CNET's best video game controllers of all time

Wow, what an uninformed and error-riddled article by CNet. Placing the 360 controller at the top of the list is just icing. It's a nice controller sure, but the absolutely atrocious D-Pad and the overall lack of innovation, I'm floored. Innovation? No. Iteration? Yes. Not even close to #1.

As a person old enought to remember my father screwing the adapter to the back of our black and white zenith so I could be pounded into submission by my sister Lisa in countless game of pong, let me be the first among many to lambast their choice of the iconic Atari 2600 joystily as best of all time. A hand crampy, unresponsive, uninspired nightmare, the 2600 joystick broke easily, caused horrible blisters and was unresponsive at best. That this design beat out the ubiquitous d-pad of the NES, a design feature that is STILL in use on all major game controllers in some form or another to this day, is proof that the brains over at CNET UK are starved of oxygen.

Wait.

What?

The N64's control pad is the ABSOLUTE WORST ONE I HAVE EVER USED! What the hell were they smoking?!

Saying the 360 controller is beige is wrong, too. It's white...

And set wireless as standard? Hardly. Or have we forgotten that the 360 Core comes with a wired controller. And that the wired controller is sold seperately, as well. For $10 less than the wireless.

And you can't give them credit for being first to wireless, either. There have been wireless controllers as early as the NES. And GameCube's WaveBird is probably one of the most used OPTIONAL wireless controllers ever.

If anyone set wireless as standard, it'd be Wii and PS3. Because they don't offer wired alternatives!

erac3rx get your fanboy ass out of here... the 360 controller its the best controller i have put my hands on period, I have had almost every video game system known to man and this controller takes the crown... and the only thing i will agree with you its that the d-pad could of been better

Best controller ever made: Nintendo Wavebird.

Am I the only one that hates the positioning of the analoug sticks on current controllers? I hate it. In my opinion the GC had it perfect. Put the left one hwrer you are going to use it the most, and the right one askew so the buttons are easily accessible. Seriously, why does the PS controller still haev the left analog stick away from the natural placement of the left thumb? How many games use the d-pad anymore? Why is that still so important to be there?

I apologize for the typos as well. At work I type all day long and accuracy isn't important, just as long as it makes sense.

Also I liked the DC controller, it fit my hands perfectly.

My favorite controller of all time would probably have to be the gamecube's. it fits my hands perfectly and the button-placement just made sense. It's a great fighting pad too though you wouldn't really think so (soul calibur II for the GC was great)

IMO-

best 2D controller- Virtual Console
best 3D controller (completely ignoring the crap dpad and lack of grooved zones for analogue sticks)- 360

Best overall? I'm actually going to go ahead and say the N64. Good dpad, stiff analogue stick (am I the only one who likes that?), unique and strangely comfortable design. Plus the whole add on range. Yea. N64.

I can tell you this much:
The very reason I never bought an SNES was the controller.

I hate a not firm joystiq! HATE! Thats why i love the Wavebird and not the Duelshock. Way to movey...But my n64 controllers anolog sticks are busted. So yeah...I being a nintendo fanboy do love the 360 controller, MILES better then Xbox original one. Very small, fits great. 360/GC for me!!!!

I think they're spot on with the 360 controller, it's a truly great design. And the PS2 controller is great as well.

I'm not sure what they were thinking with the PS3 controller, not only does it feel too light (although that's not necessarily a bad thing I guess) the shoulder buttons feel wrong.

The Wii is a good controller, but I agree it's too early to tell if it'll be a truly great controller, only because I haven't played enough games that truly take of advantage of it, where the game is also better because of it.

Of the one I've used:

1. Dual-Shock
2. GCN Wavebird
3. DC
4. SNES
5. N64

My favorite is either the Wii Classic Controller or the Wavebird.
I really like the analog triggers on both.
The classic controller's D-pad is great, while the Gamecube's d-pad is far too small. And the button layout on the Gamecube is... ok once you get used to it (it really depends on the game).
I just wish the classic controller had the D-pad and left analog stick swapped, like the Gamecube.

The 360 controller is good too. For some reason, I have no problem with the 360's d-pad, like everyone else seems to have.

Fanboys or not you can't say the 360 controller isn't the most comfortable controller ever. It forms to the hands perfectly. (I'll be waiting for the Flamer boys to say it isn't, then you would just be in denial.)

Reasons the ps3 controller isn't on the list:

1. It's the same as the ps2.
2. It has motion sensor which was first implimented (and failed to be popular) by microsoft.
3. Bluetooth is used on pretty much everything nowadays.
Nothing at all different from anything else.

I don't understand why they didn't put the wiimote on there though. It's revolutionary no matter what.

I think Genesis 6-button and Saturn controller is the best for 2D side scroll and fighting games, Xbox/X360 for 3D/FPS games. PlayStation/Gamecube/Wii/Dreamcast/N64 controllers are for everything else.

Gotta love how they show a picture of a wired 360 controller when they boast about its wireless capabilities.

man i hated the button layout of the GC controller...those jellybean-shaped buttons made no sense, and why did they have to different types of joysticks..??..that little yellow one never felt right under my thumb...and the triggers were too concave...and wat was with the z-button?..that felt so out of place.


the original xbox controller was a beast tho..i dont know wat they were thinking.

the 360 however is great, i dont see wat the fuss is over the d-pad..its not like its used alot for more than menu-scrolling and item-management. its kinda wonky with street fighter tho, but just a little.

and i HATE the sony controller...horrible..way too small..and the sticks were always too loose, and they need to be outset like the xbox

i do have a question tho..was the original xbox controller the first to have off-set analogue joysticks?

i dont remember anyone praising MS for that.

Why would you want grooved zones for the analog sticks? I hated that about the GC controller.

@ embassy
that would be the GC controller...

Hey if you're talking strictly comfort, I've gotta go with the remote/nunchuck combo of the Wii. My hands can be far apart as I lounge in any position whatsoever, and it's like holding a TV remote and a DVD remote. I can even cross my arms.

And don't give me that "but waggling your arms blah blah" crap, 'cuz you don't have to do it in many games, and even when you do, the tiniest toolbox motions can work.

Ok, even being a nintendo fan I have ask how the n64 controller got on that list? it was innovative, first controller with analog, but it was far from perfect.

The gamecube controller on the other hand took the same elements and got it perfect. Your hands just wrap naturally around no issues with cramping no matter how long you play, and every thing's perfectly placed. Except the Z button, it's slightly too close to the right trigger, I always found it a little awkward to get too.

And the wavebird is the exact same thing plus wireless which is even better. I still haven't bought a classic controller yet, when playing a VC game I just grab my wavebird.

Hey if you're talking strictly comfort, I've gotta go with the remote/nunchuck combo of the Wii. My hands can be far apart as I lounge in any position whatsoever, and it's like holding a TV remote and a DVD remote. I can even cross my arms.

And don't give me that "but waggling your arms blah blah" crap, 'cuz you don't have to do it in many games, and even when you do, the tiniest toolbox motions can work.

N64 is not one of the best controllers its definetly ONE OF THE WORST.

I have never even met someone who liked that controller until now...wow I hate that controller.

360 and PS2 controllers are definetly the top 2 best controllers in history IMO

Am I the only one who hates the PS2 controller? I can't stand where the sticks are. I can't play with my hands being confortable, and my thumbs start to hurt after a while when I'm playing.

Somebody knows the hyperbeam from Konami? I got one and it's great.

http://moeroshop.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=190_5_116&products_id=2279

Up until this generation I thought that PS2 was the best controller in history, although now xbox has found a better way to configure it.

I dont hate the Dualshock 1/2/SixAxis, I just think 360 found a way to beat it.

Just like the Atari thing, PS2 will always be one of the best controllers ever

I think we can all agree that the most uncomfortable and cramp inducing abomination to ever curse home gaming is the Atari 7800 joystick. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_7800

I bet "Serious Man-Gamers" have Serious Man-Boobs.

And the Wiimote+Nunchuck is #1. If the N64 is noted for its versatility and is #3, the versatility of the Wiimote blows it out of the water. The Classic-style controller being designed to resemble the SNES controller dignifies the SNES controller with #2.

And Wavebird > 360 controller, bitches.

"Best controller ever made: Nintendo Wavebird."

Yes.

Wavebird/Gamecube should be on that list. NOT the Dualshock. It's a truly AWFUL controller.
The Gamecube ad is what the Dualshock SHOULD have become. It was fine in the PS1 era, but the PS2 version? HELL NO.
Instead, Sony has retardedly refused to swap the D-pad with the left analog stick.

The 360 controller shouldn't be up there, either. Certainly not at #1, at least.

Er, wait. It's not at #1. Ha- I read the list backwards. My bad.

Atari 5200's sticks ruled!




(thats a joke for the idiots who actually think I'm serious)

Verdigris I agree with you completely.
Ive been arguing that point for years now!

Heres how I rate the Pads

best for:

Fighting- Saturn (as in button arrangement)PS2
Racing - PS2, GC
FPS - Xbox S /360 & GC
Adventure - N64, Xbox, GC

All round - N64

Worst -DC & PS2

OK, so the N64 controller may have been the first mainstream console system with an analog stick and rumble, but it was not designed for human hands. The controller was massive, but if you held it the way it was supposed to be held (the left hand holding the central stick) then your hands would be cramped together and the d-pad was unavailable. I tried holding that beast in a couple ways and could never get a comfortable grip on the thing.

One of the first things I noticed with the sensible GCN layout was that developers suddenly gave the d-pad purpose in games because you could actually manipulate the stick and d-pad!

The N64 controller was designed to look cool but it was a disaster to hold. 3rd party controllers were required on that system.

4. BPM

Just to let you know the Atari 2600 also had a wireless controller. It was a piece of junk that barely worked and was the same form factor as the true Atari stick only the base was twice as thick.

I lol'd.
(pos article)

The XBox 360 gets credit for cramming the Dreamcast and WaveBird together?

Next up - Sony crams together the Wii controller and a Dual...oh, fuck.

If "best" is truly going on this list, I think a serious case needs to be made for the NES controller (if for no other reason than bringing the concept of pausing to the standards of game consoles), the six-button Genesis controller, the Japanese Saturn controller, and the WaveBird.

I like the grooves because when I push up and it gets into the topmost groove - it IS up. Not what I might want up to be. I like that level of precision.

I totally forgot the Cube controller! I'd put that very high on the list. Just like the 360 is suffers a poor Dpad though. And as someone famous once said "Something useless can never be truly beautiful".

Dualshock should just never be even considered or mentioned in a topic about good controllers. People joke about the Wii providing last gen visuals but the Dualshocl/whatever they call it now, is a whole decade old now.

verdigris,

didnt the xbox come out before ( or the same day) as the GC?

im pretty sure it did, they came out relatively close together


with that said, i cant believe how many people like that GC controller..the buttons are horrible.

i didnt know innovation was synonomous with " great" or " the best", the 360 controller has little innovation but its basically 20 years of controllers refined into one, minus motion-sensing, which still is unproven over time.

The XBOX came out in the US on Nov. 15, 2001. The GameCube came out 3 days later in the US on Nov. 18, 2001. The GameCube was scheduled to be released a week prior, but its release was quickly pushed back very near its launch period.

I can understand people liking the Playstation controller out of the fact that for most people it's the controller they've spend the most time with and are most familiar with.
But critically, the Playstation controller is awful. It's a fact that the analogue sticks were a slapped-on afterthought and they didn't work with the Dual Shock and still don't work today. They still feel slapped on, and the controller shape is too small and uncomfortable.

I always disliked the Playstation controller and never really liked the Xbox one either. It wasn't until I played the gamecube that I found a controller that I felt was perfect. The d-pad on the GC was small but it was fine. I was able to beat all the Tony Hawks games on GC easily using it, and it's a game that often required exact d-pad actions to succeed.

the worst: the saturn controller....which is just a genesis controler with more stuff to push.

why did N64 had such a weird shape? because N was going into uncharted territory: was analog stick gonna prevail, or was Dpad here to stay? It was an experiment [later ripped off by sony]

and they should have put 360 controller invalid, as with wiimote and sixaxis…they’re too new. and wireless? what the fuckinghell? what about wavebird, CNET?

what asses. do they even play games at CNET?

do you even know why they have the 360 controller with a wire? 2 reasons: offer something cheaper for people with out cash, and so that you can plug it in to your usb on your computer.

and the ps3 SHOULD NOT get credited for wireless standard. you HAVE to use a cable just to connect it to the system. on the 360 you just hold the Sync buttons.

wii yes.

and the 360 controller is the most comfortable video game controller of all time. it conforms perfectly to your hands and has perfect button placement. the only complaint anybody could have would have to be the dpad. which most would agree with.

and the n64 controller was GREAT.

i thought the GC controller was COMFORTABLE yes. but i didnt care for the button layouts. i thought the shoulder buttons were good, but the Z button got SCREWED. it was absolutely HORRIBLE. i thought it was good to change the "c" buttons fro the 64 to a thumbstick. it served its purposes in that sense well, but was particularly good for a game that requires the use of dual analogs like a shooter.

[shrugs]

wii should be there though.

the 360 was the first console to ship with a wireless controller.

thats why its wireless capabilites are mentioned.

why cant people get over that?

did the GC ship with a wavebird?

no.

I, too, hate the official Sony PS/PS2 controllers. I never liked the overall feel to it.
And the D-pad is terrible. I hate how it's split in the center.
And the placement of the analog sticks? Eh, having them symmetrical is nice for games that use them both at the same time... Like Katamari and Ape Escape... But otherwise, it's a poor design.

I, instead, use Nyko's Shadow the Hedgehog PS2 controller. Terrible game, but great controller.

And SIXAXIS just seems even more awkward to me... I'm hoping the revision with rumble fixes this...

I love the Wii set-up, but I have some problems with the Nunchuck. It is too light, lacks rumble and has an obnoxious cord.

The Wiimote is seriously awesome, though. Has anyone else noticed that the rumble on the Wiimote has more nuances than other controllers? GC, Xbox, and PS controllers have a pretty generic rumble, but the Wiimote seems to have different levels of rumble that show themselves in different games.

I also think the speaker in the Wiimote is under-rated.

There never has been a perfect controller. It would be nice if there were different sizes available from the manufacturer. I hate having to get 3rd party controllers because the official one is too small (Gamecube), or too big (Dreamcast, XBox). I also hate that the "ergonomic" grips are too close together on most controllers, especially Gamecube and N64. Just looking at an N64 controller makes my wrists cramp and puts a blister on the knuckle of my pinky finger!

Most D-pads are totally useless, too. Practically everything uses a high-swivel design these days, which is very sloppy and sluggish. The only acceptable D-pads were on the NES and SNES. Face it, the Gamecube D-pad was so small, it was useless.

I like the symetrical design of the DualShock, but when playing games that make you shoot and adjust the camera at the same time, I admit that I have to hold it in bizarre ways, typically with my right index finger on the buttons and my ring finger on R2. I love using that way, and I can slaugher everyone, but nobody else can stand it. Diagonals on any Sony d-pad are impossible. IMPOSSIBLE. TOTAL FAIL! God, what the hell were they thinking?

The closest I've found to the best analog controller is the MadCatz 360. Laugh all you want at the build quality, but it's slightly smaller than the Microsoft version and the triggers are easier to use. The D-pad works much better, too.

Best digital controller is a toss up between the SNES and the NES Max. Man, I loved the Max so much. I'm surprised that design was never seen again.

Worst ever? The Intellivision wins. Well, asside from half of the Atari controllers in existance, of course.

er....i had a pac-man watch in the very early 80's that had a 'D' pad....im sick of hearing that nintendo invented the fucker!!! they DIDNT!