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Personally I liked joysticks and never understood why d-pads became the standard after the NES. They remind me of playing games with cursor keys and just seem less fun.

There is a more standard controller: https://atari.com/products/cx78-gamepad

They released this in the 80s with the 7800, and they make it for the Atari 7800+, including a wireless version

Luckily most home computers of the era plus the Sega Master System and Genesis/Mega Drive used the same joystick port and wiring so many better controllers have been made and some are still being made.

Paddle controllers and trackballs are ideal for games that were designed for them. Analog joysticks are a different experience.