Retro Video Gamer

So everyone what is your favourite console controller?

My top 3 are these:

Number 1

(http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/sega_saturn_pad_1.jpg)

Number 2

(http://www.museodelvideojuego.com/imgs/accesorios/Mega-Drive/Pad-6-Botones-Genesis-3.jpg)

Number 3

(http://images.wikia.com/video-games/images/e/eb/AtariJaguarProController.jpg)

No 1 SNES
(http://www.retrogamingconsoles.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/snes-joypad.png)

No 2 Neo Geo
(http://www.gamechoiceclub.com/image/neogeo_pad.gif)

No 3 Sega Saturn
(http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/sega_saturn_pad_1.jpg)

But my ultimate is...

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N-5fKPpOTx8/Tq3PjOj-_xI/AAAAAAAAAwA/EItNaMB0Zss/s400/best-video-game-controller-ever-27162-1264854628-120.jpg)

You like the SNES controller 

My favorite is the old fat xbox controller
Perfect for someone with long fingers like mine
Just with it had bumper buttons intsead of the white and black

Quote from: "DEADDOLL666"My favorite is the old fat xbox controller ;)

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "DEADDOLL666"My favorite is the old fat xbox controller ;)

All the same, it's my favourite too. Well, actually the 's' type controller.
The majority of retro controllers are just too small.

If I had to pick a retro controller, it would be the Atari paddles.
Most games (via emulation) can be played with any controller you like.
But the paddle controllers are an important part of the experience when playing Warlords, Kaboom etc

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "DEADDOLL666"My favorite is the old fat xbox controller ;)

The question asked is "favourite console controller"
The xbox is a console so that was my answer lol
Retro wise then it'll be the Megadrive controller

in terms of looks, the Atari VCS joystick is a retro classic -not a perfect controller though.

All sega for me:

(http://astraldojo.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dreamcast-controller-1vcm-460.jpg)

(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/products/large/4256/800px-Sega-Saturn-ControllerS%20copy.jpg?1322742616)

(http://www.deviantart.com/download/155681304/Sega_Genesis_Controller_by_The_Penciler.png)

Current controllers all suck.

Alot of "retro" ones sucked too.

.... except the Saturn's controller.  That thing is perfection.

I tend to fluctuate on deciding which are my favourite game controllers. My top three choices right now would probably be,

* Competition Pro Star / Pro Extra joystick
* Dreamcast Arcade Stick
* Vectrex Control Panel

Mine would be this, the official DC Pads were too narrow, they weren't wide enough and I often found my elbows hitting each other frequently, the Mad Catz was the Pinnacle for me!!

(http://www.gamersace.com/images/Dcast-Madcatz-Blue.jpg)

followed closely by :

(http://www.syntaxerror.nu/joy027.jpg)

and

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31XAR4HACDL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)

I know I can't include the one for the 360 but goddamn is that my Actual/All time favourite lol, but if it had to be a dead/obsolete console only I'd say DC Mad Catz hands DOWN. for 3rd party products they lasted FAR longer than even the officials

I don't consider the Xbox retro either but I will let you off as it was 3rd 

really? it died in like 2005, but hey, as you say it wasn't my top one lol I think a joint 3rd would probably be the pro controller for the Jag actually, I like that, although has anyone noticed all the controls are screwed up when you play games that don't specifically support it? I find problems with Battle Morph (see my vids on youtube you will see what I mean lol) where buttons are completely on "the piss" when using the better controller

Quote from: "dcultrapro"really? it died in like 2005, but hey, as you say it wasn't my top one lol I think a joint 3rd would probably be the pro controller for the Jag actually, I like that, although has anyone noticed all the controls are screwed up when you play games that don't specifically support it? I find problems with Battle Morph (see my vids on youtube you will see what I mean lol) where buttons are completely on "the piss" when using the better controller

I have never found that and I only use my Pro.

ABC should always be the same, XYZ and the shoulder buttons are just mapped to be the same as 123 and 4 & 6 on the Keypad.

honestly mate, when I press the buttons on the 123etc they don't match whats on the controller overlay, I need to have a look and see what its set to in the actual game, do you have to go in and tell it that you've got 6 button?

Nope.

Because as I said the Pro dosn't actually add any new buttons. When I play Battlemorph I always use the keypad anyway for selecting my weapons.

odd, maybe I'm just special lol, I swear the buttons on the overlay don't correspond, I'll try it again in a couple days and see what I find, wierd lol

My favorites have to be the controllers from:

1) The megadrive
(http://www.syntaxerror.nu/joy010.jpg)
2) The Snes
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Snes_control.jpg)
3) The Intellivision
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X7VYgKg7QJU/TZTmv4URw5I/AAAAAAAAADs/jzRRt9PCoyg/s1600/IntellivisionController.jpg)

Although I do have to add my personal congratulations to Nintendo for the masterpiece of art, design and utter thumb bending confusion that was the N64 controller.

(http://images.wikia.com/ssb/images/6/62/N64-controller.jpg)

Sorry about the huge Snes controller there, forgot to check the size of the picture before I added the link.

Quote from: "Console Compulsive"Sorry about the huge Snes controller there, forgot to check the size of the picture before I added the link.

Easy to fix, looks slightly less horrible now 

Has to be the Cdi remote lol just kidding...

1) Dreamcast
2) Saturn
3) Neo Geo CD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqlCe3kPv9c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqlCe3kPv9c)

Really enjoyed using this beast in the 8-bit days, maybe it helped in deluding me into thinking I was getting a real arcade experience!

(http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/detail/advantag.jpg)

Quote from: "MondoWray"Really enjoyed using this beast in the 8-bit days, maybe it helped in deluding me into thinking I was getting a real arcade experience!

(http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/detail/advantag.jpg)

No way! This is spooky! First you talk about Double Dragon 2 on the NES and now you post the controller I was using to play it! I actually think these are really good, far far better than the crappy NES joypad!

What people won't be able to appreciate from the photo is the sheer weight of the thing. The base is solid. It was indeed my Double Dragon 2 stick too!

I have one of those for my NES. It's a great stick, especially for shoot em ups as you can alter the rate of the auto fire and it is a tough old beast too. In the event of a nuclear war the species evolved from the survivng cockroaches will still be using them to play Super Mario.

The guy who presents this is a complete dick but the idea of the video is quite a good one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... NcEpK2yd9M (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qNcEpK2yd9M)

Good topic, never noticed it before.
My three would be
Megadrive
Neo Geo CD
Dreamcast

Honorable mention goes to Xbox 360 

I think the PC Engine Duo controller is superb- I've hammered away at it and not felt soar afterwards. The original white PCE controller isn't quite as accurate, but also decent enough.

I have to say that I TRULY HATED the N64 controller. I just couldn't understand the point of the middle hand part... it looked SOOOOO ridiculous!! And trying to use the analogue stick was so cumbersome when playing games, having to change hands... the only other controller I hate though not quite as much is the NGC controller... those two are both real nightmares lol...

thought I'd share that seeing as I already mentioned my favourite heh   sorry the N64 controller just really irritated me as a child lol

Swapping hands? There are very few games you actually need to use the D-Pad for. You're supposed to hold it in the middle.

Personally the N64 controller is the only analogue-stick controller that I like. Specifically the Competition Pro, being slightly wider it's better if you don't have small hands.

so hang on, how the hell are you supposed to use the stick in the middle? and your saying it wasn't used? I'm pretty sure you HAD to use it in Goldeneye when trying to aim the bloody gun... right?? I could never reach it back in the late 90's/early 2000's when I recall trying it, if I wanted to use it I had to grab the middle part which really sucked, thats how I thought it as meant to be done as the design was so unhelpful and the position of the stick was sooo far away from either thumb!

Quote from: "dcultrapro"so hang on, how the hell are you supposed to use the stick in the middle? and your saying it wasn't used? I'm pretty sure you HAD to use it in Goldeneye when trying to aim the bloody gun... right?? I could never reach it back in the late 90's/early 2000's when I recall trying it, if I wanted to use it I had to grab the middle part which really sucked, thats how I thought it as meant to be done as the design was so unhelpful and the position of the stick was sooo far away from either thumb!

He saying the joypad doesn't need to be used, not the stick.

Anyway its an abomination of a design, to think Ninty fans slag the Jaguar controller when Nintendo's own are the worst around.

I don't really see what the problem is. It works well with the games if you know what you're doing.

well... lets assume for a minute that we're all video game players and have a ROUGH idea of how to play most games with a controller... how would YOU normally hold that controller when playing Goldeneye? one hand on the far right side, one hand on the middle?

Right. Or maybe I should say "correct" 

yeah see that's what put me off I couldn't stand the way the stick was in the middle and you had to hold the middle bit, it just felt all wrong lol

Interesting 

Not having the middle bit on other analogue stick controllers is what I find so awkward about them. Feels like there's no proper place to rest your hand/grip the controller.

odd how people differ huh... I find the standard, hands either side to be the norm, my DC Mad Catz controllers give the most comfort/room for my hand to grip but the 360 one is also pretty awesome. Actually also quite like the 6 button Jaguar Controller as well

I like the N64 controller. What I do is tell DreamCast owners to tape the controller cord to the bottom so it doe not feel so weird.

I´m going to include a stick controller, hope it´s right. ;D

N64 controller is maybe the worst controller I ever used, SNES pad is too tiny and my hands hurts, Jaguar Pro Controller is nice but the directional pad could be better, PSX sucks...  Maybe the MD 6 buttons controller is the best 3rd option to choose.

For 2 buttons controllers I would go for the Turbografx pad, it feels nice and it´s big compared to the NES one.

I actually recently got that model of Saturn controller, VERY happy with it! Wish I'd had it when I first got it, I just had the original one and it wasn't in great shape

#1

(http://www.ko-gathering.com/wiki/images/6/66/The_arcade.jpg)
the Arcade stick by Suzo.
#2
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/18/Fat_Controller_TTTE_1.jpg)
the Fat controller.

There is always one!  ;)

I really like the Xbox 360 controller for gameplay. My favourite retro controller was probably the Megadrive one.

It took me a while to get used to it, but now I think the 360 pad is probably my favourite.  It's comfortable, all buttons are accessible and have a nice positive feel and, since the move away from the standard cream colour, they look pretty nice too.

All time favourites would be the SNES pad, and Cruiser and Quikshot 2 joysticks.

I liked the Quickshot 2, although on the Spectrum I actually used the Cheetah 125+ as it had the extra plug for 128k machines. I never liked the SNES pad though.

The Xbox 360 pad is certainly a million times better than the horrible PS3 controller

I loved the original 'Zipstick'.  It was great on the C64 and Amiga.  Maybe on other machines as well.  The firebuttons were so positive and 'clicky'.  A really good feel to it.  Good stick movement as well.

As for for an analogue stick, well - the 'Gravis Joystick' for the PC was great.  Really good feel to it and well made.  Just a shame that it didn't have a 'hat function', that would have made Tie Fighter easier. 

Top 2 are easy but 3rd is more of a live for the system than the actual controller itself if I'm honest.

(1) Megadrive
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_84--XCXrG7Y/SQhzzIP6XYI/AAAAAAAACyQ/Lci8gU3UHl8/s400/joy010.jpg)

(2) PS1
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/PSX-Original-Controller.jpg/300px-PSX-Original-Controller.jpg)

(3) Controller I used on my Atari 800XL.
(http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01856/media/AtariJoystick.jpg)

I'd actually have to say now as I can't have the 360 or xbox slim controllers that my favourite is probably this:

(http://eyeoftheerik.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/sega-saturn-control-pad.jpg)

the first Saturn controller was underwhelming and flimsy to me so to get two of these recently and for them to be of such good build quality and comfortable design I'm really ashamed I didn't buy them sooner. I had the good awful other saturn controller with the shitty shoulder button that went wrong within 5 mins of touching it lol

That is nice! Has anyone played much with the big Saturn Controller that looked like an early DreamCast controller?

For me, it's a three way tie between the SNES pad, a 6 button Genesis pad, and the PS1 Dualshock. Honestly, though, I never thought the N64 controller was that bad. My only real issues with it are that you basically MUST have an adaptor for one, because of the button layout. That, and I wish the analog stick was smoother.

I just came across this cool article on controllers from The One:

(http://i.imgur.com/dXWSzVb.jpg?1)(http://i.imgur.com/Q52yRyw.jpg?1)

(http://i.imgur.com/xzW1DEA.jpg?1)

Thanks for sharing the article! Nice read!

ANY Atari 2600 controller! All the way baby!