Thoughts on fighting pads?

[Dio Brando]

I want improve my input accuracy in fighting games on the PS3, but I'm not enough of an enthusiast to drop $100+ on a decent stick. As of result, fighting pads seem like a pretty nice option. While many are craptastic, I have heard the Fighting Commander 3 PRO is fairly excellent.

Any of you dudes have experiences with these, or have a better recommendation? Should I just suck it up and buy a stick? Any wisdom would be appreciated.

 

[cdamm]

I actually have that pad. I wish i could use a fighting stick for my games, but since the days of the nes advantage, i cant stand using a big joystick that isnt fastened to a cab. Just a weird prefrence.

I like it because it has the 3 x 3 configuration and even though it isnt cordless, the cord is ample. There is a lot of little things that controller does (rotating d pad, adjustable input ranges, and l/r switching for example), that a standard controller or other fight pad does not do. for $35 its great.

I ended up picking it up after i caught a couple of nice reviews and i was looking for a good fight pad. I had a couple of others, but they sucked (one was a madcatz i think).

Fighting games definately play better with a proper controller.

 

[IcBlUsCrN]

well i cant seem to use a fight stick so i got one of these fight pads

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Marvel-Capcom-Controller-Fightpad/dp/B004OVRUQI

i like the motion and feel but there of crappy quality. it does use micro switches not good ones though. there made by pelican and have some cheaper plain ones as well.

i also tried the SF4 fight pad but did not like it

 

[SouthtownKid]

I want improve my input accuracy in fighting games on the PS3, but I'm not enough of an enthusiast to drop $100+ on a decent stick. As of result, fighting pads seem like a pretty nice option.

That's where you'd be wrong. There are some that some people claim to be okay, but they all suck shit compared to a halfway decent stick. Yes, a stick will most times cost more than a pad, but you know what costs even more than that? Buying a pad and then deciding fuck it this isn't helping enough, I need a stick anyway, and then buying a stick on top of the pad anyway. Just skip ahead to the buying a stick part.

It bugs the living shit out of me that I spent money on a somewhat nice PS2 hori stick that I will possibly not use again since that console is now put away. The idea of spending money on a new stick for the PS3 isn't appealing. But I spent a couple hours with XIII tonight and the dual shock just isn't going to cut it with anything beyond the most casual fucking around. I got about 3 combos into mission mode when I had to face the fact that my thumb is never going to move fast enough to handle the kind of combos required. I'm going to have enough trouble with multiple fingers. So right there, ANY pad is out. Yeah, I've seen some people hold a pad in a really awkward way so that they can use their fingers on the face buttons, but fuck that. That is complete nonsense.

Just go for a stick.

edit: and DEFINITELY don't spend any fucking $70 on a pad. That is madness. If you are going to drop that kind of money, you should already be buying a stick.

 

[cdamm]

It bugs the living shit out of me that I spent money on a somewhat nice PS2 hori stick that I will possibly not use again since that console is now put away. The idea of spending money on a new stick for the PS3 isn't appealing. But I spent a couple hours with XIII tonight and the dual shock just isn't going to cut it with anything beyond the most casual fucking around. I got about 3 combos into mission mode when I had to face the fact that my thumb is never going to move fast enough to handle the kind of combos required. I'm going to have enough trouble with multiple fingers. So right there, ANY pad is out. Yeah, I've seen some people hold a pad in a really awkward way so that they can use their fingers on the face buttons, but fuck that. That is complete nonsense.

Just go for a stick.

edit: and DEFINITELY don't spend any fucking $70 on a pad. That is madness. If you are going to drop that kind of money, you should already be buying a stick.

http://www.amazon.com/PS2-Playstation-Controller-Adapter-Converter-3/dp/B000NJBD90

try this out, kid. a buddy of mine swears by it for his fighters- he is using an old ps2 hori stick on his ps3. plus its super cheap. you have some life left in that old fight stick of yours.

 

[Dio Brando]

That's where you'd be wrong. There are some that some people claim to be okay, but they all suck shit compared to a halfway decent stick. Yes, a stick will most times cost more than a pad, but you know what costs even more than that? Buying a pad and then deciding fuck it this isn't helping enough, I need a stick anyway, and then buying a stick on top of the pad anyway. Just skip ahead to the buying a stick part.

It bugs the living shit out of me that I spent money on a somewhat nice PS2 hori stick that I will possibly not use again since that console is now put away. The idea of spending money on a new stick for the PS3 isn't appealing. But I spent a couple hours with XIII tonight and the dual shock just isn't going to cut it with anything beyond the most casual fucking around. I got about 3 combos into mission mode when I had to face the fact that my thumb is never going to move fast enough to handle the kind of combos required. I'm going to have enough trouble with multiple fingers. So right there, ANY pad is out. Yeah, I've seen some people hold a pad in a really awkward way so that they can use their fingers on the face buttons, but fuck that. That is complete nonsense.

Just go for a stick.

edit: and DEFINITELY don't spend any fucking $70 on a pad. That is madness. If you are going to drop that kind of money, you should already be buying a stick.

The big issue I have considered is whether the money saved by a pad would offset the lost precision of a stick. I'd definitely wouldn't consider the $70 pad, because I have heard of their poor quality, as IcBlUsCrN also mentioned. Even then, as you said, if I'm going to spend $70, I might as well go all the way and purchase a stick. At the same time, the Commander is only $35, so even if I did decide to make an upgrade to a stick later, it wouldn't be a serious loss.

Regardless, you definitely bring up a good point about a stick being better in the long run. I doubt I would regret spending the extra money, it just wouldn't be something I would buy for awhile. Maybe I should suck it up, then.

http://www.amazon.com/PS2-Playstation-Controller-Adapter-Converter-3/dp/B000NJBD90

try this out, kid. a buddy of mine swears by it for his fighters- he is using an old ps2 hori stick on his ps3. plus its super cheap. you have some life left in that old fight stick of yours.

Not a bad option either, though you need a different adapter with a home button, or it would be useless for KOFXIII.

 

[complexz]

man if you are on this forum I think investing in a nice stick is definitely the way to go, it's not like it's used only for KOF XIII if you like any other arcade style games at all. You can get a adapter to support pretty much anything if you get a ps2 stick, and if you get a ps3 stick you can use it on a PC too. PCB's that support basically any oldschool console you can imagine even exist so you can have one stick for everything you own more or less.

Plus with a good stick when it eventually wears out (it likely never will with light use) you can just buy a new part for just a few bucks.

 

[Dio Brando]

True, it's just I can be a pretty cheap bastard sometimes, always looking for ways to save a few bucks, even if I could save money buying a higher quality product.

I'll probably save up and buy myself a kick-ass stick, then. Thanks, dudes!

 

[SouthtownKid]

http://www.amazon.com/PS2-Playstation-Controller-Adapter-Converter-3/dp/B000NJBD90

try this out, kid. a buddy of mine swears by it for his fighters- he is using an old ps2 hori stick on his ps3. plus its super cheap. you have some life left in that old fight stick of yours.

For $3, it can't hurt to try something like that out. Although like Dio points out, I'd need to find one with a home button. I did a quick search on amazon and I'm not seeing one, unfortunately.

 

[jeff bogard]

so what endedd happenning with your story/

 

[Neo Alec]

It bugs the living shit out of me that I spent money on a somewhat nice PS2 hori stick that I will possibly not use again since that console is now put away. The idea of spending money on a new stick for the PS3 isn't appealing.

PS2 sticks are the BEST to have. They can be used on almost any console imaginable. Invest in one and use it forever.

 

[SonGohan]

Don't get a pad unless you're a pad player - and then get the best pad available, regardless of price. If you're a stick player, get the best stick available. These are things you don't want to cheap out on. If you have to, cheap out on food, or walk/bike places to save gas.

 

[cdamm]

For $3, it can't hurt to try something like that out. Although like Dio points out, I'd need to find one with a home button. I did a quick search on amazon and I'm not seeing one, unfortunately.

I called up my buddy who uses that adaptor- its not that one exactly, sorry. His is by the brand pelican. It cost him like $10 and has a home button on the adaptor. If it has the model number on it, i'll let you know when he gets home today.

 

[evil wasabi]

pads for women.

period.

 

[SouthtownKid]

I called up my buddy who uses that adaptor- its not that one exactly, sorry. His is by the brand pelican. It cost him like $10 and has a home button on the adaptor. If it has the model number on it, i'll let you know when he gets home today.

Awesome, thanks.

 

[Marek]

pads for women.

period.

 

[Cylotron]

the problem with fighting pads is that the d-pad on them is usually crap. i haven't seen one with a decent d-pad since back in the PS1 days. it's just not the same to using an actual stick... you'll probably adjust to it after awhile, but if you ever go to a stick you'll notice the difference big time.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

I want improve my input accuracy in fighting games on the PS3, but I'm not enough of an enthusiast to drop $100+ on a decent stick. As of result, fighting pads seem like a pretty nice option. While many are craptastic, I have heard the Fighting Commander 3 PRO is fairly excellent.

Any of you dudes have experiences with these, or have a better recommendation? Should I just suck it up and buy a stick? Any wisdom would be appreciated.

If the cost is the concern, why not just buy a HRAP? Aren't those like $50? It's not the best stick ever made but it's not a piece of shit either.

EDIT: Keep an eye on the selling forums here, too. I've seen people sell their MadCatz pro sticks for a song.

EDIT 2: Er, not the HRAP. But the Hori Fight Stick V3 or whatever it is is like $50. Too bad you don't have a 360, they're even cheaper for that.

 

[Xian Xi]

Get a nice PS2 stick, replace stick and buttons with arcade spec ones, buy PS2 to PS3 adapter. What do you need the home button for, just going back to the menu right? Just use the BD remote.

 

[cdamm]

Get a nice PS2 stick, replace stick and buttons with arcade spec ones, buy PS2 to PS3 adapter. What do you need the home button for, just going back to the menu right? Just use the BD remote.

You need the PS button for activating the controller.

This can be gone around using a USB y-adaptor and plugging in a regular PS3 controller into the second channel with the ps2-ps3 connector in the other. This activates that line for player 1. Yes its needlessly complex, but it works.

 

[genjiglove]

If you want to use a PS2-PS3 convertor, why not get one that is confirmed to be lagless and is still fairly cheap? http://etokki.com/iNPiN-PS2-to-PS3-Converter

This is the one I use with my HRAP2 and it works perfectly. And it has been tested and is lagless or so close to lagless you won't notice at all. And it has a Home button, you can either hit start and select together to activate it or there is one on the convertor itself.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Get a nice PS2 stick, replace stick and buttons with arcade spec ones, buy PS2 to PS3 adapter. What do you need the home button for, just going back to the menu right? Just use the BD remote.

Why bother going to that kind of effort? Seems like it'd be easier to just spring for a decent stick to begin with and not mess around with it.

 

[genjiglove]

Yeah PS2 sticks aren't really all that common anymore.

 

[cdamm]

Why bother going to that kind of effort? Seems like it'd be easier to just spring for a decent stick to begin with and not mess around with it.

Yeah PS2 sticks aren't really all that common anymore.

the ps2 stick talk started with STK talking about how he still had a really nice ps2 stick that he wishes he could still use. Why drop $150+ on a new stick when the problem could be solved with a $10-$20 converter?

 

[Moon Jump]

The PDP Pads they made for Marvel 3 were really limited. Everybody jacks up the price for them. I also heard a lot of mixed reviews on it. They either loved or hated it, none were really in the middle. I got one of the Round 2 Street Fighter IV pads for Mortal Kombat. I just can't play MK games on a stick after playing MK 1-3 on my SNES so I wanted one that played more like an SNES controller. For the price it's pretty good. D-Pad is a hell of a lot nicer then a standard PS3 or 360 one and the buttons feel good too. Only problem I had with MK and I'm pretty sure it was with the game is that it wouldn't registered when I'd go for an X-Ray, when I'd hit the shoulder button and two other buttons. I think the patches cleared it up, so now it feels like I'm playing on an SNES controller again.