Top 5 gaming controllers of all time

In our gaming lives, we have come across different gaming consoles as time passed. We used lots of gaming controllers which had their own share of advantages and disadvantages. Some controllers are left in ruins because people simply didn’t like them, others became a cult favorite. Here is the top 5 best controllers of all time that stood out dominating. This is just my opinion since I am judging according to my satisfaction level. There are many controllers that also deserve to be in this list. 

 

5. Atari 2600

 

 

The cute looking, square based joystick of the Atari 2600 console remained dominant during its generation. It had simple design and featured a single stick for moving and a single red button for action. It had no other miscellaneous buttons or any other complexities that would leave gamers clueless about what are they supposed to do. Since Atari games are designed with one button action functionally, the joystick delivered exactly what it supposed to do, enable players to get into action armed with the stick and the single red button ready to be pressed any time. The joystick was nicely shaped and sized to allow gamers to hold the joystick at ease. The red button is placed at the corner to allow the usage of thumb efficiently. Playing River Raid was fun with this controller even though you could use a Mega Drive controller in Atari 2600. You could also use the Atari controller on Sega Master System or Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (just you have to make sure there are games with one button action functionality). The Atari joystick remained popular for at least 6-7 years, when the Atari 2600 was dominant in the market.

 

4. Nintendo 64

 

 

When you look at the Nintendo 64 controller, you may wonder what kind of weird shape is that. Yes, this is how this controller is suited to play every Nintendo 64 games at ease. Although I never owned Nintendo 64, I used to play a lot in my friend’s dorm. When you first learn how to hold and handle this controller to play games like Super Smash Bros or Perfect Dark, you would totally fall for the fact how effectively this joystick has been designed. Playing Super Smash Brothers was more fun in Nintendo 64 then in Gamecube, simply because of its controls. I seriously did not like the Gamecube controller. For playing First person shooter games, this control is right for you. Why? Because with your right hand you can move your view with the analog stick at the middle while shoot your guns at ease, due to the presence of a trigger button at the bottom of the analog stick. Its like you are holding a gun.

 

3. Super Nintendo

 

 

Super Nintendo control kept a lot of details right what the Genesis controller did not. The design and size of the controller was just about perfect for many gamers while the Genesis controller was little bulky. It was very comfortable to hold. The introduction of the two trigger buttons at the top clearly left Sega wondering what big mistake they just made by adding all 6 buttons to its controller. The biggest advantage of using the SNES controller can be found while playing any fighting games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, where pressing multiple buttons really mattered. Also changing gears in racing games was a breeze with this controller. The presence of top buttons enabled gamers to shift swiftly from one button to another at ease with little movement. The whole controller had some childish look and reminded us that we hold this controller during childhood days. The buttons were multicolored too for childish feeling. Super Nintendo controller had set up an inspiration for so many controllers to come.

 

2. Sony Playstation DualShock

 

 

This control was a reason why PS1, PS2 and even PS3 became so popular. The DualShock was an innovation. It introduced an eye catching ergonomics which was very comfortable for gamers to hold. The introduction of the two analog joysticks in the middle provided ease to the gamers, especially when steering cars in Gran Turismo, and also provided versatility in movement. Some people did not even bother to use the D-pad (like me) when moving. Playing FPS games with this controller was also easy with this controller, particularly due to the presence of the sticks and the trigger buttons at the top. The four trigger buttons at the top was a very neat idea since it would allow gamers to use their index and middle fingers effectively. The rumble feature is the reason why the controller got its name. The rumble triggered vibrations during scenarios like when crashing a car, thus giving a gamer a feeling that they are in the game. The DualShock was so popular that even the Boomerang or the Sixaxis controller of the PS3 failed to impress the gamers, who wanted to have the DualShock in PS3.

 

1. Microsoft Xbox 360

 

 

Why this? The simple reason is that the controller boasts a complete perfect package. It has the right size, shape and ergonomics inspired from the DualShock. It also has the rumble feature. The presence of analog stick on the left while keeping D-pad on the middle left allowed gamers to have greater access to the movement control with serious versatility. Playing FPS games with this control was even better than playing with the DualShock controller. The gun trigger-like buttons at the top, inspired from N64 middle trigger button, was a very good idea. This allowed gamers to shoot at the intensity they want to have according to how deep they press the trigger buttons. Similarly when playing Forza, you can control how much you should accelerate your car, by holding the trigger buttons at correct depth, just like what car-drivers do when they accelerate using the foot pedal. Not to mention, the controller is wireless and also has an input to put headphone jack so you can use your headphone to interact verbally. Also it also provided a port to add a small keyboard for adding text (for chatting in MSN or for interacting with people who has no microphone).