What is your favorite controller?

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When it comes to video games I have always had a fixation on controllers. To me they're almost as important as the game and console itself. Arcade games (mainly fighters) just don't feel right unless you can get your shoulder into them...being able to slap the everliving shit out of those buttons and throw a solid lever around without having to worry about accidentally tipping or damaging the robust cabinet adds soooo much to the experience. These games just feel so wrong on gamepad. Conversely, certain games like Castlevania or Mega Man pretty much require me to have the right Dpad controller in hand before I'll ever feel in control.

Over the last two years I have gotten really into building and modifying controllers and arcade sticks. I actually spend a lot more time thinking up new ideas and tinkering with them than I do actually using them to play anything with lol

I made a couple arcade sticks including one that is a real "cabinet" of sorts converted from an old 80s wooden filing thing that has Neo Geo MVS artwork under the plexiglass. I want to put graphics on the rest of it some day. Also working on a hybrid right now that has the Genesis hockey puck Dpad, except instead of actuating that rubber membrane most gamepads have, there will be 4 clicky microswitches underneath. Same with the buttons, they'll be full size arcade buttons with microswitches. These buttons are large but can actually be made to work well in a gamepad provided they aren't super long, you just have to arrange 4 of them in a diamond shape like a SNES controller and place them closer than they would be to each other on a fightstick. The hardest part of this one will be the shell. Despite microswitches it really won't be a whole lot thicker than a modern controller.

Anyway my favorite controller for platformers is the 6 button genesis pad. To me that D-pad is just the greatest, it's the only style I like using. Sega and a company called Retro-bit actually partnered a few years ago to create a damn near perfect-feeling USB version which is awesome. I use it for every platformer. When I was a kid I remember thinking "sure wish Sega made a 6 button pad with the bigger shell instead of the banana shell"...well, they finally are and Retrobit is selling them on preorder :]

What is your favorite controller? I really enjoy hearing people talk about them and give their reasons as to why they like the ones they do.
 
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My favorite standard 1st party controller overall might be PS2, it's just super well rounded and competent for every genre. Honorable mention to NGC, it feels more comfortable, and works very well for the games in its library.

Vita has the best controls for a handheld system. The dpad is accurate and feels just about right, and the sticks are surprisingly good. It's missing some inputs the Switch has, but Switch is the most uncomfortable piece of shit I've ever held, it gets an F for ergonomics.

Really though, I'm generally not too picky about controllers, except for 2D Fighting games. I hated PS3 & PS4's L2/R2 for fighters, so I got a 3rd party controller which was serviceable. And 360's was even worse, I was in awe at how bad fighting games controlled with it. They're very good for other genres, but someone didn't test them for Street Fighter.
 
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fat controller.jpg
 
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So, I haven't owned a console since n64 and I've played pretty much the same 2-3 games for the last two decades. However, recently I've been playing more PC games since I have over 300 free from epic, and the nintendo switch and wiiu emulators work really well so I've been playing lots of new games through them. Up until I started playing Breath of the Wild I had been using the same USB gamepad that I've had since like 2003, a Nyko Airflo, lol. With BotW I wanted something that had motion controls, because otherwise the airflo despite being 20 years old functions the same as it did when it was brand new. So I bought a 8bitdo sn30pro+, it's great. I ended up buying 2 more, one for my steamdeck and one for my girlfriend. I also got the 8bitdo ultimate controller as a backup. I prefer the sn30pro+ as I like the feel of it better. The ultimate functionally works just as well but the shape of it and my giant hands means my knuckle is constantly hitting the triggers accidentally.

I can't say if they're any better than any other controller because I've never used anything else, but for me they work just fine and I enjoy being able to hotswap macro setups and being able to control the sensitivity of the sticks and triggers. For $25, they feel like they were worth it. The airflo however is a beast, I've punished that thing for 20 years and other than the way it looks you wouldn't be able to tell that it was 20 years old if you had to use it.
 
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For old school 2d games I like the SNES controller the best. The Genesis 6 button one is good for fighting games but kind of redundant for any other game. Also, we only had one of them and a 3 button one so pretty much whoever got to use the 6 button controller was probably gonna win.

For 3d consoles I like the playstation layout, ps2 or ps3. I prefer having the two sticks at the bottom and the pad up top. The touchbar thing on the ps4 pissed me off though. I've accidentally pressed it so many fucking times accidentally while playing. I don't like the way Xbox controllers are laid out.

I don't really play on consoles at all anymore or really a lot of games in general. When I do play games I usually use the 8bitdo SNES controller.
 
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Blue Miaplacidus said:
So, I haven't owned a console since n64 and I've played pretty much the same 2-3 games for the last two decades. However, recently I've been playing more PC games since I have over 300 free from epic, and the nintendo switch and wiiu emulators work really well so I've been playing lots of new games through them. Up until I started playing Breath of the Wild I had been using the same USB gamepad that I've had since like 2003, a Nyko Airflo, lol. With BotW I wanted something that had motion controls, because otherwise the airflo despite being 20 years old functions the same as it did when it was brand new. So I bought a 8bitdo sn30pro+, it's great. I ended up buying 2 more, one for my steamdeck and one for my girlfriend. I also got the 8bitdo ultimate controller as a backup. I prefer the sn30pro+ as I like the feel of it better. The ultimate functionally works just as well but the shape of it and my giant hands means my knuckle is constantly hitting the triggers accidentally.

I can't say if they're any better than any other controller because I've never used anything else, but for me they work just fine and I enjoy being able to hotswap macro setups and being able to control the sensitivity of the sticks and triggers. For $25, they feel like they were worth it. The airflo however is a beast, I've punished that thing for 20 years and other than the way it looks you wouldn't be able to tell that it was 20 years old if you had to use it.
Click to expand...
can you fit a steam deck in your pocket? just curious...
 
I like the Xbox One controller, it took everything that made the 360 good and improved it. The thing I look for most in controllers is how heavy it is and how it feels in my hands. Even though I don't like rumble, I do like the weight the motors provide. I have wired controller for the switch that has no motors and it feels too damn light. My biggest complaint about it is the headphone jack is janky, but I don't even use it for my Xbox One anymore anyways.

Joycons are probably the worst controllers (First party) IMO. They never feel right in my hands, the shell themselves feels gummy and I hate the fact that I had to buy a third party "dog-bone" to make it tolerable.
 
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Depends on the game. If I can, I prefer the shape of the xbox and switch pro controllers over playstation.
 
USB steering wheel.

Seriously though, The Duke and the Wavebird were my favorites on consoles because they didn't feel like toys. PS3 is one of my least favorite because of how small and light it is and the L2/R2.

I had one of these for the Wii and, although it was small and light, the ergonomics of it were very comfortable, especially for fighting games and platformers.
Nyko Wing.jpg
 
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Non modern? The Atari Jaguar controller. Fucking loved that thing.

Modern / all time? Xbox Elite. I’ve got like 3 of the damn things and I don’t think anything else comes close.

I prefer to use the original controls when emulating so I’ve got literally every possible option but I often fall back to just using the elite.

Only exception is for arcade titles, gotta use the full size cabinet. I didn’t build it just to stare at it.
 
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The best old school style d-pad I've ever owned is: 8Bitdo M30 Bluetooth Gamepad.

I bought one to go along with my misterfpga. Great ergonomics, zero input lag, best d-pad I've ever had on a controller. I love this thing.

For modern games I use the xbox elite. It's way overpriced but nothing beats it.
 
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I've been using the 8bit do pro 2 for pretty much every game. It's like Snes controller and it has a great Dpad for 2D games. The trigger has started to fuck up though, so I might replace it.
 
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The six button ascii for Sega Genesis was always my favorite. After I got it I never used the regular controller or the official six button again. Even if I didn't need six buttons. It was because it felt so comfortable.

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For PC I use this Logitech controller someone gave me. It looks like a PS2 controller. I don't need anything special for the games I play.
 
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