A quick survey on controllers - your experiences, good or bad

[Paleface]

You probably don't know this, but I'm giving a talk at a conference in March about game controllers, and why I think (in the current state they are) they're bad for gaming right now. You can find more details here.

Anyhow, I was hoping that some of you might be free to answer a few questions about controllers, and your experiences with them, as some survey data for the talk. I can't offer much apart from eternal gratitude, the obvious reference to ntsc-uk in the talk, but I hope you guys will come up trumps.

The questions

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)?

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?

If you regularly reconfigure controls from the default, why?

And finally, for left-handers in the audience: have you found this has caused you trouble with controllers?

[jimtendo]

1. Most probably the N64 controller. An oddity at the time with 3 prongs and the inclusion of the analog controller/ memory card slot. Loved it though.

2. I wouldn't say hardest to control, just a comfort issue/ button placement/ unsuitable direction pad... probably fighting games (ex.Street Fighter) on these pads:
Dreamcast
Xbox - big & s-pad
and possibly the 360 pad

Or any game that requires pinpoint shooting with the Dual Shock analog sticks.

3. Mario 64 - due to the lovely analog stick. You can control Mario with effortless ease.

4. Samba Maracas!

5. The things that i only ever change are the Street Fighter button configs on the 4 thumb-facing buttons. For other games, i have to have 'direction up = up, down = down' for FPS's

[Concrete donkey]

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)?

If it counts, the touch screen controller for the DS. I can't say it's the best but definatly the most memorable as being exciting, new and breathed a new lease of life in my intrest in gameing.

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?

Recently, Perfect Dark 0 comes to mind. For some reason I had difficulty getting used to the up and down on either normal or inverted settings. At first I thought it was because I hadn't played a console shooter in a while, but I was fine when playing Call of Duty 2

Also found Morrowind difficult to play with a Xbox pad, worked much better on PC.

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?

When it comes to controller interface, Mario 64 on the N64. It was one of my first 3D games, along with Turok, and unlike the latter, there was ample space and oppertunity to mess around with the character, just moving around, jumping and bouncing off walls.

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?

If I had to chose favourite controller ever it would have to be the Dreamcast Controller. I think the 360 pads may overtake it, but they havn't had enough playtime to be my favourite yet.

If you regularly reconfigure controls from the default, why?

I adjust the looks to inverted on first person shooters if not the defult. On PC games I sometimes edit where crouch is on the keyboard.

And finally, for left-handers in the audience: have you found this has caused you trouble with controllers?

As a left hander, I have never felt that handling controllers have been more difficult or easier due to the way I hold a pen, even on the DS.

[EvilBoris]

I always found the dreamcast pad to be incredibly uncomfortable for prolonged periods of time either due to its spikey edged D-pad or the hand grips which were too small and felt left my fist were just clenched the whole time.

I have also found that the ps2 controller to be a tad too stumpy in regards to its handles, the earlier dual stick PS1 pads to be a bit nicer, with longer handles.

As for games that I have just enjoyed to control, I'd say that the 3 recent Prince of Persia games were a joy to play because controlling you character was just so effortless. Also the same goes for the spiderman 2 game.

[Tig]

I'll give an answer for this one...

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?

I would have to say Super Mario 64 off the bat. Picking the up game with no prior experience, the learning curve was practically invisible - it was about as intuitive as you can get. And yet, using just three buttons and the stick, it allowed you to pull off 16 or so different moves.

But unlike many other games, the controls didn't become more complex as more moves were added to the plate. The move list expanded off the pad in such a logical way, that discovering new manoeuvers was an almost instinctive process, rather than a case of simply consulting the manual. The first time you tried slamming Z and pressing B at a run, you could almost see the slide-kick before it happened. There were no surprises - just gorgeously precise control, which invited you to master it.

The moves could also be effortlessly chained together. This allowed players to express themselves in the way they moved through the gameworld, which I love.


Another game which puts the world at your fingertips is Viewtiful Joe. Like SM64 in some ways, it gives you easy button access to the entire move list... allowing you to just cut loose and express yourself. Being handed full control over the speed of the game was also empowering, and opened up the sort of trajectory micro-management I associate with SM64.

(For the record, I think SM64's sequel and remake both missed the point in some way...)


For pure satisfaction of analogue feedback, I would also cite the newest F-Zero on Gamecube. That game's handling model used the analoge shoulder buttons as amplifiers for the (already analogue) analogue stick, giving you a simply insane amount of control at even the most face-melting top speeds the game had to offer.

For me, the thrill of tweaking the craft's trajectory by the most infinitesimal of degrees as you flash through the snaking courses cannot be beaten.

Although now that I mention it. The visceral satisfaction of jamming both airbrakes, initating a whiplash powerslide through at U-turn at 2500 km/h, felt pretty awesome as well

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?

I can't think of a specific example at the moment.

I don't like any game in which you find yourself hammering at a button, and watching as your character pulls pretty mo-capped animations out of his ass, so to speak. This seems to be the accepted control scheme for many mainstream licensed action games, and I hate it.

Sure, there can be a bit of visceral satisfaction had from games like this... but generally, if I don't feel fully in control, I can never feel fully satisfied by what's on-screen.

Action games in which your button presses don't lead to clearly defined results garners a big fat "Meh" from me.

[Lebowski]

I would say any game that you forget your controlling something, God of war or Prince of Persia sands of time on the ps2 spring to mind, As dose Super Mario 64 on the N64, 3 candidates there for best controll experience, or going further back the snes pad was a great design light east to get to buttons and a nice dpad great for the likes of super mario world or super mario kart.

Worst pad experience would have to be the xbox S-type or the original pad ( the Duke ) i found the feedback on both of them would give me pins and needles if i used them for to long (far to strong feedback) regardles of game, and no matter how well they mapped the controlls to an xbox game you would never be able to forget you were holding the pad.

The triggers would also cramp my fingers up if i played raceing or shooters for to long rallisport 2 was one of my fave games and my hands would littrely cramp up and go numb from holding the triggers and the constant vibration, and dont even get me started on them rasied face buttons, im sure the xbox pads were designed by covert tourture experts.

The other sin they made with the xbox pad is the tiny white and black buttons i can never undersand why pad makers feel the need to stick on extra buttons that are badley designed and just when you get used to were they are they go and stick them in an even stupider place for the S-type pad.

[Dirty Sanchez]

Answers embedded

The questions

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)?
Playing the demo of MGS2, amazed at the range of actions (later to discover most of them are useless and get in the way of the real actions you actually use during the game)

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?
MGS2 and 3. Too many combinations of button holds and actions. Several attempts are required to get the right action at the right time.

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?
GT3/4, after extended play you can almost 'feel' the road and grip.

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?
Dualshock, new 360 pad is pretty close though.

If you regularly reconfigure controls from the default, why?
I want to use the shoulder button more than the face buttons, to use the face button usually means comprimising my comfort and having to hold the controller with a different grip in each hand, better to have the same grip with as little movement as possible. Use of the thumbsticks as much as possible.

And finally, for left-handers in the audience: have you found this has caused you trouble with controllers?
Tie their left hand behind their back from the age of 2, that'll cure them :-)

[Zed]

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)? Guitar Hero - its a guitar with whammy bar, need i say more?! Close second is Tekki's controller - outrageously OTT.

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why? Resident Evil Gun suvivor (i think that was the name). There were so many ways it would have been better to control, even to the point of having the lightgun in one hand and a normal controller in the other (using just one stick/pad to move, shoulder buttons for actions). It sort of worked, but frustrating fighting the controls to do what you wanted instead of the other way around - then again all Resident Evil games seem to have poor controls, yes even Resi 4 could have been better with moving while your gun was out etc (dons fire-retardant clothing from Nintendo fanboys).

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - it just seemed to flow your jumping moves so well. I wont go into the combat bits, but the smoothness of running and jumping etc was pure bliss.

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?Probably the Dualshock. The others all seem to have more issues, not that its perfect either (for my hands).

If you regularly reconfigure controls from the default, why?changing controls from the d-pad / face buttons to shoulder buttons.

And finally, for left-handers in the audience: have you found this has caused you trouble with controllers? Only the original (super fat) Xbox controller - my god that was a piece of **** (for my hands), although i recognise some loved it, i just must not have super-sized yank appendages.

[Kubrick]

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)?

I'll probably go with the N64 controller as well. It seemed perfect for nearly every game on the system - especially GoldenEye since you actually had a "trigger" to pull (and recoil vibration with a rumble pak fitted).

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?

Quake III Arena (Dreamcast) - Me, plus Mouse & Keyboard just do not go well together...

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?

Super Mario World (SNES). SM64, which has been mentioned is another good one, and probably the best example of a 3D game with excellent controls, but for me, the older games feel more "pure" and are unaffected by a 3rd dimension or camera angles.
You ARE Mario when you use that joypad, and it's all down to the brilliant feeling of "weight" and inertia that Miyamoto blessed him with. Even something as mundane as changing direction is an event in itself.

Ferrari F355 Challenge (Dreamcast) is another one that feels great to play once you overcome the initial difficulty. The range of control available through the analogue stick & triggers is incredible. No other driving game since has come close to matching it.

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?

SLEH-0004 Namco Arcade Stick (PlayStation). I've tried most of the decent arcade sticks on the market, but the old Namco one is still my favourite. The "looseness" of the stick is just perfect for me, and I find the wedge shape more comfortable to use for long periods.

If you regularly reconfigure controls from the default, why?

The first thing I do with a new game - even before playing it once - is find the controller edit options and configure them to how I want them.
Sometimes I'll find the default settings are fine as is, but most of the time I end up changing something. With driving games in particular, I like to have really "quick" steering and gearchanges mapped to certain buttons.

[Tychom]

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)?

Probably getting to grips with the SNES controller long back. After having been weaned on crappy sinclair & amiga 2 button joysticks or keyboard controls it was quite the revelation and it's use in Super Mario World really made it feel "essential" for the next few years.

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?

It's a toss up between P.N.03 and Metroid Prime for me. Far too many buttons being used to carry out the relatively simple actions in an occasionally less than obvious manner plus non-traditional mapping of controller axis to onscreen movement (including "shift" functions which alternate the translation between player actions and avater actions). All means I'm regularly pressing the wrong buttons, doing the wrong thing where simplicity should be paramount.

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?

Tough, there's so many racing games out there that are enjoyable and their control scheme is always as simple as left, right, accelerate, break. It's amazing how much you can get from that with the right physics, AI and tracks attached. I'm not even sure I could pick one from the vast list available.

Viewtiful Joe is a great example of an avatar that is fun to control and full of depth, exploring everything he's capable of is a captivating, enjoyable experience. Putting it all together is a real event, I feel it puts to shame all those 2D platform brawlers that have come before it armed only with "horizontal-slash" in the face of impending doom.

Super Mario World. The mechanics here are so tight, so obvious. Everything you do Mario performs onscreen, there's never any hesitancy, no "don't f***ing do that!" (I'm thinking SM64 now), it's tuned to perfection.

As I can't decide from the above, I'll pull out Umihara Kawase Syun. The controls are simple - movement, jump, grapple and yet for such a simple set of inputs the range of movement, the ability to manipulate your avatar in extraordinary ways is really unmatched in it's class. Control here is really imperative if you're to pull off the seemingly impossible. So it's very enjoyable.

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?

Oh this is a tough one as there is no one controller that's suitable for all those games I like. I really like the XBox "S" controller for it's triggers, shape and sticks. It's very nice for driving games and the likes of Ninja Gaiden. But it's D-Pad and face buttons arent so hot for 2D games. And then there's the spine-tingling rumble. When it does come to 2D games I think the Japanese Saturn pad and the SNES pad are far better devices.

If I was forced to pick one above all then it's tough. 3D gaming has been excellent recently and good controls have been part of that happening, I feel I need to make a stand though for the vast library of superb 2D games still around and say that the Saturn pad is possibly by favourite.

It's not a claim I'm entirely comfortable making though as I do feel pretty strongly that every game, every genre perhaps has a controller or controller configuration best suited to it, be it an analog pad, digital pad, joystick, wheel or whatever.

If you regularly reconfigure controls from the default, why?

Better access to buttons. I only really seem to do this on GBA games to get the main "action" button away from the edge (otherwise means contorting the thumb) but similar reasons apply elsewhere, to enable me to move between buttons easier. This often applies when a game is mapped for a standard controller and you wish to play with something else such as an arcade stick.

[Brats]

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)?

The Tekki/Steel Batalion controller. Any controller that has four buttons and three switches just for turning the thing on is as immersive as it gets imo.

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?

The old Spectrum Ultimate games had the keyboard controls as the QWERT on the keyboard and you couldn't redefine them. It was a nightmare and made a Kemptson Joystick interface an essential purchase. It shows how early on, developers thought less about interface design on home machines.

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?

Probably Halo. I'm not a fan of Keyboard/Mouse for FPS as it just feels too easy.

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?

Can't fault the 360 controller. It's the perfection of the past 25 years.

If you regularly reconfigure controls from the default, why?

I always go for inverted controls for up/down. I'm too used to playing flight sims to use anything else. Aside from that, I can go with pretty much any set up and tend to stick to the default.

Just a quick point, you say the videogames is stagnating. Is it? In sales terms it isn't and I'd argue in creativity terms its in excellent health. I think you could argue it could do even better without the standard controller, but isn't this the exact argument that Nintendo have for the Revolution and why games like Buzz!! have been produced?

[Ady]

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)?

The N64 controller for me. I remember initially being daunted by its odd shape and analogue stick, but once I started using it, it became invisible. And I thought the Z trigger was a stroke of genius at the time.

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?

Gun Valkyrie on the X-Box. Both the controller and the game were designed by sadists.

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?

Probably Mario 64. Once you become familiar with it, it's so fluid.

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?

Hmm... a tough one. It's a toss-up between the dual shock and the GC controller. The dual shock because the design is sound, ergonomic and covers all bases (its only fault being the horible analogue sticks), and the GC because it just feels as though it was made for my hands.

[vertigo]

What's your most memorable experience of a game controller/interface (the physical device - not the software)?

The Nintendo64 pad made Mario 64 an absolute privilege to play and showed every other manufacturer how they should be doing 3D control. Or learning how to reliably pull off dragon punches on arcade Street Fighter 2.

What the hardest or most frustrating game to control that you've played, and why?

XIII on XBox, because the controls don't adhere to a well-used standard and they aren't redefinable to have look on one stick and move on the other. The 4 set options are all a mish-mash of half moving and half looking on both sticks and none of them even closely resemble any control scheme I'm used to. The same applies to Hitman 2 XBox for the same reasons. Both make the actual gameplay highly frustrating, purely down to bad control schemes instead of any problems with the software.

What game have you enjoyed controlling the most?

Super Monkey Ball. The original for Gamecube, not the sequel or any other iterations. There's no messing about with control complications and your influence over the game translates perfectly from every minute action you make with the stick. Your in-game performance relied purely on your skill and ability without having any forced deaths due to bad controls or cheap gameplay.

What's your favourite (non-dedicated) game controller ever?

Can't seperate it between the Gamecube controller (feels absolutely wonderful in my hands) and the Dreamcast Arcade Stick (heavy-duty and just about perfect for fighters and shooters)

If you regularly reconfigure controls from the default, why?

When I do reconfigure the controls it's usually in a FPS because I'm used to Turok-type aka Goldeneye 1.2 (move on the right, aim on the left) and to invert look in both FPS and 3D flying/shooting games. Other times it's because the default is often just plain stupid and makes me wonder if anyone in testing pointed it out, or if i'm used to or have recently played a game in the same genre, I prefer the controls to be similar instead of feeling like I'm relearning how to walk every time I want to run.

And finally, for left-handers in the audience: have you found this has caused you trouble with controllers?

I'm left-handed and have had no problems so far as I'm used to the standard pad or stick configurations, but I don't yet own a DS and do perceive a few difficulties using the stylus accurately if developers don't take left-handed players into account by mirroring the d-pad's actions to the face buttons.

I would also suggest another quite important question: What's your least favourite controller and why? My answer would be the Dual Shock. The analog sticks feel mushy and not nearly as accurate or nice to use as either the N64 stick or the Gamecube's and are uncomfortable to reach properly if a game requires use of both sets of top buttons. The d-pad also has great big chasms in between the directions and is far too stiff to press even after a significant breaking-in period. The smaller of the rumble motors also produces a horrid effect that puts my teeth on edge so rumble is always switched off whenever I'm forced to use a Dual Shock. It's the only controller that's ever given me cramp; that includes hours of original XBox pad use and more hours of GBA Mario Kart.

[rmoxon]

I'm left-handed and have had no problems so far as I'm used to the standard pad or stick configurations, but I don't yet own a DS and do perceive a few difficulties using the stylus accurately if developers don't take left-handed players into account by mirroring the d-pad's actions to the face buttons.

I just got a DS recently and my collection is growing pretty fast, I'm not left handed but so far I have not ran into a game that wouldnt work if I was. Games like Meteo's have an option to choose wether you are left or right handed and games that use the stylus rarely use the face buttons anyway. The only one I have come across so far that does is Mario64 and that has multiple configurations, some would work well for left handers, so theres a method for everyone there too.

So yeah, don't let being left handed put you off a DS.

Also, your point about XIII on XBox controls not adhering to a well-used standard. It plays the same as every other console first person shooter made in the last few years dosnet it? (ie. just like PC ones?)

I thought it only had those controls becuase they ARE the standard.

Though i agree it is what youre use too, I cant play shooters on the N64 or dreamcast very well anymore now, they just seem all backwards.

[Mayhem]

Technically left handers should be suited to arcade and modern console play because of the control on the stick being on the left side. So I see it. But I don't have a problem using the old Atari style sticks with my right hand either. I grew up doing both equally and hence today I don't have any gripes either way around.

I'll answer the Qs tonight properly when I've got time...