Controller Freak: Setting the Standard in the 6th Generation

kevco33 · 2022-07-20T10:06:30Z

The 6th generation of gaming arguably set the standard for the modern controller, but which console had the best?

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SinisterMister1402d ago

What in the world is that?

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kevco331401d ago

Tell me you're not over 30 without telling me you're not over 30. ;)

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SinisterMister1401d ago

Ha! Nice one.

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Venoxn4g1401d ago

This is Wavebird Gamecube Controller. In my opinion it is one of the most comfortable controllers I have ever played.. such great memories

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lellkay1401d ago (Edited 1401d ago )

Gamecube the most overated controller ever. Saying that, PS2 and the original Xbox Duke weren't good either.

So thankful for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Dual Shock 4 and Dual Sense for being quality controllers. Switch pro is really good to.

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whitbyfox1401d ago (Edited 1401d ago )

Gamecube controller has to be the most comfortable controller of all time.
Like Nintendo had a big lump of clay, squeezed it with both hands and made the mould from that.

It’s a shame that the d-pad was rubbish.

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masterfox1401d ago

aaw the gamecube controller, one of the worst game controller that existed, and then the Wii controller was out another monstrosity for gaming and annoyance for game developers, and finally Wii U controller, think Im joking?, Nintendo had to release a proper controller months later cause of those things, seriously for each one of them lol, I remember in an article that developers hated the Wii controller cause their limit their game development severely, but Nintendo was forcing them to developed their games for that monstrosity.

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Einhander19711401d ago

Game cube controller is definitely one of the best controllers ever.

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Profchaos1401d ago (Edited 1401d ago )

Controllers were good on all the systems in the 6th gen. In fact this is my golden era and personal favourite era of gaming.
I wish Nintendo just game to the DVD party during the 6th gen while ps2 and xbox could hold 4.7gb single layer and had the option of duel layer the gamecube was capped out at 1.46gb which meant devs had to lose half their games features, music and dialogue or ignore the console entirely shich is a shame because it was actually really good.

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RGB1401d ago

I had one, for an NGC controller, it was great, and the only standard it set was a good wireless connectivity.

The original DualShock overall was a better controller; 2 proper shoulder buttons (standard it set), 2 proper analog sticks (standard it set), face buttons in a uniform configuration (standard it set), rumble on either side of the controller (standard it set) - doing so in the 90s, every major controller still uses these principals almost 25 years later.

SIXAXIS/DualShock 3 added an internal battery too, something Xbox still doesn't have, does Duracell have a $2 trillion company by the b*lls?

To be honest, every PlayStation controller has added a new standard that others have copied, and it wouldn't surprise me if the next Xbox controller copies Haptic Feedback/Adaptive Triggers.

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septemberindecember1401d ago (Edited 1401d ago )

The SNES had four facebuttons in a uniform configuration before the PS1

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RGB1400d ago

Not really, because if it was standardised, N64 would have kept it (it didn't), and then NGC after (it didn't), then Wii after that (nope again) - Every PlayStation/Xbox pad uses the principles of the Dualshock, the only difference is analog being Asymmetrical on Xbox.

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septemberindecember1400d ago (Edited 1400d ago )

@RGB

I'm not sure what you mean about "not really". The SNES had the four face buttons in a uniform configuration. When Sony was creating the PlayStation controller they built up from the SNES pad (in part because the original PlayStation was an SNES add-on). Originally they just added two shoulder buttons but realized that handles were necessary due to the weight shift.

N64 didn't use the same configuration because they wanted the C buttons to work as camera buttons while still having separate action buttons. It still used a uniform four face buttons, but had two additional action buttons for jumping and attacking (as it was made for Mario 64).

Nintendo may not have kept the exact same form factor for each one of their controllers, but that didn't mean they weren't a trend setter. Similarly, Sony created the Eye Toy, but didn't really market it for the PS3...yet I'd still say that was the basic influence for what became the Kinect despite many feeling Nintendo set the direction.

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RGB1397d ago

It wasn't, none of the consoles after SNES by Nintendo or rival consoles used much of anything SNES had. PlayStation is the only company that has had a standard for their whole entire run, and now everyone uses their standard, even PC/Streaming platforms like Steam with Steam Deck and Stadia.

The actual original PlayStation prototype was more akin to a Sega controller, it has 6 buttons, + & - to the left [] and O, O was at the bottom, X was to the right. And it only featured 1 shoulder button per side.

"It still used a uniform four face buttons, but had two additional action buttons for jumping and attacking (as it was made for Mario 64)." That is a nonsense, it didn't have 4 face buttons, you even contradicted yourself with this statement. Most games didn't use the c buttons at all for actions, as you eluded too, they were to pivot the camera during gameplay. N64 didn't have it, nor did NGC.

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whitbyfox1400d ago (Edited 1400d ago )

Sony copied d-pad, rumble, four face button, shoulder buttons, start/select, motion controls and haptic feedback (hd rumble) from Nintendo.

Nice try.

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RGB1397d ago

Sony controller 1sts;
Dual Analog, Dual Rumble, 4 Shoulder Buttons, Click-in Analog Buttons, 4 button d-pad, Built-in Battery, Standardised Charge Port (not charging consumers for custom cables), Touch-Pad, Share Button, Built-in Mic, Haptic Feedback (far more advanced than HD rumble, not remotely close), Adaptive Triggers.

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septemberindecember1397d ago (Edited 1397d ago )

"It wasn't, none of the consoles after SNES by Nintendo or rival consoles used much of anything SNES had. PlayStation is the only company that has had a standard for their whole entire run,"

Dude, literally the PlayStation took almost everything about it from the SNES aside from two additional bumpers and some handles. Which, again the handles were created because the addition of two bumpers messing with the weight.

There is very little similarity to a Genesis pad. Genesis didn't have a select button or bumpers and it had six face buttons in a non uniform design. SNES pad has four face buttons like PlayStation, start and select like PlayStation, and bumpers like PlayStation.

You probably can't admit it because of fanboyism, but the fact that there are such similarities and PlayStation even started as a SNES product should indicate where they started. It's well documented.

Also, I didn't contradict myself. It HAS four face buttons in a uniform design with an additional two buttons. It just doesn't ONLY have four face buttons, which is the issue. The C buttons are literally uniform

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RGB1397d ago

You decided to ignore what I said... The prototype PS controller was a Genesis clone, not the SNES controller (likely for legal reasons).

Every modern-day controller literally is a carbon copy of the DualShock released in 1997, you can't say that about any other controller. Nintendo keeps trying their own thing, yet their "pro" controllers are DualShock clones. Xbox tried to be an upgraded Dreamcast controller... Then they just copied Sony. Stadia... Dualshock.

It isn't 4 face buttons, it's 2 with 4 directional C buttons, which no other company has used since...

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septemberindecember1397d ago (Edited 1397d ago )

"Dual Analog, Dual Rumble, 4 Shoulder Buttons, Click-in Analog Buttons, 4 button d-pad, Built-in Battery, Standardised Charge Port (not charging consumers for custom cables), Touch-Pad, Share Button, Built-in Mic, Haptic Feedback (far more advanced than HD rumble, not remotely close), Adaptive Triggers."

Touch pad was on the Wii U first with it's touch screen. Wii U also had a microphone first. HD rumble is literally the same as the haptic feedback, they use very similar LRA tech. Half of what you put down are just duplicates of what Nintendo was doing before them (analog, shoulder buttons, rumble).

Like, I don't see the point of what you're trying to do.

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RGB1397d ago

Vita came out before WiiU with that logic, had a multi-touch track-pad and a multi-touch screen.

HD Rumble is nothing like Haptic Feedback, not even remotely close, I suggest you watch NeiltendoPower's review video since you think they are "similar", as he puts it, "HD Rumble is like 8-bit and Haptic Feedback is 16-bit, a generational leap in quality".

"just duplicates" no, by that logic, everything Nintendo did was duplicates of Atari.
Dual Rumble is a standard, just Sony keeps doing it better than anyone.
Dual Analog is the standard, Nintendo kept with 1 Analog until Switch FFS.
L3/R3 wasn't a thing on Nintendo until Switch too. Xbox copied Sony by 360.

"Wii U also had a microphone first." and almost every game disabled it, and so much so Nintendo abandoned it for Switch, needing a 2nd device to play online games and chat.

Nintendo charged people a pak to get rumble, and you couldn't rumble and save at the same time.

Every innovation Sony has introduced has survived the test of time (including SIXAXIS), and everyone copies their layout, that isn't a matter of opinion or debate, that's reality.

Name one feature Nintendo has introduced since the d-pad that every controller from every platform holder uses, a "standardised" feature.

The point is, the article claims the NGC controller, specifically the Wavebird was the birth of the modern game controller, that is utter nonsense because the Switch joy-cons nor the Pro controller share anything with the NGC controller, the Pro controller is literally a DualShock on PS1 (including digital triggers LOL), in some respects, it's worse than the NGC controller.

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septemberindecember1397d ago (Edited 1397d ago )

The earliest prototype of a Playstation controller is LITERALLY an SNES gamepad with "Sony Playstation" on it. After that they then went with a controller that had the same rounded edges as an SNES gamepad, but they made the face buttons staggered and removed the select button. Then they made the face buttons symmetrical again and added two slightly staggered additional action buttons (like the N64 pad). Eventually they made their way to the controller we received, with four face buttons like the SNES, a start and select button, a dpad, and four shoulder buttons (as opposed to two on the SNES).

Yes, the Vita was before the Wii U. The DS was well before that (and had a touch screen and microphone). I don't see your point here. Yes, Sony doubled up on the rumble, analog and four shoulder buttons...but these were things Nintendo already had available on their console before Sony and Sony literally doubled what Nintendo had and put it into their controller. That's what I mean by duplication.

"Name one feature Nintendo has introduced since the d-pad that every controller from every platform holder uses"

Four face buttons was introduced by Nintendo with the SNES. Nintendo implemented the analog stick before any of its competitors. Shoulder buttons are still on every controller to this day. The N64 implemented rumble before its competitors (though this has since advanced into better haptic feedback through the use of LRA's).

Then there are some things that they've implemented that only Sony have used, such as the use of LRA's for haptic feedback, microphone built into the controller, speaker functionality, touch integration. Nintendo was also first to integrate a headphone jack into their controller, though admittedly they don't use this in their pro controllers.

You keep arguing about HD Rumble not being anything like Sony's own haptic feedback integration, but what you're actually arguing is that Sony's implementation is better...which is true. However, the suggestion that Sony should get credit because their implementation is better is as ridiculous as saying MS should get credit for camera based motion controls because the Kinect was better than the Eye Toy.

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RGB1396d ago (Edited 1396d ago )

PlayStation controller only was similar to SNES at 1st because it was a SNES add-on, their 1st official in-house prototype was a SEGA Genesis clone, not a SNES clone, they likely went back to SNES' look because Nintendo had no ground to sue them.

"but these were things Nintendo already had available on their console" - One of everything isn't a standard, never was - Nintendo only kept to this for 4 gens, once DualShock arrived, everyone other than Nintendo has copied Sony's controller since to an exact design bluepoint (including Nintendo now) besides Analog alignment.

"Nintendo implemented the analog stick before any of its competitors." Utter nonsense, several systems had one before Nintendo, Nintendo was "one of the 1st", not THE 1st. PlayStation even had an Analog stick controller, "PlayStation Analog Joysticks" before N64 even launched. Nintendo wasn't even the 4th company to incorporate one. SEGA, PlayStation, Neo Geo CD, and Atari 5200 beat them to market.

N64 rumble was an add-on, not a standard, it cost money to have, every PlayStation released after 1997 came boxed with DualShock, Nintendo didn't give the Rumble Pak for free. And again, you couldn't hotswap Rumble and Controller Paks for years, it wasn't designed for it from the ground up, it was released to combat what was on the horizon, swapping could and usually would corrupt the Controller Pak until late in the gen when Nintendo helped devs include "HotSwap Screens", rarely used.

"Name one feature Nintendo has introduced since the d-pad that every controller from every platform holder uses"

"4 face buttons"... So, something 32 years old... Again, Standards are what everyone uses, copies completely, that's what "standardised" means, Nintendo hasn't done anything like that for over 30 years now. A brand new gaming control feature at every single company uses.

The leap from HD Rumble to Haptic Feedback is the same if not more from Rumble to HD Rumble, and that's not even my statement, that's from a Nintendo YouTuber. DualSense is just vastly more realistic, and detailed, has more actuators to offer better accuracy, and linked with the Adaptive Triggers, you're getting something everyone will 100% copy, Xbox already put on a survey asking their fans should they clone it.

Kinect didn't offer a generational leap over EyeToy/PlayStation Eye. It was a higher resolution camera but the games played very similarly, it wasn't like Wii offering something new, it isn't the same comparison from HD Rumble to Haptic Feedback, not remotely close, 9/10 Switch games don't even develop for HD Rumble, over 200 PS5 games used every DualSense feature and that's in just 20 months since release.

The point of the article was the NGC controller was the birth of the modern-day gaming controller, this couldn't be further from the truth, a controller nearly 5 years older than it is the benchmark everyone uses even to this day.

Nintendo innovates a controller for themselves, and then when they want the 3rd party games, they clone a DualShock, and soon they'll clone a DualSense.

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