360 Controller

The Xbox 360 controller isn't anything blazingly new in terms of control, but a fine modified version of the Controller S pad into wireless form that provides a great deal of comfort and ease of control. Something could be done to prolong the battery life or at least give an indication as to when it needs a change, but past that little setback, this is a great controller that works with a number of game types, be it a complex first-person shooter like Gears of War or a simple card game such as Uno.

PS3 Controller

Sony's PS3 controller has a long way to go. Despite the fact that it has gyroscopic features built in and returns to the same old Dual Shock formula that the previous controllers did, it feels cheaply put together and seems to have most of its innovation borrowed from that other competitor, the Nintendo Wii. There's not really an original hook here to keep gamers thinking that the PS3 is innovative, even though the controller has that sense of comfort. Fortunately, the very final edition will see Sony giving it a little heft and a push of originality.

Wii Controller

The Nintendo Wii-mote is a solid controller and a grealy designed tool that should help boost the company back into the next-generation race. The system itself could use a little more of a technical boost to live up to this peripheral's potential, and some of the games aren't as smooth controlling as others (playing Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam with a sideways Wii-mote takes getting used to), but it still plays wonderfully and could lead the way for a new direction as to how games are played. Hell, even Sony's stealing some ideas.

Conclusion

So who's the overall winner? Well, actually, I sense a tie between the Nintendo Wii-mote and the Xbox 360 controller. Both of them seem to offer a great deal of comfort and style in the way they handle, all without having to worry about some damn wires and with decent (if unnoticeable) battery life. They're both different in their own way, but they both work really well at what they do. As for Sony, well, they have a long way to go before they get back on the brazen path that their Dual Shocks have beaten over the years. Maybe we'll see a redesign next year that'll hold the fort just as well as Microsoft and Nintendo's controllers do.