What is your preferred controller for playing classic Sonic?

I personally prefer Xbox or Switch Pro.

 

I've played classic sonic on Nintendo controllers for the past 10 years or so.
Since Sonic's been most popular on Nintendo Platforms I find weird you didn't have a specific option for those.

 

8-bitdo Controller, or Wii Classic Controller Pro.

 

Retro-bit Genesis or Saturn pad, or else a Switch Pro pad.

 

If you want to chase this feeling to its logical conclusion, you might consider picking up an arcade stick or hitbox. They're not for everyone but if you're crazy about tactility like I am, it's the best for retro games. I picked a stick up just for fighters and quickly found myself using it for everything else possible, it's very fun. That's certainly true for classic Sonic, where piano rolling for spindashes has never felt better.

Secondary to that, I don't think you can go wrong with a Retro-Bit Genesis or Saturn pad. I have a pair of the Genesis pads and like them quite a bit, they're very comfy. I've heard good things about 8bitdo's M30 pad as well. But if you're not a piano roll savant and don't plan on playing any fighters, pretty much any of the modern big 3 controllers or the 8bitdo Pro 2 will suit you fine, they're all good choices.

 

OEM SEGA Saturn controller (via USB adapter) and it's not even close.

 

I'm most comfortable and familiar with keyboard controls, but man, would I like a Genesis USB controller...

 

Keyboard. The classic Sonic games don't use analog controls, rumble or motion controls. So I honestly don't see the point in using a gamepad when playing them on PC (my main gaming platform). In fact, I find the keyboard preferable because I can have a different finger over each action key all the time. With a gamepad you only use your thumb for action buttons, so you have to move it from one button to the next.

That said, it would be nice if Origins implemented rumble. If they did so, I'd play it with a gamepad.

 

Switch Pro Controller. Nintendo just knows good D-Pad design, what can I say?

 

Is it weird that I prefer playing 2D Sonic with an analogue stick? To me it makes it more fun to go into a roll

I feel like they realized this with the mobile ports too since the control UI is designed to look like a stick instead of a D-Pad

 

Definitely Retro-bit's Genesis and Saturn controllers.

 

Analog stick. Sonic's controls are fluid enough that you don't need pinpoint accuracy to play it well. I'd even argue it feels better with that level of smoothness.

I'd pick anything with a Genesis/Saturn D-Pad after that, for similar reasons. Not only is it "as intended", but it's smoother feeling than any other out there. Playing a Sonic game without controls that let you glide the thumb around seamlessly just feels wrong.

 

Saturn pad ideally but I’m quite satisfied with the DS4. The d-pad is fine and the diamond button configuration makes it easier to spam rev the spin dash.

Funnily I grew up playing the Mega Drive with an arcade stick back in the day. While it made sense for Shadow Dancer (the only game I played other than Sonic 2) I couldn’t imagine doing that now with Sonic.

 

You can’t go wrong with the M30 8BitDo Bluetooth control pad. It works on Switch, Mac, Android and iPhone, and last but definitely not least, the Mega Drive.

 

I use a USB SNES controller

 

I use my PS5 controller's analog stick. Feels really nice and smooth for me.

 

I use the stick on my 360 controller, with the d-pad mapped to tails for fun.
Sonic has always just felt better on an analog stick to me, curling into a ball by smoothly tilting the stick downward feels 10x better to me than meandering around with the d-pad.
I've been wanting to pick up a genesis or saturn controller with an adapter for fun sometime soon though, just for "authenticity".

 

Since I only play on my computer these days, I just use a keyboard.

 

Basically this. I ordered in a Saturn Controller/Adapter in order to play Mania with it. Mania's release came 2 days before the controller arrived, and I had to tie my hands behind my back until it arrived so I could experience it properly. So worth the wait though!