Inspired by that Splinter Cell thread, I was wondering what controllers you all prefer for yer game system/s


I prefer Mad Catz Microcon' s, they small (gamecubes the smallest) but they have a lil weight to them, which for som reason helps. Also they have a nice rumble kick to them. Placement of the buttons are nice (xbox mirrors the controller S except for the pause and back button).

I always found the Orignal GC controls really unresponsive!

I liked the DC controls the best,
Probably because im used to them

Xbox controls are pritty good to!

The Jaguar controller!

Duke
Saturn analog
Official Dreamcast pad

IMO the Duke is the most versitile controller yet because not only do you get the dual analog, but it can also be used as a 6-button controller in Capcom vs SNK 2. I honestly wouldn' t even bother with the game if I couldn' t use a Duke or arcade stick. The 6 button layout is too important.

I say the Dreamcast controller.

XBOX controller S a close second.

1. Import Sega Saturn controllers: I don' t think controllers can get any better.

2. Wave Bird for the GameCube: I love this thing, fits so snug in my hands and the button placement works very well.

3. Super Nintendo Controller: Took a little while to get used to them but the buttons felt right and the controller worked pretty well.




MOST HATED CONTROLLERS:
1. Dual Shock 1 & 2: The Dual Shock has the WORST D-pad design ever! Being more of a fan of 2D games, this thing is a nightmare to work with!! GAWD!

2. 3DO Controllers: Played Super Street Fighter II Turbo on these bastids and my thumbs turned black and were hurting a bit after that session.

3. Neo Geo joystick controllers: The idea of including joysticks with a console was pretty cool, too bad they went all CHEAPO on their designs. The case feels incredibly hollow and the buttons feel empty and useless, the joystick itself is also a pain.

4. Xbox Controllers - including the S brand: I like that the Xbox controllers have a nice soft feel but I wish that the button placement was a lot better. That' s my main gripe with it. Whenever I play a game with those things it' s almost like working with Braille, I have to feel around for the buttons - especially the ones WAYYY at the bottom. Overall the buttons are a little too small and their placement could be better.

5. Dreamcast Controllers: While I don' t hate it as much as the above listed ones I' m still not thrilled with the controller design itself. WTF happened here? Sega went from an 8 button design with the Saturn DOWN to 6 buttons with the Dreamcast. **Befuddled** The buttons also feel a bit too small as well, but I think the VMS (VMU) design is the best part about it.

XBOX S baby. Once u play i game long enough, like a 3 days maybe, its like im not holding a controler.

I couldn' t stand the DC controller. The lack of a rubber grip made it horrible for extra innings on any game for me. I almost always had a blister from usage because I tend to get a little intense in sports games.

My favorite so far is the S-Class japanese edition. It was so good I retired it before I wore it out playing Xbox Live just to save it for special occasions and for one player games, lol.

By far the most widely accepted " best controller" is the Sony DS, and there' s a definite reason for it. It' s simple and accessible, and absolutely perfect in design, IMO. So it easily tops my list. The next two would be the SNES and the S Controller (Xbox).

The worst are easily the N64, Dreamcast, and GC. God, what horrendous, give-me-a-cramp-because-you' re-too-lazy-to-do-some-simple-research CRAP. All the buttons are seemingly out of range of normal finger movement, and if they' re not, you have to contort your fingers in all kinds of retarded ways to make the appropriate movement.

But that' s just me.

I honestly wouldn' t mind the Dual Shock 2 controllers so much if the damn D-pad was designed better..

The analog sticks work rather well and the face buttons feel ' good enough' ..

I don' t totally dig the four analog triggers though, I would have preferred 2 triggers instead and put the remaining two buttons on the top so there' s 6 face buttons instead of 4- but as they are they' re still workable.

All in all, 98% of the reason why I detest/loathe the Dual Shock 2 so much is because of its d-pad. I feel it has the worst one of all consoles.

I dislike the placement of the joysticks on the PS2...it screws around with my aiming on action games. It' s my 2nd fave controller, but the way my hands are right now the S-class is the perfect fit.

Wow I have a feeling I know Terry Bogard' s true identity!

Anyway here are my opinions, and obviously my opinions are the only ones that count, and they should be taken as FACT.

First off:
All 3rd party controllers are evil. Now on to my detailed reviews!

Import Saturn pad (later made available in the US):
Best control pad EVER! Perfect. Beyond perfect!

Saturn Analog pad:
Great for games that use it like Thunder Force V, etc. Sucks for games that don' t. Ever notice how the cable pops off and reveals a little hidden compartment? I wonder what that' s for?

Dreamcast controller:
Suck! Kind like the Saturn analog pad, only worse. Missing two buttons for some insane reason. And now the ANALog stick is plastic? Pretty much almost exactly the same exact thing as the Saturn analog pad, just with fewer buttons. I am happy I can use my Saturn pad with the machine.

Sega Genesis 6 button pad:
Nice. I like this almost as much as the Saturn import controller, but it doesn' t have L and R buttons. Note that there are a few variations of this pad. The first 6 button pad released by Sega is the best. If your pad has GIANT A,B,C,X,Y, and Z letters on the buttons, you have the crap pad.

PlayStation controller:
I HATE that this controller has 4 shoulder buttons! HATE IT! I also hate the way the buttons are labeled as shapes. I always forget which shape is which button. The dual shock is a little better. I like the feel of the analog sticks, but it tends to be over sensitive at times. The D-pad is stupid. Analog buttons are also stupid and unecessary. People who love this pad need to be shot.

Sega Master System controller:
Sucks because the wire comes out of the right side of the controller and right through two of my fingers. But the D-pad feels nice. Sega later released a version where the wire logically comes out of the top of the pad, making it better. But still, no PAUSE button? I do like how Sega' s controllers have always been in numerical/alphabetical order and not ASS-BACKWARDS like Nintendo and others. That' s right, the SMS controller' s buttons were labeled as 1 and 2... in that order.

NES original controller:
Seems stiff. Buttons are labeled ASS BACKWARDS because someone failed Engrish at Nintendo during the design. But it stuck.

SNES dogbone controller:
I like it. I prefer the US design over the Japanese pad. The difference? All the buttons on the US pad were purple, making it look a little nicer and two of the buttons were concave, making it easier to tell which buttons your thumb was on by feel alone. Button labels still backwards. Fools.

Xbox controller S:
I like this pad. Still a bit bulky but not too bad. D-pad seems VERY stiff. I hate analog buttons. If you assign one of the ABXY buttons to be your gas in a game like Rallisport, you must press REALLY HARD or you won' t go as fast as you can. Stupid.

Nintendo 64 controller:
Stupid! Worked for Mario 64 and not much else. Stupid design, as if Nintendo was trying to be " fresh" and " different" .

Gamecube controller:
Feels nice but I still don' t like it. What is with the weird ass button layout? Can' t play fighting games effectively with it. Just another one of Nintendo' s " fresh and different" designs. I am literally afraid of what the controller will be like on Nintendo' s next system " Revolution" . It will probably go beyond the Picasso design of the GC controller and into acid-trip land!

TurboGrafx-16 controller:
See my NES controller in depth review above. Add a point or two for the rapid fire. Add one more point for the superior D-pad. Buttons are labeled backwards.

Jaguar controller:
Stupid. They have an attached keypad. Where is the attached keyboard? Not enough buttons. :rolleyes: Letter buttons are labeled backwards because Atari caters to dyslexic people like Nintendo. But for some reason the number buttons are in linear order. WHERE IS THE CONSISTENCY????

3DO controller:
Stupid! Where are my diagonals? Oh I have to loosen the screws? Retarded!

Virtual Boy controller:
What the hell is this thing supposed to be? Craptacular!

Sega Light Phaser
Awesome! Way better than the Nintendo Gun.

Nintendo Zapper
OK, feels stiff.

Sega Menacer
Retarded.

Nintendo Super Scope
Crap. But I like how the screen does NOT flash white when I pull the trigger!

The end.

I would say SNES and PS1 & 2 (because that' s what I am used to)
The other controllers I wouldn' t say are bad, I' m just not used to them

Terry, I' ve got 34 PS2 games, and have played probably 75 more. Not a single one of them requires the use of the D-pad, nor would it be preferable to use the D-pad in any of those games. I really only use the D-pad when I' m playing my PSOne games, and it always works fine. My question is, if I have difficulty finding hardly any games for the system that actually USE the D-pad, then what' s the problem if that constitutes " 98%" of your issue with the controller.

Terry, I' ve got 34 PS2 games, and have played probably 75 more. Not a single one of them requires the use of the D-pad, nor would it be preferable to use the D-pad in any of those games. I really only use the D-pad when I' m playing my PSOne games, and it always works fine. My question is, if I have difficulty finding hardly any games for the system that actually USE the D-pad, then what' s the problem if that constitutes " 98%" of your issue with the controller.

Like I said, or maybe I think I said before, I much prefer D-pads over analog controls. Fortunately many of the PS2 games I play usually offer both D-pad and analog controls. In cases like those I just alternate between the two alot while playing. Doing so helps alot.

In the case of Namco' s Kaena, the game only offers D-pad support and since the control scheme is very similar to Resident Evil' s 3D control scheme, the lack of analog controls tends to become quite annoying.

Still, my search for great controller alternatives for the PS2 and Xbox CONTINUE!!!
I think I' ll check out ASCII!

OOOH this PS2 pad looks quite nice!! The D-pad looks interesting in a good way.

http://www.lik-sang.com/image.php?category=22&products_id=3932&img=ps2-airstyleft1000



For the Xbox, I LOVE the button layout on this controller, but the D-pad looks a tad bit troublesome. A more solid looking d-pad and I' d already have ordered it!

http://www.lik-sang.com/image.php?category=82&products_id=1827&img=xbox-shockforce

I love the xbox S controller. Good for fps and racing. I agree with mofro after a while it doesnt fell like ur holding anything. I like the original too. gamecube is a good controller all around and the ps2 controller is good for fighting games and tony hawk. I also like arcade sticks, like the one on saturn.

I prefer the ones that come with the system. They often work pretty well. Ofcourse there are other companies that make some pretty good controllers as well.

I' ve been using a Dual Shock since it hit the shelves for PS1, and never have I found a more comfortable controller to use. Maybe it' s b/c I' ve been using it for so many years, but I think it' s b/c Sony has a genius design on their hands. It feels perfect to me.

Controller S is a great controller simply because it has triggers.