IGN's 10 Worst Controllers of All Time

[Melf]

Sigh, another reason why they're worthless (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html)

I agree with the Jaguar controller being #1, but the Xbox fatboy at #2? Please, that controller is hardly bad, and it's much better than most of the other crap on that list. Moreover, where the hell is the N64 pad? :bull:

[Genesis Knight]

The N64 controller was great...what are you talking about?

[Joe Redifer]

Where is the 3DO controller? The thing had next to no diagonals! I really don't think third party controllers like the Turbo Touch should be on there because there are just too many bad ones. Only controllers that came with a system should be eligible.

[Melf]

The N64 controller was great...what are you talking about?

The lame D pad, tiny little yellow buttons, and the cheapest analog stick ever should put it near the top of that list.

[Genesis Knight]

Yeah, but I loved the tri-pylons.

[j_factor]

I don't like how they lumped together standard controllers and "special" controllers. If you're going to include all the weird side controllers, where the hell is that suck & blow NES thing?

And Xbox at #2 is lame. That controller did suck, but it's at least somewhat functional, unlike the CD-i controller.

[Russman]

Thats the dumbest list I've ever seen. Melf I can't believe you agree with the Jag controller at #1 worst of all time? Have you really used it? Personally I like the controller, it's a Genesis pad with big grips and a keypad. It's fairly comfortable, and Atari deserves some credit for producing the first ergonomic design in the industry.

The guy who wrote this article is a flippin idiot....yeah, the Jaguar controller is WORSE than the U-force or the powerglove?. I would say that he thinks the Jag controller is the worst only because he hates the Jaguar system, not because he has any experience with the controller itself. The fact that the 3d0 isn't mentioned, or the Odyssey 2, or a multitude of other heinous designs just says this guy's a hack.

[Zebbe]

I really don't understand why the Jag was number one. But was there any game that used all of its 22 buttons?

[Drixxel]

Doom and Iron Soldier come close. .. but the Jaguar controller has 17 buttons, 18 if you include the d-pad.

My main complaint with the Jag controller is just the flimsy feel of it. Both of my controllers creak and groan with simple d-pad use. The d-pad itself is a little imprecise and the telephone keypad is not exactly the most intuitive control scheme, but other than that, I like it. Most certainly not the worst controller in all of gaming.

[Melf]

Thats the dumbest list I've ever seen. Melf I can't believe you agree with the Jag controller at #1 worst of all time? Have you really used it? Personally I like the controller, it's a Genesis pad with big grips and a keypad. It's fairly comfortable, and Atari deserves some credit for producing the first ergonomic design in the industry.

Of course I've used it; there's no way to play Jaguar games otherwise. :p

My problem with it is the same as in the article: Atari released a three-button pad in an age when everyone was switching to six. Moreover, what's the use of all those keypads when many games didn't even use them?

I also agree with Drixxel's assessment of their quality. They felt cheap, plain and simple. Now, while other controllers, most notable the Atari 7800 ones, were even more cheaply made, the main knock against the Jag controller is that it was obsolete upon birth. Way to think ahead Atari!

[Drixxel]

Atari did of course release a six face button Jag pad, although I've never had the opportunity to try one so I can't comment on their quality. Aside from some minor cosmetic changes, they seem to have a revamped d-pad. Anyone ever used one?

[Russman]

Of course I've used it; there's no way to play Jaguar games otherwise. :p

My problem with it is the same as in the article: Atari released a three-button pad in an age when everyone was switching to six. Moreover, what's the use of all those keypads when many games didn't even use them?

I also agree with Drixxel's assessment of their quality. They felt cheap, plain and simple. Now, while other controllers, most notable the Atari 7800 ones, were even more cheaply made, the main knock against the Jag controller is that it was obsolete upon birth. Way to think ahead Atari!

It was hardly obsolete. It was the first ergonomic controller, that's a fact which fizzles this talking point.

Having 3 main action buttons was fine for what Atari originally intended for the Jag, which was the development of their 3D software, not Street Fighter Hyper Fighting. You have to admit, the time period for the Jaguar's development was right in a spot in which I believe the game industry was unsure itself which direction to go.

I think you're a little misinformed about the keypad though. If you want to say it's awkward and difficult to use, I'm right with ya, but truly, there are plenty of games that utilized the keypad. Cybermorph the pack-in, Battlemorph, Hoverstrike, Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, AvP, I-War, and Iron Soldier 1&2.

In any regard, it's very extreme to call the Jag controller the absolute #1 worst controller of all time. It's a hell of alot more functional and comfortable to use than the frickin U-Force, Powerglove, or the ROCKER----remember that chair thing? Or what about that flying saucer shaped controller that you had to stand on? Come on it's ridiculous. I understand though, some people just hate the Jaguar so much, its like everything about it is just the worst thing ever.

[Obviously]

The Turbo Touch deserves to be there, a cousin of mine bought two of them and they were impossible to use. The Power Glove and Activator also deserve to rot in useless peripheral hell.

X-Box at number 2 though? I'm not an X-Box fan but I'm getting kind of sick of the bad press the controller gets considering I found it to be rather comfortable. If anything it's an improved version of the Dreamcast controller which is far more deserving to be on this list as much as I love my Dreamcast.

[Melf]

Yeah, I guess the Activator (lol) and the Power Glove should be ahead of it, since the Jag controller was at least functional. How anyone played with the other two, I have no idea.

You do have to admit that the Jag pad was a great example of bad timing. Exactly what percentage of the games actually used the key pad? Considering how large a part of the controller it was, you'd expect the number to be much higher than it actually is.


Having 3 main action buttons was fine for what Atari originally intended for the Jag, which was the development of their 3D software, not Street Fighter Hyper Fighting. You have to admit, the time period for the Jaguar's development was right in a spot in which I believe the game industry was unsure itself which direction to go.
That's just my point. Look at everything the pad had, and compare it to what we actually use today. NOTHING Atari included on theirs is still in use. They missed the boat in all senses, and their taking a step back in design (Intellivision, Colecovision controllers) just showed that they were more clueless than anyone else at the time. When the Jag launched, fighting games were already a major part of the industry. They went and released a controller that was the complete opposite of what you needed at the time. I guess they realized this, when they tried to generate some interest in their own fighters, but by then it was too late.

What I'm essentially saying is that the controller isn't bad itself, but was simply the worst possible option for a pack-in, given the tastes of gamers at the time.