Least favorite controllers

[PizzaKat]

I was playing the N64 today and my God, what a terrible controller. Its probably that I never had the console on launch and never got accustomed to the analog but its really uncomfortable. I also am not a big fan of the Dreamcast where the placement of the analog either. Its hard to play fighters, well for me anyways. Sony really nailed it with their classic controller.

[buzz_n64]

I was playing the N64 today and my God, what a terrible controller. Its probably that I never had the console on launch and never got accustomed to the analog but its really uncomfortable. I also am not a big fan of the Dreamcast where the placement of the analog either. Its hard to play fighters, well for me anyways. Sony really nailed it with their classic controller.

I feel that the N64 controller has been unfairly criticized after the console left the market. The analog controls were innovative at the time where others learned and improved from the controller's flaws and features. It was one of the first analog controllers to come out for 3D consoles. It was the first to offer force feedback, and expansion for add-ons on the controller itself.

The worst controller in my opinion is the Atari 5200 controller. It made turning extremely difficult, and it could be the reason why console makers stayed away from analog for so many years.

Other bad ones; pretty much all other Atari controllers, Intellivision, CD-i, and the Wii.

[Niku-Sama]

I've always thought the N64 controller was crap. that's why I switched to a playstation after that, not sad that I did since most of my franchises went to that system any way

[ccovell]

One good thing about the N64 controller: it was the last system to ever have a decent-sized cross-shaped D-pad.

It's been midgets and vestigials ever since then.

[megasdkirby]

For more "recent" consoles, thes N64 was utter crap. Yes it had a great Analog Stick...but the position of it was detestably bad. I could barely hold on to it nicely and it always made my hands crap up. I always tried to find a "normal" type of controller, but the one I found sucked as well.

Also hated the Dreamcast's Analog Stick...mostly how sensitive it is. Playing Kiss Psycho Circus was a damn chore for me.

[drunk3nj3sus]

N64 like others mentioned has a really awkward set-up. The original Xbox controllers that were huge are terrible, I can't imagine playing something like a fighting game with how the buttons are spread. The Gamecube controller is actually pretty good but a lot of games have strange button set-ups with it. The Sega Master System and others with the square d-pads are a terrible design.

[davidbrit2]

Colecovision
Intellivision
Atari 5200
Jaguar (the original 3-button controller)

All of those are magnificent examples of how to totally fuck up ergonomics and durability.

[tom]

NES controllers and all other Japanese wrong-way-around controllers (even C&VG way back mentioned on how awful the NES controllers are).

Long live the stick

[Tanooki]

And CV&G is dead wrong if they preferred a crappy large 2 button joystick. Some things are fairly criticized and some aren't, and anyone tearing into the style of the NES controller probably have some real issues, maybe were born with only 1 usable hand. Not often does a controller style stay in fashion on the whole or even a part of it, but the NES d-pad goes back to the Game and watch before it because it works excellent and it's why they keep using it and have kept it patented to stop competitors.

If you want to get into design problems, I think the Dreamcast and the original XBOX controllers are fair game. Both were heavy, xbox in particular, and thick to where it could bug the hands over time, yet the DC edged it with the strong springs in the triggers that mess up your hands from the push back if you're doing a game that needs constant use like a racer. The N64 controller is another, to a point, they were idiots with the 3 handed approach it had because you couldn't use the stick + z button and d-pad at the same time limiting itself a lot. it wasn't painful to use, but that was a dumb oversight leaving extra buttons out of reach. Atari on the whole had a nice line up of awful controllers from the 5200 forward for one reason or another.

[celerystalker]

I'm neutral on the N64 controller, as it feels brilliant on some games such as Super Mario 64, but awful on others, such as Bomberman 64. The first model Saturn controller with its concave D-pad sucked. I also dislike 3DO controllers with their dumb-ass daisy chaining. The Master System controllers always felt very spongey to me, and there is no great controller for CD-i. I'll jump on the Xbox first release controller as well, and the Jaguar... that numeric pad, even with overlays, is so utterly unintuitive. Talk about vestigial... that crap should have been left on the Intellivision. I actually really like the Dreamcast controller, though. The D-pad is a little floaty, but overall I really like the contour and responsiveness.

[T2KFreeker]

So, YAY! I gotta' love the love in this thread. So, far be it for me to take this in another direction. I HATE the Playstation pad. I said it, yeah. It's true. I despised it from it's first release and a lot of other people did too. The D-Pad was HORRID for fighting games, even on it's original release before the analog sticks were added. The pad was original VERY stiff and even playing games like DOOM was a chore as the pad didn't feel natural and had barely ant give. They fixed the feel of it with the Dual Shock, but it still isn't that great. I HATE where the left analog stick is. It feels unnatural to me and makes my hand hurt...not sure why, but it feels bad there. I much rather prefer the XBOX/360 set up. I remember all of my friends when the Playstation first came out loved the Console but hated the pad. We were all LOVING the Saturn pad at the time. Much better design and much more comfy. Now all of a sudden, because the control design has survived for four generations, it's amazing and they nailed it out the gate. Please, just because you are used to something doesn't make it great. While the Playstation Pad is surely not the worst ever designed, it still is nowhere near the best and surely wasn't "Perfect right out the gate". It was the one big complaint about the console at it's release...most people thought the controller was uncomfortable. Amazing how time has erased that little fact.

Oh, and the worst controller of all time was easily the Atari 5200. Yes, the N64 pad wasn't that great either and the Jaguar pad, while big and having a numeric Pad, isn't that bad to hold, nor was it unnecessarily heavy. Was it a perfect design? Far from it, but nowhere near as bad as some people, who have never even touched one, would have you believe...CD-i anyone? How about all of those horrid 3rd party controllers> Almost anything Madkatz, past the 16 bit era, is HORRID!

[bb_hood]

ColecoVision has a pretty bad controller. Its probably the worst controller for a home console.
I dont think N64 is horrible, but I can understand people not loving it. I do like the N64 better than the Gamecube controller. I hate the GC controller.

[Rickstilwell1]

The only thing I disliked about the N64 controller was the crappy durability of the analog stick. Otherwise if you read the manuals they would tell you the best way to hold the controller for each game. You were never required to access the analog stick in D-Pad oriented games and you were never required to access the D-Pad in analog stick games unless it was something trivial like toggling something on or off. Other games gave you the option of using either-or depending on which you liked best, including Bust-A-Move 2 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Games like that often gave the L and Z Buttons the same function.


The controller I had the most problems with in its design was the Astrocade. The hole cut in the plastic for the joystick's movement is shaped like a flower's petals. This makes quickly swiveling from one straight direction (i.e. up) thru a diagonal direction (i.e. up-left) to a straight direction (i.e. left) a real chore. It makes games like Muncher harder than they need to be when quick movement is required. Those who have played the games only in emulators can not understand what I am talking about.

[bb_hood]

The only thing I disliked about the N64 controller was the crappy durability of the analog stick.

Yeah, I agree. The stick isnt very durable at all. I find so many of them damaged. Seems like almost every game uses the analog stick. The only game that really utilizes the d pad is mischief makers.

[Gentlegamer]

I'm actually starting to dislike the three button Sega Genesis controllers. I don't know what it is about them, but the twenty year old controllers all seem to have one or more buttons that stick or don't work at all. I don't know if it's the rubber degrading or the boards going bad, but I have like six controllers that all have some kind of issue. Opening and cleaning the contacts works sometimes, but even then buttons aren't as responsive as others.

[XYXZYZ]

I don't like the Intellivision controllers, they make my fingers hurt. Maybe I'm using them wrong.

[SpaceHarrier]

This will be an unpopular choice..

The Xbox 360 controller. Everything just feels misaligned/crookedy to me. I've had friends tell me, "It's like watching a child hold a controller for the first time." when I'm playing, since I often bump the center button(s), interrupting the game. Now, I could admit this is a problem with me and not the controller, but I am all about blaming others for my problems.

On the other hand, I love the Dreamcast controller, especially it's much maligned d-pad. Probably my favorite d-pad on any controller.

[7th lutz]

I really can't comment much about the N64 controller's since it has been 16 or 17 years ago since I played the system at a store.

I think the worst controllers I ever played with are either the Atari 7800 Proline or the Intellivision II. The 7800 Europad controllers actually an upgrade compare to the Pro line controllers. The Pro line controllers were not designed for games that you need to play for a good amount of time.

[Tanooki]

T2K: Funny, I agree with the original ps1 d-pad, it was stiff and not comfortable at all. But I'd defend the SNES ripoff design of the PS Dual Shock controller to the end. I find it feels entirely natural having the side by side sticks, it just should be that way just like dual stick games on other systems or the arcade, they're meant to be parallel. I don't much care for it staggered, it's odd, but I have to tolerate it as I have a 360 pad for windows I recently got since it seems all the game makers design around it annoyingly.

I've got to agree with the Genesis controller issue, even a decade ago a used pad I got was a little fishy on one of the buttons when it was only a decade old which didn't seem good to me and it makes you wonder what substandard junk Sega used.

I also have to wonder though, how abusive are people with N64 controllers. I've had the same ones for a long time and they're not loose.

[Gentlegamer]

I think Mario Party is mainly responsible for all the busted/loose N64 controllers.