Console size & shape comparison (picture link) (2 Viewers)

[Chad Ferguson]

I have yet to find a decent 3rd party controller. Why do they have make crap?

 

[BrianB]

I have yet to find a decent 3rd party controller.

The Capcom vs SNK pads for the Dreamcast are superb. Also known as the "Uno" pad.
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Nothing In Particular

 

[Dave F]

I agree, Chad. I've tried only 1 good third party contoller - the Namco NeG-Con for driving games. I think most of 'em suck beause they don't have the R&D resources that the major manufacturers do.
-Dave
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DVD List

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I like the PSX/PS2 controller. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I can use it for hours without getting cramps. The Dreamcast controller feels artificially large, and the Nintendo 64 controller is probably the best IMO.
I don't have any third party controllers other than the one I bought for the auto-fire function for PSX. Other than that, its all first party.

 

[Kelley_B]

The Capcom vs SNK pads for the Dreamcast are superb. Also known as the "Uno" pad.

I will second that. If I am playing a DC game that doesn't use analog I use my ASCII 6 button pad(CvsS pad except white came out before the CvsS ones did). Its d-pad rules.

 

[James D S]

I wouldn't worry about either because you adjust to the differences very quickly, and I truly think now who ever complains about either is just plain nitpicking over something really insignificant.

Yep, yep.
This reminds me of the worry that was on everyone's mind with the annoucement that the SNES's controller would have 4 more buttons than its predicessor. People were yelling that it would be too complicated, big, etc...
As it has been stated earlier, the SNES controller rocked.
So long as the thing is properly responsive, we will adjust. It is inevitable. If you have small hands, sorry. But it's 'bout damn time they make a controller for growups anyway.
I just hope that with it, PS-cramping is a thing of the past.
We who created this industry back in the 80's and early 90's are grownup (more or less ) now.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I don't think they are marketing several hundred dollar pieces of equipment just to adults through the size of the controller. There is probably some crazy reason why the controllers has gotten bigger.
I think that a company should be able to make a controller that fits adult or child hands easily. The N64 controller did, and I hear the GCN one does, too. The DC and XB controllers are obviously aimed at people with larger hands.

 

[Kip]

Hate to keep jumping in here, but it seems many of the opinions being posted regarding the X-Box controller are by those who have never held one. It is large. Larger than the N64. Larger than the PSX. Larger than the Gamecube. And MUCH LARGER THAN the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast controller really wasn't that large.
It is not just "finally designed for adult hands." I'm an adult with adult sized hands and the controller was uncomfortably large. Sure I could adjust. Eventually, I expect even a dentists chair could be cozy. Right off the bat however, the X-Box controller is lacking.
BTW: The N64 controller was not uncomfortable, but poorly designed. Have you ever tried to use the analog stick and the d-pad at the same time? The 3 grip style was lame and Nintendo has admited as much with the design of the Gamecube controller.

 

[Steven_V]

Gamecube/Xbox controller comparison:

source: Planet Gamecube
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[Morgan Jolley]

Alright, how about this:
Can anyone get a picture of someone's hand or a ruler next to a GCN and XB controller? Maybe a GCN and GCN controller comparison or an XB and XB controller comparison or even an XB and GCN sitting next to eachother with the controllers (I mean really sitting next to eachother)?

 

[Dave F]

Hmm. From all the talk about how big the XBOX controller is, I expected something suited for Andre the Giant. It doesn't look too big in that picture.
But here's my big question: If the XBOX controller is so horrible, how come most of the 3 party controllers look so similar? (Disclaimer: I'm not implying that it's either a good or bad design, just curious)
-Dave
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DVD List

 

[Morgan Jolley]

What do you mean by 3 party? Do you mean 3rd party?
The controller may not look big, but the buttons are tiny and the whole thing fills your hands. You can't see it, but it has depth. The GCN controller fits in your hands and the buttons are laid out for you to easily reach and hit them without hitting another button by accident.

 

[Steven_V]

IGN Cube has a 5MB Quicktime movie of them holding the Gamecube controller...
Link Removed

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[Edited last by Steven_V on September 19, 2001 at 10:10 PM]

 

[Camp]

The controller may not look big, but the buttons are tiny and the whole thing fills your hands. You can't see it, but it has depth. The GCN controller fits in your hands and the buttons are laid out for you to easily reach and hit them without hitting another button by accident.

Of course, by his own admission, Morgan has not actually used either controller. He just likes to spew other people's opinions as his own.

 

[Dean Cooper]

Just wanted to point out something, look closely at the bottom picture to see the distances between the buttons on the GC controller and the Xbox controller (not much of a difference). I have tried both, and both are great controllers.
Dean
[Edited last by Dean Cooper on September 19, 2001 at 11:35 PM]

 

[Dave F]

What do you mean by 3 party? Do you mean 3rd party?

Oh come on. That's a minor typo. It's not like that's a huge conceptual leap.

-Dave
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DVD List

 

[Carl Johnson]

U gotta be careful with those typos Dave, a three party controller could be visualised as something used in menage y trois or something.....

 

[DaveF]

When I first saw the NGC controller, I thought, "Ugh! What has Nintendo done to their controller?!?" But by all accounts it's excellent, so I've given up judging controllers from picture alone.
But I've always been surprised that the PS controller is considered great by so many people. Perhaps it requires an adjustment time, but in my limited experience, I found it to be about the worst controller I've used. Especially the shoulder buttons. They seem poorly placed, and awkward to use.
OTOH, I really like the N64 controller, and find it very comfortable, and fits my hands well. The tiny thumb joystick can be touchy, but it works well for the most part.
Perhaps I'm just a freak; my opinion seems to be the opposite of the majority.

 

[Kelley_B]

Hey I think the best controller ever is the Genesis 6 button/which later came back as the second Saturn controller. ASCII did a great job with their 6 button pad for the DC, if you own any 2D fighters you owe it to your thumbs to pick this pad up. I hope ASCII makes one for the GameCube as that the Nintendo pad will make it a bitch to play SNK vs. Capcom 3.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

My only problem with the XB controller is that it seems like it will fill your entire hand, which I don't like, and the buttons seem too closely placed. The GCN ones are close, but they are placed mainly around the A button, which makes them easier to hit without accidentally hitting a second button.
I like the PSX/PS2 controller design a lot. I don't use my middle finger on the L/R2 buttons like you are supposed to because it can get annoying. The only other problem is the "handles" being designed to dig into your hand and those can be a little uncomfortable over long periods of playing.
The Genesis 6-button design was flawed to me. Yhe 6 buttons were sometimes hard to use, since going from A to C would result in me hitting B or overshooting and hitting to the right of C. I think 6 buttons is best for fighting games, but I prefer 4 face buttons (more if they are designed right, which I don't think the Genesis' were).
I think the best controller design so far is the N64. I found the joystick to work well for me and the buttons were well designed and used. Granted, it had 6 face buttons, but they were different shapes, sizes, and colors, plus they were placed in different spots to make it easier to get to them. The 4 C-Buttons were also mainly used as camera control buttons in a lot of games. The A, B, and Z buttons got the most use.