Last week we discussed the addictive properties of the Wii. Wii fans seem to become so dependent up the system, that they now have their own repetitive motion injury, Wii Elbow. Even my own good buddy has succumbed. To what can we blame this scourge? Lack of real time exercise? Misuse of the Wii? People acting like insufferable babies when they can't hack it on the Wii Tennis or Bowling circuits? People like me know the truth. It's all about controller configuration! Join me on a trip down memory lane, as we investigate the best controllers ever.
Back in the dawn of electronic game time, a flat box dragged itself from the primordial ooze, presenting the world with PONG! It looked like this:
The Pong console was like an 8 track player on a platform. The controllers were 2 built in dials.
Not long after came the legendary Atari 2600, a classic console system that retains a hard core legion of fans to this day.
Atari had a variety of controllers that you could use for different games.
The joystick controller was the basic one for use with most games like Centipede or Space Invaders. A paddle controller was used for games like Pole Position. At this point in time, there was no indication of what was to come, either in the development of console gaming or controller design and configuration.
By the time everyone's favorite plumber came on the scene, joy sticks were synonymous with gaming. Nintendo created a new paradigm in controller design, something that it has managed to do yet again with the Wii. Nintendo's original controller for it's original console has influenced every major console developer to this day. The core concepts in controllers continue to be a combination of d pads and buttons
today often seen with the addition of analog sticks and triggers.
The PSONE
further revolutionized console gaming, in system design, graphics and game design, and of course, controller design. The original controller featured a dpad on the left and 4 buttons on the right. This was replaced with the Dual Analog and later, the groundbreaking Dual Shock controller. The Dual shock was the first controller to help draw the player further into the game by rumbling and shaking in conjunction with the on screen action.
Sony's advances with the PSONE piqued Microsoft's interest. The PSONE was the first console to ship a million at release, and then to immediately sell out. It was providing an unparalleled gaming experience. After the PS2 was released, and was further owning the console gaming market, Microsoft decided to enter the ring with the
XBOX.
The XBOX controller seemed unwieldy at first. It was fatter and heaver than the Dual Shock, and the configuation of sticks v pad v buttons was rather spread out. It also included actual triggers on the L3 and R3 locations. This is the controller that won my heart. Using the triggers to shoot and swing felt much more natural than the top R1 and R2 buttons on the Dual Shock. Plus, it used the same technology, so there was no shortage of rumbling and quaking that we all got used to with the Dual Shock.
2007 has brought with it new battles to innovate controllers and controller configs, much to my dismay. The Wii is a great idea, but an idea that has an appeal that is directed to another type of gamer. Sports games are great fun, but I don't want to play them all the time.
When I'm playing a shooter or even dungeon crawling, I don't want to have to be shaking my controller and jumping around. I want head shots! And I want a streamlined, realiable, and steady controller for that job. Here's what we are playing with right now:
What is your favorite controller?