Console shmups - pad or stick?

GohanX

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Honestly, for $8 I'd get it just for the novelty of it, but it looks like it would be terrible.
 

FilthyRear

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How is this stick? I have the JP Saturn version (Fighter Stick X - which is AWESOME), and always wondered how it compared.
 

prof

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How is this stick? I have the JP Saturn version (Fighter Stick X - which is AWESOME), and always wondered how it compared.

I like it quite a bit, but I don't own any high-end sticks, so short of occasionally playing at the arcade, the only other sticks I regularly play with are the NES Advantage, the official Genesis 3 and 6 buttons, and the Saturn Virtua Stick. So, I'm not accustomed to the frills that come with the top Horis, etc. I just wanted to give you that disclaimer about where I'm coming from before giving you my opinion of it.

The stick is an 8-way clicker, and it's very clicky which I like, particularly when playing fighting games. The clickiness does not impede movement in games requiring circular movements, however. You can rock the stick around in a 360 degree pattern and while it clicks, it is still smooth. The buttons are a little small for my taste and a bit on the stiff side, but they're responsive, and built of a thick plastic that has a slight texture. The whole unit itself is nice and heavy with a solid metal plate base which has little rubber feet in the corners. Everything feels very solid, and none of the plastic feels cheap at all. It looks like the case to an original Playstation console, and it feels like one as well. All in all I find it to be an excellent value for its low price point.
 

Electric Grave

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Once I started using actual arcade hardware it's hard for me to go back to anything that doesn't use micro switches...why bother anyway when I can use the best.
 

oliverclaude

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Stick is precision at its best and you need that regardless, especially for STGs... still, there is a certain charm about playing a game on its own dedicated hardware and that implies controls, too.

Somehow it is hard to picture to oneself playing Einhander with a full blown Seimitsu gear on the table. Then again, I was always blessed with an unbounded imagination...
 

Electric Grave

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Einhander is one of those few games that needs all 7 buttons, hell it's been a while maybe even 8?! This and Thunder Force needs you on your toes. It's true though some games are meant to be played with original hardware, but whenever possible I much rather play with arcade hardware, to me it's the best way. Take NES for example, I love the NES pad, I also love the Dog Bone pad but I made my own stick out of a desktop enclosure and I can do speed runs and 1CCs just as good as with the pad and sometimes even better. Same thing for the Neo CD pad, great piece of hardware, stupid button layout but that's another subject, the hardware is nice but I'll always prefer a stick, every now and then is nice to sit back with the pads and play some Turfies. Busted and I have done it like that while sipping on some Blue Label with Ginger Ale...
 

FinalbossNYC

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Ive always done stick for Shmups (and Fighters) but on the 360 ill actually switch between my MVC2 TE stick and the standard 360 pad even on the Bullet hell Cave imports
 

GregN

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Stick all day long. More precise control with a stick.
 

pegboy

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I feel like I'm way better using a pad than a stick. Only time I ever really used a stick was in the arcades.
 

Mokkori

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I usually play shooters with a pad with one exception: Ikaruga. That game I play with a stick.
 

o.pwuaioc

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I've been playing 'Raiden III' on the PS2 recently, and I've begun using the PS1 arcade stick.
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I think I'm a bit better with the standard PS2 controller at this point, but I feel the stick has better potential longterm to maximize my ability. I've never been one to use sticks on shmups, but now that I'm trying it, I really like the feel of it. I think I'll try it on some other consoles as well.
I use that stick for all my PS1 and PS2 shooters (although for PS2 I only really play Raiden III and Gradius V). It's a solid stick, though I think mine needs cleaning here lately.
 

Schiggidyd

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Pad all the way, It may be blasphemous, but same goes for fighters! I just can't feel the accuracy of a stick.
 

iluvmonsterz

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once I get my stick modded to a baseball bat style ill be all stick(grew up on machines with the bat style sticks)...until then its mostly pad.
 

moonwhistle

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Pads all day. Playing with a stick is like trying to turn a screw with a maggot.
 

Ip Man

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Saturn pads are awesome for everything.
 

Pasky

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Wow this tard. Almost all of sub-forum is filled with him necromancing shit with a single sentence.
 
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Bill Kilgore

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Since i got my Super Neo 29 i prefer a stick for the Shooters on it any time. I can't imagine playing Blazing Star with a pad, it wouldn't feel right.
 
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I have always been using sticks for Shmups. I figure id rather learn with the actual hardware and on top of that I feel like theres more control and more precise moves you can perform with a stick than a pad, idk if I would be able to play dodonpachi with a pad and make it past the first level (me personally)
 

Ren-chan

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Sticks! But... I also agree about the Saturn pad, that one is <3
 
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Generally I use a Joystick for vertical Shmups and a Joypad for horis.

I tend to use the standard NeoGeo Stick or the Megadrive Arcade Stick.
I like the 6 button Megadrive pad and the Saturn pads.
 

oliverclaude

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Saturn controllers are ace indeed, especially for the PlayStation. Those bulky PS1&2 pads are a nightmare, the only thing they can do with precision is to peel the skin off your thumb with those digital pseudo cross. Obnoxious.
 
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