The N64 controller.

[CastletonSnob]

I've never had a problem with the N64 controller. I just hold the controller by the left and right prongs. I really don't see what the big deal is.

[ForrestAnthony]

I've never had a problem with the N64 controller. I just hold the controller by the left and right prongs. I really don't see what the big deal is.

The problem was its layout confused the masses (before video games blew up with a standardized understanding like they have now) and people didn't "get" it. It was an SNES controller but it had a gun handle in the middle with a joystick. I've seen people pinch the joystick like as if it was an arcade stick, I've seen people hold the N64 controller like an SNES controller naturally despite most games almost entirely ignoring the D-pad, and I've seen people hold the thing upside down (Gamecube too for that matter).

Games like Mario Party required such an absurd amount of control stick use that kids were tearing the skin on their palms, and instead of issuing a rubber coating, Nintendo simply shipped out some crappy gloves. If you ever truly wonder what was wrong with the N64 controller, the answer lies within the designs of the modern N64 Pro Controllers.

two examples being the Hori Mini Pad for N64 and the Retro Fighters N64 controller .

Both of these are substantially more ergonomic and fix every unnecessary issue with the original N64 controller design.

[CastletonSnob]

The problem was its layout confused the masses (before video games blew up with a standardized understanding like they have now) and people didn't "get" it. It was an SNES controller but it had a gun handle in the middle with a joystick. I've seen people pinch the joystick like as if it was an arcade stick, I've seen people hold the N64 controller like an SNES controller naturally despite most games almost entirely ignoring the D-pad, and I've seen people hold the thing upside down (Gamecube too for that matter).

Games like Mario Party required such an absurd amount of control stick use that kids were tearing the skin on their palms, and instead of issuing a rubber coating, Nintendo simply shipped out some crappy gloves. If you ever truly wonder what was wrong with the N64 controller, the answer lies within the designs of the modern N64 Pro Controllers.

two examples being the Hori Mini Pad for N64 and the Retro Fighters N64 controller .

Both of these are substantially more ergonomic and fix every unnecessary issue with the original N64 controller design.

I don't know about that Hori MiniPad. The buttons are too close together.

[Kithelle]

Never had a problem with it, doesn't mean I was a huge fan of it though

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Lack of a second analog stick makes 3D games like Super Mario 64 hard to control, as usually the one analog stick on the controller is for moving the character, meaning that you have wonky camera movement and you feel like you're constantly fighting the camera trying to play.

[Cosmic Janitor]

This thread feels like it's 20 years late. At the end of the day the design isn't as ideal as it could be. The standard xbox/ps layout allowed you to reach 4 shoulder buttons, the d-pad and the analogue stick without issue no matter your hand size. It also lacks stuff like a second analogue stick and vibration used up the extension slot.

[minkage]

The joystick was weak and prone to breaking after a lengthy session of mario party.

It was a revolutionary controller in so many ways and I have some serious nostalgia about the look and feel of the system and controller but man it was a learning curve to play some games.

[prwraith]

As a child I never had an issue w/ this controller. I imagine I'd hate it today though.

[Dezerte]

The stick wore out quite badly, but other than that I never had any issues with it.

[PACOX]

The problem wasn't holding it (and any sane person holds the middle and the right) it's was the joystick and the janky buttons. I might still have a indent in the middle of my palm because of the N64. Most people I knew had two suspicious controllers that you gave to the last player in some Goldeneye multiple. You had the one with the joystick that drifted or the cheap Mad Catz that whose buttons weren't quite right.

[Orby]

I never had an issue with the controller myself, but it is ugly as sin as far as official controllers go, one of my favorite consoles but has the worst looking controllers :P

[Ausr]

The problem wasn't holding it (and any sane person holds the middle and the right) it's was the joystick and the janky buttons. I might still have a indent in the middle of my palm because of the N64. Most people I knew had two suspicious controllers that you gave to the last player in some Goldeneye multiple. You had the one with the joystick that drifted or the cheap Mad Catz that whose buttons weren't quite right.

True N64 players held the left and right prongs. The middle holders were the heathens of the system and should be stricken from history.

[Vash The Stampede]

If you have a n64 controller then do yourself a favor and grease the analog stick before it rubs away the plastic and makes it unusable.

[Bigbazz]

It was completely fine, if you wanted to use the D-pad you used the outside two prongs, if you wanted the stick you'd use the middle and right. This worked flawlessly for every game on the N64, why or how there was confusion I don't know because I was a child during the time this was popular and I never heard of any kids at school who had problems with the controller or thought it was bad. We used to talk about how much better then N64 controller was for shooting games though, and especially if you compared Goldeneye + Turok with what the Playstation had at the time, it was worlds apart.

[desertlizard]

never had issues while gaming but on smash and those mini games from the parties games, i actually liked that design

[Kivana]

The pad wasn't great but it wasn't shit either, if anything the Dreamcast pad pissed me off more.

[Pony Soldier]

I've never had a problem with it either. I always thought it was a weird design choice but it was still comfortable to hold. Neither was I "confused" by it either. When I first picked it up as a child back in the 90s I knew how to hold it and using the buttons in games wasn't that confusing either.

Matter of fact, I always thought it felt pretty comfortable to use. I'd say more comfortable than the PS1, PS2, or PS3 controller in how it just melded with your hand.

[Katchii]

True N64 players held the left and right prongs. The middle holders were the heathens of the system and should be stricken from history.

I don't even know how you can physically do that without gigantic hands or super long fingers and still reach and use the joystick in the middle comfortably.

Either way, I never had any issues holding or using it. My only complaint was about the quality of it, and how janky the joystick was, not how it was used as I played for many years with no problems.

[unfilteredJW]

It was fucking awful.

Right down there with the Jaguar controller.

[ThatsOurEric]

For some games, it was fine. For others, not so much. That D-Pad was fucking worthless as I recall.

It is one of the more terrible game controllers ever designed. Cause you sure as shit can't use the
thing now. Not after using the perfected controller design (PS).