What do you use or prefer for the controller on a PC?

[Bananamatic]

tesco keyboard

[Treasurance]

Keyboard + fighting game = nightmare. You want a controller for those. You just don't know it yet.

xbox controller + ougon musou kyoku = the real nightmare

[borislaw]

On PC I use a custom arcade style joystick - I build them BTW

*Note* - If you plan on going the arcade stick route, make sure that you get a PS3 compatible one. the 360 sticks map UDLR to the D-Pad, whereas the PS3 variants map UDLR to BOTH the d-pad AND the analog stick. This means that if you use a 360 stick on your PC you will not be able to play most doujins, as they are hardcoded to use the analog stick for directions. Stuff like Perfect Cherry Blossom, Eden's Aegis, rRootage will not play correctly with a 360 stick...from my experience.

I'm actually selling some of my joystick collection - some customs and some Hori stuff...check it out if you're interested:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=36404

Problem is that ps3 has non-existent shmup library, while xbox360 has very awesome shmups. I have neither of those consoles, but got an xbox360 hori thinking someday I might want to pick up a Japanese 360. Hardware compatibility issues can usually be remedied by way of installing a new driver for the device to work fine.

[Guardians Knight]

i use my custom stick or a saturn pad through an old magic box converter that old website used to sell - they got shut down by sony for selling imports, cant remember the name began with an 's' i think

[Naut]

I prefer keyboard. The most optimal input for pixel perfect movement. I would use keyboard for anything but sometimes you just don't get a choice.

^^^^

goddamnit let me plug a keyboard into my xbox

[Barrakketh]

I prefer keyboard. The most optimal input for pixel perfect movement. I would use keyboard for anything but sometimes you just don't get a choice.

^^^^

goddamnit let me plug a keyboard into my xbox

Button-only arcade stick.

[Observer]

So far I use a combination of the keyboard alone, mouse+keyboard (but I have a wireless mouse and it sucks balls for precise aiming, jeez), 360 USB pad (wired of course, I don't like it much, it's too heavy but I got it because of Under the Lotus) and a PS2-like El Cheapo USB pad for multipurpose situations and because Crimzon Clover keeps breaking pads so I prefer to break cheap ones...

I like to see the huge variety of different controls and schemes used by everyone. Pretty interesting!

[Barrakketh]

So far I use a combination of the keyboard alone, mouse+keyboard (but I have a wireless mouse and it sucks balls for precise aiming, jeez), 360 USB pad (wired of course, I don't like it much, it's too heavy but I got it because of Under the Lotus) and a PS2-like El Cheapo USB pad for multipurpose situations and because Crimzon Clover keeps breaking pads so I prefer to break cheap ones...

I use a stick for shmups, but for a PC gamepad I use a Classic Controller Pro with this adapter.

[TodayIsForgotten]

fight pad or whatever 360 controller i happen to have near me.

[ebarrett]

Keyboard. There's no contest.

[neon guide]

Original Xbox pad via XBCD. Works pretty well i think, the dpad is nice to use and XBCD makes controller configurations really easy. Like playing Crimzon Clover with the dpad rather than analogue stick.