I will be the first to admit, I am a bit of a d-pad snob. A lot of folks on neogaf seem to have their particular quirks when it comes to this. Some folks need native 4k, some need 60fps, some are the breed of folk who need 120hz monitors and ultra-high framerates. For me it is the controller.
I primarily enjoy playing classic (and modern) 2D games that often require very precise directional inputs. Contra 3: Alien Wars is one of my all-time favorite games, and a game I often use to benchmark controllers for accuracy. I have spent hundreds of dollars and thousands of hours testing and using a LOT of gaming controllers with a specific focus on the d-pad performance. I also play a crazy amount of other classic games because Contra 3 does get boring for me, like anything will, but it always seems to be able to quickly expose bad controllers.
For me, Nintendo has always held the majority of top spots in my rankings for d-pad accuracy. My previous list looked something like:
S Tier: Wii U Pro Controller, Sega Saturn (Japanese, US 2nd revision), Neo Geo CD, Playstation Vita
A Tier: SNES, Wii Classic Controller, iBuffalo SNES clone (best bang for your buck classic controller!), N64 which has the same d-pad as SNES but it really kind of sucks to hold.
B Tier: Sega Genesis 3-button & 6-button, NES, Xbox One (S and Elite), Playstation 4
C Tier: 8bitdo Controllers (NES30, SNES30, NES30 Pro), Xbox 360 (transforming d-pad model), Playstation 1-3 controllers.
F Tier: Most all Chinese clone controllers including brands like Tomee, Retrolink, Retro-Bit. Xbox 360, Xbox OG, Gamecube, Dreamcast, 3DO, Jaguar, Sega Master System.
*note my f tier contains controllers that are perfectly useable but really not worth adapting to other systems. there is a lot to be said about using authentic controllers with classic systems. i would take a gamecube controller to play the majority of its games.
I have a reasonable amount of time using all controllers I listed (other than very brief encounters with the no-name clones when trying to find a diamond in the rough, these do not need extensive audition time to demonstrate their incompetence.)
But after the last few months I have now found myself the ultimate SS Tier controller. Above anything I have used before!
The Hori Fighting Commander.

This model has 2 variants that I am aware of being sold to the US which would be the black Playstation 3/4/PC compatible (my recommendation), and the white Xbox One/Xbox 360/PC compatible. I have not owned the white one but I am sure it is identical. Keep in mind there have been other Fighting Commanders but I haven't had a chance to try the others like the Fighting Commander 3 which featured a gimmicky rotating dpad (discontinued and now expensive).
As I write this I feel like a straight up Hori shill. Trust me, Hori hasn't gotten nearly the amount of money from me as other brands in terms of controllers I have purchased. That would go to Nintendo, and they straight up ripped me off with their latest offering.
So what does this thing have that others don't?
First of all, it is wired and lag free. That may turn some of you away, as wireless convenience is really paramount for folks. It is a major advantage to me due to the 100% compatability with PS3, PS4, and PC, and the comfort of knowing I have the best possible lag free solution for a HUGE spread of software. I have also tested this on my PS3 when using PS2 software and it does indeed work. The same could be said for the Xbox eco-system which also has a wonderful catalog of games that will benifit from a great d-pad. At $40 a pop, you can justify one of each if you are invested on both platforms.
Second is the build quality and size. This is really just what a quality gamepad should feel like. The cable is thick, shielded, and long. The controller itself is sturdy and confidence inspiring in my large hands. It feels like it is designed for adult hands. Again, not going to be a pro for everyone but for me, oh yes.
Third would be the button layout. The d-pad is the star of the show for me, but having 6 face buttons means wonderful options when playing games like Street Fighter II where ackward shoulder buttons aren't a great substitute. It does have 2 shoulder buttons if you do need them for games like F-Zero.
Fourth is the price. You can get the Playstation or Xbox version all day long from amazon at around $40. I have spent WELL above that for controller *converters* to allow me to hook up a good controller like the Saturn pad to other consoles.
Now it isn't perfect and nothing really ever is.
It lacks analog sticks so if you are needing those, well, too bad.
The shoulder buttons are admittedly crap for anything outside of simple SNES/Saturn style implementation. Luckily, as mentioned, you don't need to rely on them as button substitutes. You won't be playing first person games that require 'triggers' with this controller. Remember, no analogs.
Not compatible with Nintendo hardware. I can't use this on my Wii which is my favorite way to play classics (true 240p to Sony Trinitron via component). Can't use this for Ultra Street Fighter II or Neo-Geo classics on Switch.
Finally I have personally read people with reliability complaints. I have owned and used my controller for a little over 6 months now and the d-pad is still very accurate if maybe a little bit looser after extensive use. It still functions better than any other controller in my collection.
Now I don't really write this to sell the controller because, well, it doesn't do shit for me. I did want to share my love because I see so many people proclaiming their love for various other controllers like 8bitdo's offerings which I have found to be average at best. I feel like this controller deserved a spot light and shout out. I also wanted to maybe see what other controllers are the weapons of choice out there. Is there another Luffy out there rocking a Playstation 1 controller + converter winning thousands in competitive play?