Which were the best joypads ever?

mr_m0nks · Post by **mr_m0nks** » Wed May 14, 2008 4:34 pm

What do people think were the best joypads ever??

only joypads bundled with consoles count.

you can have three choices. and give reasons if you like

my own choices in no order

- NES joypad. Its just a design classic and showed you didnt need 372 buttons to play complex games.

- N64 Joypad. Only owned one of these for two weeks but the whole analog joystick was such a revelation it deserves to be here.

- X360 wireless joypad. Possibly the most ergonomic joypad ever, ok so the actual pad is a bit ropey but the rest is perfect.

argh wishing i hadnt limited myself to 3 choices now

tyranid · Post by **tyranid** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:02 pm

Japanese Saturn Pad: Best pad for SF style fighters ever

And urm.... perhaps the SNES pad

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:48 pm

I'd give my thumbs up to the classic NEC PC Engine/Turbo Grafx-16 gamepads with it's state-of-the art built-in auto-fire functionality from the get-go. You had to shell out extra cash if you wanted auto-fire option on the other classic systems such as Famicom/NES, Super Famicom/Super Nintendo, MD/Sega Genesis (the Genesis 3 came with stock controller that had built-in auto-fire option), etc.

Even the classic NEC Turbo Stick controller can be regarded as a gamepad with a joystick slapped on it (since it doesn't click to register a move like how it does with traditional console arcade joysticks do) but rather works in the same method as an NEC Turbo Pad does...

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

stuminator · Post by **stuminator** » Wed May 14, 2008 6:33 pm

You're going to see a lot of votes (including mine) going to the standard Saturn pad.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Wed May 14, 2008 6:48 pm

1. Japanese Saturn pad (digital)
2. Genesis 6-button w/ turbo
3. NeoGeo CD

Post by **spadgy** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:07 pm

Well... not one of mine is from a respectably obscure console...

NES
PS2 I'm afraid

thegreathopper · Post by **thegreathopper** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:03 pm

I would say the N64 pad has to be the best ever, trying to play Mario64, Zelda Ocorina, 1080, waverace and Mariokart 64 on any other controller just does not work.

The SNES pad comes in a close second followed by PC engine pad and NeoGeo joystick.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:24 pm

1. Saturn (japanese style)
2. Genesis 6-button (first or second (turbo) version, I like both)
3. Neo Geo joystick (old style)

neist · Post by **neist** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:46 pm

I cant speak for the systems that I did not own, but I really enjoyed the Dreamcast and SNES joypads.

Bootaaay · Post by **Bootaaay** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:48 pm

The Japanese Saturn pad is my absolute favourite - perfect shape, perfect d-pad and perfect triggers, the standard pad that shipped with the Saturn in the UK was horrid by comparison. I also really like the N64 pad and the Dreamcast pad. The 360 pad is easily the best out there for racing games and FPS's, but I hate the d-pad - the ps3 pad has a much better d-pad but suffers from idiotic analogue stick placement and poor L2 & R2 triggers.

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:57 pm

Japanese saturn pad.

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:39 pm

PCE
Saturn
PS2

nimitz · Post by **nimitz** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:42 pm

Japanese Saturn
PS2

and hmmmm, Genesis?

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:59 pm

Goongrave wrote:-Japanese Saturn...
-N64 Pad

If the PS2 pad would've got a cross like the saturn it would've been a fair match...
But with that 4way shit...

P.S. I never touched a PCE pad so I don't know...

Playing with a PCE pad is a very fine piece of gaming controller...NEC did their homework and it shows in spades. ^_~

How can one not resist the tempation of cranking up the auto-fire on such a classic PCE shmup game title like Gunhed/Blazing Lazers? You're gonna need all the artillery to bring down those pesky end-stages bosses. They can't seem to stay dead even after coming back a second time for you... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:18 am

The NES control pad is a piece of shit, and one of the worst legacies of the Nintendo brand. They should dump the cross design and go for something that doesn't kill baby gamers.

NES Advantage all the way.

The N64 pad, as much as I liked the system, is horrible for the sole reason of:

Goldeneye 64 characters mode.

I also tended to push the stick from the side - that just doesn't feel right against your thumb as you feel capillaries being shoved out of the way :shock: Unlike the Xbox joystick (and the GameCube's, for that matter), you can't put your thumb in a depression in the top of the stick to move it about. Failure.

Other than that, the Genesis pad is good, the Saturn pad, the PC-Engine controller, and I like (for analog style 3D gamez) the Xbox and PlayStation Dual Shock pads.

oxtsu · Post by **oxtsu** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:56 am

1st- Nintendo Super Famicom // perfect materials, shape, tight d-pad, light buttons, colorful

2nd- Sega Saturn white version (jpn) // d-pad is like butter, best for fighters, excellent button feeling but a little 'detached', umm.. colorful.

3rd- NEC PC Engine Shuttle // hard + tight feeling 80's style, better ergonomics, factory rapid

it290 wrote:3. Neo Geo joystick (old style)

cheater :p

KBZ · Post by **KBZ** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:57 am

iatneH wrote:1. Japanese Saturn pad (digital)
2. Genesis 6-button w/ turbo
3. NeoGeo CD

and

cools · Post by **cools** » Thu May 15, 2008 9:39 am

Kingbuzzo wrote:

SMS - by no means the best pad in the world, but absolutely 100% perfect for SMS games (which I love)

GameCube - fits perfectly in my hands, can be used for hours on end without any twinges of cramp (unless playing Freekstyle which gives cramp in minutes)

Xbox S - wins over the 360 pad for having less buttons. I can't stand using triggers with my middle fingers.

Stan · Post by **Stan** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:15 pm

Neo Geo CD pad.

soundwave · Post by **soundwave** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:27 pm

White Japan Saturn pad for me by a country mile.

Simply amazing nothing since has felt even close to it's brilliance.

Aside from that piece of gaming Nirvana for me it would be...

SNES
Megadrive
PC Engine

Hewitson · Post by **Hewitson** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:13 pm

[/img]

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:25 pm

Hewitson wrote:[/img]

Yep, that's the controller that came shipped with a Majesco produced Sega Genesis 3 console -- has the usual auto-fire functionality built-in from the get-go as well & the D-pad is very responsive to the touch... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Thu May 15, 2008 5:38 pm

I have two Genesis 3s (one in the box) and that doesn't look familiar to me. Could always have misplaced it, I suppose.

Post by **undamned** » Thu May 15, 2008 5:53 pm

Ed Oscuro wrote:I have two Genesis 3s (one in the box)

Ha! Me too!

-ud

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:35 pm

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
Hewitson wrote:[/img]
Yep, that's the controller that came shipped with a Majesco produced Sega Genesis 3 console -- has the usual auto-fire functionality built-in from the get-go as well & the D-pad is very responsive to the touch... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

I dunno. I think the Majesco controller feels a lot cheaper and the d-pad and butttons are nowhere near as good.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:55 pm

it290 wrote:1. Saturn (japanese style)
2. Genesis 6-button (first or second (turbo) version, I like both)
3. Neo Geo joystick (old style)

ED-057 · Post by **ED-057** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:15 am

It depends on the particular game and how many buttons are needed for the action. For shmups I think the oldschool rectangular NES controllers are a good deal. I like to hold the controller a little different than most people so the new-fangled contoured sides on later controllers don't do much for me. But then on a game like Megaman X, the SNES controller is a big improvement because it has the R button, which I always configure as Dash, so I can easily dash, jump, and fire simultaneously. Genesis six button controllers are pretty good, especially for fighters or anything that benefits from the six-button layout, but lack the R button (although I have a doodad called "Power Plug" which connects between the console and the controller and would let you re-map the Mode button! among other things...). (BTW, I generally avoid having to use the L button as I have a hard time with those.) I would say the Saturn has the best-of-all-worlds choice.

Recently I got Virtual On for DC, but since I already was use to the Saturn version, I couldn't over the controls being different (mainly having the triggers on the back). I played for 3-4 hours and still I was hardly better than button-mashing. Have to try it with the twin sticks sometime I guess.

Patmaster · Post by **Patmaster** » Fri May 16, 2008 7:01 am

- PC Engine Duo-RX Pad (best retro and has already 6 buttons!!!)
- Sega Saturn jap. V2 Pad (best for 2D)
- XBOX360 wireless Pad (best for 3D and racing)

for sure...

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Fri May 16, 2008 3:44 pm

Patmaster wrote:- PC Engine Duo-RX Pad (best retro and has already 6 buttons!!!)

for sure...

The PCE Duo RX pad is similar to the earlier NEC produced Avenue Pad 6 controller with built-in auto-fire adjustability + slow-motion functionality as well... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Fri May 16, 2008 4:25 pm

I'd say the Arcade Pad 6 (AKA the RX controller) feels a lot more solid than the Avenue Pad 6 (and I'll take comprehensive turbo over slow mo). PC-FX pad is also just the Arcade Pad 6 without autofire. Although since the PC-FX switches allow autofire in the only game that needs them, Zeroigar, I guess it's essentially identical.

shmups.system11.org

Which were the best joypads ever?

Which were the best joypads ever?

Sticks.

Re: Which were the best joypads ever?