Favorite Controller

[herbertsmart]

So what is your favorite controller and why?

Joystick
Trac-Ball
Spinner
Buttons (ala asteroids)
Gun
Steering Wheel
Other game specific (Star Wars yoke, 720, DDR, etc.)

I think i like the trac-ball the best. Something about the force used to get that thing rolling, and the occasional pinch of your fingers when they get jammed in the crack where the trac-ball enters the control panel. Plus a lot of game I really enjoy use the trac-ball (Centi/Millipede, Missile Command, Crystal Castles, Marble Maddness, Track & Field, Golden Tee, Bowling to name a few. So what controller do you like?

Any of the mods can feel free to move this to the poll section if the want.

 

[FullThrottle]

Toss up for me between steering wheel and flight stick/yolk for favorite.

Although my true love for a joystick was sparked by always using my friends NES Advantage controller as a kid. Nothing else feels quite so natural since...

 

[Phetishboy]

My favs, in order:
1. Pole Position Steering Wheel/Shifter combo
2. Trackball
3. Spinner

 

[_sentient_]

my true love for a joystick was sparked by always using my friends NES Advantage controller

Absolutely...I had it...and it rocked!

 

[savit4l8r]

Call me crazy, but I love the Defender/Stargate setup. So much going on, yet it all flows so well.

 

[kspiff]

Toss-up between yoke (Star Wars or Paperboy type, so maybe it's a 3-way tie?) and trackball.

Analog/Hall Effect and dual digital/analog sticks are sweet as well though.

 

[osver]

LS-30 Rotary Joysticks

 

[cdjump]

I don't think anything feels better than a SW yoke for flight stuff.
For driving Spy Hunter's "yoke" is hard to beat. Too bad it doesn't work with an optical setup as well.
And, joystick is a toughie, as far as feel goes, the Tron/Gorf stick feels the best, but, its not the most accurate by any means.
For classics, i really like the ms. pac/galaga replacement sticks.
Trackballs are ok, i guess, but not my favorite.

 

[cdjump]

oh, and 720 deserves a mention for a one off kind of controller as well.

 

[jeffsgames]

I think I have favorites of each. For example, no spinner beat's Tempest's spinner. I also like the smaller 2 1/2" trackballs more than the bigger ones (deface for Phet joke permission granted). I really liked the original Berzerk stick when they actually used to work. The Pac joystick was my favorite 4-way stick. Very responsive.

As for a unique controller, I really liked Battlezone's control sticks. The periscope view port added to the experience and can't be left out!

I've always hated the Atari Yoke controller, although it was the perfect controller for Star Wars. I think they over used it with other games. Never cared for the Nintendo 4-way stick, but I would never play DK with another one. The Q*Bert stick never looked very good, but it was a good control for the game.

Oh, and I prefer the Rock Band guitar over any of the Guitar Hero guitars!

 

[Black Matrix]

Best console controller is a toss up between the sega Saturn's slimmed down 6 button w. L&R, and the Atari 5200 joystick. Sega is a great emulation of all aracade games that use a standard joystick and less than 8 buttons. And I am thoroughly convinced that there is no game the 5200's pot joysticks couldn't tackle. They even had a Star Wars port. Just an awesome stick.

As for arcade, there are so many great combinations. But its probably a toss up between the Star Wars flight yoke, the Assault twin sticks, and Ms Pac(which has to be the simplest, most straight forward configuration possible). Lets face it. The simplicity of Ms Pac's controls probably done more for mainstreaming vids in our culture than any other game ever. Anyone with an IQ of 5 or better could play it. Just my 2 bits.

 

[Lindsey]

 

[_sentient_]

I forgot about that one...

 

[josie]

I like joysticks... they feel good in my hands and are easy to manipulate. I also like buttons... they are fun to push

 

[Angry_Radish]

 

[HunterZero]

Got a special spot for the steering wheel, since I love driving games.

Otherwise, I don't really have a preference for controller, as long as it's appropriate for the game it's attached to. Trackball is great for Marble Madness, but wouldn't want to play Paperboy with one. Likewise, joystick would be all wrong for Marble Man.

I always wished Gyruss had a spinner or a joystick like the one on 720, but the controls were done well enough that it was always very playable with a joystick.

I personally like the SNES Score Master joystick, since that's the best controller for arcade games on the SNES, eg R-Type, Ghouls 'n' Ghosts, King of Dragons, Street Fighter 2, MK2, Killer Instinct etc. I don't think that this controller was available in the US, I think it was only available in PAL territories? Probably because the case for this joystick didn't match the weird USA SNES case design.

- J

 

[Jack Retro]

Otherwise, I don't really have a preference for controller, as long as it's appropriate for the game it's attached to. Trackball is great for Marble Madness, but wouldn't want to play Paperboy with one. Likewise, joystick would be all wrong for Marble Man.

Here is a response a decade later! But you'd be suprise about marble man! The game is somewhat playable and beatable with a joystick! But if you really want the best experience, play the game with a hall effect controller! It's feels amazing when played with high sensitivity analog sticks! ^^

 

[Tornadoboy]

While the game itself bores me Sea Wolf's periscope is pretty cool, Spy Hunter and Star War's yokes are classics and while I've never seen it in person Boonga Boonga/Spankem's fiberglass "butt" is certainly unique!

 

[keithlee]

No controller is more effortless and intuitive than the Star Wars yoke. It basically connects your brain directly to the aim/movement of the reticle/flight. Sublime.

 

[SNESNESCUBE64]

I really like the yoke on Midway Space Encounters. If the encoders on that is solid, it plays great. Even if they aren't the best it is still solid. I am also a huge fan of the tempest spinner. It is just so fluid with the movement.

I think my least favorite right now is probably my sinistar joystick. It is so friggin stuff that it is a real workout.