I'm going all out! First party only (Sorry, awesome wireless Logitech PS2 controller) only the ones I've used....

NES: 6/10 Was super reliable and set the standard. Sharp corners killed comfort. It was too thin, too.

Super NES: 7/10 A great improvement over the NES. Still use it to this day. Introduced shoulder buttons. Great d-pad. Introduced the "diamond" layout that many controllers emulated.

Nintendo 64: 7/10 was very forward thinking but was flawed. d-pad was pretty bad for fighting games. Analog stick was too loose. Rumble pack was great.

Playstation Controller: 8/10 great controller. Really comfortable with great button placement. Basically a SNES controller with handles.

Dual Shock: 8/10 Set the new standard. Analogs were loose and for some reason, the analog mode would randomly turn off. Built in rumble put it ahead of the N64's offering.

Dual Shock 2: 8/10 pretty much the Dual Shock with analog buttons...which made them feel mushy to press.

Dreamcast: 7.5/10 Felt great and introduced analog triggers. No right stick really hurt this one. Camera controls sucked. VMU, possibly the most powerful rumble ever, microphone pack, great analog tension

Sega Genesis: 6/10 Felt really good in hand but the d-pad felt imprecise and it only had three face buttons.

Gamecube: 8/10 The thing was ugly to look at but it feels like a dream in your hands. Loses out for having a tiny little baby d-pad and the buttons worked great except for playing fighting games. It's hard to press "B" and "Y" at the same time in Soul Calibur 2, for example. Wave Bird was an improvement.

Xbox: incomplet score. (The Duke) Was big as hell but still felt good. Going off of memory, the analog sticks were a bit too loose. I only played it a few times. Not enough to form a full opinion.

Wii Remote/Wii Remote Plus: 7.5/10 Brought a lot to the table like a speaker, motion controls, pointer. It wasn't ideal for a lot of games, though. Lots of respect for reaching out to new consumers and taking a huge risk in design. Surprisingly versatile. The "Plus" improved a lot of issues I had with precision. Still used for Wii U games.

Wii Classic Controller: 5/10 Would have been rated much higher if it released in the 90's but for a controller in 2006, it missed too many features. No L3/R3, poor shoulder button placement, no rumble. It was just too bare bones.

Xbox 360 Controller: 9/10 So close to perfection! If it had a built in rechargeable battery and a better d-pad, it would be a 10/10.

Dual Shock 3: 8/10 Virtually no improvement over the Dual Shock 2. It added shitty motion controls and it was wireless but it was uninspired. Better d-pad than the 360's but not better than the Classic Controller.  Triggers were a notch below the Dreamcast/Xbox 360, too.

Playstation Move: 8/10 Probably the best motion controller on the market but just not enough support. And it smells like it's been in my ex-girlfriend's vagina.



Wii U Game Pad: 8/10 I LOVE THIS CONTROLLER....but I have to be objective. Great d-pad, analog sticks, button placement, etc. It loses points for its poor battery life and lack of industry standard analog triggers. It's also bigger than gamers are used to due to its screen.

Wii U Pro Controller: 9/10 Goes toe to toe with the the Xbox 360 controller as far as comfort is concerned. Battery lasts forever. Again, no analog triggers hurt the experience. Great resistance from analog sticks. Just feels right.

Dual Shock 4: 9/10 controller (though I've only had it for a week). Not a big fan of the grips but improvement in the triggers, analog tension, built in speaker (higher quality than the Wii's but not quite up there with the Wii U), good motion control, decent battery life--there's not really much that can be said negatively about this one.

Kinect: 10/10 You are the controller. I like you a lot. You get a perfect score. The device itself gets a 5/10, though. It just isn't capable enough for precise gaming...or precis enough for capable gaming. Fuck. I don't know.


Others I've used: 3rd party Nes, Gamecube, PS1, PS2, PS3, 360, N64 controllers which were almost always weaker than the default due to cheap production values. The wireless Logitech for PS2 possibly being the sole exception. It was fantastic! Also used cameras for PS2, PS3, and Xbox 360 (Live Vision)

Couldn't disagree more.

I have had my Gamecube controller for eleven years now, and the only gameplay affecting damage it has gotten over the years is the L-trigger needing some extra push for the digital input to register, while its analogue input still works perfectly.

In comparison, I've found myself needing to replace my N64, Xbox and Xbox 360 controllers after less than two years of usage for different reasons.

This is quite baffling.

Where would you put the Dual Shock 3 then? 

Couldn't disagree more.

I have had my Gamecube controller for eleven years now, and the only gameplay affecting damage it has gotten over the years is the L-trigger needing some extra push for the digital input to register, while its analogue input still works perfectly.

In comparison, I've found myself needing to replace my N64, Xbox and Xbox 360 controllers after less than two years of usage for different reasons.

Just so you know, at least one person read all  of that.

Good read!