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Worst controller thread

Yeah, the original Xbox controller by a wide margin (edit: oh yeah, the Jaguar one LOL). Going back further, the Intellivision and Atari 5200 controllers were not good.
 
chinese-controller_o_1087531.jpg

Oh man this is too good :D
 
N64 controller was great for its time... there I said. And probably the best at the time.

Except for the 3 prong approach. That was embarrassing

N64 Controller is still one of the best controllers really. It felt very natural to hold and did all it needed to do so easily. Plus it was built strongly.
 
OP lists the N64 controller, other people also list Nintendo controllers. Some of the best game controllers ever made. SMH

Here's what I think of as a candidate for 'worst' controller, but also agreeing with the RE4 and Spongebob posts:
Looks cool, but imagine trying to play an action game with it.
 
Pretty much all the DualShocks have their issues. DS1 was flimsy and barely utilized, DS3 is small and had really atrocious triggers, DS4 has poor build quality and shit battery life.

All of them share the biggest issue though: Symmetrical sticks, ensuring they will forever be inferior for any game in first person or with a 3D camera.
 
Yeah, the original Xbox controller by a wide margin (edit: oh yeah, the Jaguar one LOL). Going back further, the Intellivision and Atari 5200 controllers were not good.
I loved that controller. Was a blast playing halo with it. Not too functional for other types of games.
 
Awful third party controllers are a dime a dozen. As far as poorly designed official controllers go, I'd say the Ouya is the most recent one of note.
 
PS3

Although PS4 controller still isn't quite close to the Xbone, it is incredible how much it has improved over the PS3 one, seriously dire controller.

EDIT: Actually although it was absolute garbage for its time (ps3), the N64 is easily worse.
 
Not the worst but definitely up there. Awful battery life, horribly uncomfortable, and stupidly expensive? Yep, the Wii U gamepad.

images

No analog triggers
Underutilized in games (Minecraft is the perfect example)
Only one allowed at a time
 
Smartphones or Kinect...

But seriously it's the Atari 5200 Controller
atari_5200_controller.jpg


Just look at it. Primary buttons on the side, a joystick that rotates, and the numpad. Plus these things break really easily.

(...I actually really like the N64 controller)
 
Pretty much all the DualShocks have their issues. DS1 was flimsy and barely utilized, DS3 is small and had really atrocious triggers, DS4 has poor build quality and shit battery life.

All of them share the biggest issue though: Symmetrical sticks, ensuring they will forever be inferior for any game in first person or with a 3D camera.

Ill never understand this complaint, to me it is just preference.
 
Zune was the best MP3 player of all time

OF ALL TIME

zune-tat.jpg


No analog triggers
Underutilized in games (Minecraft is the perfect example)
Only one allowed at a time



What's weird is that the Wii U actually can support 2 at a time. But the performance is already so mediocre imagine how bad it would be then.

Gamepad is one of my favs as well, heh. My battery life is also insanely good. Still surprises me when people say their battery life sucks for it.

4 hours (at best) is good? Nahhh
 
Not the worst but definitely up there. Awful battery life, horribly uncomfortable, and stupidly expensive? Yep, the Wii U gamepad.

images

Gamepad is one of my favs as well, heh. My battery life is also insanely good. Still surprises me when people say their battery life sucks for it.
 
OP lists the N64 controller, other people also list Nintendo controllers. Some of the best game controllers ever made. SMH

Here's what I think of as a candidate for 'worst' controller, but also agreeing with the RE4 and Spongebob posts:

Looks cool, but imagine trying to play an action game with it.
As a kid I hated the Original NES controller. It gave me so many bruises and lumps in my hands it was hurtful playing at times. I love the look of it as an adult but it was not ergonomic at all. They got it right with the snes one.
 
id have ti say for me currently, is the Wiiu controllers. the face buttons placment are so messed up for me, i had to play Bayo 2 with my PS1 pad
 
Nah, anyone listing Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony's controllers are kidding themselves...or haven't used many controllers in their lifetime.

There are FAR worse choices over the last 30+ years.

In other words, I completely disagree with the OP. The N64 controller was awesome...and only seems off today...maybe. I still don't have any trouble with it.



(now build quality wise...that's a whole different conversation)

Every one of my Xbox 360 controllers is busted in some way, so that one. Cheap pieces of shit.

receipts.gif
 
The L/R buttons on the Wii U gamepad are a pain to hit in normal use. I have to think to hit them, and that should never be the case. With enough use, I should be able to press any button on the controller without worrying that the trigger buttons are way higher than they should be and have to adjust to that. It's not the worst controller ever, but that's my main issue with it.
 
Wiimote is horrible. Tiny buttons, tiny Dpad, motion was 50/50. Holding it horizontally was awkward. Holding it vertically made some things hard to reach and stressed my hand. Pointer controls for first person games was the only good thing about it.

N64 controller is like holding 3 bananas and the plastic stick wore out fast.

Dreamcast controller is ridiculous. Cheap buttons, terrible Dpad, and slippery stick. And guess what? The cord come out of the bottom of the thing. lol wut? Sega had one job: Improve upon the Saturn controller, but they fucked that up royally.

NES first generation controller gave me the sorest thumbs out of all controllers. I guess that also applies to SMS controller.

XBOX duke was like a controller built by MS just to troll people with an insane sized controller.
 
Original X box controller

and to be honest the X box 1 controller is not that great.
Can someone please tell me that the R1 (or whatever is called button)
was clicking because I tried it at target (CLICK! * CLICK!!!*)
the sound is horrendous , and I'm shocked they have not replaced the embossed buttons since the original x box controller, buttons should be flat! comprendey?
 
Original X box controller

and to be honest the X box 1 controller is not that great.
Can someone please tell me that the R1 (or whatever is called button)
was clicking because I tried it at target (CLICK! * CLICK!!!*)
the sound is horrendous , and I'm shocked they have not replaced the embossed buttons since the original x box controller buttons should be flat! comprendey?

i agree that its definitely the loudest of the controllers i own
 
As a kid I hated the Original NES controller. It gave me so many bruises and lumps in my hands it was hurtful playing at times. I love the look of it as an adult but it was not ergonomic at all. They got it right with the snes one.
Unless I missed it, you're actually the first to mention the NES controller, which is one of the few Nintendo controllers I wouldn't argue against being considered.
 
Go Go Google Image Search!

102708-dragongamepad.jpg


Evil-Controller.jpg


Gamester-Gamecube-controller-1041428.jpg


chinese-controller_o_1087531.jpg


Ha hahha I totally owned that samurai controller! As awful as the dragon looks, the samurai was surprisingly comfortable. I used it so much the gold paint rubbed off.


Also the mask came off and there was a spooky skeleton face behind it. And the eyes glowed. 10/10 controller.


The N64 controller has always been really comfortable for me, that said if it's N64 night and you're the last on the couch? You get the Superpad.


s-l225.jpg



The Superpad from my childhood is still in prime condition after all these years. Why? It's fucking terrible.
 
Zune was the best MP3 player of all time

OF ALL TIME

I love mine. Easily one of the best devices I've ever bought.

Though I've had Microsoft employees laugh at me for owning one on multiple occasions.


Smartphones or Kinect...

But seriously it's the Atari 5200 Controller
atari_5200_controller.jpg


Just look at it. Primary buttons on the side, a joystick that rotates, and the numpad. Plus these things break really easily.

(...I actually really like the N64 controller)

You forgot it's biggest flaw, the non-centering analog stick. It makes playing games needlessly difficult at best, and unplayable at worst.
 
the intellivision controller, no contest.
uncomfortable,almost unusable and ... overlays....

mattel_intellivision_controller_2.jpg
This thing. My dad had it and brought it out of storage in the late 90s for me to try out. I actually played it for hours and enjoyed it well enough, there was a multiplayer tank game I liked and he had the voice pack for Beeee Seventeeeen Booooomber.

But anyway, yeah the controller... what a mess. That disk is awful, and every button is uncomfortable to press.
 
I love mine. Easily one of the best devices I've ever bought.

Though I've had Microsoft employees laugh at me for owning one on multiple occasions.




You forgot it's biggest flaw, the non-centering analog stick. It makes playing games needlessly difficult at best, and unplayable at worst.
Non-centering analogue sticks were really common back then on PC too. Utterly terrible for most gaming.
 
"hey man! did you see that new Goldeneye game?"

"aww yeah, its so awesome!"

"lets do MP!"

"Yeah!"

*hands me this*

XXc0c.jpg


*left on analog stick immediately doesn't work*

"i...uhhh....im gonna go watch dragon ball z"
 
When it comes to the N64 controller I think people should always say whether they held the left most prong while trying to use the analogue stick. As crazy and non-sensical as it sounds, you'd be surprised by just how many people did just that.
 
I love mine. Easily one of the best devices I've ever bought.

Though I've had Microsoft employees laugh at me for owning one on multiple occasions.
My first MP3 was a Creative Vision M, when other companies dared to make mp3 players. The thing kept freezing on me so I took it back to best buy and got an Original Zune "big bulky one".
It was cheaper. Took it home and the Zune software wouldn't install on my pc of all things I was like wtf it's a PC and Microsoft's own software doesn't work.

So I took it back the next day and caved in and got an iPod. I kept hearing the next Zune iterations got a whole lot better but I was already in deep with iTunes by then.
 
The original Xbox controller was bulky and huge but very comfortable to hold. Only problem was the location of white and black.
 
"hey man! did you see that new Goldeneye game?"

"aww yeah, its so awesome!"

"lets do MP!"

"Yeah!"

*hands me this*

XXc0c.jpg


*left on analog stick immediately doesn't work*

"i...uhhh....im gonna go watch dragon ball z"
Lol that reminds me back when I was a kid and you would visit a friend to play some videogames and he hands you the crappy cheap third party controller his grandma gave him while he plays with the original one .
 
People who say N64 are born in the 2000s. Analog, Z and rumble pack were unimaginable back then.

I'll go with DS3. Horrible build quality, feels cheaper than chinese stuff sold on the beach, sixaxis is a joke, buttons make crap feel good. Worst piece of shit i've ever used.
 
Not the worst but definitely up there. Awful battery life, horribly uncomfortable, and stupidly expensive? Yep, the Wii U gamepad.

images

As a fairly new Wii U owner, I have to agree. It's not the worst, but man do I not enjoy using that brick of a controller. It's just big enough, just heavy enough, and ergonomics are just off enough to make the whole thing uncomfortable to use for more than half an hour. I switched to using the Pro Controller, and while not a massive improvement (the build quality is terrible) it definitely makes playing things like Xenoblade for extended periods of time much less awkward and uncomfortable.
 
I was never a fan of the PS1/2/3 controllers. The buttons feel mushy, the grips aren't big enough, the thumbsticks are slippery, the rumble isn't strong enough, etc.
 
Honorable mention : the Steam Controller in the uselessness department. As a mouse it's subpar, and as a regular controller (using the thumbstick and buttons) it's horrible

I'd hardly call it useless. With plenty of buttons and options to put whatever functions you want where you want, it's down to you to get what you want out of it. I'd say it's probably better than a normal controller in most games, and it lets you do things another controller cannot. And unlike a m +kb, it's more comfortable to use on a couch.
 
"hey man! did you see that new Goldeneye game?"

"aww yeah, its so awesome!"

"lets do MP!"

"Yeah!"

*hands me this*

XXc0c.jpg


*left on analog stick immediately doesn't work*

"i...uhhh....im gonna go watch dragon ball z"

Yeah - N64 had some heinous 3rd party controllers.
jpn64.jpg

31SC91XED7L.jpg
 
The Ouya controller.
81CuoMmBtiL._SX425_.jpg


Way too light, felt super cheap and felt terrible to hold for any period of time, even though it completely apes modern controller design. The Ouya wasn't that great of a console, but the controller they packed in was absolute shit.

As far as recent controllers go, this would be my pick.

Problems encountered with mine:
- face buttons get stuck underneath the removable front plate
- needed lubricant out of the box
- generally poor wireless
- overall mushiness
- overall feels bad to hold
 
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