What's the best controller for shmups on 360?

[Ghegs]

I got my Xtokki today and it works great. Tested it on Radiant Silvergun, so I played Sega Saturn's most famous game on a Microsoft console using a Sony PS2 controller modelled after the Sega Saturn pad. Funny little circle of gaming life there.

[PinkSweets]

Just in case anyone is interested, I found a PS2 Saturn pad with a pretty nice price tag on ebay. Seems like a reliable seller judging by his feedback.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sega-Saturn-Pad ... 500wt_1323

I don't have the money for this right now, so maybe someone else can enjoy it. Seller says that the cord is new and the pad has been refurbished.

[professor ganson]

I got my Xtokki today and it works great. Tested it on Radiant Silvergun, so I played Sega Saturn's most famous game on a Microsoft console using a Sony PS2 controller modelled after the Sega Saturn pad. Funny little circle of gaming life there.

Nice! Thanks for calling my attention to the fact that these are back in stock (just ordered one!) and that RSG is finally out (lost track of that).

[Casper<3]

I'm not a fan of the PDP pad because of the hard buttons. I really like the madcatz fight pad and would recommend it. I haven't tried the Hori Turbo.

[nem]

There's this thing:



http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008 ... um-set.ars

It is actually surprisingly good. The face buttons are a bit spongy, so it's not super ideal for Shmups. In Pacman CE it's amazing, though.

[PinkSweets]

Wow, I've never seen that. Looks like 360's take on an NES controller.

Judging by its appearance, seems like it would be awesome for some XBLA and Indie games.

[Moniker]

Anyone have any experience getting a usb keyboard to work on a 360? It does the dashboard but not games. Looking online, I see you can get an adapter for keyboard+mouse, but I'm hoping maybe there's a setting or plugin for keyboard only?

[TrevHead (TVR)]

im not a keyboard player myself but maybe this pad by razer might be closer it as the dpad isnt one piece but 4, also with how the triggers are shaped it would also make a good pad for racers http://store.razerzone.com/store/razeru ... d.54297600

[shmuppyLove]

Anyone have any experience getting a usb keyboard to work on a 360? It does the dashboard but not games. Looking online, I see you can get an adapter for keyboard+mouse, but I'm hoping maybe there's a setting or plugin for keyboard only?

I think similar to the Wii, the games have to be specifically programmed to enable a given input device. So the advantage of the adapters is that they will 'fake' the input signals from a standard controller, which makes them compatible with anything. Well, anything that supports the controller.

[beatsgo]

Wow, I've never seen that. Looks like 360's take on an NES controller.

Judging by its appearance, seems like it would be awesome for some XBLA and Indie games.

As quoted from system11 in this thread:

Tried the Rock Band controller, it's pretty good but the D pad is convex which makes it far less good than it would be if flat or slightly concave. It's tied with the old Hori Ex Turbo I guess.

Right now it's $14.99 at Amazon, pretty cheap alternative controller.

[PinkSweets]

Edit: Nevermind.

[dunpeal2064]

I'm pretty sure the quote he put in there was the quote he was talking about...

[Sumez]

Why aren't all D-pads ever made up of four separate buttons? I can't think of a single reason for not doing this. It would avoid that nutty Nintendo patent thing, too. The PlayStation one is even disguised as separate buttons. Are they so afraid of people pressing left and right at the same time?

[Barrakketh]

Why aren't all D-pads ever made up of four separate buttons? I can't think of a single reason for not doing this.

Because it's terrible? Prime example: every official PS/DualShock/Sixaxis controller.

[Moniker]

Why aren't all D-pads ever made up of four separate buttons? I can't think of a single reason for not doing this.

Because it's terrible? Prime example: every official PS/DualShock/Sixaxis controller.

Yeah, but it doesn't have to be. If they would just have more the texture of a face button instead of that mushy crap, there wouldn't be a problem. Like how the NDS & classic control pro dpads feel. The PSP dpads are slightly better in this regard. I don't really see an obvious benefit either way (connected or separate), though... Would it mean less wear if the stress were spread between separate buttons?

[Barrakketh]

Why aren't all D-pads ever made up of four separate buttons? I can't think of a single reason for not doing this.

Because it's terrible? Prime example: every official PS/DualShock/Sixaxis controller.

Yeah, but it doesn't have to be.

The problem is that they haven't fixed it after all these years, and beyond the feel I still don't like diagonals on them. Even if they couldn't use the same design, they've had a long time to improve the feel.

And I know some people are citing Nintendo's patent, but that should have expired in 2005 (good for 20 years, was filed in '85).

[Sumez]

Because it's terrible? Prime example: every official PS/DualShock/Sixaxis controller.

That one doesn't use separate buttons. It's just a typical mediocre d-pad disguised as separate buttons... as I said in the post that you quoted.

[Barrakketh]

Because it's terrible? Prime example: every official PS/DualShock/Sixaxis controller.

That one doesn't use separate buttons. It's just a typical mediocre d-pad disguised as separate buttons... as I said in the post that you quoted.

I wasn't talking about how it was really implemented, just its presentation to the end user. Broadly speaking, from an implementation POV even the Nintendo design uses multiple "buttons" (switches) for input underneath the cross design.

I'd be interested in seeing whether someone can create a pad that uses multiple buttons (for the user to use, as well as under the hood) that feels and works as well Nintendo's pads do (I <3 my CCP).

And since I didn't notice it:

Are they so afraid of people pressing left and right at the same time?

It can have unintended consequences if the software or controller isn't designed to handle it. The technical term is simultaneous opposing cardinal directions.

This actually caused a bit of a stir in the fighting community, because users testing on some custom arcade sticks that use buttons for directional input (most notably the Hitbox "sticks") were able to use charge moves (like Guile's Sonic Boom) while moving foward. You could also block from both directions at the same time. Needless to say, that wasn't intended behavior. Toodles fixed it in a firmware update for his stick PCBs, I'm not sure when (or if) it was fixed in the SFIV games.

[Moniker]

Are they so afraid of people pressing left and right at the same time?

It can have unintended consequences if the software or controller isn't designed to handle it. The technical term is simultaneous opposing cardinal directions.

This could be fixed on the hardware end, couldn't it? Just have any given dpad input disable its corresponding cardinal opposite until released. Use one of them there transistor thingies.

[beatsgo]

Are they so afraid of people pressing left and right at the same time?

It can have unintended consequences if the software or controller isn't designed to handle it. The technical term is simultaneous opposing cardinal directions.

This could be fixed on the hardware end, couldn't it? Just have any given dpad input disable its corresponding cardinal opposite until released. Use one of them there transistor thingies.

Not a competent electronics person, but I believe any controller's input errors can be fixed via hardware or software. If a controller has firmware in it, easier to just update the internal software for.

[professor ganson]

Elixir, the xtokki adapter works perfectly. Thanks for the heads-up in this thread. Loving it!

[hwl]

Can't speak for Madcatz but avoid the Hori sticks at all costs. They're cheaply made trash.

Aren't they just.

Do want! :/

[Elixir]

Elixir, the xtokki adapter works perfectly. Thanks for the heads-up in this thread. Loving it!

I ordered one myself a day or two ago, I'll review it once it's here. Inexpensive too.

I've started noticing a few problems with the Classic Controller Pro. From here: "I'm currently playing Castlevania HD with my PS2 Saturn pad via the Controller Converter Pro and I've encountered a weird issue. Apparently, the dpad of the PS2 Saturn pad also inputs diagonals of the right analogue stick. As a result, the camera in this game, controlled typically by the right analogue stick, is also pressed when any of the diagonals of the PS2 Saturn pad's diagonals are pressed."

Annoying and makes Castlevania HD pretty much unplayable. Hoping the eTokki adapter doesn't have this issue.

[Marc]

The SNES pad is still my favourite ever, I'd kill for a 360-compatible clone. What's the verdict on the MadCatz Fightpads then, any good or should I stump up the extra for the Hori EX2?

[Blackbird]

People always look at me funny when I mention that I want to use my Saturn pad with modern game consoles. It's definitely my controller of choice, I even have a USB one for my PC =P. Wonder if you could somehow mod/hack a USB Saturn pad to work with an X360.

[Moniker]

Just picked up this bad boy for the X360 today:

Versus Fighting Pad

The analogue nub has 8-way microswitches and clicks like an arcade stick; all the buttons have real good action to them. First fight pad I've used that feels good right out of the box. No need to get acclimated. Played some Futari and SSFIV. Definitely the best digital control yet for the 360. Might even prefer it to my modded arcade stick.

[BulletMagnet]

I actually picked up a PDP pad myself a little while back - while for some reason I'm having some trouble using it for fighters, I think it feels great for shmupping.

[moh]

I'd go that route but problem is, Saturn PS2 pads are $100-200 apiece, plus I go through those d-pads pretty fast due to the intensity with which I play my shooters. I need something like my beloved PC joybox converter.

Do they seriously go for that much? you could make one so easily!

[PinkSweets]

Has anyone tried using a Mayflash Stick with the Xtokki converter? Thinking about picking one up if it works well. I don't see why it wouldn't, but I always love to get some feedback from those with experience.

And how much do the PS2 Saturn pads go for nowadays? Still insanely priced?

Edit: Oh, and which stick is a better choice? Or does it really not matter?

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-m-4 ... -3d9n.html

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-m-4 ... -3tiz.html

[antron]

Just in case anyone is interested, I found a PS2 Saturn pad with a pretty nice price tag on ebay. Seems like a reliable seller judging by his feedback.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sega-Saturn-Pad ... 500wt_1323

I don't have the money for this right now, so maybe someone else can enjoy it. Seller says that the cord is new and the pad has been refurbished.

I have one from this guy. It is a complete saturn pad with a saturn to PSX chip inside. So it just like using a saturn pad with a PSX converter. I don't notice any lag.