not in the Wii kinda way, this was just like the hefty ol' TV remote, tiny ass buttons and all.
2. Atari 5200. it had a joystick and a numberpad. so yeah, imagine playing Atari with a phone, only the phone didn't work for shit.
3. Kinect. every game besides Dance Central is shovelware, it can't sense dark colors properly, and the fans have made more of it than anyone.

Spoiler

personal runner up: X-Box controller. this made no sense to me as a kid. why was the Dualshock 2 so much better? PS2 had certain things mapped to the sticks, so you could just click down and, boom, done. X-Box? you had to hit these two little buttons located under to the bottom of your thumb. this requires you to either: A. stretch your thumb down (which was a ***** to do in some games) or B. take one hand off of the controller and press the button. that and it was big, bulky, and just kinda unrefined compared to the nice, convenient, sleek comfort that was the Dualshock 2. and don't even compare it to the wavebird. amazingness.

 

[PandaPoster]

Best Xbox 360 controller for the best as it feels robust with a sleek design and fits most hand sizes

may sound fanboyish here

Worst Playstation controllers fee,l flimsy small and cheaply made for me, as well as the stick position and shape make me say "blaaaggghhh"

totally off-topic but i love you profile picture
*humming* this is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow

 

[Coldster]

Best: Xbox 360 controller. Why? Well because its sturdy, it has plenty of easily accessible buttons that work for many different kinds of games, and the guide button is just an all around awesome tool.

Worst: N64 controller. Why? Because its just so retarded and there is no real way to hold it. It may seem fine after playing with it for awhile but thats just you adjusting to it's "crap factor".

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I don't know what the best or worst are since I'm not an engineer. If anything, the worst controller would be for the Colecovision (I think...old school controller that looked like a phone)

I am qualified to talk about the two which I like the most and, dislike with all the bile in my being.

Favorite controller: Xbox 360. I keep mine wired and connect the IM-keypad for some extra weight. I've been using the hell out of that controller since 2006.

Least favorite controller: Wii-mote + Nunchuck combo. It isn't bad enough that it's a motion control scheme but the controller is broken into two parts which both seem to utilize motion control technology. It's a mind-fuck and does nothing for me but add thinking time when I should have already jumped into the action. I say the Wii-Mote + Nunchuck combo because the games that offer it that I have played (SSBB and, Donkey Kong Country) also offer alternate controls using the Wiimote on its own. It makes the Nunchuck just seem like a pointless piece of plastic.

To be honest though, I strongly dislike the Wiimote too. For SSBB and Mario Kart I used the Gamecube remote exclusively. Donkey Kong was fine with the single Wiimote but that was due largely to the fact that there wasn't a lot of motion controlling to be done.

 

[TheStickman]

Worst: Probably N64, but I've only played one once for not very long so it's a bit hard to remember.

Best: Gamecube controller, it feels very natural to me.

 

[sylekage]

Best: The 360 controller. it's too comfortable

Not s much worst, but the Playstation controller, I never really liked the joysticks being right in the middle like that.

 

[Nemesis729]

Best- Gamecube

Worst- 360, Mostly because of the dam D-pad, seriously it's borderline useless, Also the dreamcast controller, which is basically the same shape as the 360s lol

 

[weker]

Best Xbox 360 controller for the best as it feels robust with a sleek design and fits most hand sizes

may sound fanboyish here

Worst Playstation controllers fee,l flimsy small and cheaply made for me, as well as the stick position and shape make me say "blaaaggghhh"

totally off-topic but i love you profile picture
*humming* this is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow

OT: Only just uploaded an escapist pic so glad you noticed.
I originally had a picture of the lead singer of electric 6 in the song synthesizer where he is on the beach wearing a keytar on steam.

 

[icame]

Best: PS3 controller. Been playing on that one (in essence) since Dual Shock came for the PSX.
Feels natural to me.

Worst: N64 controller. Seriously, how am I even supposed to hold it?

Listen to this man. He obviously has great intelligence.

 

[Kevo32A]

Best: I think the ps3 and the xbox 360 have both cracked it. Perfect intuitive layout with negligable difference.

Worst: Any form of motion control that isn't just for gimmicky games. Having to wave the controller to slap people in Mario Galaxy was that games biggest drawback and shaking controller bits in heavy rain sucked a lot.

 

[nexekho]

Best: Gamecube. Perfect buttons, sticks, ergonomics

Worst: PS2. Still got sharp edges where your thumbs might rest, but now it has pressure sensitive buttons that take way too much pressure to fully activate on games that support them! (Driver3)

 

[Dalek Caan]

The best is the Xbox 360 controller simply because I'm to use to it. The worst is the PS3 controller. Its too small and feels weird.