First off

Zipstick

I used this for both my Spectrum and my Amiga in the good old days


Perfect for Sensi Soccer and extremely durable. I threw it against walls an uncountable amount of times when 'the computer was cheating'
You could get a later version with an auto fire switch but it was nowhere near as good quality.


Konix Navigator
Nowhere near as good as the Zipstick but I liked how it looked



It took a bit of getting used to holding it due to its shape.


SNES controller

Really was a step up from an already impressive NES controller with the extra buttons and the rounded edges making those marathon gaming sessions less painful



A gaming classic


N64 Controller

Another gem from Nintendo. It looked terrible but was incredibly functional and Mario 64 wouldnt have been the same with any other controller





Gamecube Controller

The pinnacle of the old style controllers, nothing has even come close for me and a real masterpiece.




Whilst these are all great nothing can beat the good old mouse and keyboard for the FPS fragging fun

Saitek Eclipe Keyboard

Perfect feedback from the keys, nicely spaced out and a settable backlight for those late night fragging sessions



Microsoft Intellimouse Optical

Nothing is more important to a gamer than the response and layout of his mouse and this is just perfect for me.
Ive tried the odd gaming mouse but had various issues with button placement or lifting the mouse causing movement in game.
This mouse is perfect for me. The 4th and 5th button being either side of the mouse instead of both on the left side suits me perfectly.
The response is more than adequate for fps even online and the response from the buttons and scroll is absolutely perfect.
A real gaming masterpiece.



Feel free to add your own in

The Cruiser was a beast of a stick. Not only easy to hold for long sessions, but robust and had this natty tightening feature round the base of the actual stick so as the joystick got looser from use, you could adjust it.



I did have a rather swanky Quickshot II Turbo which was in racing red and have extra sensitive microswitches instead of the leaf springs that were used by other QS sticks.



And no round up of joysticks could be complete without the classic Atari joystick. Sure it was small, sure it wasn't pretty, but they were sturdy buggers capable of dealing with several hours of dedicated Track and Field.





I think I'll put the Cruiser as being my favourite. As mentioned in the other thread, I use a PS2 Analogue controller which is connected to the PC using a USB converter.

I remember the cruiser. My mate had a green one ( I think it had a pink stick and yellow buttons but Im not 100% sure)

It was pretty decent from what I remember.

There was a horrendously coloured one with a green base, yellow buttons, a yellow tightening "widget" and pink handle.

Was your friend a bufty then, or has he only come out recently?


Edit: ...wait a mo, there was no friend, was there?

Thats the one

Cnut

Nah it really was my old school mate.
I havent seen him for years, but I know hes a copper now.

In terms of console controllers, I agree with you Matt. the Gamecube was the best one ever developed IMO. It just fits into your hand perfectly, and the buttons are all exactly where they should be. Its an example of developers evidently testing the product properly, and thinking of how to make the user comfortable, rather than simply trying to be different.

Them aside, I was mainly an Amiga kid, and I had the Quickshot Python:



As a lefty, I hated those joysticks with the buttons on the left hand side, as it meant I spent hours of my childhood with my hands twisted round each other so I could control games properly. this one felt like it meant business, had the buttons conveniently on the handle, and it was just good.

Wireless and brilliant

I had one of these till pretty recently, awesome for arcade games (tho mine didnt have the trackball).

Favorite controller of all time is probably the kempston pro 2, which i was delighted to see you can buy as usb for the pc now, might have to pick one up.

Failing that the N64 controller was a marvel when it came out, first proper analogue pad gave so much control over mario on mario 64. I still find it very comfortable.

I have yet to find a mouse that beats the Logitech G7.

Nintendo really did get it right with the SNES, N64 and Gamecube controllers.

There's something about the Sony design that's just too symmetrical for me.

Controller perfection defined in a picture:



You all know I'm right...

The Xbox design isn't too bad. It's really "clunky" but once you get used to it, it wields great power.

I think those were about the only two joysticks I ever had. Although there may have been an all black version of the Quickshot one at some point.

After that, it's been joypads all the way, starting with the PS1.

I used to have a PS2, but quickly forgot all about it when Gears of War was released. Took some time to get used to (what felt like) a monstrous controller, but as you say, once you're used to it, it's great. I had a shot on someone's PS2 recently and felt like I was going to break the controller... I couldn't believe that once felt "normal".

Razer's are good, I use the Diamondback that has a 1600 DPI. Brilliant for games.







Both the Quickshot I and II were both black (similar colouring to XBL's QS Python he posted). The QS II looked almost identical to the Turbo you quoted, just it had microswitches where the previous models used leaf springs.

For all Sim-racers out there the G25 is a must. Expensive (£150/£170) but worth it

I have had a look at them actually. The only thing I dislike about them is the fact that it's wired. I can't remember the model but Raptor had a decent offering as well I seem to recall.

Yeh, it's fair to say they look a bit wanky, but they buttons are big and easily pressed, are covered in a nice soft rubber and the whole mouse fits nicely into my hand.

The Gamecube controller wins EASILY for me. That's just reminded me how awesome it is, I'll need to play it tonight now.

I had the copperback and it was terrible when you went to lift it to move it.
The setting was too high as it moved the crosshair when you went to reposition the mouse.

Apparently the new versions dont do that now (thankfully) but I havent tried it.
I still prefer my intellimouse though

#

Wired is the ONLY way to go for a mouse when gaming.

Horrible, horrible controller. Cumbersome and unresponsive.
The response from the buttons is also awful. One of the worst controllers out there in my experience.

You've never used the G7 posted above then

The only thing with the diamondback is it's too sensitive. I needed to turn down the default Windows mouse sensitivity as well as the controls in the Razer control app.

The DPI is very useful though both for games, makes FPS' a lot easier to get precise control for those distance shots, and apps like Photoshop when doing fine work.

No but i have used the wired equivalent and that is one extremely uncomfortable model of mouse.

I'm quite picky when it comes to what mouse I use and I didnt like that at all.


The sensitivity of the Razer Copperback didnt bother me (which is essentially the same) with regards to moving it around the mousepad.
It was just the repositioning that caused the problem with me.

I might try the latest version soon and see how it is.

As a sensi soccer nut I went through countless joysticks.

I felt that the Quickshots were better for playing the game but didn't tend to last very long, even without launching them occasionally.

The zipstick lasted a lot longer than but always felt awkward in comparison after getting accustomed to using just one hand to control the direction and use the fire button on the quickshots.

I know it's early in the morning, but I had to think about that last sentence to avoid the potential 'fnarr fnarr' scenario.

I never did get the chance to have a shot one one of these bad boys.

Thats a new one for the wii, although it just looks like the camera phone from flight of the conchords, a wii mote and a glove seloptaped together.

I had the red Quickshot II Turbo as well ... fantastic joystick

Can only echo what others have said - Nintendo controllers were far superior to their peers. I hated the original PSX and X-box controllers and neither Sony or Microsoft have really advanced an awful lot in terms of design.

Of course the pinnacle of controllers has to be ... (just for Ric)

That is quite possibly the gayest controller ever produced.



You are such a fanboy, it's unreal..


Yes, it was the pinnacle in the late 70's when IR controllers for the Atari 2600 was all the rage..

I must say, i hate the wiimotes, im sure there are games that will eventually make it look like a good idea, but theres been nothing so far that has let me to believe that a regular joypad wouldnt work better on.

Actually, and this will probably shock a few, but I will defend them.

For those who aren't gamers the idea of just pointing a device rather than moving a joystick is easier. It does mean that Wii's will be consigned to the stupid and old - which is pretty much turning out to be the case.

I can't think why, but I knew at some point you would post that...

Now all we need is Reina to post one of those one buttoned Mac mice...

Could I throw in this, not because it was good (in truth I've never even seen one in the flesh, as it were, let alone used one) but because it was odd. In fact I believe it has been the only virtual tracking device commercially available.

May I present the Virtual I-O Glasses..


Despite the picture showing the guy using a joystick, the glasses were not only an output device (providing a limited but effective 3D environment for the user) but were also an input device. The glasses were manufactured for both PC and Amiga, with the PC ones having the tracking software enabled allowing you to move just by moving your eyes.

At one point in time the Amiga was touted as THE 3D gaming platform, with such breakthrough apps as Lightwave coupled with the video toaster hardware (which increased the Amiga's rendering ability massively) being shown on national television (shows like Babylon 5 were entirely Amiga generated for several years) and the creation of VR glasses, you didn't need to be a ranting lunatic to predict the future of gaming being Commodore's baby.

Of course if you were to reiterate such statements, you would be considered a ranting lunatic now!

Plus they are absolutely wonderful for those of a lefty persuasion! No longer do you have to do complicated arm crossovers at the tough bits. I didnt think they would be any good, but I was surprised by how comfortable and natural they feel.

The moulding means they fit perfectly and naturally in you hand, the big button on top is good for the thumb, and the button below is perfect for the index finger. Its a bit like the quickshot joystick I posted. It just feels more natural.

Its a good controller IMO, but not as good as the Gamecube one.

Yeh, that's a fair shout actually. 'handedness' has always been a problem with control pads.

Im not really, tbh. I've owned a PSX, Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox and was into gaming on the PC many moons ago, as opposed to my relatively small Nintendo collection - I didnt start until the N64 and only have the DS from the handheld range. Before that, as you know, I went through the Commodore 16, c64 and Amiga before moving onto PC.

Any comments I make about Nintendo stuff being better is because I think its true. I hated the PSX controller before I ever touched a nintendo product. I also hated the xbox controller (because I have small girl like hands) first time I played it - the slimmed down japanese version that came out over here was a blessing of sorts.

I dont have 'hidden' agendas against any companies - pro or con


*Falls off chair

*Gets back on again




I felt I had too - being such a fan boy


I had a helmet like contraption very similar to that for the PC. It worked kinda well, but cause it was made for kids it was too small and hurt my head Didnt actually work very well, because as you turned your head you had to turn your eyes back to keep looking at the screen

I think the first joypads I used in anger would be the MD ones, which a lot of people seem to like but as I say, after years of using a joystick (and generally with my right hand - and I am right handed) to swap that around to using a D-pad on the left hand for movement never felt right.

While the N64 controller did have a stick, it never felt right to me and the stick movement became ridiculously loose and the stick itself seemed a little too flimsy.

For me the PSX analogue controller was a compramise and to be honest feels the most natural in my hand (well other than a mouse/keyboard combo).

So it is. I thought it looked different to how I remembered it.

'Youve just ruined my camera..... and my phone'

Spoken like a real gamer

Looking at this thread, Im struck by how incredibly sad and geeky it is.

Geeky perhaps, but why is it sad?

I've got nearly 30 years of gaming experience, it's natural I remember a lot of different controllers.

Who remembers the Nintendo Advantage?



Have to echo comments that the N64 and Gamecube controllers have been the best. Shame the N64 was so underpowered (has a few games that are a work of genius though) and the Gamecube was criminally underrated.

The X360 controller is great as well I think.

I agree. Slightly less absurd than the N64 controller but equally unusable. Weighs a frigging ton too.

As for the best ever,



Granted i've yet to use DS3, but DS2 has good L2 and R2 buttons, so easy win.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Playstation design is just too symmetrical. That's where Nintendo have got it right. It's all about what is comfortable to move the hands around, not necessarily just the easiest on to hold. That's why the N64 controller was so good, offering far better control than the lousy analogue sticks on the PS.

The geek shall inherit the earth

ladies and gentlemen i give you



the competition pro

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/6459538/Spee...ro+USB+Joystick

£12.99 from play for a usb version.

Where did the 4 buttons come from? I had one of those, never really liked it much tbh, and it only had 2 buttons on. Change is bad

Original one had the 4 buttons, but they all did the same thing.