Sometimes the controller does not work if you press a button while the game is still loading. Did you try to restart the game?
Viewing post in Can't get past the start screen
After trying multiple times it seems like a hit or miss situation where it misses more than hits
If it is working correctly New Game is in big letters after launching the game and if it isn't all the letters are in the same size
Not pressing the controller didn't make a difference
Should I reinstall the game?