Control pads and joysticks - best and worst?

[jnm23]

What have been your favourite (and most hated) controllers over the years?

Home computers:
+ Cruiser, Wico command control
- The old commodore stick, anything by Cheetah

8 bit consoles:
These were all decent, the NES pad probably best though

16 bit consoles:
SNES controller was the daddy, although arcade power stick was also class

32/64 bit:
+ N64 controller
- Dual shock - rubbish analogue sticks and a poor joypad

128 bit:
+ Dreamcast
- Xbox, a cornish pasty with stuck on boiled sweets

[SharkSkin-Man]

I may aswell get in there first with the Japanese Saturn pad being the best.

[Kubrick]

- Xbox, a cornish pasty with stuck on boiled sweets

"Its funny because its true!"

Dreamcast controller was no better if you ask me. Gives you Bird-claw hands after extended use.

MD 6-button pad is one of my faves.

[wheelaa]

pad probably best though

16 bit consoles:
SNES controller was the daddy, although arcade power stick was also class

Cough bull**** cough (sorry, bad cold ). MD 6 Button dicks on this every time.

Oh, and the ngcd pad too.

[Geoff D]

128 bit:
+ Dreamcast
- Xbox, a cornish pasty with stuck on boiled sweets

Personally hate the DC pad - didn't like the angling out of my hands when holding it.

Natch, the Saturn pad is boss, but my shout goes to the Hori SC2 arcade stick - I love it with a passion (that is current gen though.)

[eastyy]

I just do not like the d-pad on the dreamcast controller

My favs are the megadrive 6 button and the saturn one.


Though the x360 pad from what little i have tried was very good

[Roddie]

128 bit:
+ Dreamcast
- Xbox, a cornish pasty with stuck on boiled sweets

um, the xbox pad is basically a dc pad in disguise

[vertigo]

I'm in the minority who thinks that the Dual Shock is a badly-laid-out cramp-inducing turd.

[Ish]

Yeah I never got on with the dual shock either. And I didn't much like the N64 one either. I'm a SNES pad fan myself. I always found that comfortable and responsive.

Home computer wise. Competition Pro's were pretty ace

[Mad Gear]

Home computers:
Zip Stick + Competiton Pro were both classic designs.
Agree with the Cheeta slur, they were ****e and the Konix mini stick thingy was turd.

8 bit consoles:
NES pad was OK
Master System was ultra turd. That D-pad was so sloppy.

16 bit/24 bit consoles:
Another vote for the 6button MD pad. Also loved the MD Arcade stick and the JB King for the SFC. Best stick was prolly teh NEO AES!1 original.

32/64 bit:
N64 stick was good for certain games (Mario 64 etc) but naff for arcade type stuff.
Fave stick is the Namco PS stick, still use it now (great for shooters).

128 bit:
I loved the Xbox pad but i guess you need big hands

[Prof Frink]

I'm in the minority who thinks that the Dual Shock is a badly-laid-out cramp-inducing turd.

Other than the sticks being a little to lose I really don't have to big a problem with the PS2 pad I can have 3 hour DMC3 sessions with no cramp what so ever and I like how the pad sits in your hand. Would agree with the original xbox pad and DC pad being my least favorites. Agree that the MD 6-Button and jap saturn has the best pads and I'm with Geoff on the Hori Soul Calibur stick very nice

[eastyy]

i just cannot use joysticks well at all i really just have never felt comfortable with them.

Ever since i had a atari 2600

[vertigo]

eastyy makes a point. I absolutely hated the 2600 stick. Never could tell if it was responding properly or not because of its circular nature.
The joystick I had for the Spectrum though, looked a lot like a Competition Pro but slightly different moulding, which was multi-coloured, was absolute class. Great quality microswitches, a joystick resistance selector and buttons on both sides for left or right handers. ACE!

[chojin]

I loved the Cheetah Mach 1 joystick I had.. was great for sorts games due to its looseness. hehe.. but have to agree Competition Pro was the daddy!..

and another vote for SNES Joypad being the most comfortable and responsive pad [one handed dragon punch and fireball.. sho-ryu-ken! ]

[cutmymilk]

Gamecube pads are for me the best ever, with the exception of the Z button (it should be on the back).

Dreamcast pads were really nifty, too. Loved the analogue triggers back in the day.