Topic: Wii U - e3 is over... now what?

[Adrock]

I bought a Wii U Pro Controller yesterday using mostly trade credit so I can play ZombiU multiplayer with my brother. I haven't used it in a game yet, but it feels good in my hands. I prefer the right analog stick above the face buttons. More importantly, the shoulder/trigger placement is much better than the GamePad. They're aligned on the Pro Controller while ZL/ZR are lower on the GamePad. The former is much more comfortable.

[tendoboy1984]

Does it really feel like an Xbox 360 controller? That's one of the most comfortable controllers that I've ever used.

[Adrock]

I'm not the best person to asked that question. My brother had a 360, but I, personally, only played Gears of War 1 and 2 to completion, the latter being the last time I put significant time into playing a 360 game so I'm not terribly familiar with the controller. From what I remember, I liked the 360 controller though I often accidentally slipped off the face buttons and hit the ginormous menu button which isn't a problem on the Pro Controller. I like analog triggers so I wish the Pro Controller had them.

The Pro Controller annihilates the Dual Shock 3. It's not even close.

[MrPhishfood]

It feels like a 360 controller but lighter and the analog sticks offer less resistance.

EDIT: Also the D-Pad is superior on the Wii U gamepad and the pro controller. I don't know about the new transforming 360 d-pad but I know its better than the old 360 controllers. On the old 360 controllers when you tried to press down you some often hit the diagonals or worse the game recognized it as left/right.

[tendoboy1984]

What's with all the DualShock hate? Sony has been using the same controller design for the past 15 years; the DualShock set the standard for modern controllers. I love how symmetrical the controller is, I love the D-pad, I love the little hand grips, I love the overall simplicity of it's design.

[BranDonk Kong]

The analog sticks right next to each other is stupid, especially the left one. It's the main control, it should take the main position like Wii U and Xbox 360.

[MagicCow64]

Dual Shock is also awful for a lot of people with big hands, myself included. If I use one for more than twenty minutes I start getting weird cramps.

[Adrock]

What's with all the DualShock hate? Sony has been using the same controller design for the past 15 years; the DualShock set the standard for modern controllers. I love how symmetrical the controller is, I love the D-pad, I love the little hand grips, I love the overall simplicity of it's design.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. However, the reasons you listed (besides the simplicity of the design) are the exact reasons why people dislike the Dual Shock.

[tendoboy1984]

To be fair to Sony, the DualShock has a much better D-pad than anything Microsoft designed.

[BranDonk Kong]

Yes, but that's where the good things end, and you only need a good D-Pad for fighting games anyway.

[Adrock]

I don't know why Microsoft and Sony haven't been able to match or even come close to Nintendo on the D-Pad (though, I agree, Sony's is better than Microsoft's). I was thinking maybe patents, but the Dreamcast's D-Pad is a cross so I have no idea.

I think the only Nintendo D-Pad I wasn't terribly fond of was the GameCube one because it was stiff and small (insert TWSS joke here if you must). The one on the Pro Controller might be my favorite since the SNES controller. Taunting in Smash Bros. will be quite comfortable.

[nickmitch]

I thought the elevated D-pad that kind of clicks up on the newer 360 controllers was pretty nice. I've tried one out, and seemed to fix a lot of issues I was having with it. Still not the best, but definitely a step up.

[MegaByte]

To be fair to Sony, the DualShock has a much better D-pad than anything Microsoft designed.

To be fair, that's not saying much. The separated D-pad design always was a terrible idea.

[gbuell]

John Siracusa goes on an epic, detailed anti-DualShock rant in this podcast. Definitely worth a listen for anyone interested in controllers: http://5by5.tv/hypercritical/49

[lolmonade]

What's with all the DualShock hate? Sony has been using the same controller design for the past 15 years; the DualShock set the standard for modern controllers. I love how symmetrical the controller is, I love the D-pad, I love the little hand grips, I love the overall simplicity of it's design.

I'll agree with you on this.  Sony's dualshock controllers have been my preferred control scheme since Playstation 2.  There is nothing inherently wrong with the Xbox controller, and I enjoy the Wii U Tablet immensely, but the Dualshock fits perfectly in my hands and all the buttons are spaced perfectly from each other for my preference.
 
It might just be because I have dainty 12 year-old boy hands, though.  I remember being so frustrated playing Halo 1 at my friends house with the controller as big as a gamecube.

[nickmitch]

Yeah, that original Xbox controller was a bloated mess.

[tendoboy1984]

As far as ergonomics goes, the Xbox 360 controller is the most comfortable controller I've ever used, but the DualShock has the best button layout.

[EasyCure]

360's isn't bad but most comfortable controller IMO is the Gamecubes. That thing just melds with your hand to become an extension of your body. I know people give it **** for the button layout but there were very few games that were affected by it, namely mgs:ts. Other than that, it was damn near godly amongst controllers.

[TJ Spyke]

the DualShock has the best button layout.

I disagree, and them using symbols instead of letters is stupid and makes it look childish.

[nickmitch]

360's isn't bad but most comfortable controller IMO is the Gamecubes. That thing just melds with your hand to become an extension of your body. I know people give it **** for the button layout but there were very few games that were affected by it, namely mgs:ts. Other than that, it was damn near godly amongst controllers.

I loved the button layout on the 'Cube. I thought it was pretty intuitive to use. Big green main button, smaller red secondary button, and two more to roll your thumb in to. All it really needed was a second Z-button (ZR and ZL) and bigger D-Pad and C-stick.

[MrPhishfood]

Dual-Shock stick positioning is ok for me but I loathe that it's dome shaped. My fingers tend to slip off when I'm pushing on it for an extended period. The symbols for button layout is ok by me, size is fine too.

[ShyGuy]

I liked the giant A button on the cube. I liked the idea of giving one button more prominence than the others.

[Mop it up]

The PlayStation series controller is a jack-of-all-trades deal, it's decent with most games for most people but doesn't really excel at anything. I certainly don't hate it, but for my comfort Nintendo controllers have always been the best for me.

[tendoboy1984]

The PlayStation series controller is a jack-of-all-trades deal, it's decent with most games for most people but doesn't really excel at anything.

Platformers, the D-pad's prominence is perfect for them.


Compared to the Wii's Classic Controller Pro, the DualShock has a much better feel. The Classic Controller Pro is too light, and the sticks don't have enough resistance.

[Fatty The Hutt]

I have never played with an X-Box controller of any kind but I really like the DualShock. I like the button and stick layout. I at first did not like the symbols but now, seasoned PS player that I am  , I find them very intuitive. I prefer them to letters or numbers. I like also how the controller feels in my hand.
I would say that I prefer it to the GC controller but must disclose that I only own a couple of nock-off versions. i do not have an Official Nintendo^tm GC controller. So, maybe my experience is a bit skewed. They sure look identical to me though (my knockoff GCs and the official ones, that is).