It is hard to believe that console gaming has been around for 35 years (38 if you count the amazing Magnavox Odyssey). What is even more amazing is that it was a "sports" game, Pong, that led the gaming charge into living rooms worldwide. As gaming consoles have advanced through the years so have the controllers. In what could be considered a sign of the times, console control schemes seem to have advanced in complexity each successive generation.

So how exactly has this complexity affected sports games? Many will debate that the simpler schemes of yesteryear provided better gameplay experiences, while many other dedicated "sim" fans are calling for even more buttons. Regardless of your stance on this hot-button issue, there is no denying that several console controllers have stood out among the rest in regards to sports gaming. Over the past couple months, I decided to dust off my old console collection in an attempt to rank the top 10 console controllers in terms of sports gaming fluidity.

So what were the results of my study? Read on to find out.

10. Nintendo Wii (Nunchuk/Wii Remote/MotionPlus)

Yes, the Wii's lineup of simulation sports games is pretty lame. However, the Nunchuk and Wii remote combo has provided some of the best sports-related gaming experiences ever. I'm talking about Wii Sports, specifically bowling, and EA's stellar Tiger Woods series. These two games alone catapulted the Wii controller onto this list. Plus, the exceptional driving controls in Mario Kart, and innovative control schemes in games like NBA Jam, Punch Out and NHL Slapshot have cemented the Wii remote and Nunchuk combo at the number 10 spot. You can hate on Nintendo's little white box as much as you want for not providing a solid "sim" sports experience, but that does not erase the fact that the controller has still delivered some memorable experiences.

9. Atari 2600 (Joystick and Paddle)

Released to retail in 1977, the Atari 2600 actually featured two different controllers: a joystick and a paddle/wheel controller. The joystick was an absolute dream come true for sports fans, with responsive analog movement and a single "fire" button to execute various actions like punching in Boxing, hitting the ball in Golf or throwing the ball in Football. The 2600's paddle controller was a complete game changer for sports gaming because of Pong. Quite possibly the simplest sports game ever created, Pong still stands as one of the most strategic head-to-head sports games around. I realize that is crazy to say, but the game holds up today simply because of the well designed and responsive paddle controller.

Quite possibly the greatest 16-bit sporting system released, much of the Genesis' success had to do with its controller. Sporting a streamlined three-button scheme and a circular D-pad that allowed for ergonomic diagonal movement, the Genesis controller launched EA Sports' NHLPA, Madden and Bulls vs. Blazers franchises. I can still turn on my Genesis and play these sports classics for hours on end because of the amazing controller. There was a part of me that even wanted to rank this controller much higher, but after scanning the remaining competition I could not follow through on that.

The Saturn controller had all the strengths of the Genesis controller and none of its weaknesses. To make things even better, the Sega Saturn controller had right and left triggers to go along with the six face buttons. World Series Baseball, NHL 97-98 and Madden 97 never felt better. This controller would have ranked higher had the Saturn actually put together a decent variety of sports games before its early demise.

The first console controller to integrate an analog stick for 3-D gaming also introduced sports gamers to precision player movement that they were not accustomed to on a D-pad. The N64's analog stick allowed gamers to control the gait of their virtual athlete for the very first time, and the system's nine total buttons upped the ante in regards to in-game options. Whether you were initiating a wall climb with the R-button in Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. or performing a special move on a "C" button in Madden 64, the button layout on the N64 controller was a sports gamer's dream.

Back in the 16-bit days, the Genesis may have had a sleek three-button scheme, but Nintendo decided to raise the bar in 1990 with a four-button setup, along with the L and R buttons located at the top of the controller. Because of the extra buttons, my friends and I began playing the NHL and Madden series exclusively on the SNES. In addition to those gems, racing games like F-Zero and Mario Kart controlled like nothing we had ever played before thanks to the shoulder buttons. It would also be a crime not to mention how much easier the shoulder buttons made playing NBA Jam -- I still shudder when I think about pressing the B button for turbo on the Genesis.

Combining dual-analog sticks with the best digital pad to date is a recipe for success in sports gaming. What really made the PS2 Dualshock a top-tier sports gaming controller was its pressure-sensitive face buttons, an addition that allowed users to put touch on passes in football games and precisely regulate their speed in racing games. The PS2 controller's four trigger buttons also allowed for additional receiver options in football games, line changes in hockey games and shot modifiers in basketball games. If the analog-stick sensitivity and placement had been better, the PS2 controller would have been a top three contender.

Unlike the N64 and PS2 controllers, Sega made the brilliant move of positioning the Dreamcast controller's analog stick in a much more comfortable "primary" position, eliminating the need for a D-pad. Right and left triggers were also added to the controller to go along with its fairly standard four-button scheme. These triggers coupled with the analog stick contributed to some of the best player movement/turbo integration/play modifications ever experienced in a video game. Both the NBA 2K and NFL 2K control schemes shaped the way basketball and football games are played today, and the integration of the R trigger as the "accelerate" button in racing games such as Sega GT was something that had never been seen before. And who can forget about the controller's Virtual Memory Unit? The innovative memory card "controller within a controller" with a built-in LCD display would allow you to select plays secretly on your controller in two-player NFL 2K games. The Dreamcast controller is still the only device to integrate such a feature to date, making it a lock for the third spot on this list.

Combining the comfortable analog stick and shoulder buttons of the Dreamcast controller with the dual-analog sticks and pressure sensitive buttons of the PS2 controller, the Xbox 360 controller is the perfect marriage of form and functionality when it comes to sports gaming. Let's also not forget that the 360 controller was the first to standardize a wireless configuration -- turning the controller into a projectile after devastating Madden losses. All kidding aside, in today's gaming landscape that relies on complex analog-stick movements and trigger pulls, no other controller comes close to providing the same comfort and ease of operation.

Before anyone starts hating on such a primitive controller, answer the following question: How many sports games on the NES did you play where you ever felt like you were out of control of what was happening? It did not matter if you were playing a golf, baseball, football, basketball, track and field, boxing or racing game, every game controlled beautifully using the NES' simple D-pad and two-button setup. There really is a lot to be said about a controller that is so basic, yet it can still be used to pull off complex tasks like double steals in a baseball game. The controller itself is why NES games like Tecmo Bowl, R.C. Pro-Am, Punch Out, Blades of Steel and Ice Hockey are heralded as some of the greatest sports games of all time and are still being played to this day.


So what are your favorite sports gaming controllers of all time? Sound off below.


Christian McLeod is a senior staff Writer at Operation Sports. Born and raised in the great State of Michigan, Christian yearns for a day when the Lions are as good as their Tecmo Super Bowl incarnation. Follow him on Twitter @Bumble14_OS, talk to him on our forums at Bumble14, or challenge him on Xbox Live or PSN via Bumble14.