PC game controllers from the past!

A

AARGH!

Gawd
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Messages
766
With all the talk about PS3's motion sensor tech, made me think of the MS Freestyle Pro that had it back in 1999. From that went to all the great PC controllers that have come and gone and all the really bad ones in between. Here is what I can recall so far in no particular order:

1st PC joystick I had was made by Kraft was a biege square with two buttons and one on the top of the stick (and had the trim adjustments, back before auto adjust).
2, Kraft Thunderstick - early flightstick that had a throttle but bad design that you could move the stick back more than you could move it forward. So forward nose dives were slower than pulling back and looping in flight sims
3. MS joystick - had both the non forcefeedback and with the twist on the stick was great for playing Mechwarrior
4. MS Sidewinder - Best of the early PC controllers
5. MS Freestyle - Motion sensor at it's earliest. Fun for Motocycle Madness for awhile but eventually it was just a gimmick
6. MS Dual Strike controller - Ball/socket thing that was for FPS's that just never quite worked right
7. Logitech Cyberman - A 3d mouse with force feedback, was essentially a mouse mounted on a post you could move in all directions (even up and down). God was it awful
8. SpaceOrb - Alot of people sweared by this for playing descent back in the day.
9. MS FF Wheel - still have this in my closet.
10. Gravis Exterminator - my most fave old school PC controller was great for NFS and Crimson Skies back in the day
11. Saitek Flight stick and throttle - Loved this thing, it was just soooo huge.
12. Thrustmaster Flightstick and CH Throttle - Used till I got the Gravis and the Saitek
13. Logitech Wingman Wireless - current stick of choice
14. Logitech Wireless Rumblepad - currently use this for my HTGPC
15. Microsoft Strategic Commander - used for a few RTS's
16. Nostromo N50 - never really used
17. Zboard - not a true controller but close enough, had about 4-5 keysets until....
18. Logitech G15 - love this keyboard

Anyone else got any odd PC controllers from the past hiding in your closet gathering dust?
 
Gravis Firebird - need to install it both into the joystick port and use the keyboard adaptor. It had programmable keys AND adjustable tension, it was the bomb. It was my weapon of choice for many years until I finally upgraded to a USB joystick. Thousands and thousands of kilrathi and rebel scum died to it's plasticy goodness.
 
Nowhere in that list of 13 did you mention the Thrustmaster joysticks. :( Their current HOTAS system is an exact copy of the F-16 stick, it's truly pwn. :D
 
Gravis Exterminator Dual Control Joystick- I've got this one. Just puled it out of mothballs to see if I could get it to run with BF2. Anyone try it? any advise...LOL besides buying a new one :)
 
Thrustmaster, thats the flightstick I had with the CH Throttle. Thanks, couldnt think of them at all.
 
Madcatz PatherXL. That was one badass controller for Forsaken. I used to kick mucho butt at LAN parties... :D
 
i still have and use to use this
20298567.JPG

and i can tell you that it sucks ass.

I now have one of these
B000075B5V.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

and it is great, the joysticks are slightly awkwardly placed but they are very accurate and work nice for trackmania sunrise.

Once they release the wireless adapter for my wireless 360 controllers then i'll probly start using that, oh and i use a ps2->usb adapter with a ps2 controller for roms since the dpad on the ps2 controller is much better than the dpad on the saitek one.

but i just played through all of indigo prophecy with the saitek rumble pad and it worked perfectly the whole time.
 
MS Sidewinder with Force Feedback.

This was the coolest thing ever, but i only owned one game that worked with it before my dog chewed it up (she jumped on the chair, on the desk ate my food then moved onto the joystick....) and it was MDK. I would shoot shit and parachute around for hours just because it had FF. hehe, the good old days.
 
My favorite controller of all time is the original Logitech WingMan Rublepad. All the buttons one could need plus a throttle slider. I'm still using my original that's pushing 6 years old. I will hate the day that it takes a dump on me, but luckily I purchased a brand new/sealed one off eBay for $5 as a replacement. I can not stand the way most of today's PC gamepads mimmick those crappy XB or PS2 controllers, so I'm sticking with a tried and true classic.
 
Yes I got suckered into it as well. I played with it for a few RTS's but it never really made it a must use controller. thanks for the reminder, and have updated my 1st list.

Carnecerro said:
Prepare now to be pwned by one of the all-time worst controllers I have ever tried to use.

The Microsoft Strategic Commander:
http://www.microsoft.com/taiwan/hardware/sidewinder/scomm/SComm_Reviews.htm

It just didn't seem to be right for any games. I tried it with Mechwarrior, FPS, RTS, DRIVING. It didn't have any ability for pinpoint control. Just wanted to see if anyone else got suckered into buying one of these.
Click to expand...
 
Now thanks to MS, I'll be using my wireless 360 controller on the PC as soon as they release the wireless receiver.
 
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