Why the hate for the N64 controller?

[kevin_psx]

Last topic on this - promise.


N64's controller's better than the non-analog PS1 controller. The N64 controller invented a whole new type of play - analog control - that Sony's PS1 did not have! So the N64 Analog was revolutionary - typical Nintendo - pushes the envelope for new types of play.


N64 = A stick and trigger for your left hand & 5 buttons for your right. Awesome for shooters like Goldeneye or Turok 2. And great for Zelda's C-button inventory system.

[MoreEbolaForYou]

haha, are you serious? we used to call that thing "the triple dildo"! i just have no love for that system at all.

[tritium]

That's harsh. Tough I never owned an n64, I had a friend who had MarioKart 64.

The controllers are relatively comfortable. I dont like the way shooters handle on the box, but other than that I have no complaints at all.

The sony one is a bit irritating that you have to adjust your whole hand a bit lower to use both analogs.

I prefer the dreamcast or xbox(s) controller.

On the otherhand the dreamcast D-Pad was made to chop up your thumb.

[kevin_psx]

i just have no love for that system at all.

N64's weak but still better exclusives - than the Cube.

[davepesc]

Analog joysticks: Pre N64:
Vectrex
Atari 5200

Anyone got any others?

Please stop calling the N64 controller "Revolutionary"

[scooby105]

there were analog controllers on the pc

[GameSlaveGaz]

It's all preferential.

My boyfriend and I both agree that the N64 is one of the most comfortable controllers we ever used. I like the analog stick and Z button in the middle there and the molded plastic fit my hand like a glove. I guess most of the people who didn't like the N64 controller is because their hands were too big or too small and the shape didn't fit them right. Or they found holding the middle of the controller awkward, although many others found this unique and befitting most games.

Still, my favorite controller is the NES purely for its simplicity: D-pad, A, B, Select, Start. What more did you need? Of course, the corners would dig into your palms after a while but other than that, a simple, no-frills controller. (although the most no-frills controller would be that Atari 2600 joystick)

[Jean-Luc Picard]

My favourite controller, I must say.

What I find truly revolutionary is the way the controller can be used in different positions.

The combination of the stick and the buttons works great for most games, and especially FPSs.

But you could also use the D-pad and the buttons for some games, like Mischief Makers.

And the combination of the D-pad and the stick could've been interesting but it was rarely used. I played F1 World Grand Prix that way, using the pad to turn and the stick for an analogue acceleration.

But what I miss the most is the Z button. What a beauty !

[ProgrammingAce]

The only real issue i have with the controller is the durability. How many people have N64 controllers with an analog stick that has a dead spot the size of a quarter? Not to mention the little spring inside getting knocked out of whack and centering the stick wrong... 5 years from now, a perfect N64 controller is going to be a rarity.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Only issue I have with the N64 controller is the poorly made analog stick...I swear it has LEGO written on it. A spring...a mere lil spring sets it into place. No real support like most analog sticks. You'd think Nintendo would learn from Saturn's 3D pad how to make a good Analog stick...

[Retsudo]

I didnt hate it, I just didnt play the N64 enough to get use to the controller. I only had the system for about a month, and didnt have many games for it. So I gave it away.

[Snapple]

It's one of the most comfortable controllers I've ever used. All of the buttons are easy to find, and in my opinion, there is no better controller for FPSes, period.

I hear a lot of people have issues with the stick, but mine still works just as good as the day I got it, which has to be 10 years ago now.

[Cryomancer]

N64 controller rules, it made console FPSes playable! That's a feat!

It's comfortable and functional and none of mine have ever broken down on me yet so you guys must be playing some intense mario party or something.

[fishsandwich]

Favorite controller: SNES
2nd Favorite: Saturn analog
3rd favorite: N64

Fits me great!

[evil_genius]

It was a son of a bitch trying to hit that left shoulder button though.

[tritium]

MARIO KART, ... damn it. its good.

I don't remember any pc analog. I remember some that felt analog but didnt really detect the presure. So in essence it was digital.

Analog meaning that it responds based on how far you move it in a direction.

[CosmicMonkey]

At the end of the day, the N64 pad was designed for Mario64 and Zelda. It was absolutely perfect for Mario, Zeldas, Mario Kart, 1080 etc the analogue control is perfect. All other (non-Nintendo) games had to work around it, and most did quite well. I personally thought it was a great set-up for FPS as well, the Goldeneye control scheme is perfect.

Had Nintendo realised that no-one was gonna use the D-pad, the controller would have probably ended up looking much more like a GC pad, as the GC pad is just an upgrade of the N64 pad.

[prismra]

I thought it was awesome!

[Flack]

I simply cannot hold an N64 controller. If I hold it the way you're supposed to my hand starts cramping. If I hold it to where it doesn't cramp, I can't hit the Z button. Seriously, it's the only controller I can think of that has completely alienated me from an entire console.

[whoisKeel]

My thumb always slips off the analogue, so instead of controlling with the tip, it always ends up somewhere far down like the middle of my thumb.

The Z-trigger was a nice touch, they shoulda kept that on the gamecube.