The Most Memorable Game Controllers from the Last 40 Years

[mr5elfd3struct]

Before WSAD or cursor keys, there was AZOP.

QA OP M for me on the speccy and a Kempston Joystick!

 

[Axle Grease]

This is my old favourite.

 

[Colonel Blimp]

Black and yellow Zipstick for the Amiga anyone?

 

[ThrakazogZ]

If the purpose of the list was "memorable" not including some of the joy-sticks for flight sims in the mid-90's is a glaring omission especially considering the inclusion of the steel battalion rig.

I'd remove the first PlayStation controller from the list as the dual shock (and the line of successive controllers based on it) is sufficient.

This list appears to be written mainly from the console perspective ending with the PS1 and N64. The Dream Cast controller, while not as successful as those 2, is as memorable:

The Xbox original "Duke" was memorable for all the wrong reasons:

Lastly the Rock Band crazy of the 2000's might have warranted the inclusion of that set along with the Guitar Hero controller:

I 100% agree that the Dreamcast controller should have been on the list.

The Atari Jaguar controller is another one. I think it was one of the first large style, fit well in the hands, type controllers. The Dream cast controller and the original large xbox controller later came with similar styles.

 

[Eddie777]

Black and yellow Zipstick for the Amiga anyone?

Yes, and it's father the Kempston Competition Pro 5000.

 

[Nicky]

No NES Advantage?????

 

[BigRedPDX]

You forgot the best controllers.

Nintendo Arcade Controller
- https://images.lukiegames.com/t_300e2/assets/images/nes/accessories/nes_advantage.jpg

The POWER GLOVE BRO!
- https://www.geekygiftideas.com/wp-c...u4g8jm8zbq6d7z7weqqmkkp6bxlqcv308ak7jy45k.jpg

The PowerGlove really only was for the folks who could afford the thing. Maybe not as memorable as the controllers that actually came with the consoles. They covered PC controllers and I think the sidwinder joystick line was quite memorable.

 

[CraigBob]

WASD was first used with the PLATO time shared mainframe computer system https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(computer_system. The standard PLATO terminal had no arrow keys. Admins had tenuously agreed to use WASD as the standard way to implement direction input. Games on the PLATO were illicit and many of the very first computer games of their type (RPG, FPS, Adventure, Strategy, etc) were wiped out of existence without mercy when discovered by admins. But, WASD became the salvation of several 2nd and 3rd generation games that were allowed to stay on the system. Some clever game developers pointed out that WASD was not an intuitive way to input directions and this was not widely disseminated information. Few users and devs bothered using their time running all the instructional applications. Often devs were under orders not to by a supervisor who did not even know what a computer was but knew that time to use it cost thousands of dollars. These devs argued that a game, due to popularity, was actually the best way to train users, and especially developers, to use the WASD standard. Mere users could not afford to buy the time required to play games, which could amount to over $10,000 per month. Whereas developers were allotted time at no personal expenses and more inclined to play any games they stumbled across (because they alerted each other what to 'stumble across'), but not so much a tutorial.