Pads vs Sticks

[Ossoi]

I've always played SF2 on a joypad, be it on the megadrive 6button pad, the snes pad or the DC pad.

When I got SF2 for the xbox I was disappointed with the xbox d-pad and found it hard to pull of fireballs and dragon punches.

So I decided to shell out for a stick but now I'm finding it hard to get used to the stick and I'm losing more matches I would have won with the pad...

Should I keep trying to get used to the stick or stay with the pad?

[Vildiil]

Keep practicing with the stick, I sucked with it when i first got mine but within a month it started becoming natural. Sticks are always better than pads for these games, shit is just easier to link and you can input stuff much faster. Stick with it man it'll pay off.

[Decoy]

I've always played SF2 on a joypad, be it on the megadrive 6button pad, the snes pad or the DC pad.

When I got SF2 for the xbox I was disappointed with the xbox d-pad and found it hard to pull of fireballs and dragon punches.

So I decided to shell out for a stick but now I'm finding it hard to get used to the stick and I'm losing more matches I would have won with the pad...

Should I keep trying to get used to the stick or stay with the pad?

You answered you're own question. If a pad truly allows you to feel comfortable and play at your best then stick to a pad. I play on a stick and I can't even fathom trying to learn how to play on a pad. Just my preference. Remember, be it pad or stick they both are input devices. If one feels more comfortable to you than the other then you know what to do.

You will have your SF purists that say the game is intended to be played on a stick so go learn how. I would disagree but thats just me.

~Decoy

[Havoc]

Nah, it's not about what most comfortable. The only reason the pad is more comfortable is because that's what you're used to. If you think back, the first time you picked up a pad, you weren't good with it. Simple as that. You can't expect to be good with a stick.

The reason most competent players pick sticks over pads is because sticks allow for greater control. There is just stuff that you can do on a stick that you can't do on a pad. Simple fact. Try RC Lighting Leg on a pad. Good luck with that shit. Or since we're in the SFAC forum, think about kara-throws on a pad. My hands hurt just thinking about it.

I suppose if you're like Decoy here, and stick to holding back for two seconds and pressing forward + punch for your only moves, it might not make a difference :wink: , but otherwise, I would advise sticking with the stick until you become proficient with it.

[CrotchMonkey]

its going to be hard to adjust to a stick but you wont regret it.

[SNK NEOGEO AU]

If you haven't used a stick before you should start using it ASAP. These games were not made for home systems and control pads - they were made for the arcades with arcades sticks as the method for which playing them by. In all the years I have had SF on systems dating back from SNES to XBOX I have only ever used an Arcade Stick - I have not once used a control pad because when I go to my local arcade now or back then, nobody is using a control pad I assure you.

Control pads are for non-arcading noob boys...

[Decoy]

If you haven't used a stick before you should start using it ASAP. These games were not made for home systems and control pads - they were made for the arcades with arcades sticks as the method for which playing them by. In all the years I have had SF on systems dating back from SNES to XBOX I have only ever used an Arcade Stick - I have not once used a control pad because when I go to my local arcade now or back then, nobody is using a control pad I assure you.

Control pads are for non-arcading noob boys...

Uh, you should get on Zbattle and play DGV and Vintage - probably will make you want to rephrase that last comment. :tup:

~Decoy

[TheHuschka]

I remember the good ol days of the arcades and my solid arcade stick I had for my SuperNES. :nunchuck:

Are there any high quality sticks for the Xbox that are reasonable in price (less that $100) that also have a voice chat plug? (If you're playing Live without chat ... :sad: )

I'm doin OK with the pad, but as posters above say, you have to play within your controller. And sacrificing combos because you don't have a stick... not fun. :tdown:

[Ossoi]

ok guys all I needed was some re-assurance that long term and with practice sticks > pads

[SNK NEOGEO AU]

Uh, you should get on Zbattle and play DGV and Vintage - probably will make you want to rephrase that last comment. :tup:

~Decoy

True to a certain extent...for example two guys I know are really good 3rd Strike players on console with a control pad. They are able to do just about everything someone could with a stick and even give me a run for my money once in a while. However, switch to an arcade setting an they cant play for shit, they are unable to use the sticks probably and hence just use controllers.

The reason for that being that they were brought up playing this game as "console warriors" rather than were it is meant to be played in the arcade. That is the point I am trying to get across.

Alot of people are getting on live with their control pads and for example beating guys who are 100X better than them in some laggy ass match whilst using their control pad and this might be their 2nd week or month of playing the game and yet they will get some scrubby victory and think that they are all that. People need to realise the difference between 3rd Strike online...and 3rd Strike in your local arcade.

[Vintage]

Bah. To each his own. Besides, my sig says it best :cool:

[SNK Guitarist]

I play all my XBL games on the original big duke :D

[Player 1]

I've only started to exclusivly use a stick when VF4 evo came out. Cool thing was i also started to use the complex & allmost impossible on a pad char Akira. That way I could really start from zero either way & still find pleasure in evolving my stick & Akira use. However there are committed Akira padplayers who flawlessly pull of knee, buffers, etc.

2d games started with SF2 with a pad on NES & it stayed that way-one little ASCII Fighter stick intermezzo with SFalpha 2-until now with 3s & my namco stick
Main reason is they have 3s in the arcade now & boy did i suck. Contrary to VF I play better on 2p side, on 1p I can hardly pull of supers or shoryukens. On a pad my supers come naturally while on stick I really have to force them out & can forget about the linking. Also VF only uses 3 buttons & I notice I hardly use my other buttons, my hand simply doesn't come there...
Anyway I'm trading my online PS2 & Gamecube 4 Live & plan on getting my ass kicked in the arcade now & then: no pain no gain

[Stylistics]

Am I the only one who uses analog? I find it easier to play analog, especially for charge characters.

[Reipin Pillage]

Did anyone bother to ask what kind of stick he is using? If it's a 20 dollar stick you may as well go back to your pad ;p

[Ossoi]

hori stick ex

[strakka]

So exactly how would you pull off something like a karapalm on pad?

[The Chef]

Get a stick, gogogo.
Those SF experts aren't lying!!!
You can move better, and do everything SF-related better on a stick.
It'll just take you a while to get used to it, gotta hang in there!!
And of course if you choose to go down the arcade to play for real, pad skills aren't gonna take you very far.

Even when you get to stick, there's a huge-ass divide between stiff american style sticks and loose japanese style. Most of the level-headed guys will tell you Japanese style is better (try doing tachi gigas on US sticks, lol), but then loads of ppl are already more comfortable with American style, so they think that's better (a bit like the pad players).
Or their local arcade or tournament has US style sticks, which would put them in a dilemma if they chose to practice on Japanese style.

Anyway, the Hori Real Arcade Pro (for playstation) is regarded as the best console stick so far, cause it uses a real sanwa joystick (the joysticks used in actual japanese arcades). And I'm told it's extremely easy to replace the stick and buttons if they break, no soldering needed!
The price tag is a bit hefty though, and the stick is bigger than most japanese sticks (but smaller than mas or xarcade), but it's definitely worth it!

Actually pretty much all Hori sticks are good, you can't really go wrong if you buy any Hori. Some ASCII sticks are good, others are garbage, lol

[bassventura]

I been a pad player for years but 3 days ago I bought a Hori stick for my xbox. I am rubbish on stick and playing the game sometimes hurts cause you know you can do better on your pad, but I also feel the potencial is alot greater on stick and am determined master it, however I know this will take time and test my patience. On the bright side I look forward to playing in the arcades.

PS - Chef I will master the stick and beat up your crew at the troc real soon.........Hahahaha

[The Chef]

look forward to it! :D

I'm usually at the arcade every Friday evening.

[unikronn]

I been a pad player for years but 3 days ago I bought a Hori stick for my xbox. I am rubbish on stick and playing the game sometimes hurts cause you know you can do better on your pad, but I also feel the potencial is alot greater on stick and am determined master it, however I know this will take time and test my patience. On the bright side I look forward to playing in the arcades.

PS - Chef I will master the stick and beat up your crew at the troc real soon.........Hahahaha



Realy...right get back on sf2 or 3 and give me some hollow victories :rofl:

[ken_dong]

Still on the pad side right now... that sucks, I know ^^

[wargame]

Using a stick in the arcade is no problem for me but I have always used a pad at home, that was until I started to visit boards like this. After having done some research and getting some opinions I bought a Real Arcade Pro. It is so strange some stuff that is difficult on the pad like diagonal jumping (how many times has that cost you a match) are so easy but things like the Dragon Punch facing right just have no consistency. I have always found a DP facing left (Player 2) a bit iffy they have a 50/50 chance on a pad but seem almost no problem on the stick.

DP seem a little easier in 3S but now I find it difficult to cancel into a SA but if you guys say it just need time I will stick with it for a while but for Live play I have to revert to the pad for the time being.

[knOWN]

I myself am a pad player a couldnt ever see myself usin the stick but the xbox pad is so damn difficult even pulling off simple hadokens or dragon uppercuts are a pain so im beginning to look at the stick...
but is there a way to use a ps2 controller on the xbox i heard u could buy converters???

[wargame]

Yeah its called a magic box and can be got here:

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-2a-15-magic+box-70-1gk.html

It works very well with PS2 pads and sticks even on Live

[Xnine]

DUDE THE S pad is the best out of all the pads. I cant stand the cut up ps2 pad. PLus the pad makes you much quicker to pull off moves

[[vince-uk]]

Sticks own pads forever.
End of story.

By the way, I notice a lot of stick newbies (and scrubs in the arcade) using a jap stick utilising a full grip on the ball, and moving their arm to move it. In otherwords, a qcf motion facing left looks like an elbow swing. If you put _that_ much effort in moving the stick, then you're gonna struggle doing any move quickly. Learn to move it with your wrists, and after a bit of practice you'll become very quick. You do not have to maintain a full grip on the ball all the time. :karate:

[knOWN]

thanx wargame ^^ i tried usin stick yesterday an my lil bro handed my ass :lame: stupid button mashing shit

[SilentNinja]

The S controller was pretty solid for GGX 2 Reload until lag. Not perfect on SvC Chaos. I'm talking about 4 button fighters.

If you're asking me, Pad=stick. Don't bother getting the same mistake as me testing shitty 6 button pads and buggy sticks. Cheap stuff can be tricky.

I play my console fighters from a pad and practice at the arcade with the sticks. Switch either of them to learn what works and what doesn't.

By the way, we've been through this conversation before... :xeye:

[ken_dong]

I think that a stick is more comfortable, but if you use a pad, you can do moves quicker, just because the D-pad is faster than the stick itself.

[Hol Horse]

the pad can be faster for things like double QCFs. Don't tell me that a 720° is done faster on a pad, I'll never buy that.

[bigbadcod]

WHat about doing a 360 on the Anologue stick on a Xbox pad its quick

Vince-UK i am a newb to a stick and i move my elbow you have just helped me loads :tup:

[Sifu V]

if you use a pad, you can do moves quicker, just because the D-pad is faster than the stick itself.

No it aint.

Think about it. on the D pad you can only use your thumb. On a stick you have the use of most of your digits. Not only is it more presice, but you can bang out moves till the cows come home and at a pretty decent speed too.

The most useful stick, i find, is a Jap 'gumball' with about an inch of stick. ala the DC stick or the X fighting stick. these shorter sticks give you less opportunity to over cock and whiff your moves.