I saw the choosing console thread and this got me thinking about some of the classic controllers I've had the luck of possessing over the years:
Atari 800 Stick. A button on top, a button on the base. Not the classic looking one, this one was shiny red plastic and predates that design. It actually looked suspiciously phallic. My first gaming device, it graced my hands somewhere between 11 and 24 months old.
Sega Genesis Mega-Drive 6 button original controller:
Spoiler:
To this day, it's still my all-time favorite. The best d-pad I've ever touched. Playing SF2: CE and SSF2, I was able to rip off Shoryukens and Spinning PileDrives by merely thinking it. This was the first and probably only controller to ever bridge the gap between me and the game to make it near seamless. Great button placement, extremely comfortable.
Microsoft Sidewinder:
Spoiler:
Digital goodness. Wow, Falcon 4.0, Jane's IAF and a host of other flight sims were my ***** thanks to this thing. I loved it. Eventually, the laser positioning construction **** itself and it became basically nonfunctional, but what a great toy.
Logitech Wingman Force:
Spoiler:
This thing was GIGANTIC. The footprint left no room for soda cans or Doritos anywhere else. Highly recommended for those who can't stop snacking and playing at the same time. All mechanical construction and bulletproof. I bet if I dug this beast up, it'd still work. My first FF stick, the best stick I ever owned. I cry thinking about how much this thing cost back in 1999 or whenever it was I got it. The cable drive feedback design was so perceptively subtle and capable of brute force. Amazing for such an old piece of history.
ACT Labs RS, Pedals and Shifter:
Spoiler:
By far the coolest toy I ever owned for racing games. The gated 6 speed shifter was only supported by a select few games, but the ones that did support it ... the experience beat anything else out there. The pedals were perfect, the motion was somehow more akin to an actual car where the pedal moves up and away from you rather than away and down. Clutch, brake and throttle placement were perfect for heel toe downshifting, very close to that of a Honda S2000. Better than my current Subaru
The construction was also bulletproof, and the wheel never lost any centering tension. Best company ever for making racing wheels. IMO, it blew the Logitech wheel out of the water. Was available w/ FF also, good luck finding one.Intellimouse Explorer 3.0:
Everyone knows this guy. I killed 3 or 4 in the course of a year playing CS. Poor suckers. They just got destroyed throwing them into boxes and duffel bags to go to LAN parties.
Razer Mamba:
Apart from the occasional operational quirks, most comfortable moues I've ever used. Shape is great, the texture is perfect, button placement is awesome. It's precise and has the versatility to be both wired and wireless. Rechargeable battery and recharge docking station. Completely overpriced.
Still have it somewhere in a tote...