Personally I’ll put in a vote for the old Jaguar controller. Maybe it wasn’t the best system overall (though it had some killer games), but the controller…aw man. Once it was in your hands, you knew it was meant to play. So far it’s the only controller to perfectly fit my hands. The Xbox was okay, but the trigger buttons were too far in, and it wasn’t as intutive. Maybe it only had three buttons, but the phone pad was nice and easy to use after a bit of practice. And besides, you could fix the old Atari 2600 dial to it instead of the D-pad and play Tempest the way it was meant to be played. All in all, a great controller.
It depends on the game. For FPSs and racers, the Xbox controller S. For sports games, action/platformers, and trick games (SSX/Tony Hawk/etc.), the PS2 Dual Shock.
I hate the GameCube controller and GBA SP (although I do own one). More buttons plz, kthx. The GBA just screams “four face buttons”, especially since they are porting so many SNES games.
Well… took a while for me to post MY opinion eh :rolleyes:.
My vote is Xbox Controller S.
The analog for the left thumb is in the right spot. The right one is in a perfect spot for easily switching between that and the buttons. Oh, the buttons. Perfect… soft… round… bubbly… You know where I am getting at. The L and R triggers are so good to my fingers…
Now, PS dual shock controllers were my favorite for awhile. I played my original Playstation A LOT. Then the Gamecube and Xbox came out. I originally reeled towards the Gamecube controller… since it was so perfect for Super Smash Bros Melee, and the damn Xbox controller was a bit bigger than anything I had experienced in my hands… (But not near as bad as you guys say… I have small hands [I’m 5’6], and it’s still usable and better than some controllers).
But when Xbox Controller S came out, I got an Xbox. For that sole reason too… I liked Xbox but the controller was lacking… and the price hadn’t gone down yet… so I waited for that.
If you truly think Gamecube or PS2 controllers, I’d love to hear your reasons why compared to Xbox S; Because it is likely I can easily manage countering any statements.
Who can argue with the Atari 2600? One button, one self-centering stick, nothing to screw up. Plus it also worked on the C-64 and Vic-20!
I really did like the feel of the N64 controller. The C-buttons were smaller and all yellow so they could be designed to work independantly of the others, but there were also aligned with the A and B buttons so they were perfect for 6 button fighting games. And the Z-Trigger? Tell me it wasn’t perfect for playing Goldeneye. It’s a TRIGGER for crying out loud! 
I really hate the layout of the Gamecube/Wavebird buttons. Absolutely good for nothing. One giant button and 3 smaller ones surrounding it. 3 shoulder buttons? Why not even it out and make two on each shoulder? Plus I always feel like I’m going to break the left analog stick.
Best: Gamecube. It fits just right.
Worst: XBox. Way too big for me and my hand cramps up when playing Xmen Vs. Street Fighter.
People people people!
The Gamecube controller is NOT cool!! I don’t own a console of my own but I have my experiences. The “Z” button is hard to push, and easily forgotton about. The “B” button always breaks. Good job Nintendo. You must of missed that in the initial testing. (Funny, how the much more expensive and unnecessary ‘Wavebird’ doesn’t have this problem)
the X-box controller is HUGE. Too huge! Think of the little ones!!
The BEST controller I have ever seen is definetly the PSX2 controller.
8 easy to press buttons. 2 easy smooth non breaking joysticks. And it feels like pushing your fingers in to a warm stick of vibrating butter! 
Yea, I’ve played with the Cube controller and it’s just…awkward.
I think the PS/2 controller is the most useful/well laid out, but it lacks the elegant grace of the Genesis controller. It doesn’t have enough heft to be truly satisfying when flung in a fit of despair.
Regardless of what the thread creator said about Atari controllers not being included, the Tac-2 (halfway down) is the best controller ever. I still have one, 15 years later. Still works like new.
The Jaguar Pro controller is mighty fine too.
I’ve only got a gamecube now, but the controllers are a weak c-. Some good points, but the button layout is terrible. Give me a Dreamcast controller anyday.
All the “Xbox controller is HUGE” people have seen the S version, right?
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/219506.asp
The games that I like the PS2 controller for are mostly because of the four shoulder buttons. Great for button-intensive games like Madden or SSX. But you can’t beat analog triggers for racing games (“analog buttons” my ass, Gran Turismo 3).
I haven’t really found a “best” controller for me. All of them seem to have some things right (except the XBox controller - tHat is just a hunk of plastic) but I can’t think of any that stand out to me. The PS2 controller isn’t too bad, however.
Yea. I own two of them. But I was talking about the original XBox controller, which was more beast than machine.
Yes, we Xboxers agree that they f’d up bigtime with the big controllers. But S controllers are great.
The reason I said the statement about excluding ataris and such? Because this is a battle between the big 3. Or… the big two and gamecube.
Personally I’m in love with the Gamecube controller. Although it does admittedly have a “kiddie” look, it’s one of the best, well rounded controllers I’ve ever used.
Somebody already mentioned the large A button and how that makes sense with most games where there is one main button you hit, but another thing I love is how the X and Y buttons are slightly raised, so if you need to hit two buttons at once all you have to do is keep the your thumb planted on the A button and roll it onto the X or Y button (or B with a little more effort). Brilliant. Try doing that with an X-Box controller (well, maybe if you have large thumbs, but after hours of Halo playing time I still can’t do it).
Also, I’ve owned a Gamecube since the first week it came out and have never had a problem with the B button breaking, even though I’ve put a lot of mileage on the controllers (and when my buddies come over to play Mario Kart, Timesplitters or whatever they get a lot of mileage). I’m still using the controller that came with the system and I haven’t had a problem with it yet.
I will admit, however, that the Z button is poorly placed, and although you get used to it after awhile and it’s not much of a problem to use it is definitely not intuitively placed.
I like the Gamecube and PS controllers about equally. The N64 and XBOX S tie for second (I didn’t like that you couldn’t reach all the buttons on the N64 controller without switching hand posistions). The SNES controller is also good.
The best controller, however, is the keyboard:
A=A
S=B
D=X
F=Y
E=left
R=right
Arrow keys=D-PAD
in ZSNES
…and the Amiga as well…it was the best joystick of all time-still haven’t found anything to match it on my PC… 
…and my second favourite controller!!! Plus a mention of my favourite game… are you reading my mind?
…good to see you again, Dragon!!!
Dude… thank you so much.
I cried when I saw the Quickshot II which allowed me to collect infinite golden eggs, pick up uncountable civilians from burning buildings, blow up squillions of evil space pirates, and so on.
(On the BBC Micro, incidentally, which my dad bought my brother the week after I was born)
If the Wavebird had analog triggers like the X-Box, and a second Z-button somewhere on the top surface (maybe on the left?) it would be nearly-perfect. If it were the size of the PS2 controller, I think I’d be in heaven; the Wavebird is a little clunky for me, but I’m getting used to it.
I’m easily confused by the PS2’s “mystery shapes” buttons–pink hearts, green circles, blue moons, and purple horseshoes might make more sense if they weren’t in such a symmetrical layout, but as it is, I always end up pressing the left one when I want to do the action that goes with the right one. Because you never LOOK at them while you play, I still can’t tell you which goes where on the controller, so when someone is yelling “block! block! Use the SQUARE BUTTON!” I am lost. They’re also all the same size and shape, so there’s not the intuitive “hit the big one” playability that the GC controller gives you.
Still, for me the best controller ever is keybord+mouse: left hand on the WASD inverted-T left thumb on the spacebar and left pinkie on Shift/Ctrl/Alt for spare actions. Middle finger can pop up and skate across the number row for (relatively) fast weapon selection, or the scroll wheel can be used if it doesn’t do something else cool.
Heres a lil rundown on my view of the controllers.
Xbox controllers OWN for FPS’s (Does Halo come to mind?). You actually pull a trigger to shoot. Gamecube has a trigger, but the controller just Sucks for them and the C stick is TERRIBLE for aiming [and any other way of aiming on a controller is just not right].
PS2 controllers, you press a button to shoot… not too exciting. Plus, the thumbstick is just not as nice to the touch as XBOX, and not as smooth and not in the right spots (The left one keeps your thumb to far from its original place on the hand, and it should be wear the [hard and uncomfortable] d pad is).
PS2 wins by a lil the fighting game/THPS genre. Although the D pad is hard and uncomfortable, it is all set apart from eachother; making it easier to not press up left left down right instead of up left left down up. The L/R1+2 are great for different kind of moves and combos.
But Xbox isn’t too far behind, still good and comfortable; and Gamecube just sucks… again.
Sports games: PS2 and Xbox are about the same, like the Fighting game/THPS genre. PS2 may be a lil ahead, mainly because of the L/R1+2 buttons for different functions. Gamecube is also not too far behind, because of the location of the big A button for overused functions, but is still not as good as XBOX or PS2.
Summary:
PS2 has bad D-pad/left thumbstick location, and Thumbstick not as nice as XBOX.
XBOX has a great trigger for shooters and some other games, but not as good for some games that need over 20 different functions.
Gamecube is good if there is one button that a newbie needs to use a lot of just that one button. The right Thumbstick Sucks[and left one is better than PS2’s, but not as good as XBOX.]
After a while it becomes second nature as to which button is where.
But when I got an Xbox I was doubly confused, because the Xbox “X” = the PS2 square, and not only that but it uses ABXY in a different pattern than the Super Nintendo did.
I like both the playstation controllers and the super nintendo controller. They just seem to fit my hands better than others do. Also the button scheme makes more sense.