Theres two major types of controllers being used

1. Hori mini pad
2. OG Nintendo 64 There might be a new contender with the brawler64 coming out but thats unknown.

i'm doing ps2 and ger pretty exact angles...some use xbox too :)

Doubt it. But it works well on emulator.

Brawler64 has been tested and isn't suitable for SM64.

N64 Controller is the most precise one and used by most, however it's hard to do bowser throws with it, and the stick wears out doing those.

Hori is a bit less precise, but used by Cheese, Weegee and a few others. Most runners have one for throws.

Some players started out on Hori and eventually switched. I'd recommend N64 but in the end it comes down to the individual.

@Drogie what exactly makes the Brawler64 not good enough for SM64?

Brawler doesn't have the full range of motion and the diagonals are much closer in than they should be.

Ah man, that sucks. I was really excited for it. That was probably the deciding factor in me running on console tbh, my N64 controller sucks and I cba to pay $80 for a horipad

Emu related but I use Gamecube controller and it works for me. Similar notches to original but still easy for throws and I enjoy the general shape more.

I play with a hori, it's expensive tho.

It's very cheap to get replacement sticks, bowls and gears from kitsch-bent. All are manufactured to OEM specifications.