@hobbes: His beef could be with the Playstation segmented directional buttons. Not everybody likes those (my dad doesn't care much for them, actually).

I always liked how the NES Controller looked and felt. Still, it does get rather uncomfortable after a while. Personally, I prefer the redesigned NES controller(the dog-bone one).

I have a ton of beefs with the PSX controller.

• The segmented DPad is painful
• The double shoulder buttons are confusing and difficult to use during action sequences.
• The shoulder buttons are elevated above the controller, which forces you to stretch far more than competing controllers.
• The buttons are laid out like a DPad. This makes them confusing in both a visual and tactile sense. For comparison, the SNES pad grouped the buttons into two separate faces that could be found by touch. In addition, the buttons themselves were designed to feel different. (One set is rounded, the other is dimpled.)
• The grip is all wrong. The tiny handle-bars combined with the elevated shoulder buttons means that I find myself pressing inward to hold the controller rather than gently resting it on the fingers I'm not using for play.

IMHO, the Playstation controller is one of the worst modern controller designs in existence and has only gotten worse over the years. The new triggers on the PS3 further demonstrate Sony's ineptitude at controller design.

Microsoft managed to develop a damn-near perfect controller by begging, borrowing, and stealing designs, then smoothing them over. They took their lumps on the XBox, then managed to get it right the second time around. What's Sony's excuse?

(Yes, there are still several things Microsoft could do to improve that controller. For example, the lack of tactile feel on the face buttons is a problem. Even so, the controller is really well designed for such a complex control device. I don't have or want a 360, but they did good on the controller.)

For those of you who are unclear on what I'm talking about with the SNES controller, I just happen to have a picture prepared:

Yes, I've had this argument before.

@thewiirocks: The 360 controller sucks, IMO. That D-pad is craptastic (even you should agree that the "painful" Playstation D-pad is better than mushy, non-responsive 360 crap), the face buttons don't work about a quarter of the time (I get SO tired of having to press multiple times to get them to work) and have a really crappy feel to them, and the shoulder buttons feel awkward in my hand.

The Playstation controller has none of these problems for me. The D-pad is great (never had any pain from using it at all, and it's especially convienient for games that use it for an extra four buttons, since it actually pretty much is), the face buttons are responsive and placed intuitively (never had the problems you're talking about with them either), and IMO, the shoulder buttons are just fine. I LIKE the DualShock 3's L2 and R2, certainly more than LT and RT on the 360 controller.

Little sense as it may make, it seems the same things you hate about it, I love. Weird, huh?

The face buttons don't work about a quarter of the time? You must have a broken controller, because I've never had that problem with any of the systems controllers. I also have to say the LT/RT buttons on the 360 pad are far superior to the L2/R2 buttons on the PS2. Microsoft learned from the one good thing the Dreamcast pad brought and used it well.
On the negative side, the D-pad on the 360 controller isn't great, I'll agree with you on that.

@The Fox: I have considered the possibility that there's something wrong with my main 360 controller. If that's true, it just shines a light on Microsoft's crappy manufacturing, which doesn't make it look any better than a PS3 controller either.

Why did you just compare the 360 triggers to the PS2 controller? It makes more sense to compare it to the PS3 controller, yes? That one has triggers, and darned good ones at that, IMO.

Well, PS3 is what I meant. There are things both pads have over the other. The PS3 has the better d-pad, the 360 has the better feeling triggers and the better analog stick layout. The analog stick layout is more of personal taste, but I just find that it feels more natural. Bottom line? Both are good controllers.

How can a controller with just A, B, Start, Select and a directional pad be uncomfortable? It's to basic to do so.

u made a good comment

@The Fox: Trigger comfort is a matter of opinion as well, and I prefer Playstation on both counts. The one good thing I have to say for the 360 controller: It's a HUGE improvement over the original Xbox controller.

@Rensch: Just because it's simple doesn't technically mean it can't be uncomfortable if the design of the simplicity is bad. This is what was argued in the blog post we're discussing (when not being side-tracked by PS3/360 controller debates). I don't argue that the blocky design wasn't somewhat uncomfortable...I DO argue that it's not as bad as that guy said. And of course, calling the SNES controller uncomfortable is just total BS.

I'll be honest, I haven't read all of it. But, my God, from what I've read I've found amusing.
But I have to disagree, the NES controller felt comfortable (though not as comfortable as the majestic SNES controller).
And I never did have a gripe with the PSX controller, even when I was little.

For brief play periods the NES controller was fine, but do a marathon session of Ikari Warriors or Bubble Bobble and the d-pad with it's indentations will definitely be hurting your thumb after an hour of play (that's why it's called "Nintendo Thumb" people!). I preferred the TG-16 pad myself.

Of the newer pads I do enjoy the original Playstation pad, but the Classic Controller just has a more comfortable feel than any other. If it didn't have analogue shoulder buttons I'd be ecstatic, but then that's what the CC Pro is for, right?

For the old 8-bits the Atari 2600 joystick was pretty nice, though I had The Boss with the moulded grip and 2nd fire button on the top for longer play; Colecovision and Intellivision were just rubbish attempts to be different which Atari sadly aped with the abominable Atari 5200 and 7800 controllers.