Saturday, April 9, 2011

Controller Design

Someone brought up the horrible design of the Nintendo 64 controller and I had to laugh. As a Kid I always used to hold the two outer grips and extend my thumb over the gap to use the joystick. I realize now that that is horribly wrong and I wonder how I ever hit the Z button.

I'm not talking purly about game systems, because there are a load of things that have fallen pray to horrible controller design, TVs, DVD players. How many of you have 20 remotes for every single thing hooked up.. because I know I always have to explain to whoever comes over to only use the black controller or you'll mess up the sound system.

I like this controller design for the original ps3 controller, to quote the Angry Video Game Nerd, "What were they thinking?" This doesn't even look comfortable. Never mind playing a game of COD on it! It reminds me of the original XBOX controllers actually. Look at this mess, I only knew one friend with hands big enough to even fit this controller, and that was a big reason I put off buying an XBOX in the first place. It wasn't untill they released the slim controllers that I even considered picking up the system.

I had an awesome XBOX too, it was the Halo edition, and it was bright green and you could see the organs and the controller said Halo instead of XBOX. It was the coolest system ever. It's got a tragic story though, my cousin tripped on the power strip and when it jerked out of the wall it blew a fuse. I sent it back to Microsoft, but instead I got back the plain Black Box that everyone had, and I was sad.


So what type of controllers have you seen/had to experience that were just horrible? Or what complicated multi-controller system have you messed up/have had friends/family mess up?

34 comments:

  1. To be honest, I hate to PS3 controllers as they are now. They really, really aren't that comfortable. But that design looks hilarious, did they seriously think people would want that?! lol

    Following :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. That first controller would make me so angry to no end

    ReplyDelete
  3. Early xbox controllers :(. Nasty. Xbox 360 greatly improved them. Following!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I completely forgot how bulky those silly XBOX controllers were. Good thing they learned from their mistakes, I love the 360 model.

    ReplyDelete
  5. cool controller design concept, thanks for posting!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I loved the feel of the N64 controller. It was so unique and ahead of its time.

    ReplyDelete
  7. aaaah i miss the N64 controllers... good memories hahaha

    ReplyDelete
  8. You could drop an original Xbox controller in a burlap sack and murder someone with it...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Original xbox controllers were horrible, same wth the ps3 designs

    ReplyDelete
  10. I LOVE the oldschool PS controller, it's great, I had firm grip on it, and could reach all the buttons with no problem.
    I also had the XBOX back in the time, and it's controller was just horrible, it was so clunky and uncomfortable :<

    p.s. the PS3 design is making me laugh :D playing on a banana could be fun! haha

    ReplyDelete
  11. DS3>DS2>Xbox>360

    Just my opinion though, 1+ follower.

    ReplyDelete
  12. still a dreamcast troller fan..

    ReplyDelete
  13. you know, you've got a point. the n64 controller has always confused me even though i'm used to it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Haha wow, what bad design back then. It sure was different for the time though!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think that prototype PS3 controller looks like a boomerang

    ReplyDelete
  16. The original xbox controller was a monstrosity. So obscenely large.

    ReplyDelete
  17. the design of the original ps3 controller would have been ideal.

    ReplyDelete
  18. i hate these modern controllers. they get all slippery and slide all over the place if u play more than an hour. thank god the 360 had rubber grips on the handles

    ReplyDelete
  19. when i first used a ps3 controller i was like

    WHAT, but since then i have gotten used to it but i still love the xbox360's design

    Followed because YOU TALK ABOUT VIDEOGAMES :D

    ReplyDelete
  20. ughh the first xbox control was so big 360is much better

    ReplyDelete
  21. PS3 controller or get out. I have a 360 for computer games but it still feels weird. Only complaint is that as a kid X always felt like it should be cancel and circle confirm, but by the time I forgot that freaking Metal Gear Solid pulled that crap. Took me like 10 min to make it past the title screen.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Xbox is my favorite controller.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I still prefer the Playstation controllers, I love how the PS3 controllers charge via usb!

    ReplyDelete
  24. PS1/2 controllers are my favourites
    I tried SSBM on Nintendo Wii recently, my god the controller is so uncomfortable when you hold it horizontally

    ReplyDelete
  25. xbox 360 gamer here, in my opinion the xbox is in style and usage superior to other consoles

    ReplyDelete
  26. I have the clear green halo edition too! It's sitting next to me right now :D

    ReplyDelete
  27. Ugh I remember those fat xbox controllers.. Oh how much hate I had for them. Had like 3 friends who swore by the design.

    ReplyDelete
  28. @DW: "still a dreamcast troller fan.. "

    I saw this post and remembered about my friends dreamcast when he first got it. I absolutely hated the controller, it was so friggin big!

    ReplyDelete
  29. i sincerely think that the xbox controllers are the best

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh man, the old x-box controllers and n64 controllers were almost impossible to play with

    ReplyDelete
  31. whoa, I've never seen the first controller o.O but I agree with jakyboy, PC gaming is much better for me

    ReplyDelete
  32. Xbox control always bothers me, but you deal with it over time.

    ReplyDelete