Standard Controller Vs Arcade Stick - What's Your Take On This Matter?

When it comes to joysticks, I am a connoisseur. With that in mind, if you're looking for the best joystick, right out of the box, go with the Madcatz TE. It uses the highest quality parts you can get on the market and it's reasonably priced. Getting a custom joystick made using the same parts can cost around$300.00 USD. This joystick was designed by a tournament gamer so it was made for people like us. You can't go wrong.

Do NOT get the Madcatz SE or any Hori joystick. Please, save yourself the trouble. They are made with cheap knockoff parts and do not last long at all. Since they use cheap parts, they aren't calibrated well so while you're blaming yourself for messing up an input and such, your joystick will secretly be laughing at you because it was the reason your input got messed up.

On topic, the SC series can be played better on the pad. It's a fact that's been proven at practically every major tournament. The fact that you can map any combination of buttons to it totally removes the factor of the user messing up moves that require multiple buttons to be pressed at the same time. Nobody is perfect, but with the controller, you only have a chance to mess up with the directional input. And like it was said in a previous post, SC isn't a game that requires much input from directionals. You also have the benefit of the control pad not making noises when you're doing an input, so you have a certain element of surprise that you can't achieve when using a joystick. The clicking sounds from a joystick are used by your opponent to tell if you're about to do something.

If you're like me though, you can use that to trick them at times. At my age, I tend to rely more on mind games than reaction times. So it helps.
 
I, personally, like my Hori HRAP VX-SA better than my Mad Catz TE.
I put Sanwa OBSF-30-RGs in both of em.

Had many a Hori, cheap and HRAP and haven't had any probs with them, but I treat em nice.
A few buttons went out (after many years) and a cable on one of my HRAPs needed replacin (again after many years).

Even with sticks every one has their own taste.
I know a good playa that likes to play on his own, non-HRAP Hori stick.
 
Your typical gamer isn't going to know how to put in a different joystick by themselves. There is a reason why Hori joysticks are cheaper in price than the Madcatz TE. Hori even now makes a joystick using the same parts as the Madcatz TE sticks do http://tinyurl.com/23skl8t and charges DOUBLE THE PRICE. Hori's use to make real good joysticks, waaay back. Probably when you got yours. There wasn't a high demand for them back then, but now they are cashing in by taking cheap parts and selling them to people who don't know any better.

Seriously, take for example, you're in a tournament, and the pressure is ON. You're down 2 rounds so you need to be ON POINT with your execution. Now would you trust a Hori that uses cheap parts, or would you trust a joystick that uses the best parts you can get? It doesn't matter in your experience with these joysticks. It's about the big picture. I use a MAS joystick with all American parts inside because it's what I prefer, yet I am recomending a Madcatz TE. I know in my mind it's the best.
 
I got the Mad Catz TE edition also. Id love to tell you "its the best stick out there..blah blah blah" but its my first stick so I have nothing else to compare it to. It does seem to be a much more fluid and easy motion. Im still in the "learning curve" that IFB was talkin bout. I had to BEG my wife for months to let me get a stick, she finally caved. The day I got it home, I didnt like it. It was akward and didnt feel it was for me. But if I let my wife know that she would KILL ME!! She hits hard to!!

Its been 6 months or so now and Ive gotten pretty comfortable with the stick. The worst thing that I do is pick up a controller from time to time when Im still learning. Key is to stick with the stick if you get one.

HRD
 
Enkindu- I like MAS too- I got a stick w/a Perfect 360 in it.
Unfortunately it's for the original Xbox or the PS2.
Very heavy but built w/real wood.

Ya, the Hori you talk of is their top of the line 30,000 Yen copy of the top of a Taito VEWLIX cabinet:
http://www.hori.jp/products/multi/controller/rap_premium_vlx/360/feture.html

My HRAP isn't one of the old one's it's pretty new (Hori JP, also it compares the old and new SA HRAPs):
http://www.hori.jp/products/xbox360/controller/realarc_pro_vx_sa/
*Note if it isn't a SA HRAP and is a HRAP only (old model) then it comes with a different Sanwa stick (JLF-TM-8T-SK-K; never could find this stick listed on the Sanwa joystick page...) and Hori Original Arcade Spec buttons (and ya, so these 12,000 Yen sticks aren't as good as a TE):
http://www.hori.jp/products/xbox360/controller/realarc_pro_ex/

My HRAP uses the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT-SK stick.
The TE uses the Sanwa JLF-TP-8Y-SK-W stick.
They are the same stick- the TE has a JLF-CD (shaft cover); which my HRAP also does.
Both sticks use Sanwa OSBF-30 buttons.

The HRAP is 14,800 Yen while the TE is 18,000 Yen (list price from respective Japanese manufacturer HPs).

The TE is heavier than the HRAP. It's also easier to change the buttons out in the TE.

EDITed to define the differences of a HRAP and SA HRAP.
 
I was thinkin of that big sucka too.

But too big to carry to comps, won't fit in the bag I have (I measured) and a lot of dough to splash on a stick that is just about the same as the one I already have (mine is like the cheaper version of that stick).
 
I gotta disagree with you Enkindu on Pad being better because of button binds. here's my Ivy stick set up on my TE:

A : B : K : G+A+B+K
G : B+K : A+K : A+B+K

I'm able to easily do any combination of button presses with the basic GABK buttons, but my binds give me incredible access to easy stance shift and other moves. for CL 1BA+B+K I hit 1B then my A+B+K button. 100% accuracy. Manually inputting B+G and A+G is easy to. For slides and other things i still can do a lot. AgA can be done normal or with AgA+K. There's also other setups i run. For night mare I might run:

A : B : K : G+A+B+K
G : A : G : A

aB, Ba are already easy and now i have a slide or piano roll set up for AgA.

As far as tapping goes...stick hands down. The only time I feel buttosn are hard to access is when you need to hold buttons and do other things. Ivy is an exception due to my set up being perfect for her, but Hilde is an ergonomic nightmare (tho i have done it by using the far right buttons as A and B and holding and releasing with the side of my palm...not recommended).

That bottom 3 buttons gives you a lot of freedom to set up any rare instance of difficult sequences that might be character specific. Add in those binds plus the ease of access to GABK and you can easily hit more buttons on a stick accurately without the timing issue of tapping buttons and shoulders since they register at different depths.

As for the learning curve it took 2 months for the stick to equal my pad Ivy. 2 very long months, after 6 months the stick became VASTLY superior for me. Also do not be intimidated by a square gate. It's awkward at first but it makes sense in time.

Enkindu is 100% right on the noise factor tho. I don't use iCS a lot because the sound telegraphs it so bad. At things like tournaments its noisy enough to mask it, but at casual offline play back home its a running joke to announce it the second you hear my rolling the inputs.
 
Talim_JP said:
And talk about hittin hard HRD- my MAS almost caused a divorce!
Click to expand...

pshhhh...GIRLS, they just dont understand. But oh wait....when COD black ops came out, SHE was the one begging for that one!! I sense hypocracy!! But to a girl, no such word exists....LOL

HRD
 
HRD said:
pshhhh...GIRLS, they just dont understand. But oh wait....when COD black ops came out, SHE was the one begging for that one!! I sense hypocracy!! But to a girl, no such word exists....LOL

HRD
Click to expand...

Hypocrisy? Nah. If she's getting on you about getting a stick then she should expect you to get on her about getting that wretched game (fuck all other games play SC!) It's just common sense. But I learned a long time ago, a woman isn't gonna let a little thing like common sense fuck up her argument.

On subject, it really depends on what I feel is most important at the time. Movement, execution, ease of use for the buttons, etc. I go back and forth and blame whatever I'm using at the time for my wretched horrid play.

P.S.

Fuck BALLTOP! Bat top is the way to go. Who the fuck played SC on arcade that had a fucking ball top???
 
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Here in Japan all the sticks in the arcades have balls.

In SBO they change the sticks to bats for the Koreans (in the Tekken comp).

My son's playin CODBO right now.
 
Started playing fighting games with SF2 in the arcades back in the day. I learned the joystick, but hated it regardless.

Once I picked up SC2 on my PS2, I found the controller to be infinitely better. I find the D pad to be MORE precise when it comes to diagonal inputs and half and quarter circle moves.

As far as mapping is concerned, I never used it. On an arcade, you use 2-3 fingers for the attack and block buttons. When I converted over to the controller on my console, I simply held the controller like I would an arcade stick. My left hand is on the D-pad, right handle of the controller is resting on my right leg, with my whole right palm covering the right side of the controller. This way I can use the first and middle finger instead of just the thumb. I find this a lot simpler than having to use the R and L buttons. In fact when I play I set the R and L buttons to NOTHING, so I don't accidentally use them by hitting the button with my leg. When your not using either L button (playstation), it frees up some room on your left hand and makes it easy to do directional inputs with precision.

Then again I might be the only one on the planet that uses the controller that way. Is using a controller in this way tournament legal? I'm only asking this because they have certain limitations on mapping in some tourneys, figured they might also have restrictions on how your HOLD your controller as well.
 
As far as I know you can hold the controller anyway you want.

When stick playas are forced to use a controller (in a comp) they either put it on the table or their leg and use it like they would a stick.
 
I know this is long time ago but...
Enkindu said:
Do NOT get the Madcatz SE or any Hori joystick. Please, save yourself the trouble. They are made with cheap knockoff parts and do not last long at all. Since they use cheap parts, they aren't calibrated well so while you're blaming yourself for messing up an input and such, your joystick will secretly be laughing at you because it was the reason your input got messed up.
Click to expand...
I bought a HORI PRO SA Addition arcade stick originally priced @ $119. All parts consist of Sanwa and the thing weighs heavy; are you saying that the one I've bought is cheap quality?
 
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