Quote Originally Posted by j_factor View Post
Because then the game developers would have been free to use more buttons.
How many games then really needed more than 9 buttons plus an analog stick or d-pad? I don't see it. I mean, Sony had rarely-used stuff on its controllers too (do even a double digit number of PS1 games support the analog click buttons?). They're not on a separate part of the controller, but regardless, that extra pad/stick and button really weren't needed. Games should not require you to use both the d-pad and analog stick at the same time, for one thing, and for the third shoulder button... really, two should be enough.

I don't see what is gained by forcing the d-pad and analog stick to be completely separate. What detriment would there have been to putting the analog stick by the d-pad and eliminating the middle prong? The only downside I see is it would eliminate the middle + left prong control option, which I don't recall any game really using.
Have you not read any of my explanations about how it allows you to have ideal thumb positioning for both dpad AND analog games, which isn't possible on any two-prongs-only controller? That's one reason why the N64 controller is better the way it is, because it's more comfortable this way.

The other reason is that Nintendo was trying to make a controller that would be familiar to people used to digital-only controllers, but also one with analog, and they thought that a good way to do that would be to have a left and right "traditional" controller look, with the analog stick elsewhere. That's the other reason.

Here's why I don't like it. Look again at the "right way to hold it" picture:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...er-in-Hand.jpg

That is not a natural position to keep your hands in. They're not at the same angle, or the same distance from your body. It just doesn't feel right; it's weird and diagonal. Almost every other controller has you holding your hands in a normal side by side position -- with the few exceptions being controllers that are mostly panned by gamers, like the Intellivision. This is no coincidence.
As the post below yours pointed out, the hands in that picture aren't holding the controller quite right.

Quote Originally Posted by The Adventurer View Post
Typicality you hold it more like this, because its more comfortable.

Yeah, I'd hold it more like that. Both hands can be at a similar angle, and it's comfortable and good for long play sessions. I do often not put my finger over the R button unless it's a game which requires it, but I do that with lots of systems (it's the same with handhelds for example, stuff like the GBA is more comfortable when NOT held so that my fingers are over L and R... DS too somewhat, etc.) But that's just my general dislike of shoulder buttons when compared to the much more comfortable triggers.

On that note, if I had to say something bad about the N64 controller, it'd be that I wish that it had two Z-style buttons, instead of Z and R.