05.25.2007 FIVE BEST GAME CONTROLLERS EVER MADE
CNet's Crave put together a list of the best five game controllers ever made, and while you might not agree with their rank, they hit all the important ones. Since their list charts the peaks of the controller's evolution, they disqualified the Wiimote and Sixaxis for being too new. Here's their picks and reasonings:
- #1: Atari 2600 joystick: Featuring a simple stick mechanism for moving around and a red button for firing. It's not technically a gamepad, but it's so crucial to gaming history there's no way we couldn't mention it.
- #2: SNES controller: This exercise in ergonomics is a curvy, multi-coloured, multi-buttoned evolution of the angular NES controller. This was the first controller to have shoulder buttons -- a revolution that made an arcade staple like Street Fighter II a viable proposition in the home.
- #3: Nintendo 64 controller: This is one of the most important joypads ever produced. Not only did the N64's controller feature an analogue joystick, which made playing games such as GoldenEye realistic and subtle, but it also featured a pistol-like trigger button underneath.
- #4: PS2 controller: Nintendo may have started the analogue-stick-on-a-pad idea but Sony really took it to the bank. For many gamers, the DualShock gamepad is the best gamepad ever made. ... Having two analogue sticks meant you could play games in a completely different way to anything available before.
- #5: Xbox 360 controller: It was the first wireless pad to come as standard. Its comfy, solid design offers dual analogue joysticks and two analogue trigger buttons underneath. There's also a built-in jack for connecting a headset.
I'm surprised GameCube didn't make the list, I know a ton of people who claim it's the best controller ever made for the way it curves around your hand. Although its lack of symmetrical design can be annoying depending on what games you throw at it. I thought the PS2 had the best design by far for its time, but now that others have had time to perfect it, I actually like the Xbox 360 controller slightly more than the DualShock. I still can't get used to Sixaxis's weird trigger setup, and the Xbox 360 controller's simple curves and ability to turn your console on and off makes it the industry standard in my opinion.
Looking back over all the controllers ever made, which would you pick as your favorite?