Best and Worst Console Pads Ever

dirtydog said:
I've never been a fan of the playstation controllers as I find them too small, they lack analogue triggers and the left analogue stick is not in the correct place IMO. Also I don't like the way the D-pad isn't connected together although some would probably see it as a plus.
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Nail on the head there dirtydog, I always found the PS pad to have the joystick in the wrong place (for left thumb). Also, considering the Dreamcast had analogue triggers which were successful you'd have thought Sony would have had the commons to put them on their pad... no, but you got analogue buttons... oooh. You can really define between 1mm and 1.5mm of depression.
 
So far the 360 pad is winning the BEST pad contest is this due to the console just being released or do we really have a new champ?


PS not manny mentions for the megadrive pad ?? i thought it was quite good
 
Baine said:
So far the 360 pad is winning the BEST pad contest is this due to the console just being released or do we really have a new champ?
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No, it's because it's actually the best pad. Has everything from resiliant but smooth joysticks, solid buttons and a good shape.

The only downside is the d-pad it's as solid as I would like, but thats only minor.
 
Best pad: Xbox s
Close second: Gamecube
Third: n64

Best stick: Sega Mega Stick for megadrive (not the 'arcade stick')
Close second: Namco Arcade stick (PS1)
Third: Neo geo AES stick

Worst pad: Org Xbox (put me off xboxes untill recently!)
Second: Saturn (feels soo damn cheap)
Third: Atari 2600 (terrible build quality, like laughable. Un-comfy)

:)
 
Flibster said:
Best - Original large X-box
Ergonimically and Anthropometrically perfect for me.

Honourable mention - The Quickshot nes arcade joystick - absolutely bloody superb.

Worst - Oh the list... PSX, PS2, 2600 rotor, most pc joysticks, Nes glove *Yup - I bought one*
Winner - PSX & PS2 - cramp within 5 mins

Simon/~Flibster
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you actually bought one? :D :cool:
 
PiKe said:
No it's like labelling it crap cos it's square with no rounded edges.

Name one pad that spawned from the NES design.
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http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/

Pretty much every pad spawned from the NES actually.

The Nintendo Entertainment System controller is the daddy of all modern console controllers. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but this controller was possibly the first console controller that featured the still standard "hold with both hands and control with both thumbs" configuration.
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Just cos it doesn't look pretty doesn't mean it isn't great. It's still more than comfortable to use and that exact D-button design is still being used by Nintendo today.


To reply to the original question:

BEST: N64 - games were built around that pad
WORST: Megadrive (controversial I know) - I felt the buttons where too 'clicky' and the d-button was just wrong. It used to hurt me.

As for the 360 pad - it's great but not perfect. The triggers are nice but the shoulder buttons are pretty hard to instinctively press.

I think the PS2 is pretty good too, I find it really doesn't feel like I'm interacting with a lump of plastic when I use it on certain games. I think it's probably just right for my hands. It has its flaws though, not great analogue sticks, no triggers, pointless 'analgoue' face buttons...
 
Nominations:
Best - Snes, Dual Shock, Controller S, GC/Wavebird and N64 all up there for me...

Worst - Amiga CD32 is a definate contender. The Jaguar pad should be mentioned here as well.
 
best: gotta be the megadrive pad :) just seemed to fit in my hands perfectly (and i have big hands) and was so easy to use with its minimal button layout :D though this would have to tie with the 360 controller, that really is comfy to use

worst: official gamecube ones for me. my friend bought a gc a few months before crimbo with an official and unofficial pad, and tbh the offical one was too small for my hands, and i often found my self pressing down instead of left on the analogue stick. hte unofficial one was a bit bigger but not hugely better :(
 
Best: Xbox360 wireless pad...its lovely...fits in my hands just perfect
Worst: PS2 controller...god that was utter crap...and the original xbox controller...another piece of utter crap...both gave me terrible hand cramps after a good 30 mins of playing on them.
 
NokkonWud said:
Nail on the head there dirtydog, I always found the PS pad to have the joystick in the wrong place (for left thumb). Also, considering the Dreamcast had analogue triggers which were successful you'd have thought Sony would have had the commons to put them on their pad... no, but you got analogue buttons... oooh. You can really define between 1mm and 1.5mm of depression.
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Yeah analogue buttons are silly IMO. I think the first Xbox has them too doesn't it?! Albeit with triggers too.

The PS3 controller looks even worse than the PS2 one - the same bad stick placement but a less intuitive boomerang shape. I think the Dreamcast/Xbox/Xbox360 shape is the best one, it can't be much improved on IMO. (And as for the new Nintendo controller.. wtf were they thinking.)

Spawn said:
Best: Xbox360 wireless pad...its lovely...fits in my hands just perfect
Worst: PS2 controller...god that was utter crap...and the original xbox controller...another piece of utter crap...both gave me terrible hand cramps after a good 30 mins of playing on them.
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Gonna tell us why? :p

How big are your hands, as I hear some people with bigger hands like the original Xbox controller, although I haven't tried it myself. I like the S-controller but if it was slightly bigger it would be better for me, which probably goes for the 360 controller too. I think the PS2 controller is designed for the Japs who probably all have small hands compared to Westerners.
 
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dirtydog said:
How big are your hands, as I hear some people with bigger hands like the original Xbox controller, although I haven't tried it myself. I like the S-controller but if it was slightly bigger it would be better for me, which probably goes for the 360 controller too. I think the PS2 controller is designed for the Japs who probably all have small hands compared to Westerners.
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I found the original one okay, but it was the depth of the pad that caused problems rather than the height and width. It wasn't as bad as people make out though. The S controller did improve in every possible way.
 
Best: Gamecube - it's so perfect and fits my hands perfectly, nice big A button too :p
Worst - 3-button Mega Drive - massive, flat and you so noticed the differences when the 6-button pad was released
Dreamcast/Original XBox - you could slice your fingers off with the 'sharpish' part underneath, and starts to hurt when you hold it tight for long periods. Chunky too.
 
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lemonkettaz said:
has nintendo been the best for designing pads?
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They have always implemented cracking new design ideas right from the NES, however other companies copy them and improve on them.
 
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