31-Day Mage Challenge: Day Thirty – “Favorite Controller”
4 min read
We’re almost through with our 31-Day Mage Challenge! Today, we talk about the magical devices we hold in our hands which serve as gateways to the digital worlds we so enjoy. Cumbersome or comfortable…
“What is your Favorite Video Game Controller?“
The Timely Mage
DualShock 4. I was so impressed when I picked up that controller and held it in my hands for the first time. It felt so comfortable like it was made specifically for me. I also love the way it looks with its cool light and premium textured grips. While underutilized, I really like the speaker and, to some extent, the touch pad (I like using it as a button but it’s a little too small to use it for navigation) as well.
The Black Humor Mage
Hmm… the PlayStation controller, I guess? The consistency is nice. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
The Rage Mage
I don’t know what this is but… Oh? It’s a PC gaming controller? Well, that’s why it’s the worst thing in existence. Ladies and gentlemen, the iGrip Ergonomic Keyboard by Alpha Grip. More Rubik’s Cube and hieroglyphs than controller.
The Green Screen Mage
Wii U gamepad is actually one of my favorite controllers. I like how wide the controller is, but that doesn’t make it difficult to get to the buttons that you need. The screen on it makes playing games a lot more convenient. Playing through Wind Waker and Twilight Princess was made a lot better by having my inventory or the map right in front of me on a separate screen. If I needed to switch out my weapons, I didn’t have to pause and search for it. Plus, I used to play on my dad’s Wii U, which was hooked up to his tv. I could play games on the gamepad, while he played them on his tv screen.
The White Out Mage
I like the NES controller for nostalgia but I like the N64 controller because it was pretty cool. I could “do stuff” with it. Like a swiss army knife.
The Well-Red Mage
My favorite controller is the one which belongs to my favorite console: the Super Nintendo. The NES controller would probably be tied for second place with the PlayStation controllers, but the NES one’s angular edges are uncomfortable. I also found the Dualshock 4 to be too heavy, the Wii’s remotes to be too inaccurate, and the N64 controller to be mind-boggling.
Contrariwise, the SNES controller has several things going for it: it’s very light, it’s comfortable with rounded edges, it doesn’t have a massive amount of buttons tempting devs to create over-complicated controls (it only added four more buttons than the NES), it uses the d-pad exclusively (I still try to use the d-pad as much as possible in any game), and there was no need to have to charge its batteries. Compare the SNES controller to the hideous, clumsy, or complex controllers for the N64, GamCube, and Xbox, the Wii nunchucks, and even something older like the Atari, and it seems like the SNES controller is in fact at the end of a sleek evolutionary chain of advancement, rather than belonging to a system that many would consider a relic.
Also, take a look at the SNES controller and you can see that it established the direction that controller design would take through the generations (the PlayStation and Xbox controllers are not all that different from the SNES one), with the d-pad, the diagonally set inputs, the start and select, and the shoulder buttons. Clearly, the SNES controller became the foundation for many of the most successful game controllers to come.
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Again with the N64 dissin, Well Red? For Shame! You jus needed to grow a callous is all! (The fact I’m technically insane & used to set fire to my hands on a regular basis is neither here nor there!)
Also you’re jus wrong.
Dualshock 2. End of.
I may never get to Dualshock 4 (& I’m glad cos touchpad.. Really? Sixaxis into Dualshock 3 is bad enough *Shakes Head Sadly* if it ain’t broke indeed White Mage [Lady] Bro…)
I would like to say the Wii Remote. While it allows different methods of playing games and feels free, I find it is either too sensitive or not sensitive enough. Instead, I would like to nominate the Mega Drive controller. The basic controller consists of a start button (to pause the game), 3 buttons (A, B and C) and a D-pad, however, most controllers also have interesting additions. Many controllers have a slow down function, which has no use in any game and is more annoying than needed. Controllers also use different speeds (such as turbo and auto) for each button, allowing the player to cheat very easily in games, which seems like such a strange thing to add to a console.
The Dreamcast controller was so iconic. Most of the modern controllers owe their design to it.
I hadn’t heard that before. I always consider Dreamcast to be a drop in a bucket. Could you elaborate?
A lot of good choices in here. For the most part, I love all of them! (Gotta say no to the PC controller and Gamepad tho) My all time favorite is definitely the Gamecube Remote though. Not only did it basically create my nostalgia goggles as it was my first big home console that I got to devote hundreds of hours too, but because I still use it every day thanks to Super Smash Bros for Wii U. I’d put the PS4 controller in second and the PS3 remote in third. For the sake of diversity though, we can switch the PS3 controller for the Super Nintendo. I did like how easy that one was to hold and play with. Honorary mention goes to the Xbox controllers, which I actually like design wise, but the colors always felt a little too strong on the buttons to me. Naturally, that wouldn’t keep me from using them to clutch out a nice game of Madden when necessary!
Aw yeah the SNES controller! I’ll just pull a confirmation bias and pretend that’s the only thing I read out of your quality comment. Jk, I also enjoyed the GameCube controller for the most part.
The PlayStation controllers have always been good. I wasn’t a fan of the N64’s controller. The button placement and shape made it awkward to use for some fighting games.
The N64 joystick was a great tool to pierce your epidermis with. Just sayin’.
I never thought I’d say this… but I agree with the Dualshock 4 ^ Honestly, I hated it when i first tried it because I was so used to the Dualshock 3. But after getting a PS4 and using it for a few days, I remember loading up a PS3 game again and thinking that the DS3 suddenly felt so bulky and awkward in my hands.
Without realising it, the DS4 basically just had a way of disappearing into my hands so I didn’t even feel it there. Its just so comfy!
I still think it’s too heavy and the touch pad is underutilized, but it’s miles ahead of many other controllers out there! Miles.
For sure NES controller, but I would like to make a special mention to the big unhandy Atari Jaguar controller which, unfortunately, I never had the chance to use…
Haha the NES can’t be beat!
I’m pretty fond of the GameCube controller. It had a comfortable grip, a dual stick layout, and could go wireless with the Wavebird. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until Super Smash Bros. 4 came out with GCN controller support. The controller feels so good with Smash, and I wish the Wii U GCN adapter worked for other games.
Most recently, the one thing I’ve disliked with the GameCube controller is that the shoulder buttons were pressure sensitive in Luigi’s Mansion. Made for some really difficult gameplay on occasion. Otherwise, it’s a huge step ahead of the weird N64 controller…
I am in utter accord with the Well-Red Mage on this one. The SNES controller is far more comfortable than the original NES due to the former’s rounded edges, and the amount of buttons is just right. I do like the Playstation’s dual shock though, but again to echo, the precursor was almost certainly based on the SNES.
If I had to pick a least favorite controller (unless this is going to be tomorrow’s question if so OOPS!) it would probably be the one for the Nintendo 64. Not that I have any less love for the system. I thoroughly enjoyed Banjo-Kazooie and love the Mario game it came with, but I wasn’t too big on the analogue stick in the center. Also the camera angles on that system introduced me to migraines. I’d never had problems with such before, and they were usually incited by me using the analogue stick so I have a negative connotation.
Consensus here seems to be that the N64 controller for the most part is pretty wack. The SNES is the king!
Gotta be the Xbox One Elite controller… So sleek and hefty. Followed very closely by the GameCube controller.
DualShock 2. It’s analogue, unlike the DualShock, but is wired, unlike the SixAxis Wireless. Wired controllers have faster response times and don’t need charging. Plus, I never forget where I’ve left it.
I agree with you on the wired controllers. Many times I prefer them over their wireless cousins. Charging is a huge pain but my 11 month old keeps pulling on the cords. It’s a double-edged sword.