Best and Worst Video Game Controllers of All Time

Recently, I found myself playing some old classic games from the Gamecube. I was playing two games specifically titled Luigi’s Mansion and Eternal Darkness. While I was playing these games, something struck a chord in my head.

Wow, this Gamecube controller is one of the worst controllers I have ever played with.

So that got me thinking, what are some of the best and worst controllers ever made [not including peripherals]? Well here is my list, let me know what you think in the comments below. Let’s start off with the worst controllers ever made. Keep in mind that this list only pertains to systems whose controllers I have actually played, not including systems like the Intellivision, Colecovision, Turbo Graphx, etc, which I never played.

[JEDI WOLVERINE]

Seriously, did someone actually get paid to design that thing...........

[ico92]

its personal prefrence to what controler someone likes and dislikes , its like apples and oranges, but when it comes to the Atari Jaguar, 5200, and Original Xbox controler i think we can draw a line there.

[mikeslemonade]

The thing is it's hard to say which is the best since controllers get better and better. Just like if someone says "name the best graphics of all time", you wouldn't go back to last generation.

I think the dualshock 3 would be the clear winner if it wasn't for the triggers. The more and more I use the 360 controller the more unresponsive it is compared to the dualshock 3. I thought the 360 controller was pretty much perfect because it had the nice triggers, the concave sticks which creates more grip, and the ergonomic shell.

As many pros the 360 controller has the controller has many cons to counter to it. D-pad of course not as accurate as the DS3, face buttons aren't as responsive as DS3(when you press down on the buttons they come up slower and are more mushy), and concave sticks are actually bad because sometimes you want to make a very precise movement which requires you to slip a little.

[HolyOrangeCows]

I was just playing RE4 and Smash Bros. Melee yesterday, and I agree, the G-cube controller sucks.

[SnuggleBandit]

Disagreeing with the troll only feeds into his game...please realize this and just ignore him

[mal_tez92]

I agree with everything except gamecube, that is a good controller.

[HarryM]

.. that the person who wrote the article prefers the PS3. For me the Xbox 360 is the best controller I've ever set my eyes on. The PS3 controller's trigger buttons feels too small..

[DelbertGrady]

"Once again, we have a controller made for the 21st century of gaming and we still don’t have rechargeable batteries in all of our controllers? I know, I know, you can buy a wired controller that doesn’t need batteries but who wants a wired controller nowadays? Just another way for Microsoft to up-sell their customers and make them buy battery packs and charger cables that don’t initially come bundled with the system."

MS give you a choice to use normal batteries or buy a battery pack whereas Sony forces you to buy a brand new controller when the batteries are worn out. Something the writer chooses not to mention.

Call me old school but I actually prefer the wired controller. The 360 controller has a very long cord and I hate having the controller die on me in the middle of a gaming session.

Another thing that makes the 360 controller superior imo is the bowled out design of the analogue sticks that give you better grip and control, unlike the dual-shock sticks that bulge outwards and makes your thumbs slip easier.

[Megulito]

they send u a new battery free i know first hand i played the shit outta my jap white ds3 and didnt even wait for the batt to die i just noticed it wasnt holding a charge as well a few quick questions and my addy and they sent me a new one and a case to send the old one back for recycle. plus the usb is a good size and u can pay 1-10 buck for a long one and never have to worry about the controller dying (not that it happens often anyway) i not a fanboy but i have both and i was tight when i bought the 60 playn charge kit for the shit to not wrk right and them to say oh well

[LordMarius]

Been using the PlayStation controller for a really long time that my hands feel naked when using another.

[Thrillhouse]

I personally prefer the 360 controller, at least for FPS games. When playing Killzone 2, my thumbs kept touching each other D:

[thebudgetgamer]

with its non centering analog joystick. the original xbox was huge and hard to play with. i never liked the gamecube controller with its do nothing d-pad an weird sticks.

my favorite controllers,

the dualshock3, the genesis controller, 360 controller, (even though it looses some points for what might be the worst d-pad ever made) then there's the after market stuff like the advantage and the genesis six button controller.

[Megaton]

DualShocks and 360 controllers are my favorite. The 360 controller is basically an evolution of the Dreamcast controller (and a devolution in terms of the D-pad).

Hate the GameCube controller. It holds the prestigious record of being the first controller in the 20+ years I've been playing on consoles to give me a hand cramp.

[Faztkiller]

The wii controller can't never get it to do what I want maybe I just suck lol

My perfect controller would be the 360pads overall design and layout without battery-pack with the DS3's vibration, sticks, and Dpad

[thebudgetgamer]

http://www.neowin.net/image...

maybe this one.
http://www.google.com:80/pr...

[Faztkiller]

Don't Know link isn't working for me

[Megaton]

My perfect controller would be the 360 controller with the symmetrical DualShock analog layout, and the PS3 D-pad. It can keep the 360's concave analog nubs though, and the extra resistance they provide as well.

[Fragger2k8]

If they meant the first gigantic version of the Xbox controller, I'll agree with that as being one of the worst. The S version was actually really nice, though.

As for the N64 controller and GC controller, what the heck? They are certainly not anywhere close to being the worst controllers. They were easy to hold and use, and they didn't strain your hands in any way, except for when playing all of those Mario Party mini-games on N64 and such. The only real draw backs were the analogs. The N64 analog wore out pretty quickly, and the GC analogs sort of lock in place. Those are the only real problems with them.

I've never been a fan of the PS controllers, so I'd have to put the 360 controller at #1, where the SNES one is, for some strange reason.. I never had much of a problem with SNES controllers, but they weren't the most comfortable things to hold after a while, like most older controllers.

[vsr]

Because there are total 280 million plus dual-shock users in the world.....It's 4% of the entire world population !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[champ21]

Agreed

I prefer mouse keyboard for FPS, RTS or MMO.

However any platforming or racing game i love the DS3, which is why i use that with my PC.

[nnotdead]

the DS controllers are my favorite. the 460 controller is also really nice. i dont think i have liked a Nintendo controller since the SNES controller. i must also say, the Genesis controller was awesome.

[dead_eye]

the genesis was the mega drive in the uk wasn't it. loved that controller.

think the ds could be a little bigger and the 360 a little smaller but that would be just to make them better for me lol

[Raptura]

I've never been a fan of any Madcatz controllers for PS2 and Xbox. I'm glad those are not around as much in this gen.

The DualShock controller is nice, but a little too small for my hands. My favourite controller is the 360 pad.

[kasasensei]

The dreamcast pad is the same that the 360' one.
And the xbox orginal one is almost the same as the 360.

...

This article is fail and nonsense.

[SOAD]

The original Xbox controller was a behemoth and was nothing like the standard 360 controller. Do your research next time before you criticize someone else.

[Rainstorm81]

not to mention the dreamcast only had one analog stick.....

[kasasensei]

lol
I have a old xbox, a dreamcast and dozens of others game system...
Cant see the obvious? They are almost similar. XD
http://www.gearxs.com/gearx...
http://cache.gawker.com/ass...

open your damned eyes people! ;)

[SOAD]

Original Xbox controller on left, Standard S controller on right

http://upload.wikimedia.org...

Xbox 360 controller

http://www.walyou.com/img/x...

The article was saying that the original Xbox controller was one of the worst.

[K-Tuck]

This author lost his credibility with me by immediately naming the DC controller as one of the worst. I found it to be one of the most comfortable controllers I've ever used.

[K-Tuck]

I've got to take it a step further, too. How in the world do people use analog sticks on a DS3 where their thumbs touch? Are they using their palms to move the sticks around?

I noticed a few more flaws:

1.) The Wii's nunchuk does have buttons
2.) The Nintendo 64's Z button wasn't a trigger, it was just trigger shaped.
3.) The N64 C-buttons also paved the way for camera controls being linked to the second analog stick. In a time when 3D was a new thing, I don't see how the author could have found fault with that.
4.) The author states that the GC controller's shoulder buttons (here again mistaking triggers and buttons) are huge, yet he had a problem pressing them. From what I can tell, GC triggers were lauded for their precision.
5.) The Sixaxis is called flimsy because it isn't heavy.
6.) Even though I love it, the SNES controller was one of the least ergonomic controllers (second probably only to the NES) for consoles produced by the four major console manufacturers of the last 30 years.

and 7.) For all of the complaining about GC/N64 controllers, how could the author leave off the atrocious Virtual Boy controller?

[StarCSR]

I don't think of any controllers as "worst"... i'm not a big fan of the analog PS1 controller and the N64 controller. But I do have some favorites:

3. Gamecube controller... How freakin' great is this!
2. PS3 dualshock (sooooo light!!!)
1. XBox360 : perfect layout for my hand and awesome triggers and bumpers. My absolute ultimate gaming controller.

[tigertron]

The Dualshocks (especially the PS3's) and the Gamecube controller are the best in my opinion. I couldn't stand the N64 controller and I'm not a fan of the 360 controller either, its too chunky.

[boysenberry]

Dualshock Controllers FTW, but the Xbox 360 controller has better triggers. The DS3's d-pad + Xbox 360 controller = best controller ever!!

[claterz]

My favourite is the PS2 controller, It doesn't have anything wrong with it. Both 360 and PS3 controllers have their bad points. I'd say the worst controller is the Gamecube controller =/ obviously wasn't designed for a human hand lol.

[kraze07]

I actually like the Dreamcast and Xbox controllers, well the small version of the original xbox controller. Dualshock controllers are my favorite for most games, xbox360 controller is great for shooters, and ofcourse you gotta love the mouse and keyboard combo.

[Gun_Senshi]

Fact proven by Grammy Awards and companies making imitation of Dual Shock on every console and PC.

[Acquiescence]

but yeah. the controller for that console is shabby as hell. Awkward and occasionally uncomfortable.

[gypsygib]

I would say 360s and PS3s are tied or 360s is a little better. I have both and they both have there flaws. The 360 dpad is atrocious I don't understand how they could botch that up so badly - 5 yes in the generation and they still haven't fixed it. 360 also has very cheap rubber on the sticks that rips of after a couple of years of play. PS3 has major problems as well, the triggers are too loose and should curve outward because my finger does slip on them, but what's worse is the convex analog sticks; I play NHL10 alot and my finger is ALWAYS slides off it when my hands get sweaty fomthw action. I had NHL09 on 360 and that never happened. Sony needs to make a slight redesign tithe sticks and L2/R2 buttons. If 360 used PS3 quity rubber and fixed the dpad (and included a rechargable battery) it would clearly be the better of the two.

[Venoxn4g]

1. Wii
2. Gamecube (wavebird) wireless
3. Xbox 360
4. DS
5. Ps2

worst (what I've played).. Xbox1, ..don't remember any more worst.. :)

[Cerv-Clash]

IMO this list is spot on.Though aside from those listed I haven't played other consoles :P

[OSU_Gamer]

The original xbox controller was one of my favorites believe it or not. I have big hands, so it fit really well.

Other than that, I really like both the 360 controller and the ps3 controller.

[BannedForNineYears]

OMG, this is the best list ever.
I would have put it in this exact order.
SNES controller <333333