Favorite Controllers?

[Scotty_ffgamer]

What are your favorite controllers that you've played with? We've seen a lot of good and interesting designs over the years. You can look at this in different ways, such as controller by generation or just talk about a couple of the controllers that really stand out to you overall.

[Shauna]

The 360 controller is fantastic, I don't think I've used a more comfortable feeling one.

[Vyk]

I do prefer the 360 over PS3's. Though DualShock 3 was a complete extension of all its forebears. And I'm so glad they ditched the original "bananarang" design idea they were originally going to do with PS3. It's interesting to follow the evolution of the 360 controller since the 3D gamepad for the Sega Saturn evolved into the Dreamcast's controller. Microsoft apparently helped Sega work on that console and supposedly it ran some form of Windows. And I guess this all piqued Microsoft's interest in console gaming because they immediately came out with their own system, with a controller that seemed to marry Dreamcast and PS2 controllers. Sony definitely set everything in stone with the left analog stick though

And it's nice to be able to plug a controller into the PC and immediately be able to play dozens of games as if my computer were a console. It's nice to be able to play modded games with the comfort of the controller

But my favorite controller so far is one called the Phenom by a company called DreamGear. It's basically a 360 controller for the PS3. I originally had trouble getting into a lot of PS3 games because the L2 and R2 buttons were a little too soft and out of place to really feel like triggers. Though most games use L1 and R1 as triggers I believe. Not sure anymore since I got this controller. Having real triggers and bumpers just feels right.. But the battery on this thing seems to last forever. It feels extremely solid. Like a first-party controller. And it comes in a variety of colors. My favorite is blue. I get everything in blue when I can. Being third party it of course has to come with a dongle for communication purposes. But it's a matching pretty blue as well. So yeah

I'm sure the GameCube controller will get a lot of votes. But I actually really like where controllers have gone this generation

[escobert]

keyboard and mouse ;)

[Slothy]

keyboard and mouse ;)

Good man.

The dual shock 3 is my favourite that I've used extensively, but having played a bit with the PS4 controller I can safely say it's a big improvement on perfection.

I don't like the 360 controller much, and I say this as someone who uses it for some games on the PC. The face buttons are hard as a rock, I'm not a big fan of offset analogue sticks, the bumpers are awkward to use for much of anything, and the D-pad is one of the worst in the history of gaming. About the only thing that's well thought out on the thing is it's overall shape.

[black orb]

NES Power Glove!!

>>> Seriously, Im just fine with the ps3 controller..:luca:

[escobert]

keyboard and mouse ;)

Good man.

The dual shock 3 is my favourite that I've used extensively, but having played a bit with the PS4 controller I can safely say it's a big improvement on perfection.

I don't like the 360 controller much, and I say this as someone who uses it for some games on the PC. The face buttons are hard as a rock, I'm not a big fan of offset analogue sticks, the bumpers are awkward to use for much of anything, and the D-pad is one of the worst in the history of gaming. About the only thing that's well thought out on the thing is it's overall shape.

I'm getting used to my 360 controller on my PC for a few games like Dirt 2 and State of Decay or FFVII. But otherwise it gets no use. My roommate has it right now actually.

as someone who has grown up playing mainly PCs/macs I've never been much of a fan of controllers. I liked the Dual Shock when it came out but since I pretty much stopped caring about consoles after the PS2 I gave up caring about their controllers too! Of course, I only cared about consoles for the PS1/2. That was my square fanboy time.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

You all are predictably boring with this thread, haha. I'm going to go by console generationish for my list.

1. NES - A simple design that worked extremely well for that generation. It's responsive, has just enough buttons for the kinds of games being played, and I still enjoy playing games with that controller now. Not much else to say about it, but it definitely one ups the Master System controller with its dedicated start and select button.

2. SNES by a long shot - The design is once again simple, but this controller introduced some things that would become staples for future generations. The main thing is shoulder buttons, but even the position of the four main buttons became a main feature for most controllers moving forward. The button position is in contrast to the three buttons on the Genesis controller which sort of sit in a line. Both controllers were pretty comfortable, but SNES was more innovative and provided better control. Special shoutout goes towards the Turbografx controller which essentially mimicked the NES controller, but the default controller had Turbo switches for its two buttons. This feature was included on the TurboExpress too which I felt was pretty awesome for a handheld at the time.

3. N64 - Honestly, unless you had a 3DO, I feel like you couldn't really go wrong with this generation. The N64 controller really grabbed my attention though. Whereas the PS1 controller took the template left behind by the SNES and modified it, the N64 controller went off in a bit of a different direction. I still remember the first time I held that controller trying to hold on from both sides, not sure what was going on. I hated it at first, but once I figured out how to hold it and use the analogue stick for the first time, I couldn't imagine playing games any other way. It was super comfortable and pretty intuitive. It is still one of my favorite controllers to this day.

4. PS2 - Again, you couldn't go too wrong this generation, especially after Microsoft redesigned the XBOX controller into a smaller form. The PS2 was simply what I played the most, and so the controller just felt the most comfortable in my hands I guess. I like the Gamecube controller a lot as well, though.

5. PS3- Again, this probably has to do with familiarity from playing this system the most. The 360 controller didn't feel as good in my hands for that reason probably. Also, the D-Pad is A LOT better on the PS3. I do love how the Wiimote and Nunchuck felt to hold, but the motion controls often felt more like a hindrance to the experience for me.

6. I don't know here. PS4 and XBOX One both have super comfortable controllers based on just holding them... but I haven't gotten to play with them much. XBOX One was slightly more comfortable to me, though. Wii U Gamepad I like quite a bit, but it doesn't quite match up to the other two for me I think.

[Sephex]

MY EX WIFE THAT BITCH

[NorthernChaosGod]

The 360 controller is the best console controller ever. Complaints about the D-pad can go to hell where they belong because you use the D-pad for stupid things like switching grenades or something; fighters are played on fight sticks. :colbert:

[Bubba]

I used to lean towards the PS3 for controller comfort but after having played my old housemates 360, that probably just edges it for me... for the more recent gen of consoles at any rate.

The SNES or the N64 controller would get my vote if we're talking old school.

[Mirage]

Gamecube for sure.

[Slothy]

The 360 controller is the best console controller ever. Complaints about the D-pad can go to hell where they belong because you use the D-pad for stupid things like switching grenades or something; fighters are played on fight sticks. :colbert:

I use the controller on my PC for thins like side scrollers. Rogue Legacy is one I've been playing a lot lately for example. And having a d-pad that occasionally decides you pressed a direction you didn't intend because it's a useless piece of shit is extremely frustrating. Anyone using this controller to play things like FPS on an actual 360 are doing it wrong to begin with. :p

And in the absence of spending $70+ for an arcade stick, people should have a good d-pad to use for fighting games since analogue sticks don't cut it. And if you think a d-pad can't do the job just fine then I can't take your opinion on the matter seriously since things like the Sega Saturn d-pad and the d-pads on Mad Catz Street Fighter game pads set the bloody standard for d-pads so good they're almost on par with a good arcade stick. And for half the price.


Gamecube for sure.

I have many problems with the Gamecube controller. It was comfortable to hold, the triggers were nice, and the big main button wasn't a terrible idea, and that's about all of the good I can say about it.

The analog stick was all right, but the C-stick was an abomination. The face buttons were too hard and uncomfortable, every button that wasn't the A button were oddly shaped and positioned, the Z button was such a stupid vestige of the N64 controller that if they weren't going to change the ergonomics to make it useful then it shouldn't have been there at all, and the D-pad was too small and in the worst position I could imagine for it that isn't the other side of the controller. It was barely useable, and to this day I still don't get why companies think a d-pad in that position is a good thing. They might as well remove it for how uncomfortable it is.

[Fynn]

The Wii Classic Controller Pro is the most comfortable thing my hands have held.

[Bolivar]

I sometimes think I probably loved the N64 and Gamecube controllers for the grotesque monstrous mutations they were rather than in spite of it...

The Dualshock 4 felt weird at first because it's more spaced out than previous iterations and I worried it would be too much so. But it's really grown on me. That thing lived up to the hype.

Having a smurfing Share button is kinda ill too.

[Shauna]

The main issue I have with the PS3 controller is the horrible L2/R2 buttons. They are just not designed well. :{

[Madame Adequate]

I really like the 360 controller.

[Slothy]

I sometimes think I probably loved the N64 and Gamecube controllers for the grotesque monstrous mutations they were rather than in spite of it..

I never really got the problem people had with the shape of the N64 controller. It's certainly weird, there was some logic to it. In the center you've got the analog stick and a button. On the left you've got a d-pad and a button. It's clear it was set up so that either could be used as comfortably as possible in both 2D and 3D games, but obviously 2D games weren't as prevelant on the system.

But if you ignore the odd looking shape, you've got a controller that was extremely comfortable for both 2D and 3D without having to compromise between the two. I'm not sure we'll ever get a controller that comfortable again, though Valve's controller is looking promising.

[Del Murder]

I love the Dualshock but that's mostly because it hasn't changed a whole lot from the original and thus I am very familiar with how it feels. As for my favorite of all time, I think the Gamecube controller fit my hands like a glove. It was really good.

[Bolivar]

never really got the problem people had with the shape of the N64 controller. It's certainly weird, there was some logic to it.


Oh yeah definitely not a problem from a functional point of view. Just with the three grips, it's like that thing had an extra chromosome or something...

[NorthernChaosGod]

I use the controller on my PC for thins like side scrollers. Rogue Legacy is one I've been playing a lot lately for example. And having a d-pad that occasionally decides you pressed a direction you didn't intend because it's a useless piece of shit is extremely frustrating. Anyone using this controller to play things like FPS on an actual 360 are doing it wrong to begin with. :p
I'd rather die than miss playing the Gears of War series or the Halo series just because some people like to get snotty about the difference between FPS on PC and a console. :doublecolbert:


And in the absence of spending $70+ for an arcade stick, people should have a good d-pad to use for fighting games since analogue sticks don't cut it. And if you think a d-pad can't do the job just fine then I can't take your opinion on the matter seriously since things like the Sega Saturn d-pad and the d-pads on Mad Catz Street Fighter game pads set the bloody standard for d-pads so good they're almost on par with a good arcade stick. And for half the price.
A large chunk of my friends all have their own fight sticks and I find it hard to use any controller else when playing a fighting game. Smash is just about the only fighting game I'll play without one.

[Slothy]

I'd rather die than miss playing the Gears of War series or the Halo series just because some people like to get snotty about the difference between FPS on PC and a console. :doublecolbert:

I was mostly kidding there. Though I'd rather just never play Halo because it controls like a turd in low gravity.


A large chunk of my friends all have their own fight sticks and I find it hard to use any controller else when playing a fighting game. Smash is just about the only fighting game I'll play without one.

A large chunk of your friends having arcade sticks doesn't negate the fact that they're expensive. And you finding it hard to use a controller without specifying if you've ever actually used a Saturn controller or one of the Mad Catz pads doesn't really address my point.

I'm not trying to criticize you for liking arcade sticks more. I own one of the SF4 TE edition sticks Mad Catz put out, and I built my own Dreamcast stick. I get it. But for people that are more casual fighting game fans that don't want to pay $70 or more on a decent stick? I think they deserve standard controllers with d-pads that don't suck as an alternative. It's not like it's that hard. We had d-pads figured out 20 years ago but it doesn't seem like anyone's told Microsoft (or Sony, though they're better than the Xbox pads), and Nintendo seems to have forgotten all together.

[Ayen]

NES, Sega Genesis, SNES, all of the PlayStation controllers minus 4 since I haven't played that yet, N64, GameCube and the 360.

The old Nintendo and Sega controllers were simple and easy to use. I was always comfortable with the PlayStation controllers and I found the N64 controller also comfortable and only bad in looks. I thought the GameCube controller looked nice and the C stick never bothered, but I concede the D-Pad was too damn small. The 360 one is nice too.