What is your favorite controller?

[Ziggy]

I like the PS2/3 controller. I know the sticks where literally just added onto the original design, but they feel right in my hands. And I never had any problems with the D-pad, I like it a lot better than most. I never cared for Sega's D-Pads. They were impossible to input commands like "down, forward, back, back" in a game like Mortal kombat. I can never do it on a Sega style D-pad. However, I play a LOT of MKII on my PS3 and never had any problems with it.

That fucking blows that you can't change the battery, though. I did not know this.

Not to mention, the PS controller is just a rip off of the SNES controller anyways

I voted for the N64 controller. I know a lot of people hate it, but I always like it. I forget what the third controller I voted for was... I think it was Dreamcast. The D-Pad is more like a joystick (as I mentioned above) but other than that I think it's a great controller. Some of my friend's with larger hands don't like it, but I think it feels great.

But I'm trying to rate the controllers on the controllers themselves. I wasn't taking into account what games we're playing with them... If we're talking retro than SNES is my favorite (if only because it's my favorite system). Current gen, I would have to go with the PS3 controller.

[Niode]

I guess I never really liked the placement of the PS1 analogues. They always seemed odd to me, and it's always stuck. I got an N64 on day 1 so I was used to analogue being where I expected it to be. When Sony caught up with the playstation analogue controller it was already old news in my eyes, the analogue position was just wrong compared to the N64.

I thought the 'boomerang' controller looked good, I think I would have preferred it. At least a little innovation. Maybe it would have been a better position since your hands would be angled more. I just find it ridiculous that they haven't changed the controller much at all in 15 years.

[Beak]

I really think the Gamecube controller is the best and I don't even particularly like the GC.

[Jrecee]

The reason I prefer the snes pad to the saturn one is the material and tiny/pointy X,Y,Z buttons. I don't like the slick material used on the saturn's buttons. Also, the Diamond layout of the buttons is pretty much a standard nowadays. I picked Genesis though. It fits in my hands, and I love the big indented buttons.

[dedalusdedalus]

Well, the PS1/2/3 controller is awesome because it's a jack of all trades kind of controller. It's outshined by other controllers if you're playing a certain kind of game--the Saturn is best for fighting games with its 6-button layout, the Gamecube is best for adventure games with the placement of the analog sticks, and the Dreamcast is best for racing/FPS with its curved shoulder buttons--but you can comfortably play any genre of game with the Dual Shock.

[SegaDreamscape]

It differs on what games you play to say which is the best controller. For 2d it's got to be the Sega Saturn pad, the megadrive found the correct formula and the Saturn perfected it. For first person shooters or 3d platform games i prefer the N64 controller. Ive allways liked the way it holds, hardley have to move at all to reach the required buttons (the "gun" trigger under the analogue stick works brilliantly as well).

If i had to choose just the one id have to say i prefer the Saturn over the 64 though as its what i use the most.

[lisalover1]

Well, the PS1/2/3 controller is awesome because it's a jack of all trades kind of controller. It's outshined by other controllers if you're playing a certain kind of game--the Saturn is best for fighting games with its 6-button layout, the Gamecube is best for adventure games with the placement of the analog sticks, and the Dreamcast is best for racing/FPS with its curved shoulder buttons--but you can comfortably play any genre of game with the Dual Shock.

Yes, I agree that a PS controller is pretty good for most things, it's not great at any one thing. Great controllers are best suited for the console's primary game genre. [i.e. Saturn, Neo-Geo, etc.]

[alienjesus]

I can forgive people not knowing any better but people who genuinely think that the Playstation controller is the best controller ever are seriously deluded. The d-pad doesn't work right, they tacked on analogue control, they tacked on crappy triggers that bend the wrong way, the 'analogue buttons' aren't useful at all, don't get me started on the non-changeable battery or the fact that the controller has been broken for nigh on 15 years now...

Someone who actually agrees with me! I thought I was on my own here.

The analogue sticks are in the wrong place. Why are they in the middle?

They're in the middle because you just have to rotate your thumbs a tiny bit to reach them. Plus, they're symmetrical, which makes sense since our hands are symmetrical. The placement of the dual analog sticks are why I prefer the ps2 dual shock to any other analog controller.

Our hands may be symmetrical, but the fact is that the majority of games use the main analogue stick and the face buttons to play, which you may have noticed, are symmetrical to each other, and both conveniently located where my thumb sits most naturally on a Gamecube controller. The second stick is still easily accessible where it is on the GC/Xbox controls. The PS2 sticks are too close together imo, I hit my thumbs together often when using them.

Voted for Gamecube only, some of the other controllers are ok, but none come to close the GC for me. I know people hate it too, but the Wii control is very comfy imo. Other consoles controls I like include the 3DO's and the virtual boys. The 8 and 16 bit consoles have nice enough controls too, but I dont like the flat backs, it makes them awkward to hold for me.

[wakeup]

I can forgive people not knowing any better but people who genuinely think that the Playstation controller is the best controller ever are seriously deluded. The d-pad doesn't work right, they tacked on analogue control, they tacked on crappy triggers that bend the wrong way, the 'analogue buttons' aren't useful at all, don't get me started on the non-changeable battery or the fact that the controller has been broken for nigh on 15 years now...

Someone who actually agrees with me! I thought I was on my own here.

The analogue sticks are in the wrong place. Why are they in the middle?

They're in the middle because you just have to rotate your thumbs a tiny bit to reach them. Plus, they're symmetrical, which makes sense since our hands are symmetrical. The placement of the dual analog sticks are why I prefer the ps2 dual shock to any other analog controller.

Our hands may be symmetrical, but the fact is that the majority of games use the main analogue stick and the face buttons to play, which you may have noticed, are symmetrical to each other, and both conveniently located where my thumb sits most naturally on a Gamecube controller. The second stick is still easily accessible where it is on the GC/Xbox controls. The PS2 sticks are too close together imo, I hit my thumbs together often when using them.

Voted for Gamecube only, some of the other controllers are ok, but none come to close the GC for me. I know people hate it too, but the Wii control is very comfy imo. Other consoles controls I like include the 3DO's and the virtual boys. The 8 and 16 bit consoles have nice enough controls too, but I dont like the flat backs, it makes them awkward to hold for me.

Never liked the PS2 sticks placement myself either- just makes fps less fun imo. I continue to believe xbox360 controller is the best for fps. The 2 sticks placed at the right spot and the triggers are very good.

[Knowlery]

This was an easy poll for me...my top 3:

Saturn (the revised, japaenese version)
Genesis (the 6 button, japanese version)
SNES

in that order. You can't go wrong with any of those 3, and it just so happens that the majority of my favorite games are played using those fantastic controllers.