pad or stick

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 2:57 pm

So I'm wanting to improve my shmupping on the ps2, the analogue stick is quite annoying when you want fine position adjustments.

I was interested in the real arcade pro stick but the postage cost for that is at least £37. Whilst a PS2 saturn pad is only just under £4.

How much difference(with practice) could a stick make to my gaming, and also how much of a diference does the saturn pad dpad make? Dont wanna be wasting my money.

much thanks.

Post by **Ghegs** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:37 pm

Like I've said about this many, many times it's all about your preference and to what you're accustomed to. Your skill doesn't come from the controller. I played a long time with the standard Dual Shock 2 d-pad and got my share of 1CC's with it. Now I'm playing with the Saturn-style PS2 pad, as it has a slightly tighter feel.

Some people are more used to sticks and get results that way. SnapDragon, the guy who won the US Ikaruga competition, played using GameCube's standard analogue stick.

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 4:23 pm

I'm glad I didnt shell out almost 80 quid then. I think the dpad on the saturn controller will definetly be easier to use than the ps2 analogue, Its so annoying when you mean to go left but end up goin left and up slightly

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:32 pm

Ghegs wrote:it's all about your preference and to what you're accustomed to.

I couldn't agree more. And it's the same for any genre. I know a lot of fighting game players who swear black and blue you *MUST* play with a stick, but then some young kid will come along and beat everyone on a pad.

For me personally, I prefer Sanwa sticks for shooters over either Happ sticks or a D-Pad. I like their light springs, and they just feel more comfortable. I get all of my highest scores on these, simply because that's what I'm used to, and have played with the longest. Again, just my own preference. My best friend is a D-Pad user all the way, and hates sticks.

If you do want an arcade style stick for yourself, you shouldn't need to shell out rediculous amounts for it. You can buy very cheap joysticks and mod them with better parts, or build/buy your own box and throw a hacked pad and joystick in there. There are plenty of hobby and electronics stores that sell project boxes in a variety of materials (plastics, aluminium, sheet steel, etc) for a coulpe of bucks. Whack a few holes in, throw the sticks and buttons in, hack a pad and hot glue it in, and you have yourself a very cheap and useable joystick.

loopyeddie · Post by **loopyeddie** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 10:03 pm

I'd take a high quality stick with Sanwa parts first, but I rather use the pad than a poor quality stick.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:59 am

I don't see why an SS pad would be so much better than a PS digital pad for a shooter...you don't need to motion or anything (unless you're playing Batsugun or something) and the PS pad is very crisp for straight directions. Is there any particular reason you're not using the PS d-pad?

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:32 am

The ps d-pad feels slightly sluggish to me, it feels like theres a slight delay between when you push down to when it responds, its like a cushion

Diagonal movement is quite dodgy with the dpad, for me anyway.

DC906270 · Post by **DC906270** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:28 pm

i often wondered this myself, until i played mushihimesama on an arcade cab and starting acheiving higher scores

to me, different games suit different control methods, for me mushi is much better played with a stick, but then i prefer to play battle garegga using saturn pad. i think it is because you need to do fast sweeping movements in mushi and also a lot of tapping of the stick when you are in the complex bullet patterns, whereas with garegga the movements required are much more precise/sensitive, and the pad seems to allow more sensitive control

also, when i am learning a game, i like to learn the basics on a pad and get used to which buttons do what, especially on games which use lots of buttons like espgaluda and gunbird 2.
then when i am used to the game mechanics i will swap over onto the joystick and see if i can get a better score (sometimes happens/but not always - game specific see above)

i would get a stick, as well as a pad, so you can swap and change for different games. games always seem more fun to me when played competently with a stick

but there is nothing worse than using a stick and not being able to control properly

DC906270 · Post by **DC906270** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:30 pm

btw, i have a Hori Real Arcade Pro stick for PS2, they are excellent

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 3:59 pm

i really would like to get one some day, but currently the shipping cost is a bit too much.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:53 pm

DC906270 wrote:i i think it is because you need to do fast sweeping movements in mushi and also a lot of tapping of the stick when you are in the complex bullet patterns, whereas with garegga the movements required are much more precise/sensitive, and the pad seems to allow more sensitive control

also, when i am learning a game, i like to learn the basics on a pad and get used to which buttons do what, especially on games which use lots of buttons like espgaluda and gunbird 2.

I tend to agree with this. For games that require tap dodging from quick bullets, I prefer a pad most definitely. While for larger, sweeping movements, I find I get better results from a stick (not analog!). But generally sticks are hard for me anytime there are more than two buttons involved.

SAM · Post by **SAM** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:15 am

professor ganson wrote:
DC906270 wrote:i i think it is because you need to do fast sweeping movements in mushi and also a lot of tapping of the stick when you are in the complex bullet patterns, whereas with garegga the movements required are much more precise/sensitive, and the pad seems to allow more sensitive control

also, when i am learning a game, i like to learn the basics on a pad and get used to which buttons do what, especially on games which use lots of buttons like espgaluda and gunbird 2.
I tend to agree with this. For games that require tap dodging from quick bullets, I prefer a pad most definitely. While for larger, sweeping movements, I find I get better results from a stick (not analog!). But generally sticks are hard for me anytime there are more than two buttons involved.

I am the opposit, I couldn't handle more then 2 buttons when using a pad, proberby because I use only my right thumb to press buttons when using pad.

I must play with joysticks for games require more that 2 buttons, since the joystick buttons are largers, so that I could operate each button with a finger.