What is, in your opinion, the perfect game controller?For me, the Top 3 would be:
1. Nintendo GameCube ControllerFar more than just a go-to
Smash Bros. controller (I very very rarely play
Smash and don't even own a copy of
Melee yet!), the GameCube controller wins the top spot due to simply how it feels when it's in your hands. The designers knew what they were doing when they set out to make the perfect ergonomic controller, and the result is a chunk of loveliness that is now in its 4th generation of console compatibility, and for good reason. The perfect height of the joystick makes it a first choice for 3D platforming and RPGs, and the beautifully sprung trigger buttons make performing grabs in
SSX Tricky an absolute joy. It is, of course, also fantastic for fighting and racing games.
It also looks the part, with its appealing colourful interface enduringly reminiscent of classic Nintendo gaming, and its unique, mesmerizing shape simply asking to be picked up and played with.
Downsides? OK, so it isn't wireless (unless you get the ugly and expensive Wavebird which isn't actually compatible with a lot of games and can't be used with GC-to-USB adapters, bafflingly), and the D-Pad leaves a
lot to be desired. Also, it would have been nice to have twin shoulder buttons; I have no idea
why Nintendo decided to only have one, it seems obvious that two would have been better, opening up more options and greater compatibility.
However, despite its flaws it still stands as my favourite controller: it looks great, feels even better and plays like a dream. Little wonder, then, that 4 generations on, Nintendo gamers are still reaching for this controller even in the presence of more technologically capable alternatives.
A deserved
8.5/10.
2. Nintendo Wii U Pro ControllerWhilst its surface may be somewhat more bland than the other entries in this list, this one is arguably the best at simply being a controller! It's wireless, superbly weighted, all the buttons and joysticks feel smooth and well-made and have
perfect click travel, and its layout and decently-sized D-Pad make it ideal for many different types of game. What it perhaps lacks in aesthetics it more than makes up for in its premium build quality and usability. Nintendo were savvy enough to make it compatible with almost every Wii U game as well, making it a necessary and worthwhile accessory for the console.
Its only downsides are a lack of USB support (it would have been nice to be able to hook this up to a PC like you can with the X-Box and DualShock controllers), and some may not like the position of the analog sticks as compared to a DualShock. Personally, I like the layout and can switch between this and a DualShock pretty much seamlessly during a gaming session.
A solid
8/10.
3. Sony DualShock 3Is the DualShock 4 better? Definitely. But, I don't have a PlayStation 4 and so would have felt a bit of a hypocrite placing that controller in my list! I have a PlayStation 2, and I use a DualShock 3 as a controller via an adapter.
Controller designers during the PS2/GameCube era knew what they were doing - the DualShock 2 (which is basically a wired 3) is a controller you can pick up and start using like you were never without it. Instantly familiar, instantly classic, it felt just how game controllers always
should have felt, despite its initially intimidating design (intimidating, that is, to those of us used to the comparitively basic and cartoony SNES, Megadrive and N64 controllers).
It's a controller that does everything you need it to without showing off too much or demanding too much of you. It's quite neat and compact compared to other controllers, but it has a chunkiness and heft to it that lets you know it means business, and it'll handle pretty much anything you want to throw at it.
Available in a variety of colours to suit the player, usually with a tastefully premium metallic finish, it also looks the part as well.
The main downsides I find are the height of the joysticks, which stick out just a little bit more than I'd like, and the low button travel which can make them feel somewhat soft and mushy. Ultimately, a controller needs to have it down in these areas as much as possible, or more than make up for it in others.
A comfortable
7/10.