Just look at all those wonderful controllers. I love looking at the evolution of Nintendo’s controllers all lined up like that. Of course, this kind of picture isn’t remotely uncommon, but most of the time, the back half of this lineup looks pretty different. When tracking the evolution of Nintendo controllers, folks tend to use the Wii Remote, Wii U Gamepad, and Joycons. And yeah, that makes sense. Me though? I love the Pro Controllers, and I think they show a really fun evolution on their own. 

Anyway, I took this picture after my Switch 2 GameCube controller showed up in the mail, and it got me thinking about not only how fascinating it is to look at them all lined up like this, but which ones are my favorites. I’ve now had some serious time withthe Switch 2 Pro Controller, which means I think I’m familiar enough with everything to give it a fair ranking. So, let’s go! 

#9. Virtual Boy

Bringing up the rear is the poor Virtual Boy. Look, I don’t hate this controller by any means. In fact, I like it quite a bit! It’s pretty comfortable thanks to the elongated handles, and the buttons feel nice to press. I like the D-pad, too. It’s not their best, but it’s serviceable. The problem is, much like the console itself, it’s better in theory than in practice. The dual D-pad thing was a neat precursor to dual analog controls, which makes the single analog N64 controller all the more confusing, but their placement here just didn’t work all that well. Also, the power supply being attached to the back of the controller is a killer. It’s way too easy to bump the bottom of the controller into the table or desk or whatever you have your VB on and kill the power by accident. It’s a neat idea, and pretty solid all around, but it’s for sure the bottom of the barrel for Nintendo controllers. 

#8. Nintendo 64

Now this is a controller that I actively dislike, but even I can’t pretend it’s worse than the Virtual Boy one. I understand the logic behind the goofy trident design, but that still doesn't make it good. If it’s not immediately obvious to people how they’re supposed to even hold a controller, you know you’ve screwed up. Also, even though the analog stick was pretty revolutionary, it hardly stood the test of time. That thing is flimsy. 

That said, there are a lot of things I do like here. First off, the D-pad is among the best Nintendo has ever made. Second, I appreciate the creativity on display, even if it’s ill-advised. Third, I like the idea behind the C-buttons. They would eventually just make a C-stick, but having the option of using them as regular ol’ face buttons was great for stuff like Mortal Kombat Trilogy. I also loved how many colors they were available in. I respect the effort, but I don’t love the controller. 

#7. NES

I love this controller because it’s an absolute classic. It just works, and after coming off the Atari 2600 joystick, it felt positively revolutionary. The concave B and A buttons, the rubbery start and select buttons, that wonderful D-pad, this controller has it all. Well, except ergonomics. Obviously I’m not going to knock it for its lack of buttons, because it’s hardly fair to judge it for that considering its age. But it’s a freaking rectangle, which isn’t exactly the most comfortable thing to hold for a long time. Or even to just hold onto during long play sessions! The D-pad is a tad on the pointy side as well, which can cause a bit of thumb distress. It’s still a masterpiece, and the foundation on which everything that came after was built, but it’s not without its issues. 

#6. Wii

Yes, the Wii Remote is what made the Wii a “revolution” but this was also the birthplace of Nintendo’s first Pro Controller. When the system launched, you could get your hands on this thing. The first Nintendo controller with two proper analog sticks. (The GameCube’s C-stick almost counts, but no). The problem was, it wasn’t shaped all that nice. It was too round, and made for a somewhat uncomfortable experience. It was also sort of half finished. You were supposed to be able to clip a Wii remote to the thing, but that never really panned out. 

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So midway through the Wii’s life, the classic controller pro was released, and what a controller this thing is. It’s got a spectacular D-pad, a comfortable form factor, and the best analog sticks Nintendo had made to that point. It’s honestly sort of tragic that they didn’t make this its own standalone thing. The biggest drawback is the fact that it has to be plugged into a Wii remote to function, which kinda sucks. It also yellows super easy. White rubber analog sticks are never a good idea. 

#5. GameCube

I can’t shake the feeling some folks will be angry to see this one so low on this list, but I’ve never seen this controller as the same shining example of excellence a lot of other folks do. But I respect the ever loving crap out of it. It ditched the N64’s weird trident design, and came up with one of the most comfortable shaped controllers anyone’s ever made. It also tried something new with its button layout, which was quite a brilliant idea in theory. They wanted one major action button, with all the other buttons having easily recognizable shapes as secondary satellites to it. The idea was to make the act of finding the button you’re looking for easier than having to look down at your controller. The problem was, this setup only really works for games designed for it. Most traditional games wound up playing worse because of it. 

It also weirdly only had 3 shoulder buttons instead of 4? Like, why leave the left side blank like that? Then there’s the triggers, which were again a great idea, but any game that needed shoulder buttons that weren’t squishy analog triggers were kind of a mess to play. I’ve never been a fan of the analog sticks either. The notion of the C-buttons being their own stick made sense, but having that little nubby thing as a second analog stick wasn’t great. In fact, I’ve never been a fan of the regular stick on this thing either. I hate the whole angular analog stick nonsense. Give me a circle any day. And don’t get me started on this thing’s Game Boy Advance D-pad. Seriously, it’s the same D-pad as the GBA, and it’s way too small for console gaming! 

It’s a spectacular controller, but its faults have always stuck out to me more than most. It gets so much right, especially its inherent ergonomics and the sublime wireless Wavebird option, but it’s far from Nintendo’s best. 

#4. Wii U

This system gets a ton of flack, and the majority of it is well deserved. But while the Gamepad was a neat concept, it’s far from my favorite controller to use. On the other hand, the Wii U Pro Controller is spectacular. It was my absolute favorite modern controller for a while there. It’s got really smooth circular analog sticks, a fantastic D-pad, and it’s super comfortable to hold. The buttons are nice too, and its battery life is somewhere around 60 hours. This thing is fantastic. The only thing it’s missing is the system’s trademark motion sensitivity, but that’s a small price to pay for what was, at the time, darn near perfection. I guess the buttons and the right analog stick being placed where they are is a bit odd, but not terribly so. I love this thing. 

#3. Switch

This is it, folks. This controller right here is darn near perfection. It’s a joy to hold, it’s got all the functionality of the Joycns, a great analog stick, fantastic face buttons, killer battery life, the works. It took everything that worked from every previous controller and put it in one convenient place. I adore this thing, with one glaring exception. It’s quite possibly the worst D-pad Nintendo has ever produced. It’s comfortable, sure, but it constantly registers incorrect inputs. Tetris? Street Fighter? Nigh impossible to play on this thing. Other than that, it’s a masterpiece. 

#2. Super NES

Speaking of masterpieces, this is it for me. Again, judging it based on how good it was for its time, I can’t find any flaws in this controller. It’s outstanding. It has the best D-pad ever made (by Nintendo. The Saturn pad might be my actual favorite) 2 round buttons, 2 concave buttons, shoulder buttons, a long cord, it just gets everything right. It blows the Genesis pad out of the water, and improves on the NES pad in every way. It’s still a joy to hold today, so much so that the new replica one they made for Switch is my go-to for most games requiring a D-pad, since the Switch Pro’s D-pad stinks. 

#1. Switch 2

They really did it. I can’t believe how much I love this thing. The Switch Pro was, for me, nearly perfect. But this fella right here is even better. There’s no seam around the plastic for dirt to get into. The analog sticks are impossibly smooth. The buttons somehow feel even better. It’s got a headphone jack. And best of all, the D-pad is phenomenal. I’ve been trying my best to put this thing through its paces to find some sort of tragic flaw, but I can’t. It’s super responsive, the plastic feels super high quality, I just love it. I guess I could knock it for the price, but I honestly feel like it’s fair given what this thing is capable of. It even connects to the system faster than the old ones did. 

Oh, and those GL and GR buttons? Wonderful. I know they aren’t exactly a new idea, but the fact that they’re here now and they function on a system level is sublime. The Switch 2 may not be a perfect console, but I can’t think of anything this thing gets wrong. It’s the best controller I’ve ever used. 

And that’s it! Those are my rankings. What are yours? Feel free to let me know in the comments how unbelievably wrong I am.