RocShemp

How is that any different than doing the same with your right thumb?

fumanstan

Michael Corvin

Trick question? Because 95% of the time my right thumb is on the buttons?

GreenMonkey

3 pages and no mention of the Sega Saturn? Now that was a perfect d-pad controller.

I'd have to go with the Gamecube controller as a favorite after that. The layout and the way the buttons are tilted a bit made it super easy to hit multiple buttons at once.

The Xbox 360 controller is good, but the d-pad is trash, and once in a while if your finger slips off an analog stick, the big green xbox sphere in the middle is too easy to bump.

I never liked the DualShock in its various iterations. The analog stick placement is awkward (especially nowadays). I'll take a concave stick, or even the N64 stick, over the PS3 sticks. And the triggers on the PS3 controller are way too easy to hit accidently on your knee or when you lay the controller down for a second.

Sub-Zero

Just out of curiosity, do you know if any games actually used all the buttons on a Jaguar controller?

mhg83

Most all games on Jaguar came with slip covers you would put on the number pad. It was pretty useful for FPS like Doom, Wolfenstein and Alien VS Predator.

Sub-Zero

That's interesting. And thank you for the info, mhg83.

bluetoast

For 3-D gameplay: PS3 although it's a legacy from the Dualshock 1. The one without the rumble I would not include. Even when I watch movies with the PS3 I reject that controller because it feels too light.

For 2-D gameplay: SNES and NES. Still the ultimate. I liked the hard edges of the NES controller, and that simple layout worked for the older games. SNES took it to the next level.

And...yeah this is a weird one, but I really liked the Dreamcast one. When I first saw a pic of the controller, I thought it was a parody of the worst elements of the N64 and the PS2's controller or something. Some would say it's a little round, and the lack of two sticks is a negative. Oh yeah and the D pad isn't that good. I would agree with that, but there is one thing the DC had that nobody else does now (and even the Wii-U will only have it for one controller per console): A freaking PERSONAL SCREEN on your controller, with the VMU. This was pure genius, and downright insane considering it was in 1999. That personal screen could be used for a variety of things, such as...

• silly animations
• letting you actually play the game with stick figures on the screen in Virtua Tennis
• de-cluttering the main screen by having the info on the VMU
• Letting you pick your plays in private for football games.

Not to mention that the VMU itself could be used to play mini-games related to the games themselves. The only downside was the horrible battery life of those CR-2032s.....but oh man. What a concept.

And yeah looking through the thread, I agree that the cord coming out of the bottom was a bad idea, but it was probably necessary in order for the VMU to fit in top. Plus there was a notch near the top that would hold it in.

Other great concepts:

Xbox's Dongle Cord. And I applaud Microsoft for making the Type S controller when people said the original wasn't that good, I had a Japanese style Type S that was pretty cool.

Supermallet

In the current gen, the 360 wins hands down. The Dualshock loses points for not having offset analogs, and the R2/L2 triggers are way too beefy and thick. I feel like I'm pushing them through pudding when I press them. And why do so many games map the main functions (like shooting) to the smaller R1/L1 buttons? They're far too awkwardly placed. The 360 controller feels far more natural. For the few times I play games on the Wii I almost always use the Wavebird, which gets my vote for best controller of last gen.

My favorite of all time is the SNES AsciiPad:



Just look at that beauty. It had more heft than the regular SNES controller, the tabs to control the rate of button press, and even better, it was licensed by Nintendo, so it used SNES controller components and had the same responsiveness. Just all around good stuff.

Dan

I had that one! It was indeed pretty awesome, although IIRC, didn't the "slow" toggle just repeatedly press the Start button over and over?

Supermallet

I actually hooked up my old SNES recently, so I will check that.

adrenaline78

ps3 controller.. fits my hands perfectly. I haven't really used the 360 controller, but I remember that being easier to grip than the original xbox one.

mhg83

Is microsoft going the sony route in controller design for next-gen xbox? The 360 controllers is as close to perfection as you can get. Maybe they'll add some kind of touch screen or a Kinnect recognition. I hope they at least make the current controller compatible with next gen xbox.

Decker

Not good news for you, per IGN:

Report: Xbox 720 To Use Touchscreen Controller
‘An HD screen surrounded by the traditional 360 buttons and sticks.’
A new rumor suggests that the next generation Xbox may have a touch-screen controller.

According to a report from Xbox World magazine, the controller will be "an HD screen surrounded by the traditional 360 buttons and sticks." The magazine goes on to state that the controller “could be a remote control when you're watching TV, a browser when you're on the internet, extra buttons and information when you're playing a game or a portable display when you want to take your game with you."

This is, of course, similar to the functionality of the tablet controller Nintendo will use in the Wii U.

The report goes on to say that the console will heavily integrate Kinect. It predicts the new console as “a matte-black media hub with a mission to bring games to life in your living room with augmented reality, directional sound, and a four-player, finger-tracking Kinect.”

Source: Xbox World magazine (via CVG)

cruzness

And don't forget technology of some sort that will limit the use of used games.

Barth

The 360 controller wins top prize for me based on the fact that it's set up for FPS the best. I hated console FPSs when I started playing them on PS2 with the dual shock. Then I got a 360 and I love the controllers about as much as a mouse-keyboard system. Still not as precise but it works good, I think the offset sticks and the triggers make all the difference. I hope Microsoft only tweaks them and doesn't completely redesign for consoles going forward.

Sub-Zero

Now that the Wii U, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have all been released, does anyone like one of those controllers the best?

Supermallet

The Gamepad is surprisingly comfortable to play with. I look forward to trying the DS4 and the X1 controller.

Rob V

I still believe the 360 controller is the best ever but the PS4 controller may have surpassed the X1 controller this time around. I can't stand the feel of the RB and LB triggers on the X1.

Michael Corvin

Next gen thoughts:
WiiU: I've been using the WiiU Pro controller with Mario a lot lately and have grown to like the offset buttons. I don't like how flat the A,B,X,Y buttons are, they almost feel cheap. The triggers not being analog is a head scratcher though, holds it back from being a damn near perfect controller. Comfort level is off the charts. If it weren't for those minor complaints, I'd make a strong case for it dethroning the 360 pad.

DS4: This one surprised me. Look back in the thread, the DS series is my least favorite controllers. Small, ergonomically challenged, and analog placement just have kept the PS controllers as my least favorites of all time. The DS4 addressed all the complaints and have come up with a stellar improvement. Sure the only way was up, but when they've been stagnant for 15 years, that's still saying something. Ergonomically it feels good. The increased size and shape of the controller makes it feel like they moved the analog to where it should belong despite it being in the same spot. Also with the larger grips it allows them to appeal to both sets of players. Like the DS3 layout? Hold your hands higher on the grips to get that DS3 feel. Prefer offset analogs? Hold the grips lower to give it the illusion that they've moved. It's subtle but very cool. Would I prefer true offset? Of course, but this is a very good middle ground. Triggers are much improved but still not quite the triggers that MS and Nintendo use. The only true failure of the controller though is the Options and Share buttons. The shape, size and the fact they are inset are just headscratchers. In 3 months I have yet to hit the Option button on my first try. You have to feel around for it which you shouldn't have to. You inevitably are hitting either the controller shell to the right of the button or the touch pad. I also miss the Select button. I don't mind having a share button, but it should have been an additional button, not a replacement.

X1: Finally ran across an actual X1 demo unit the other day (vs the non controller video display), so I got my hands on the controller and played some Forza. Forza was gorgeous. The controller on the other hand I wasn't feeling. It feels too different than the 360 controller. Sure the analog is in the 'right' place but I think for overall feel in my hands, the DS4 feels closer to the 360. The rumble triggers were neat but something I totally wouldn't notice after 30 minutes of playing (just like regular rumble). I also didn't like the bumper buttons. They weren't used in the Forza demo, but moving to them didn't feel as easy or natural as the 360, DS4 or even WiiU Pro. Something about the shape of the controller felt 'off.' Where my thumb landed on the analog was all wrong (in the joint/fold vs. under the fingerprint area).

So 360 is the reigning King but for next gen, I'd put them in that order (and yes I get that was with limited time with the X1 pad).

So at this point my perfect Frankenstein controller would be:
Ergonomic/shape: WiiU Pro
Analogs(concave) & left placement: 360
Triggers/bumpers: 360
Digital pad: WiiU
A,B,X,Y buttons: 360
A,B,X,Y placement: WiiU

For all the 'advancements' on the PS & X1 side nothing stands out nor is a big failure, IMO.

RichC2

Yeah, I use a 360 controller for all my "next-gen" PC gaming right now, it's good stuff.

story

After hearing many, many people gripe about the PS3 controller but it really working well for me, I think I figured something out. I looked at my hands the other day while playing and got to thinking I've been holding it wrong. I don't wrap my fingers and palms around the handles. I'll try to explain. I have the handles gripped by my index fingers' palm bases on the top and my ring and pinky fingers on the bottom, like a sort of clamping brace. This keeps my thumbs elevated on the analog sticks so I maneuver them with the very tips, not the full bases. I find this allows me to have extreme mobility with the sticks and I can be really quick. On the other hand, I have at least one controller for sure that has analog sticks that are pretty well-worn and I wonder if it's because I'm too rough with them in that L3 / R3 mode. Anyway, I really like the DualShock 3.

I have very fond memories of the NES Advantage. I wonder what it would be like to play with it now, though.

Music

The X1 controller does feel a bit weird...

On my 360 controller, my index fingers can easily rest on the bumper/shoulder buttons

On the X1 controller, my fingers rest just below the shoulder buttons on the upper part of the triggers.

The shoulder buttons also feel bigger and stiffer which just adds to it.

fumanstan

Damn, so all this time Sony just had to tell people: "You're holding it wrong."

story

Nah, they just had to tell people "Story is holding it right."