Best Video Game Controllers

This is a list of my top 5 video game controllers of all time. I will be basing my choices on how I would perceive them at the time. This sounds kind of confusing, but I'll explain when it applies.

#5. NES Controller
The main reason for this controller being so amazing was the departure from the giant joysticks. This is what I mean by "perceive them at the time". The D-Pad was such a great improvement and made things incredibly simple. Instead of using your whole right hand to use a wooden stick with a plastic ball on the end, all you needed was your thumb. This is one of the things that made the NES way more accesible. The thing that holds this controller from greatness is the sturdyness of the buttons, if sturdyness is the right word. The buttons were a little weird to push.

#4. PS2 (Dual Shock 2) Controller
This is a great layout for games that require a lot of buttons. In the sixth generation of home consoles, there were three consoles: GameCube, PS2, and Xbox. If all the controllers were people, the GameCube and Xbox controllers would be normal weight, and the Xbox controller would be the Fat Albert of the bunch. Anyway, I am not impressed if there are a lot of buttons on a controller. However, the PS2 controller makes it all work. It's also the most durable controller other than Fat Albert. Now, my hands are rather tiny, and this controller makes it too difficult to do two things. First, it's too hard to reach and use the two analog sticks with ease. Second, your four main buttons are arranged in such a way that there isn't really an "all-purpose" button. I know that the X Button is the "all-purpose button", but it's not in a comfortable-enough position to be that.

#3. Sega Genesis 6-Button Controller
The NES's direct competitor the Sega Genesis went the same direction as Nintendo with the D-Pad. However, Sega makes the buttons on this controller so easy to press and so accessible that it beats the NES controller out of the water.

#2. Nintendo 64 Controller
The best controller for a first person shooter ever. This controller poignantly gives you the feeling that you are holding an actual gun. This is one of the reasons why shooters like Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark are the most critically acclaimed shooters of all time. The Z-Button (the first trigger on a main controller) is also the button used for Z-Targeting in The Legend of Zelda games and many games that force you to adjust the camera (Super Mario 64). The only thing that separates this controller from the top spot is that the controller is just a hair too big to reach the shoulder buttons. Now, there is a bit of negativity about the accesibility of the D-Pad. While this controller would be designed for "3-handed people", there really is never a need for the control pad when you are using the thumbstick and there really is never a need for the thumbstick when you are using the control pad.

#1. GameCube Controller
The two most important things to look for in a controller are functionality and accessibility. Now, most controllers are functional, so the great controllers are the ones that are also accessible. The GameCube controller is the single-most comfortable controller to use. The thumbsticks are amazing and the A, B, X, and Y buttons are more comfortable to use than the PS2 controller. You'll find that if you play a multiplatform game like Mortal Kombat on both these games, they use the same buttons. The key difference between A, B, X, and Y on the Gamecube and the four buttons on the PS2 is that on the Gamecube all you have to do is rotate your thumb to the correct position for the button. For the PS2, you have to physically move your finger to the right button, which takes more time and energy. The only miniscule gripe about this controller is the size of the D-Pad, although you rarely use it anyway.

Worst Controllers
Xbox, Dreamcast (Fatter Albert), Jaguar, Intellivision

December NPD Numbers

Here are December's NPD Numbers for hardware and software sales:

Hardware
1. Nintendo DS- 3,040,000 sold
2. Wii- 2,150,000 sold
3. Xbox 360- 1,440,000 sold
4. PSP- 1,020,000 sold
5. PS3- 726,000 sold
6. PS2- 410,000 sold

Source

A few things to mention about this. First, Nintendo DS sold about 3 million consoles. This is making me less and less confident on an earlier DSi release... Now, the PS2 previously held the record for most consoles sold in a month at about 2.5 million consoles sold. While this may seem to be a big deal, I wouldn't be too shocked by it. First, I think handhelds are usually on a different wavelength than home consoles, so maybe it should not be counted. However, not even the GBA amassed this number of sales in one month, so maybe it is that big of a deal. Another thing to mention is the fact that the Xbox 360 sold twice as many consoles than the PS3. When you look further down this post you'll see the software sales are not looking good for Sony. Even at its current selling price, the PS3 still loses Sony a bit of money. Luckily, the PSP and PS2 are selling quite a bit to somewhat makeup for the PS3 losses.

Software
1. Wii Play- 1,460,000
2. Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360)- 1,330,000
3. Wii Fit- 999,000
4. Mario Kart Wii- 979,000
5. Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii) - 850,000
6. Gears of War 2- 745,000
7. Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) - 629,000
8. Mario Kart DS- 540,000
9. Call of Duty: World At War (PS3) - 533,000
10. Animal Crossing City Folk- 497,000

Source

Last month, Microsoft held the top 2 spots with Gears of War 2 and Call of Duty: World at War. It makes some sense to discard Wii Play since it is bundled with a controller, and all Wii owners need more Wii Remotes, right? Anyway, Resistance 2 did not break the top 10 this time, and it will eventually trickle to a million sold. All in all, though, December was dominated by Wii, more than November even.

"Too many crappy games on Wii"

Yesterday, 2K boss Christoph Hartmann said that the Wii market is filled with "too many poor Wii games". This is a very sensible opinion on his part. Since there are many games on the market, it is very difficult to stand out unless you are a well-known developer like Nintendo or Ubisoft. Now, this affects the developers and retailers more than the consumers though all could possibly be hurt by this. The retailers get hurt because most of the Wii games they have do not sell well, so they are not sure which games to sell. This is bad for consumers because, well, we already see that there are less good games to buy. In a nutshell, developers need to make less crappy titles to compete against the good titles to make the good titles shine. This will give developers nearly the same amount of money, retailers more money, and consumers a better Wii library to choose from.

Source

DSi Release Date Rumored

IGN has reported that the North American release date for the DSi is April 4, 2009. For those that don't know, DSi is an enhanced version of the already enhanced DS Lite. A few things that are different from DSi and DS Lite:

• DSi is smaller and thinner, yet the screens are bigger. There is no GBA slot.
• DSi functions as a second-rate camera and MP3 player.
• There is a Shop Channel comparable to that of the Wii Shop Channel.
• DSi costs $179.99, as opposed to the DS Lite's $129.99 price tag.

Now, the DSi released in Japan already, because the momentum with DS Lite had stopped in Japan. That is the main reason why Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime stated that it wouldn't launch in the Americas because the DS Lite still has momentum. Yet, Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata described a need for DSi in the Americas. Most assumed it would hit the Americas in the fall-"ish" time. Personally, I would love to get the DSi, mainly because I have the original DS. Thoughts?

Source

Nyko unveils Wand Wii Remote

Gosh! I'm always late with these comments, but here I go. At CES, Nyko unveiled the Wand Wii Remote.

Source and image at Engadget

Now, this was not big news for gamers as CES is for more things than gaming: TV's, MP3 Players, etc. Anyway, I think the Wand Wii Remote looks kind of ugly. Shoot me now, 'cause I think that may have been somewhat offensive. I always believed in "less is more", but the LED battery indicator's pretty cool.