Gamepad or Joystick?

[captpain]

Use whatever you like best, as long as you have at least some familiarity with all your options.

I feel most comfortable with a stick, and it's also got a big fun-factor. I would probably play shmups marginally better with a keyboard if I practiced but I have no real interest in doing so.

edit: omg @ necro

[ratikal]

Even if it's a necro, it's still kind of relevant.

I agree with the "comfortable" factor. Prometheus and MrMonkeyMan don't use sticks and they dominate Cave games. Though, I'll have to agree that using a stick is fun. Not dying is funner though.

[Drum]

Anything with suckers on the bottom.

[captpain]

Anything with suckers on the bottom.

THAT'S WHAT SHE SA

[Elixir]

Not this shit again..

[Bananamatic]

I've been thinking about playing shmups with a steering wheel, is that even remotely possible?

[Drum]

Turbo Force plays a lot better with a wheel.

[Aquas]

Turbo Force plays a lot better with a wheel.

HAHAHA!

[Hair]

A good d-pad works fine (Saturn pad especially), but a stick is more fun for me. An arcade stick offers faster button presses since your fingers hover above their own buttons instead of you having to move your thumb around. A d-pad might actually offer faster directional changes (less actual distance required in the movements), but a stick offers more precision, especially a square gate.

I often rapidly alternate between a cardinal direction and a diagonal (to either zig zag or move in a staight-ish line but at an angle other than one of the basic , and the corners of a square gate prevent you from moving too far. On a d-pad or circle/octo gate it is easier to move too far and leave the diagonal for the direction on the other side of it. The faster you are trying to alternate the harder it is not to go too far.

Plus, in general a square gate offers better feedback about what you are actually inputting. You always know when you are inputting left versus left/up. On a d-pad when you roll from left to left/up there is little to no tactile sensation that tells you exactly when or if you get there. The feel of the d-pad under your thumb only tells you a little, and almost nothing when you are actually moving your thumb.

I grew up on Happ sticks with no gates, as well as the great console d-pads (Genesis 6-button / Saturn, SNES), so I love them too, but the last ~2 years I have been using square gates, Sanwa, Sega, and Hori, and even the lesser parts found in some stock sticks work great (I love my Saturn Hori stick). But Sanwa is worth the upgrade. I haven't tried a Seimitsu stick yet, but I plan on buying one eventually.