Let's Talk About Controllers

General and high profile video game topics.
a1
Posts: 3032
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby a1 » July 28th, 2014, 3:22 pm

[QUOTE=ActRaiser]I guess I would have much preferred in all in one classic controller for the Wii.  Weird, huh?[/QUOTE]

There are third party controllers that do this. I have one and it's pretty good.

Gentlegamer1
Posts: 687
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby Gentlegamer1 » July 28th, 2014, 3:45 pm

Someone here modded a NES Max to have an Xbox 360 thumb stick and said it worked great.

ptdebate1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby ptdebate1 » July 29th, 2014, 11:58 am

In terms of razor-sharp design, you have to hand it to the NES controller for being perfectly suited to the software it was intended to control.

The Genesis had the best dpad of the 16-bit era, but everything else about the SNES controller was better, including the all-important four face buttons.

I don't like the Saturn controller--it feels cheap and clicky.

The Dualshock controllers were visionary and are pretty nostalgic for me.

The Gamecube controller is ergonomic for people with very small hands--quite crowded for others though.

The 360 controller is actually pretty outstanding in terms of utility and design--much like the NES controller--but, at least in my experience, the buttons and thumbsticks wear down pretty quickly.

I'm pretty okay with the PS3 controller because its so thin and light that after a while of play, I almost stop noticing it's there. The thumbsticks are just the right height too--unlike those of the Wii U Pro Controller and the Xbox One controller which feel uncomfortably high.

The Xbox One controller is a slightly worse 360 controller and I personally haven't held a PS4 controller yet but it definitely looks like a mess. 




Vexer1
Posts: 883
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby Vexer1 » July 29th, 2014, 2:27 pm

The Xbox One controller feels pretty good from my experiences with it, it's just the right size and feels very solid.

The PS3 controller is way too light and flimsy, I was worried I was going to break the thing.

The PS4 Dualshock is Sony's worst controller yet, mainly because of that stupid digital pad, which is totally unnecessary and a complete waste of space. The lack of a start button is also very annoying, I don't think it would've killed Sony to replace the useless and completely pointless "Share" button(seriously, who really cares that much about sharing photos that you need a button for it?) with a proper start/pause button, having to use the option button to pause just does not cut it.


Ozzybear1
Posts: 833
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby Ozzybear1 » July 29th, 2014, 2:54 pm

I am different, i think the ps4 controller is great, um you wanna pause the game, click the options button, whats the
big deal? it just has a different name, yet for every game ive played so far when I click it, it does what I want, which is
pause the game.

now for controllers that I cant stand, once again, im prob different than everyone, I hated the n64 controller, and the
game cube controller, just extremely uncomfortable to me.

Ozzy

Oltobaz1
Posts: 1605
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby Oltobaz1 » July 29th, 2014, 3:05 pm

The PS4 Option button is the equivalent of a start button acting as a pause button. It does the exact same thing, while being called different. What's your point? The digital pad is fine as far as I'm concerned, it even acts as a pause button in some cases!! I agree with you as far as the Share button though, useless feature, meant to attract the casual crowd. Overall, the controller feels much more solid than its predecessor, which kinda seemed fragile, I agree. In closing, I like how they managed to come up with a newer design (at last) while keeping what to my sense made the old one great: the SNES like layer of buttons as well as the ergonomy.

Edit: I'm with Ozzy, really can't stand the N64 controller. I'd say the Gamecube was much better, and I really like the Wavebird, still, even then, I just prefer more traditional designs.

Sut1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby Sut1 » July 29th, 2014, 3:34 pm

Yup I'm with you guys I think the PS4 controller is Sony's best yet (and to be fair they have all been decent). Love the second edition Saturn controllers and the Sega 6 Button pad which is probably my favourite.

Didn't like the N64 controller it just didn't feel natural and hated the Dreamcast one it's just an over produced mess.

ActRaiser1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby ActRaiser1 » July 29th, 2014, 4:12 pm

[QUOTE=ptdebate]In terms of razor-sharp design, you have to hand it to the NES controller for being perfectly suited to the software it was intended to control.

The Dualshock controllers were visionary and are pretty nostalgic for me.


The 360 controller is actually pretty outstanding in terms of utility and design--much like the NES controller--but, at least in my experience, the buttons and thumbsticks wear down pretty quickly.

The Xbox One controller is a slightly worse 360 controller and I personally haven't held a PS4 controller yet but it definitely looks like a mess. 
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the NES controller was awesome.

IMHO I tend to hate the Dualshock for its pat your head, rub your belly feel when trying to use those two sticks so close together.  It's as if they saw the N64 controller had an analog stick and found two spots on their existing controller and slapped them there.  They haven't changed the layout in 20 years and it was never that good to begin with.  

I also agree the 360 is aces.  The D-pad blows but supposedly the twist and pop D-pad resolves some of the squishyness that makes playing old school 2D games difficult.  

And I agree the Xbox One controller is a pale contender compared to the 360.  It's like it tries to be the Duke but doesn't quite live up to it with its much too tall sticks.  You get used to it, but  I'd really rather not.  Plus, the bumpers are awkward as well.  

I can't fault the Wii U controller other than when you first get it, there's a slight rub on the left analog stick that eventually goes away.  However, until it does, it's annoying and makes you think there's a problem with the controller.

@a, thanks for the tip!

ptdebate1
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Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby ptdebate1 » July 29th, 2014, 5:01 pm

[QUOTE=ActRaiser]
IMHO I tend to hate the Dualshock for its pat your head, rub your belly feel when trying to use those two sticks so close together.  It's as if they saw the N64 controller had an analog stick and found two spots on their existing controller and slapped them there.  They haven't changed the layout in 20 years and it was never that good to begin with.  
[/QUOTE]

I think the reason I grew to love the Dualshock, faults and all, is because the PS1 was the system that I really came of age with and spent the most time with growing up. That puts me in a certain age category, I know, but there it is  [smile].

Vexer1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Let's Talk About Controllers

Postby Vexer1 » July 29th, 2014, 5:58 pm

Oltobaz-Let's just say I agree with Dave on the PS4 controller, there's simply no good reason not to have both a pause and an option button, combining both into one just dosen't make any kind of sense to me, and the digital pad just come across to me as a really stupid and completely unnecessary gimmick, having it act as a pause button dosen't make up for the lack of one, as that makes the pad feel like an even bigger waste of space.

The Dreamcast controller was solid, though the analog sticks tend to wear down fast.

Never liked the N64 controller either, too big, unwieldy, and awkward to hold.



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