What's a good pad to use?

[brook4]

I want to use something other than the keyboard to play but sticks seem way way too expensive for me.

I like saturn pad so I looked up USB saturn pad and read they are pretty awful, but there's instructions on this site about swapping the PCB from one of those (but you have to desolder and I'm not sure if I can do that without accidentally burning out some components) into a real saturn pad and apparently that makes it just as good as the original controller? I looked up adaptors that let you use the original pad but I'm too worried about input delay to use that.

Do you think I should try to do that saturn pad mod or could you recommend any good pads? It seems like I could plug an xbox 360 controller in (I don't have a 360) but I keep hearing people don't like them, on the other people I know some people use them for shmups and don't complain.

[Evilmaxwar]

Do not forget that if you destroy an original Saturn pad, you are doomed to go to hell in the afterlife.

[hail good sir]

360 controllers aren't 100% perfect but I've cleared the first loop or DDP and DOJ with the analog stick and scored 28 million in Ikaruga with the dpad so they're certainly usable.

But, I would just do it right the first time, and either get a stick together that you like or get a real usb saturn pad. If you're just writing off the keyboard right away, it's worth noting that there are plenty of better players than me who play with one and love it so it's worth thinking about learning to use one if you're gonna be playing on the computer a lot. All of the pads I have personally ever used on the PC besides the 360 and usb saturn were garbage.

[cstle]

Delay isn't an issue with converters. I use this for PC/PS3 and an FGW converter for 360.

[brook4]

Do not forget that if you destroy an original Saturn pad, you are doomed to go to hell in the afterlife.

yes, I think that is true I better not open a saturn controller

But, I would just do it right the first time, and either get a stick together that you like or get a real usb saturn pad.

is it possible to get a real USB saturn pad? I found a lot of replica/remake type ones which all have very bad reviews which worries me.

Delay isn't an issue with converters. I use this for PC/PS3 and an FGW converter for 360.

I'm surprised to read that! I better try a converter. Maybe the guy who gave it a bad review was just not used to using the pad?

edit: Oh I was looking at this one before http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sega-Saturn-Con ... 0089O10BC/ - has anyone tried it? which is best?


Thanks for the replies everyone!

[hail good sir]

I'm sure the replicas are all cheap trash but yeah they made some real ones a few years ago. You would have to find one second hand at this point. But if a converter doesn't add lag then there you go, I don't have any experience with those though.

[RaidenViper]

Delay isn't an issue with converters. I use this for PC/PS3 and an FGW converter for 360.

I have this mayflash multi converter. The amount of input lag is noticeable with shmups, and every other type of games that requires fast response time. I wouldn't recommend this at all...

[Astraea FGA Mk. I]

I too find the Saturn pad to be the best control device after an arcade stick.

I bought a USB Saturn pad on ebay two or three years ago that should logically be a fake.

If it is a fake it is made to an amazingly high standard.

It feels the same as my actual Saturn pad, except that it is brand new. The D-Pad and the buttons feel damn good and I play extremely well with this pad.
It looks authentic too, I cannot find any flaws.

Yet it must be a replica as I didn't pay much for it, as new.

The worst ones on ebay don't have the SEGA logo on the front.

[Fudoh]

It's just an unlicensed version. Came from the same factory as the "original ones".

[gct]

I also have one of those knock-off USB Saturn pads, made by "SLS". I have not used it (or played any game on PC) for a while, but I remember it being a bit off somehow - I think it may have been that the diagonals were overly sensitive.

These days if I ever need to connect a pad to my computer, I use *gasp* a DualShock3. The D-pad on the DualShock series of controllers has never bothered me - it's not superb like the original Saturn or even Genesis 6-button Turbo IMO - but it is quite well serviceable.

[Fudoh]

The problem is simply that most people compare the cheap "SLS" pads to the original Saturn pads. There have been 13+ years between those. If you compare an eBay-SLS one from 2008 to an original japanese USB version pad from around 2004 or 2005 they're 100% the same.

[1up]

Get a xbox 360 fightpad

They are pretty cheap and the dpad is awesome.

[TransatlanticFoe]

I'm surprised to read that! I better try a converter. Maybe the guy who gave it a bad review was just not used to using the pad?

edit: Oh I was looking at this one before http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sega-Saturn-Con ... 0089O10BC/ - has anyone tried it? which is best?

Yeah I have that one and I haven't had a problem or noticed additional lag with it.

[Ed Oscuro]

Get a xbox 360 fightpad

They are pretty cheap and the dpad is awesome.

Has anybody compared these to the "eBay-SLS" (a concise description!) Saturn pads?

[blizzz]

I ordered a MadCatz Fightpad (SFxT PS3 version) yesterday and got it today. I just tried it for a few combos in SF4 on PC and it works very well. Feels good in my hand and I had no problems with the inputs. If you have larger hands it might be a bit small, but for me it's perfect. I still remember how horrible it was to play fighting games on a Dualshock controller and this is definitely a big improvement. You can also rest it on your leg and use it like a fightstick with your right hand. The dpad is very floaty, so I'd still prefer a SNES pad for other genres. The buttons need a bit more force than on an original 360 pad and give nice feedback, but personally I prefer the feel of real arcade buttons.

The downsides to this pad are mainly the build quality. From what I've heard the plastic pad under the dpad breaks after heavy use and it does feel rather cheap. But for 14€ there's really not much to complain about. I think it's a good alternative for people who don't want to use fightsticks.

[null1024]

I personally use either an original PS1/PS2 controller or a JP style Saturn controller with one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Sega-Saturn-Contr ... 006ZBHXEO/

Works fine, plug and play, ignore any driver CD that is included.

Only issue is that you can't use all the ports at the same time [one PS2, one Saturn, one N64] because it's all treated as one controller. Each port has vastly different button numbers.