The Great Controllers Of Our Time: A Debate

Part 2 - And this time, we've dragged along a friend

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6]

Mad Paddy O'Semtex: Nintendo 64 pad

I'm sorry to interrupt guys but you're both way off track...

I never got on with the original Megadrive controller, although I had a 3rd party one, (gamestar or something like that, I forget), that was truly excellent. It moulded to your hand far, far better, the D-pad was incredibly responsive and the buttons felt *just* right. Also the 6 button design added much versatility, and a slo-mo button just below start was quite a handy feature (most 3rd party devices throw on as a gimmick nowadays). The buttons were perfectly placed for any person. This is the only 3rd party controller I have ever preferred to the mainstream one.

The SNES controller was good, but it wasn't the first to feature shoulder buttons, infact a third party NES controller pipped it to the post, but the controller was shite and no NES games had any use for the extra buttons. If anyone wants to check I'll lend you it.

But enough pointing out foibles, the title of greatest controller surely must go to the eccentric but glorious N64 pad. The revolutionary trident design looked dumb, and it took me a few minutes to work out how you hold it for most games. The button layout was clear and concise, the only controller layout that can get away with 6 buttons, 2 shoulders, a trigger, a D-pad and an analogue stick. Ok, perhaps the left fork of the controller was superfluous in most games, but when it did come into play it was truly excellent in all respects. The analogue stick had exactly the right resistance, far better than Sony's feeble attempt; it was accurate and responsive allowing for precise control of speed and direction. Used in any configuration, the controller sat comfortably in one's hand, beaten only by Microsoft's original sidewinder pad.

Not Jo-Jo Fine: Sony Playstation Dual Shock

And my answer to that is its superior evolved form of the SNES controller: The Original Playstation Dual Analogue Controller.

Okay, how that you're over the inspired awe that comes from merely seeing such a name. Not only is this controller the most comfortable and easy to reach pad EVER, it comes witheverything you could ever need. So perfect was the design, that it's still being used for the Play Station 3. That's perfection...

So, what makes it so great (as if you had to ask)?

Well, not only does this have the evolved SNES style controller with easy to grip (and rather sexy) handles to hold onto, this pad was/is the very first ever to have DUAL analogue joysticks. These have proven to be the best method of controlling a game ever. It was thus copied by every singe console manufacturer, and PC manufacturer since then.

But two of them, man, that was way ahead of its time. They even had the foresight to add a grippy plastic grippy thing on top of the sticks. And finally, the icing on the cake: the analogue sticks concealed two buttons, easy to use, but slightly too tense to be accidentally hit.

Did I mention it had 4 force feedback motors?