MAF and Drinky get horns up from me! \m/ ^_^ \m/ The PS2 Dual Shock is the most overrated controller in the history of the world. The fucking analogs are at the completely wrong place for practical use (just try finding straight up, down, left, right CONSISTENTLY with that stupid positioning. It shouldn't require conscious thought to know the four major points of a compass!), the D-Pad is all kinds of broken because of the four separate arrows approach to design and I don't know who thought squares and triangles were easier than ABCD, but they also ought to be shot. The Dual Shock is quite literally the most unintuitive design for a controller ever.
That said, I love the Gamecube analog and it's unique button shapes. I never have to look down or think consciously about what button is where and does what because they are all shaped differently and feel different under my thumb. The D-Pad leaves something to be desired though as do the triggers even if I like the "click" they do. Z-button is just kinda there.
I like Controller S because the analog stick is decent and the D-pad is at least workable. It's not ideal though, even for GGX2#R which I played for an hour and a half straight online last night and felt like my thumb was going to fall off afterward. It requires too much pressure just like the PS2 one and isn't always responsive. Saturn D-Pad was good. The one on the 6-button controller from Sega for Genesis was PERFECT. Someone ought to bring that controller back. I still think that was the best ever for fighters. Six buttons placed three to a row right above one another and an awesome D-pad. I have never used a better D-Pad for fighters, ever.
One last thing about Controller S, the jewel buttons gots ta go. They aren't responsive enough, often with the A button needing a very hard push to make it register. Once again, placement and no tactile difference to their size/shape make it hard to know where you are without having to make a conscious thought once in awhile. But the response thing is the main problem. I won't even touch the white/black button travesty of design stupidity.