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[majik13]

Yeah, I really don't get what people are on about with this.

Are you guys holding it like this?

Because I hold it like this:

And when I need to press L or R, I do this:

true, though he did say he was putting his middle finger on the top shoulder button, which is even worse than what you have pictured here. Though he probably meant or I hope he meant, middle finger on the triggers. Anyways, I either do this, or keep my trigger finger on the triggers and hit the bottom of the shoulder buttons with the middle inside of my same trigger fingers, by barely lifting them.

edit: also with position 1, it is difficult to press down on the sticks because you dont have enough support /grip on the controller.

 

[KU_]

Agree with the OP on just about everything. And I'm 5 or so hours into ACIII and I totally forgot you could eliminate the HUD from the TV and send it to the Gamepad. Best believe I'll be doing that next time I play.

 

[majik13]

What's this I hear about the touch screen not being very accurate. I heard it often misses button presses when playing Zombi U.

that statement is not accurate.

 

[therapist]

My hand starts to ache after using this thing for a while. Same with the 3DSXL. Haven't had any problems with any other controller in that regard since the OG Xbox pad.

Yea me too , if i play blops long enough it kinda gets uncomfortable.

I think for me its that the grips on the sides arent wide enough like a cube controller.

It feels like im squeezing too hard to hold it after a while , other than that its great but yea...

Ill see what the pro controller is like soon enough

 

[evilromero]

Triggers are PERFECTLY placed. Seriously the most comfortable trigger placement on a controller eve. BUT I still prefer the GameCube analog stick. So much smoother. Mmmm. I miss it.

 

[Outtrigger888]

When I play nsmbU, I use the d-pad and have all my fingers under the triggers. It's really comfortable. Either way you hold it feels great, if your using analog sticks or the d pad. I don't think any other controller has accomplished that feat.

 

[BrettHD]

The 360 pad is superior in everyway except for the lack of the screen.
Comfort, better sticks, better stick/face button layout, and you don't need to
take apart the pad to change the battery.
Also no analog triggers on the Wii U pad so its useless for any game that
has you driving a vehicle.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Totally agree with the Cow.
The controller is super comfy, and playing off-TV is pretty darn revolutionary.
In addition to the three issues the OP raised, I would like to complain about left/right-hand plus stylus gameplay not being ideal unless you're leaning the gamepad slightly on your lap - as it does tire your wrist.

 

[Gr1mLock]

No.

 

[MrCookiepants]

I've never even laid eyes on one IRL. ;_;

The 360 controller is flawless though (for the games I play with it, at least). It'll be hard to top that.

 

[Mlatador]

Triggers are PERFECTLY placed. Seriously the most comfortable trigger placement on a controller eve. BUT I still prefer the GameCube analog stick. So much smoother. Mmmm. I miss it.

What do you mean by smoother? I think the Wii U sticks have lost some resistance compared to the Gamecube/Wii Nunchuck sticks. They feel looser to me, which I think makes them not as good.

 

[sketchsanchez]

speaking of, does anyone know why they chose x and y as the buttons? has it ever been said?
figure it makes more sence for it to be z and y, a first two letters and last two letters of the alphabet thing.

 

[bloodforge]

Love the controller as well, it's very comfortable to hold and use. Only complaint is the battery life.

speaking of, does anyone know why they chose x and y as the buttons? has it ever been said?
figure it makes more sence for it to be z and x, a first two letters and last two letters of the alphabet thing.

Wouldn't that make it y and z then? You know, x y z.

 

[Resistance100]

I have been impressed by it (fingerprints aside) but i still at times can't get use to the sticks being above the buttons (i find this with the pro controller as well) but i'm sure this is a problem which won't be an issue in time.

 

[sketchsanchez]

Love the controller as well, it's very comfortable to hold and use. Only complaint is the batter life.



Wouldn't that make it y and z then? You know, x y z.

wow, im a dumb ass.

off to edit!

 

[Sinthetic]

Absolutely love it. Best D-pad ever and the triggers are great too.

Unbelievably comfortable, still shocked by that every time I pick it up.

 

[A Twisty Fluken]

It is completely fantastic. I also really love the pro controller. I don't need to deal with superlatives, both control options are at the very least great.

The D-pad completely satisfies me. Super Metroid VC please!

 

[GameplayWhore]

What's this I hear about the touch screen not being very accurate. I heard it often misses button presses when playing Zombi U.

People used to capacitive screens are conditioned to the idea of not actually needing to press on virtual buttons. The lightest of brushes register a touch. It drives me crazy when I use my phone, but it is considered normal to many, and having to press a button is considered abnormal.

 

[gatti-man]

I wonder how many of the nay Sayers have even played a game on the wiiu in this thread. Saying no or no analog buttons isn't a real criticism when there isn't even a racing game out for the wiiu yet. Just screams I have an uneducated/parroted opinion.

 

[ManeKast]

I have mega large hands. The PS3 controller has always been an issue for me, so have handhelds and yes, even the 360 controller to some extent (though previously this was the best).

The Wii U controller is the best ever for large hands, the triggers are placed perfectly and I never accidentally hit one, the dpad and analogue sticks are perfect, its wide enough to sit comfortably and never cause hand cramps and I got used the the placement of the face buttons very quickly.

Fact it needs to be plugged in 1/3 of the time, whatever, its fine with my setup and I hardly notice it when its left plugged in. Touchscreen works a treat too.

For me, best controller ever. And I have BIG hands. I consider it a grand acheivement. Cannot wait for a Xenoblade like game on it, will be comfy for HOURS.

In regards to analogue triggers, I only play arcade racers anyway, and in NFS HP and MW: I am always GAS FULL ON or OFF kinda guy. I can see how with sims and stuff its a problem but really....... not for arcade style the way I play it.

 

[Nuklear]

I love the Gamepad! It's almost the perfect controller. I can't wait till bigger batteries are being sold. I will buy one as soon as they are available.

 

[KevinCow]

No.

What a convincing and well thought out response. I'm certain you've spent plenty of time with the pad to make this informed opinion and will undoubtedly return to this thread to elaborate on your disagreement shortly. Surely you weren't just spouting an entirely uninformed disagreement with no intention of ever returning to this thread to back it up. Some might consider that a bit dickish. Some might even consider it hit-and-run trolling.

 

[decoyplatypus]

The 360 pad is superior in everyway except for the lack of the screen.
Comfort, better sticks, better stick/face button layout, and you don't need to
take apart the pad to change the battery.
Also no analog triggers on the Wii U pad so its useless for any game that
has you driving a vehicle.

What do you mean about changing the battery?

I agree that the lack of analog triggers is a bad thing, but surely that doesn't make the controller useless for any game where you operate a vehicle. Mario Kart does fine without analog. So do plenty of adventure games where you're only in a vehicle for some random set piece.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Funny thing is the GameCube had the chance to be somewhat be "revolutionary" in terms of controls but Nintendo's weird desicion making prevented that from happening.

How so?
Did they remove features from the GC controller?

 

[GavinGT]

The 360 controller would be perfect if they fixed the D-pad and incorporated a lithium-ion battery like the PS3 controller does. That battery pack on the 360 controller makes it uncomfortable for me to hold sometimes.

 

[KevinCow]

speaking of, does anyone know why they chose x and y as the buttons? has it ever been said?
figure it makes more sence for it to be z and y, a first two letters and last two letters of the alphabet thing.

X and Y are usually the axes used on a 2D graph, or for 2D coordinates. They kinda go together better than Y and Z.

Also, potential future expansion if they decided to do a 6 button controller. See where C and Z would naturally go?

 

[kittens]

Cool write up, OP. I'm excited to try it out. I love getting my hands on new controllers. Brings back the new console excitement of my childhood.

 

[Refreshment.01]

How so?
Did they remove features from the GC controller?

The WaveBird. The design was finished even before the GameCube was launched. Even some developers had them before the release and were playing with them. It was even shown in the SpaceWorld when the console was unveiled.

As we know, the Wave Bird was the first really good (near flawless) wireless controler for a console. It was really ergonomic, had a ridiculous range, fantastic battery life and how incredibly confortable it was, finally it had the really nice 4 face buttons set up. So it was an important step forward in relation to the competitions offerings.

But for some reason that i don't know, Nintendo opted to not have it available at launch and it never made a pack in with the console.

As always Nintendo takes the weirdest decisions, the standar GC controller was really good but the stupid Dpad and missing shoulder button took some of the shine out of it.

 

[Appleman]

As much as I like the GamePad, the WiiU Pro controller feels AMAZING. Maybe my favourite controller ever and I LOVE the GameCube and Xbox 360 controllers. Something about it just fits perfectly, and the Dpad is far better than either the 360 or GameCube ones

 

[Jumpman23]

Very comfy and ergonomic. I actually can't believe it is as light as it is, which was one of my main concerns going in.

My sole gripe, battery life. Otherwise, I love it. Now if I could just play virtual console games on it.....OMG

 

[The Xtortionist]

Call me crazy but I prefer the Gamepad's increased distance between the ZL/ZR and L/R. It's the only controller where it doesn't feel awkward to rest a finger on each one. I can play with my middle fingers on the triggers and index finger on the bumpers and it feels great.

 

[emag]

X and Y are usually the axes used on a 2D graph, or for 2D coordinates. They kinda go together better than Y and Z.

Also, potential future expansion if they decided to do a 6 button controller. See where C and Z would naturally go?

The Wii was a missed opportunity. A, B, C, 1, 2, Z, -, +.

 

[JJD]

HUD-less gameplay
Speaking on AC3 in particular, this has always been an issue with the series. It looks great if you turn off the HUD, but the information the HUD displays is pretty handy.

With the Gamepad, you can have your cake and eat it, too. If you turn on the Optimize for Gamepad option (which I think should just be on by default), you get the nice, uncluttered gameplay screen, but you can still access all that HUD info real quick and easy by just glancing down. Perhaps the most important part of this: You don't have an annoying and distracting mini-map in the corner of your vision constantly throughout the game.

And again: taking your eyes away from the screen for a second doesn't make you instantly die horribly. I can say so from practice because I have done it.

That's a great feature! I hope more games implement it!

 

[Hobbestetrician]

Really enjoying the GamePad so far. Very comfortable, good weight, love the triggers (don't miss analog at all), have gotten accustomed to the buttons below the right stick, sticks are fantastic, great D-pad. I haven't had any battery issues but I know it is far from optimal, the only real problem with the controller. Played my 360 for the first time since I got my U and that controller felt SO SMALL in my hands.

 

[BlazingDarkness]

Battery life kills it for me.

Though I like being able to power on the system + change the TV input setting without moving from the sofa.

 

[JB1981]

Checked it out at best buy today and I was impressed

 

[Soul_Pie]

I hope they do an update in the future with higher resolution, OLED and longer battery life.

Apart from that I think it's a great controller, best ever easily in terms of features.

 

[SkyOdin]

speaking of, does anyone know why they chose x and y as the buttons? has it ever been said?
figure it makes more sence for it to be z and y, a first two letters and last two letters of the alphabet thing.

Probably the same reason mathematicians use A and B for constants and x and y for variables. X and Y have a lot of tradition if you are using letters specifically from the end of the alphabet. X is also all-around a popular letter.

 

[zroid]

I adore the shoulder buttons, by the way. They have the absolutely perfect shape, size, and tactility. Nintendo nailed it.

(Placement of course is a little wonky for the L and R buttons, though. Bit of a reach)

 

[Speevy]

Great controllers are good for a wide variety of games, and by that measure, the Gamecube controller is pretty terrible.

 

[Seance]

Terrible battery
SD screen
no multi-touch
RESISTIVE TOUCH
No analogue triggers
Awkward RS orientation (subjective)

Far from the best controller. I'd classify it as acceptable.

 

[DrForester]

Needs analog triggers

I don't really miss them.

GC triggers man. Dat two stage pull.

OK, I'd take GC triggers in a heartbeat.

 

[KevinCow]

SD screen
no multi-touch
RESISTIVE TOUCH

And yet, that's still more than any of the competitors have.

 

[zroid]

Terrible battery
SD screen
no multi-touch
RESISTIVE TOUCH
No analogue triggers
Awkward RS orientation (subjective)

Far from the best controller. I'd classify it as acceptable.

Because other controllers' touchscreens are so much better

 

[Kokonoe]

Good for 2D games, but still doesn't compare to PS3/360/Gamecube controls. Analog Sticks still need work, and it could be lighter.

 

[IrishNinja]

i too've been surprised by how much i like it, some cramping over time but that might just be my regiment. 4 hours or so of ZombiU and it dying is ridiculous though, they need that bigger battery soon.

Have you ever seen a thread about what people want for the next Playstation controller? Nearly half the posts are asking for all digital triggers again. I don't get it either, but there's definitely a group that doesn't want analog of any sort.

still surprised by this - what's the argument against analog triggers? i thought they were almost universally preferred.

SD screen
no multi-touch
RESISTIVE TOUCH

...seriously?

 

[Thoraxes]

Why would any PS3 gaming experience be a problem when PS3 buttons don't have letter names?

If anything, Nintendo and Sony have been following the same conventions as Japanese gaming has gone. I'll never understand why X was adopted as the confirm button in the west, which in turn rolled over to the 360.

I prefer the current Nintendo button-layout more.

 

[zroid]

still surprised by this - what's the argument against analog triggers? i thought they were almost universally preferred.

I'd say they are begrudgingly tolerated for most types of games, because some games absolutely require them. But for all-or-nothing actions, buttons are pretty much always better than analogue triggers.

It was a mistake to leave them out of the GamePad (and a bigger mistake to leave them out of the Pro Controller), but it's not really a big loss for me. I don't know where this leaves the possibility of GameCube emulation, however...

 

[jrDev]

Needs analog triggers and better battery. I do like it overall though.

Wait, Who are you?

Where are these new mods popping up from lol...

Anyways, first hand tests prove the OP is correct...

 

[Meatvillain]

Definitely find it super comfortable, I even find it more comfortable to rest both my index and middle fingers on the shoulder buttons than on any other controller (though I'm still in the habit of resting my index fingers on the triggers). The buttons are great, the sticks are great and the d-pad is fantastic.

It's a shame about the battery life and the lack of analogue triggers, it really lets it down.