Hey all, Scott here, and I can't wait to finally head to this game controller issues meeting I just found out about! I misread that pretty bad. "Woah, my hands are doing this!" And it wouldn't be possible without the overlooked Messiah of all video games, the controller. The pathway between you and the world within the screen. A game controller needs to house all the necessary input methods for games in its era, while also being incredibly transparent. Its best when it just melts into your hands and you don't have to think about where the B button is. It's just all second nature. However, the road to where we are now has been a rocky one we've gone from (this) to (this) to even (this). And that road started way early on. Video games need to be controllable to be considered "games." So even back in the early days of scientists pissing around and making games on supercomputers instead of curing diseases, they had to create ways to play the games, like with the tried and true knob and button combo used for Tennis for Two in 1958. When arcade machines hit the scene, developers had to design the controls for each of their games, and thus, their imagination wasn't compromised by limiting control methods. They could create whatever control method would suit their game best. Joysticks, trackballs, knobs, buttons, steering wheels, each arcade machine was different from the last in terms of controls. So when home video game consoles were in development, there was definitely a hurdle to overcome. Developers were used to having free range with how to control their games in the arcade. How do you create a controller that can be a jack-of-all-trades, one that can work with all, or at the very least, a lot of the games released at the time? Atari said f**k it and gave us a button and a stick. The Atari 2600 was the first major success in terms of home video game consoles with interchangeable cartridges. The first video game console ever, 1972's Magnavox Odyssey, sure did have a controller, all right. Fairchild Channel F predated the 2600 by a year, releasing in 1976, and has you holding a Snickers bar to control games. But the Atari 2600's joystick is definitely what the general public sees as the "first video game controller," and definitely one of the most iconic. While its simplicity made many games harder to convert to the system, it's undeniable it played a key role in its success. No matter who you are, you look at this thing and say, "yeah, that makes sense." How could you possibly screw this up? It's a giant red button and a rod. Anybody who's anybody knows what that's about. When you look back at video game successes in the early days, it's apparent that success came with controls that were easy enough for the general consumer to understand. And the 2600 controller was just that. Nevertheless, this thing is just a no-go nowadays. This stick needs to go see a doctor, it's just too stiff. And the overall size of the controller is a problem, for me at least. It's too small to comfortably hold the joystick with one hand and the rest of the controller with the other, and it's too big to comfortably hold it like a modern controller. Overall though, I'd say the 2600 controller was alright for what it was. It's completely usable by anybody, just nothing you jump at the chance to use. After the 2600, controllers went through this ugly phase for a while, and it was all because a controller designer went home for the weekend, looked at his phone, and said, "I'm drunk." W H Y ? Yeah, the Intellivision, ColicoVision, even Atari themselves with the Atari 5200, all followed the hot trend of putting a number pad on the controller. Let me ask you this: in what dimension do games this simple need more than nine buttons? Many games came with overlays to put on the controller, so you know what each button does, but that just kind of forces you to constantly look at the controller to know what to press, with or without the overlays. In my opinion, that's when a controller fails, when you have to look away from the game to figure out what the hell you're supposed to press. Well, after all that flopped, we then make our way to the Nintendo Entertainment System, a true innovation for controllers, breaking away from the joystick to form something that was more compact and easier to hold. The Vectrex in 1982 had a similar form factor for its controller, but the NES introduced something huge. Now I know, first thing many people probably said when they saw this cross on the controller was, "pump the brakes, speed racer. Nobody puts religion in my Dig Dug." But this cross design, called the "d-pad," made the controller way more comfortable to use with just your thumb. Nintendo used the d-pad beforehand on one of their Game and Watch handhelds, and precursors to it appeared elsewhere, but the NES shot the d-pad into the mainstream. And with that, the joystick was old news. Many consider this guy to have aged poorly, and while I do somewhat agree, I think it's still alright to use. My main problem is that the d-pad itself is a bit uncomfortable af ter long play sessions. But I love the feel of the buttons, they're just so clicky and satisfying to just go to town on. This is where the term "button mashing" was born. I see a lot of people say the sharp corners really dig into their hands, but I've never personally had an issue with them. However, the sharpness was criticized, even back in the day. So Nintendo responded with some alternatives. The NES Advantage is the controller you'd never let your daughter go to prom with. This thing is a hecking beast that's powered by two whole controller ports! You can flip a switch to alternate between player 1 and 2 for games like Super Mario Brothers where you alternate turns, There's turbo buns with knobs which allow you to have rapid fire on A and B, And don't forget the state-of-the-art "slow motion" feature, which was just simply the game constantly pausing and unpausing itself. That meant for games that featured anything on the screen when paused, they... just looked off. Regardless, the NES advantage is a beaut of a controller. I think this thing is really slick. It just feels so sturdy, and there's something so satisfying about pressing these huge buttons. But what if you're not into overcompensating? Well, the NES Max may be for you. Featuring a new grippable design, the turbo buttons of the Advantage, alongside something called the "cycloid," a bit of a precursor to the 3DS circle pad. It's much easier to grip thanks to these new thighs, but the cycloid really isn't a replacement for the d-pad in my opinion. Now, with the introduction of the NES Top Loader, Nintendo redesigned the standard NES controller, nicknamed the "Dogbone." This thing was so close to being the perfect NES controller. The rounded edges, the nicer feeling d-pad, But they just HAD to angle the A and B buttons so only a lobster could hold it correctly. It just doesn't feel right, nobody's hand normally rests like this on a controller. It's just uncomfortable. Well since the original NES controller worked, many simply tried to copy it. The Sega Master System and TurboGrafx-16 controllers, while different in some ways, were basically just "their version" of the NES controller. Atari decided to barge into the party with their 7800 controller, and I'm pretty sure everybody stared at them until they released this instead. Only in Europe, though. In the US we retreated to... this, and over there they got this. Lucky them. Of course, Sega had to do something different with the Sega Master System's follow up, so they brought out this three-buttoned hunk. Anybody else ever realize just how big the Sega Genesis controller really is? Like, w o a h This guy has some meat on its bones. But weirdly enough, it only has this same amount of buttons as the NES controller. Like, it doesn't have a Select button, so, even though it has three face buttons, They both have four in total. That led to problems down the line when fighting games were coming over, which required more buttons. So, Sega crammed some more in with the introduction of the 6 button controllers. Shove your hand between the couch cushions, and you'll find various Sega Genesis controllers, each different from the last. Like, Sega released so many Genesis controller variants. It's crazy. They're all different in terms of design, button placement, d-pads, it-it's ridiculous *Drama Alert* I interrupt your regularly-scheduled me with an emergency report by me. Controllers made by other companies, not the console manufacturers, themselves are running rampant, and most, Are up to no good. This is the third-party controller watchlist. Our mission statement is to bring more awareness to s**t. Here we have the Tag 50 Joystick for your local Sega Genesis system. It falls in line with the rest of the "I guess if that's what you want," sort of thing controllers. It's not bad, but it doesn't necessarily work
well with the vast majority of the Sega Genesis library. It does have these suction cups on its base, which makes it harder to move around on a coffee table, and it also looks pretty good on a windshield. The six button controllers are fine and good, but the three button one is the classic, the one my mind immediately shoots to when Genesis is on the mind. And it's a solid controller in its own right. It may be a bit bulky but it feels good. However it was completely outdone by the makers of "Chibi Robo Ziplash". (?????) The SNES controller is magnificent and may not be my favorite of all time, but it does so much, so right. The buttons are lined up in this beautiful way where it's so comfortable to use your thumb to press the white button, with the rest of it resting on B, ready to use at a moment's notice. Excellent for games like Super Mario World or Mega Man X. Shoulder buttons came swinging in, L and R, with all buttons and the d-pad feeling exquisite. Couple that with a rounded shape and this is something dreams are made of. Weirdly enough with the release of the SNES Mini in 2017, Nintendo re-released a new version of the controller with a less glossy, rougher type of plastic for the controller shell and I gotta say I actually prefer the new release. It feels a bit better in my opinion. Atari, just go home. The Atari Jaguar brought back the "classic" number pad. I'm sure they looked at Sega combating Nintendo by adding more buttons to their their controller and shrieked, YEP! THAT'S THE NEXT BIG CRAZE, MORE THAN 12 BUTTONS THE KIDS ARE GONNA LOVE US! DSAKJLHFEUW IFGHS RHU TGYFUK Next up, the original PlayStation came to be due to a failed partnership between Sony and Nintendo which would focus on a CD add-on for the SNES. After that bust Sony created their own console based on their knowledge from working with Nintendo, which is pretty obvious looking at the controller. I sometimes forget how similar the playstation and SNES controllers are. I mean fundamentally? I mean fundamentally. the only main differences are the d-pad, two sets of shoulder buttons, and thighs. That's it. However, the PlayStation controller finally became a man with the DualShock. Look at the size of these things! This redesign features meatier triggers, a Rumble feature and dual analog sticks. The rumble and analog are obviously responses to the Nintendo 64's controller which came before it, and we'll get to that in due time. But the DualShock made dual sticks a standard it also introduced clicking down on the sticks as an additional button input, which, can I say something here? "R1. L1 R2. L2." These are shoulder buttons and it makes sense they're numbered like this. WHY ARE THESE CALLED R3 AND L3? Anyways, I love the feel of the analog sticks They're so smooth and the texture works So well, but what if the DualShock just isn't doing anything for you and you hate happiness. Here's the Nintendo 64 controller This came out after the original playstation controller and before the Dual Shock and man We can bark about this controller all we want but gotta admit this thing was innovative in so many ways Controlling the game in 3d with the analog control stick camera control four-player multiplayer Being standard on the console even the trigger on the back give your finger a cock and bam This was a huge leap forward for the industry. Yes, but answer me this Just what the hell is this thing three prongs make it so you have multiple ways to play multiple games Maybe you can hold it like this or this or even this but that means not all the buttons are readily available to the player in any of the controller holding styles. Also the stick is garbage, this thing is just a skinny, plastic, uncomfortable piece of work. That wears out too easily Now the Nintendo 64 controller did a lot right it introduced Rumble with the rumble Pak accessory The analog stick brought us games like mario 64 and ocarina of time. Look at these colors This thing is a colorblind Scout Wozniak's worst nightmare. Yep I don't like this controller moving on the Sega Saturn controller looks pretty decent basically just an evolution of the Genesis 6 button ones with shoulder buttons this time around but Sega also introduced the 3d control pad for a Few games specifically nights into dreams and this controller leads us into its immediate successor on Sega's last home console the Sega Dreamcast Controller. Yep, I don't like this controller. Now. Is this controller as bad as the Nintendo 64's? Yeah No, it actually has a layout that makes sense. Well, this stick is just not comfortable This was still when many companies didn't realize that hard plastic on an analog stick isn't mankind's favorite thing out there Also, why does the wire come out of the bottom? There's a groove for you to pop the cord in near the top So that way it's pointing in the right direction Which just kind of comes off as a slight fix to a design oversight? At least the triggers were analog,which was a solid innovation and definitely made racing games more realistic. But who could forget the VMU? The memory card with a screen displaying info or housing its own games to be played. BUT F**K THAT! Playstations back baby with the PlayStation 2's All-new dual shock 2! This is the same controller,except the face buttons are now analog,which is...dumb. Why did they need the triangle button to be pressure-sensitive? Why? It felt like they just assumed analog inputs were the next big thing, but...you don't need it for everything. Now,moving past that we have the introduction of the Xbox brand, and with it- Holy sh*t. Well,I can tell you first off that was easiest Easter egg hunt I've ever been a part of. This controller does get a number of things Right number one: giant f****ing Xbox logo The Duke,as its referred to now,is a behemoth. It's big for the sake of being big. There's no reason for it to be this way. Now, it's completely usable but it's just not that great when you get down to it. Like what is this? Seriously, also the dual sticks just feel weird Like the left one has a large concave area and the right one has a much smaller area Which honestly feels like it's convex. Got a new Microsoft designed a smaller controller for the Japanese market that made its way over to the States later down the line and this is much More reasonable I can actually get behind this one. It just feels much better Everything actually makes sense this time after Nintendo wouldn't stop laughing for five years straight They really cleaned up their act with the GameCube controller. This thing is pure comfort It just feels right in the hands The bone layout is definitely different compared to every other controller and while I prefer the more traditional design this layout makes a lot of sense the main face button you'd probably use in most games is a So why not have everything orbit around it? The triggers are crazy satisfying to click down and the left stick is leagues better than the Nintendo 64 one I love this controller but while it's one of my favorites It does have some gross parts the d-pad and C stick were made for ants and the lack of another shoulder buttton is a bit Odd regardless, the GameCube controller has definitely stood the test of time these pesky wires man. What is this the year 2000? That's where the wave bird comes in a wireless variant of the controller It uses radio frequency to transmit the wireless signal wireless controllers were around for a while But most used IR like a TV remote you had to keep them pointed to the adapter for them to function properly But all you had to do with the wave bird was match up the dials on the controller and the adapter and you're all set Well wasn't the first wireless controller. I'd argue. It's the first truly great one You can go all around the room with it and it works perfectly The only main downside compared to going wired is that it doesn't include Rumble and it takes batteries. What's the gamecube C stick not small enough for you well Do I have a bad controller for you introducing the GameStop branded wireless gamecube controller? Too small and uncomfortable for any of you with hands out there The analog stick keeps with the tried-and-true tradition of hard plastic to make sure you hate it even more and the buns reeked of loud Plastic cheap also it's been reported that if you do touch a controller like this, you will most definitely contract bedbugs Damn, it. Wireless was truly the next step for controllers We make our way to the Xbox 360 which has one of the most acclaimed controllers of all time I mean there was nowhere to go but up after this thing But everything is just so finely tuned and makes for a perfectly balanced controller minus the d-pad Microsoft later released 360 controllers with this Transforming d-pad where you can have it like a traditional one or go back to this garbage personally I have no clue why you'd want anything other than the more traditional d-pad, but I don't care, this thing is fun to twidle with. Next up,the Ps3 contro- Jesus Christ,guys,it's been over 10 years at this point and you still haven't moved on? To be fair,Sony was set to go with an all-new design for the ps3 standard controller- I've never been so happy to see this design come back The sixaxis controller was there for the first few years of the playstation 3 's life and was basically the DualShock again But now wireless with motion control capabilities and no rumble sonny later released a traditional dual shock 3 Rumble and motion controls included now everything was going pretty smoothly with controllers at this point that 360 really hit it out of the park The ps3 was going with the time-tested design and Nintendo Yeah, the ps3 controller may have had some motion controls but the Wii Remote full out embraced them There are definitely things I love and hate about this controller- when it works, it really works when it doesn't work It really doesn't work We only have a d-pad on the remote with a few buttons on the front and a trigger on the back It may seem limiting But the controller was smartly designed to be usable in a multitude of ways like a TV remote on its side like an old-school NES controller with the nunchuck attachment that actually gives you a stick or inside a Countless supply of plastic s*** I really admire how creative they got with uses for the Wii Remote But I'm not gonna lie and say this thing is a great controller the sideways control method isn't my favorite I'm just not a huge fan of this d-pad or these buttons and like I said, the motion controls are definitely hit and miss however Nintendo did release the Wii MotionPlus add-on and the Wii Remote Plus to enhance the motion capabilities and I gotta say with these I'd say the Wii Remote is pretty alright motion is pretty accurate now and when used properly it can be a really fun controller But if you're more into the traditional side of things might I suggest the Wii classic controllers They plug into the bottom just like the nunchuck, and I forgot how decent these things really work The original is quite derivative of a Super Nintendo controller, but includes some modern additions like two sticks that are way too close together and buttons I like to refer to as "you call these triggers". There's also this mystery button on the top which correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think this was ever used and still don't know what use it was ever going to have the original classic controller was Great for retro games but a bit lackluster for more modern ones. So let's flip that around. Here's the classic controller Pro It's much more akin to the PlayStation 2 controller and is great for some of the more hardcore Wii games out there. Nintendo then put the Wii Remote in Photoshop gave it a little of this, a little of that, pop the screen in the middle and Blam, Wii U GamePad It gets a bad rap. It's huge,unnecessary,and clunky. Listen, I'm with you want a lot of that, however... I found this controller to be wildly comfortable to use. The grips are nice and all the buttons and sticks are large and feel great The problem is: this guy. The screen isn't the worst but certainly not the best, and it's use in some games was just annoying and it led to one of the worst battery lives out there. The gamepad doesn't all that charge well at all So if you charge it up and don't use it for a week chances are when you pick it back up It's gonna be dead-zo. Also, you have to charge a via a separate power adapter Not the WiiU itself and just so much garbage was thrown into this thing I'm pretty sure you could survive in the wilderness for a week with just this a camera NFC TV remote, almost none of that is needed Except I will say the TV remote was pretty useful like with the Wii Remote if you're not into all of this Nintendo offered a pro controller and get ready Wii U pro controller Defence Force I don't like this controller. It all has to do with the fact that the buttons are on the bottom It's just so annoying and stupid this format worked on the gamepad because it was so big the buttons were placed in a perfectly usable Location but here it just doesn't work for me. Also the triggers feel weird. And, I think it's because they aren't analog yet They're designed just like the 360s which are the Wii U gamepad's were these fat patios for you to click and they felt good these Not so much at least this controller lasts up to 80 hours on a single charge Which is something the gamepad definitely can't say. However, both got on my bad side for having This gross glossy finish like this looks good in pictures and for 2 seconds after you open the package any time afterwards Welcome to finger print Avenue now. I don't own this thing anymore due to unforeseen circumstances If I could sue a game controller I would first go after whatever the hell this third-party Wii U controller is and then sue the Wii Remote for deception But I do remember everything about it and how it was the definition of everything a falsely advertised product was This controller was trained to scam people into thinking it was a Wii U pro controller However, it turns out it was fundamentally just a Wii Remote and Wii classic controller All-in-one now the idea of having a standard controller with the capabilities of a Wii Remote and classic controller Our all-in-one is great The problem was this controller was terrible at everything It did the build quality was cheapo the buns felt like mashed potatoes The only reason why anybody gave this controller any attention was the fact that there was a Super Nintendo and Super Famicom color scheme available The ps4 controller actually switched some things up compared to the PlayStation controllers of the past They went for a new more ergonomic design and I think it worked out pretty well There's this touch bar now, which I personally haven't found all too useful a light bar Which just feels like an excuse for this controller to have s***ty be battery life and whoa, whoa Whoa, where did the start and select buttons go? Yeah The ps4 was the start of something dreadful the death of start and select as we got this share button which is useful enough I guess for sharing photos and videos of gameplay. But what the hell is this options garbage? Well, whatever I do have to say that while the DualShock 4 is comfortable and a decent controller overall There are a few problems with the build quality I don't know, it's just the one controller I consistently have problems with and I'm not alone with that the Xbox one controller feels a bit like more of the same from the 360 controller but with random tweaks and changes that feel both better and worse I think it feels more premium in some cases, but Cheaper in others this a bit more compact and trying to look more modern than the 360s I think the d-pad is better and the sticks have a more grippy surface to him but I don't know there's something a bit off about this design not bad by any means and I think I still prefer the 360s also, am I the only one that thinks the replacements were starting to like make no sense? What the hell is two boxes and three lines that finally brings us to the Nintendo? Switches supply of controllers. The joycons. The controllers that come packed in with the console The switch is an interesting situation it had to have controllers that have to be on the console itself to enable handheld play but be detachable to make use of a variety of different play styles God, these things are too small Listen, I adore so much about the joy con But they're basically taking everything in modern controllers and cramming them into something you'd find in a dollhouse I mean these things have a lot going on in them a full suite of buttons and sticks new HD Rumble motion controls NFC they're Perfectly usable just not that great. I love the idea of how they were designed to be used as two separate controllers But is this a way to live? The shoulder buns for the individual joycon are miserable so much so that Nintendo supplies strapped to slide on for better ones using them together is alright, however There's still more akin to the Nintendo 3ds controls compared to most home console controllers for me Personally, I go for the switch pro controller. This thing is truly no-nonsense it gets right to the point It uses a button and stick layout that makes me swoon the texture of it all feels great Nice big meaty buttons a solid battery life all the technology from the joy con. This is what you call a controller I always keep the joycon attached to the switch for when I want to play portably and keep the pro controller on standby for Home console use and that is a basic history and review of most of the major video game controllers We've gone through a lot and while not all of it has been great. It's all led to where we are Now the inception of motion controls the pause button the introduction of analog control with the 1290 to advanced programmable video system Jeffy Experienced with number pads trackball screens these successes and failures helped us form some of the greatest game controllers out there Don't immediately bat away new features and gimmicks introduced in controllers, because they may be huge steps in the right direction for the industry! They may not be talked about as much as the games or consoles themselves, But they are some of the most important aspects of the video game industry! Well, let me know what your favorite or least favorite game controllers are! And if you'd excuse me... I have another, for real this time, meeting about video game related issues. This time on video game box art! Gotta be f***ing kidding me.
Does anyone know what the mystery button on the wii controller was for?
Claiming the Dual-shock for PS1 was superior to original controller is wrong if you were playing say Tekken or other beat-em-ups for example.
The Original PS controller D-Pad had a far better roll to it, making quarter/semi-circle moves have a more fluid feel, this changed in Dual Shock redesign losing something it gained from the awesome SNES design.
Finally, now it's two people I've heard say the Wii U pad was comfortable. It remains the only controller ever not to give me cramps after a few hours of play (yes, even the 360 pad does that to me), comfortable as all hell.
My personal favorite controllers of all time:
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller: They nailed it with finally conforming to the Xbox control scheme + adding big buttons.
Xbox One Elite: It's an extremely good controller I wouldn't recommend to anyone. It's probably the best feeling controller I've ever held, but the left analog stick literally tore off after only 3 months of light use. There are also thousands of other complaints about durability issues.
Xbox 360 controller: The first one to really nail the format. The Xbone built on it and the Switch Pro controller conformed to it.