The greatest Controller of all time!

[Battra92]

So without a controller you can't play games. What controller in your opinion is the greatest controller of all time?

 

I'm torn on this between the Super Nintendo controller, the Classic Controller (not the pro version with the grips; I haven't used that version) and the Saturn gamepad (not the big one for NiGHTS.)

 

If there can be only one, I'd go with the Classic Controller. Nintendo makes the best D-Pads, hands down. I never liked the Playstation D-Pads despite people insisting they were great. In many ways the grips get in the way of actually using the D-Pad.

[Cyber Rat]

Genesis, because it was made for manly hands.

[Hot Heart]

Hmm, it's a tricky one. Either the 360 controller or the DualShock 3. As standard, the DS3 has those shitty 'triggers' (which I've remedied with GioTeck things) and the thumbsticks are a bit lacking compared to the 360. But the 360 has that d-pad...

[Yantelope]

The Duke!

 

...but seriously, I like the 360. I do with it had a better D-pad but the analog sticks are way better than the DS3 and the triggers are way better than the DS3. It's also long overdue for the DS3 to switch the D-pad position like the xbox did. It would be nice if they'd get rid of the battery tumor on the 360 and use a li-ion like the DS3 though. I actually think the D-pad on the DS3 is a little overrated. The SNES will always be the pinnacle of D-pads. Hasn't the patent on that run out? Why can't we have that on the xbox controllers? Why is it so hard to make a decent D-pad?

Edited July 1, 2011 by Yantelope

[Hocking]

The 360 controller all the way. It's the only one I've ever used that doesn't give me sore wrists and aching fingers. I absolutely love it's triggers too. You know, gently squeezing them in a game (with decent driving mechanics) while trying not to drive insanely fast.

[Mister Jack]

If not for that shit D-pad I'd say 360. If not for shit triggers and weird analogs I'd say PS3. Nothing has been perfect for me yet.

[WTF]

No offence but this thread title is literally asking for 'you are the controller'

 

Regardless I loved the atari 2600, mega drive 1 (not too fond of the megadrive 2 since that was small), Dualshock.

 

Now this is something I need to ask people who say the 360 controller is better for big hands, my hands are huge like 227mm by 120mm (well it's much bigger than the average male hand) but I find the 360 controller to be painful and I've used all controllers from the era when keyboards(as in c64) where the controller (and still are btw, can still finish legacy of kain and dmc with a keyboard) to the modern ones and I really dislike this weird thing where people just say the 360 controller is better for huge hands. It really isn't for me and I find all those weird gifs showing the dualshock as a terrible one weird since it's actually comfortable. I think it's more to do with the shape of the hand and how much curvature you've got. Flat hands might have an issue but having flat hands itself is an issue and more likely to have carpal tunnel so what the hell is all this weird fuss about big hands and 360 controllers - I'm just asking cause it's the most common thing that people who say one is better than the other.

 

As for the triggers it rarely matters to me, all i really want is games where you can remap the keys (like resistance 3, yes you can remap each key in the demo and I thought that was great). I play fighters with an arcade stick and I could play a regular controller like an arcade stick with the exception of the 360 one cause the buttons are too raised and hurt my fingers (that's cause I do not have fat fleshy fingers and them being bony isn't good for hard buttons).

[Yantelope]

Why didn't I see this bad boy on the list?

 

[Battra92]

The Duke!

 

...but seriously, I like the 360. I do with it had a better D-pad but the analog sticks are way better than the DS3 and the triggers are way better than the DS3. It's also long overdue for the DS3 to switch the D-pad position like the xbox did. It would be nice if they'd get rid of the battery tumor on the 360 and use a li-ion like the DS3 though. I actually think the D-pad on the DS3 is a little overrated. The SNES will always be the pinnacle of D-pads. Hasn't the patent on that run out? Why can't we have that on the xbox controllers? Why is it so hard to make a decent D-pad?

 

I think the big issue is that grippy winged controllers are really made for analog sticks and not for D-Pads. Honestly, I have no idea how people can actually use the PS3 D-Pad for extended periods of time. I find it stiff and annoying. The Nyko PS3 controller I use (the Core Controller) is great for most games but its D-Pad also sucks. Granted, most games today don't use a D-Pad as the primary control so I think game companies look at the D-Pad as an afterthought.

[deanb]

The wired 360 pad is okay. The wireless one though is horrible. It's heavy and it has, I think Yante names it best "the tumor" on the bottom that it calls a battery pack.I doubt I'd be wrong in my thinking that originally the 360 would have only wired controllers then late in development someone said about wireless controllers so they took the design they had and just bodged up some design with a battery pack underneath. It's fugly, it really pushes up the weight of it and it makes it uncomfortable to hold.

The d-pad is horrible on both, and I find it retarded they kind of "fixed" it (not used the new pads yet) then charged extra for fixing it as if it's a feature not a fix.

 

I can't say I see anything wrong with the dualshock design. The buttons are kinda hard to not hit the wrong ones. I'd like to have dents on the thumbsticks like the 360 but that's about it. I don't get peoples dislike of the layout. My hands are symmetrical. Am I the only one with my thumbs in the same place on both hands?

 

 

My experience with other pads are the Move, which is a really nice weight. I was actually pretty amazed of the build quality and feel. The Wiimote, which is horrible for using "normally", but okay enough for motion games. Nice having the nunchuck in another hand. The Classic has a bit too much give on the bumpers, but other than that it's fine for which little play I've used it for (mainly Mario Kart n Smash Bros). Then a NES. Which is hand torture but I guess when it was out there wasn't much alternatives to compare and the word "ergonomic" wasn't in as much use. It does have indented A n B which is nice.

 

Actually thinking of the NES and Dualshock, which is everything hard plastic, except the Star n Select buttons, which is rubber on both. It's hard plastic on the 360 pad. Is it a cost thing, a "it's how we've always done it" or what?

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

Gamecube is uber-comfortable but the C-stick was a little wonky. Uh Classic Controller is nice, and I like my Logitech Rumblepad for my PC, though I wouldn't call it "the best" by any means.

[CorgiShinobi]

I'm going to with the Super Nintendo controller. It's a classic, and while the "Classic Controller" does a decent job imitating it, the fact it needs a Wiimote to function gives me little reason to consider it the "greatest" controller.

 

The 360 controller is good too, but I don't think it's that amazing. One of the worst D-Pads I've ever felt, and the battery pack... *shivers*

 

EDIT: I don't get the DualShock distaste too. The analog sticks work fine in my opinion. Though, there is such thing as "PlayStation hand" if you constantly play.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Atomsk88

[Mr W Phallus]

I've always enjoyed the feel of a 360 controller. I've only ever used wireless ones and I enjoy having the weight, the battery at the back has never bothered me and the size and shape fits pretty much perfectly in my hands (which aren't particularly large). The place where it beats PS3 controllers hands down though is the triggers, which are a pleasure to use on the 360 but are the most awkward things ever on the PS3, my fingers just slip off them. It's probably because I've never owned a Sony console myself but PS3 controllers just feel too small and flimsy for me.

 

Shout out to the Dreamcast for laying the foundation for the xbox controller. Am I right in saying it was the first controller to have triggers?

[excel_excel]

I've always found Nintendo controllers since the SNES to be very comfortable in the hand. You don't have to get used to them they just sit in your hands nicely. Fave is the Gamecube controller, although the C-stick and D-pad weren't perfect. Love the classic controller. You just put it in your hand and it feels just so snug! Dualshock 3 is okay (its the L2/R2 triggers that let it down), 360's is pretty good but the D-pad sucks ass. N64 pad wooooo!!...although the analogue stick fucking wearing out sucked means you'd have to push it really hard.

[Battra92]

Why didn't I see this bad boy on the list?

 

 

If it has a number pad, it sucks by default. Okay, so I forgot about it and I ended up running out of options anyway.

 

Gamecube is uber-comfortable but the C-stick was a little wonky.

 

For games designed for it, I think the Gamecube is the best "analog" controller. Its D-pad might as well be one button, though. :/ Interestingly enough the Chinese have made a pirated version of the Classic Controller with a Gamecube plug. It is a must have for the Gameboy Player if you can't find the old Hori pad.

 

 

I'm going to with the Super Nintendo controller. It's a classic, and while the "Classic Controller" does a decent job imitating it, the fact it needs a Wiimote to function gives me little reason to consider it the "greatest" controller.

 

The 360 controller is good too, but I don't think it's that amazing. One of the worst D-Pads I've ever felt, and the battery pack... *shivers*

 

EDIT: I don't get the DualShock distaste too. The analog sticks work fine in my opinion. Though, there is such thing as "PlayStation hand" if you constantly play.

 

Didn't think about the tethering since it never really bothered me much. The cable placement is awkward but never enough to really bother me. At least having the CC tethered keeps it from having a battery bump.

[MasterDex]

I'm going to have to go with the 360 pad. Before it, the Dreamcast pad was my favourite and that was used as the basis for the first Xbox controller which itself was used for the 360 controller. I just find it the most comfortable and the most solidly built. The analogs aren't too loose like on the DS3 and the buttons have a nice action to them. Shame about the d-pad though.

[staySICK]

Dualshock, closely followed by the SNES.

 

I do agree that the SNES was the pinnacle of the D-Pad.

 

I hate the Gamecube controller. Hate hate hate.

[Battra92]

Dualshock, closely followed by the SNES.

 

I do agree that the SNES was the pinnacle of the D-Pad.

 

I hate the Gamecube controller. Hate hate hate.

 

I never got the Gamecube controller hate. For the games designed for it, it worked great. It just had a shitty worthless D-Pad.

 

The Wavebird is the still the high water mark for wireless controllers.

[SanaEquiesterer]

I'd go with the Dualshock, specifically 2. The marshmallowy triggers on the Dualshock 3 don't bother me too much, but I can see it's flaws. My fingers can slide a little if things get intense and if your fingers are too high on the triggers they won't leverage quite as well. At least they don't click, which I hated about the Gamecube controller. Some games registered the use of the shoulder button with just the freeplay, but others needed the click, which could cause some rage-inducing moments in a few games.

 

The SNES controller is a close second. The only reason the Dualshock 2 surpasses it is the extra shoulder buttons and the analog sticks.

 

Though I haven't used it much, the 360 could be one of the most comfortable controllers I've used. I'm not a fan of the asymmetrical design though, and the D-pad is just horrid.

Edited July 3, 2011 by SanaEquiesterer

[Strangelove]

Dualshock 2 is my fave.

 

And I also hate the cube controller. Also the 64 controller. Cheap piece of crap.

[Battra92]

I just played the Arcade classic "Aliens vs Predator" by Capcom using an SNES controller hooked up via USB.

 

It was the perfect fit (although the Genesis controller probably would work well too) but it shows that the SNES style is great for multiple platforms.

[MetalCaveman]

Dualshock 3 is my favorite one, it's comfortable and doesn't use a battery pack like the wireless 360 one , just wish the triggers were better.

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

And there's real triggers for games where you want triggers =D

[TheRevanchist]

So, no votes for "you"? Sorry Kinect!

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

Man, lots o' Gamecube controller hate. Those of us with refined tastes know better of course.