[General Discussion] Best gaming controllers?

Seconding the original PS1 controller. It's very... orthogonal. I like the feeling of precision from the split D-pad and the flat buttons. I can easily think of the face buttons as arranged in a cross shape, unlike the SNES, where I always think of them as two rows of two. The shoulder buttons are easy to reach and are all identical (no triggers vs. bumpers here). What I like most about it, though, is that it was before all the pressure-sensitive and analogue stuff got popular. I like the simple clicky-clacky on/off feel--the GameCube shoulder buttons are way too squishy for me, in contrast. Maybe it has something to do with my methodical approach to most games, but I prefer to make a thousand micro-tap adjustments.

I also have to say that I loved the N64 controls in Turok and Goldeneye (if you used the 1.2 Solitaire control style). C-button movement + stick aiming = WASD + mouse.

The 360 is probably the most comfortable for the modern dual-analogue stuff, though.

Jam it back in, in the dark.