Poll: which is the best controller

[Idlemessiah]

360; its comfy, all the buttons and sticks and triggers are in the right places. Can play for hours on end with those.

KB/M; not as comfy, but far more utility.

PS2; while similar to 360 comfort-wise, its just a bit too small.

Gamecube; never really played it enough for the layout not to feel awkward.

PS3; no weight and buttons made from marshmallow, ugh.

 

[SpAc3man]

PC gaming master race checking in.
My controllers of choice are:

The Microsoft Sidewinder X8 wireless gaming mouse.

Spoiler: Clicky

The CMStorm Quickfire Rapid mechanical keyboard with MX Cherry Black switches.

Spoiler: More Clicky

If I ever need a gamepad for my PC I will likely get a Logitech one. Layout is the same as a PlayStation controller. I did used to play a lot of PS1/PS2.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I want to point out that the Xbox 360 and, PS3 controller are virtually identical in that they both have the control-cross, two control sticks (each can be used as a button), 4 shoulder buttons and, four face buttons. There are also a start-select-home button in the center of the controller. The main differences being the placement of the left-stick/command cross are inverted and the PS3 has marshmallow buttons instead of triggers. Also A,B,X,Y, vs X-circle-triangle-square. Also the 360 controller is more rounded.

THAT ASIDE. I prefer the 360 controller over the PS3 (because Rumble) and I prefer the Gamecube controller over both of those. Really, each controller suits its console. I love the SNES controller but I know it wouldn't work with any current gen games.

 

[gnihton]

PC gaming master race checking in.
My controllers of choice are:

The Microsoft Sidewinder X8 wireless gaming mouse.

Spoiler: Clicky

The CMStorm Quickfire Rapid mechanical keyboard with MX Cherry Black switches.

Spoiler: More Clicky

If I ever need a gamepad for my PC I will likely get a Logitech one. Layout is the same as a PlayStation controller. I did used to play a lot of PS1/PS2.

I feel dirty for having a Razer Blackwidow, but I wanted Cherry Blues (which are a joy to use, might I add) and the Blackwidow was the only Cherry Blue kb that wasn't of some unknown brand and was less than £100. Maybe I should've spent ~another £40 for one with NKRO.

As for mouse, not afraid to say I have a DeathAdder v2, it is by no stretch the best available, but is incredibly comfortable due to its design.

 

[hazabaza1]

Mouse and keyboard supplemented by a joystick for niche genres is the only combo for any real gamer. Any of the console controllers are for casuals and non-gamers.

Hahahahahahaha.
Using 'casuals' in actual discussion. You're funny.

OT: Depends on the game. Generally, if I want precision or games which don't work with controllers, like RTS or something, Keyboard and mouse. Otherwise, the 360 controller is quite nice to hold.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Honestly I really liked the old xbox controller

It fit perfectly to my hands I never had to clinch the controller. I just laid it in my hands like a phaser in Star Trek. Total comfort.

Then all the little handed people complained and they stopped making them

 

[FamoFunk]

PS3, or any of the PS controllers. I have a PSone, 2 and 3 so it's the controller I've used the most over the years and I like the lightness and snugness of it.

I've never really had a problem with any controller tbh, the only little niggle I have is fact 360 has a space for batteries.

 

[odBilal]

N64!

so you never used the left side of the thing....as long as its there!

[img/]http://www.projectcoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/n64proto.jpg[/img]

(if you stare at it long enough it starts to look strange..)

I just recently played on the N64 and I was surprised how small the controller actually is. As a kid it always looked so huge to me. Now I can hold it on the left handle and still reach the analog stick (still fells weird though).

 

[theevilgenius60]

The 360's controller is probably the best I've ever used. Playstation comes in second simply because of the placement of the analogs and the thing about them being convex instead of concave(plus it's smaller, but that's really only a negative from my POV as I have huge hands). The others listed, I can live without. Did like the GC's pad for Mario Kart and Smash Bros.

 

[GundamSentinel]

PS3 for me. The 360 one feels slightly better and has better shoulder buttons, but it's just too heavy to be really comfortable for me. And I think it looks ugly.

 

[bobmus]

Mouse and keyboard supplemented by a joystick for niche genres is the only combo for any real gamer. Any of the console controllers are for casuals and non-gamers.

Anyone else watch this conversation with interest? Masterful PC elitism.

Anyway, my personal favourite is the Xbox 360, perfect sizing for my hands, and really comfortable for those Joystick games.
I do like my K+M though, play a lot of PC myself nowadays.

EDIT: Choice of K+M eh?
I use a budget setup, but I've got a Razer Deathadder (On the Razer Goliathus alpha, for extreme size) and a cheapy Razer Arctosa (still better than the dropouts from my old Microsoft Wireless). Yes, it's a cult. <.<
<spoiler=Deathadder>http://www.productwiki.com/upload/images/razer_deathadder_1.jpg
http://www.razerzone.ru/media/matsizes/2011-01-15/goliathus-alpha_1.jpg
<spoiler=Arctosa>http://drh1.img.digitalriver.com/DRHM/Storefront/Company/razerusa/images/product/gallery/razer-arctosa-gallery5.jpg

 

[MasterMasamune]

I honestly prefer the PS2's controller, specifically this third-party controller:

I like that the D-Pad isn't broken up like on first-party controllers, all of the buttons (barring the shoulder buttons) are on the same plane, and it's just plain comfortable to hold.

Not to fond of the PS3's controller, specifically the decision to turn the L2 and R2 buttons into triggers. Just doesn't feel right to me, probably since before I first used a PS3 controller, I'd spent weeks using a PS2.

The GCN and 360 controllers are fine.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

Mouse and keyboard supplemented by a joystick for niche genres is the only combo for any real gamer. Any of the console controllers are for casuals and non-gamers.

Oh christ, get over yourself. Games on consoles can be just as good.

And anyway, does that mean anyone who enjoys racing games is a casual? Even on a PC, I'd prefer to use a gamepad for 99% of racing games.

PC elitists are really annoying. I game 90% of the time on a PC, doesn't mean consoles are any less legit for gaming. Again, get over yourself.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

It really depends on the genre. For FPS/RTS/Point 'n' Click I prefer keyboard and mouse. For fighting games only the 6 button Megadrive or SEGA Saturn controller will suffice (having never done much gaming in arcades, I, unfortunately, find it extremely difficult to play fighting games with an arcade stick =[) and for 3D action adventure/platform games I prefer the PS2 controller or at least something similar. I just like the Dual Shock 2 because it fits my hands nicely and everything is where I want it to be. Plus it's the only controller I've used where I've noticed the pressure sensitivity of every button... comes in handy when playing MGS 2/3, lemme tell ya.

 

[Scarim Coral]

It got to be the Gamecube for me. That controller and my hand go hand in hand since it felt like a good grip, I can reach all of the buttons with no ache and best of all using that all day didn't make my hands ache at all.

 

[Sassafrass]

Mouse and keyboard supplemented by a joystick for niche genres is the only combo for any real gamer. Any of the console controllers are for casuals and non-gamers.

Oh christ, get over yourself. Games on consoles can be just as good.

And anyway, does that mean anyone who enjoys racing games is a casual? Even on a PC, I'd prefer to use a gamepad for 99% of racing games.

PC elitists are really annoying. I game 90% of the time on a PC, doesn't mean consoles are any less legit for gaming. Again, get over yourself.

Dude, did you see the keyboard though?

I mean, that's such a great penis extension keyboard, they have a right to be like that because they feel inadequate it's so much more expensive than Viagra anything a console player could buy. We are in the presence of insecurity greatness here, bow down to their egotistical destruction of PC gamers rep superiority.

OT: N64, closely followed by the original Xbox, PS2 then the 360. The 360 just feels like a bigger version of the PS2 controller to me.