3. Playstation Dualshock Controller: The Dualshock was probably the first real modern controller. It offered some kind of feedback in the form of vibration, was ridiculously comfortable to hold and was built not just to sit at home waiting to be played, but to be brought along wherever you wanted to game. Personally, I can’t remember a time when I had a Playstation that I didn’t travel with it. If I was going on vacation, visiting a friend, anywhere – I always had that system in tow because it slowly became one of my favorites as time went on. Frankly, given how the design hasn’t even changed in the years since it was created is a testament to the legacy and impression this controller has made on the game industry and design as a whole.
2. Xbox 360 Controller: There really have been few controllers that have felt as bloody, freakin’ comfortable in my hands as the one I got the first time I unboxed my Xbox 360 and while this may sound a bit like favoritism, I hate to break it to you, but it’s true. No matter what system I’m playing on or what game I plan on playing through, if I’m not comfortable and the controller feels like a burdensome piece of garbage, I’m not going to want to use it. If I wanted something that felt painful to hold, I would find a bucket of sea urchins and jump into it. From the first time I picked the controller up, it truly did feel like a match made in Heaven. The buttons felt perfectly placed along with the bumpers and triggers, like a litter of puppies all demanding attention, but doing it in a way that allowed me to pet them all conveniently and efficiently. The control sticks not only felt perfectly placed, but soft to the thumbs, eliminating any wanton blisters from appearing on my thumbs in the last several years. Finally, the d-pad is just icing on the cake allowing for games like Street Fighter and Tekken to be played with some semblance of order while conversely allowing quick access to items in a menu a la Modern Warfare 2. Sure, it isn’t the most perfect controller ever, but it is definitely going to be a notable standard for many years to come.
1. NES Controller: I could go on for pages about how awesome the NES controller is. After the video game crash in the early 1980’s that many of the people who read this will be way too young to remember, the NES controller set the standard for all the others. And while for many of you, this wouldn’t have been the first one you ever picked up, you should see if you can find one someday just to see what all the fuss was about and be thankful that this is what the template became for everything that followed after.
So, what’s your favorite controller? Did we forget one or perhaps you just love the one that came boxed in with Steel Battalion? Hit the official forums (by clicking here) and let us know. In the meantime, keep your eyes on the PlanetXbox360 homepage for all the latest video game related news, reviews, and features.
