Some games just cry out for a good joystick. Personally I can't really enjoy a fighter or a shooter to the maximum unless I'm playing with a good, solid joystick. Sometimes though I think they're a pain in the ass, especially if you're playing with headphones to preserve the nerves of your loved ones, only to face betrayal by the loud, clicking joystick mechanism.

Back when the TurboGrafx 16, Genesis and Super Nintendo were trying to convince players that arcade perfect had arrived in the living room, one company stepped up to the plate and, against all odds, actually delivered the real arcade experience. SNK, a small Japanese developer with a string of b-list hits but no real mainstream success, released the NeoGeo and it immediately became the ultimate game console.

When the PC Engine controller was first released, its sole contribution to the evolution of game controllers was changing the name of the START button to RUN, and rounding the sides, making it more comfortable than the Famicom controller it very obviously copied. It's a testament to the design of this controller that even now, 21 years later, it doesn't look too dated.

Back when Nintendo was still enjoying the view from the top, they were working with Sony on a CD attachment for the SuperNES called Playstation. At a show in 1991 Nintendo publically announces their new SNES CD system, in partnership with Philips. Sony, quite surprised, throws the covers back over their Playstation prototypes, and gives Nintendo a very dirty glare.

Innovation
When Nintendo launched the N64, they made a few really interesting decisions: it was the last cartridge-based console, it had four controller ports, and it re-introduced the analogue stick to the world. The Nintendo 64's power made better-than-rudimentary 3D games possible, and along with this new dimension came a need for a different controller. Anyone who has played Mario 64 knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that digital controls simply would not suffice. Imagine trying to walk a tightrope when you could only run in 8 directions, and had no speed control beyond stopped and full speed ahead!