Ideal Fighter Controllers [Archive]

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Carbonox_Ratchet

29-07-10, 14:32

I'm in the market for a more ideal controller for fighting games...more specific Super Street Fighter IV. I'm just not keen on using a bog-standard PS3 controller. I run out of patience quickly with it and I'm keen to get better at the game with a more stable controller.

So what would you recommend? I'm aware that the TE stick is recommended above all else but given the pricing (I'm not ruling out though, don't get me wrong), what else out there is perfect for not only Super Street Fighter IV but future/current fighters in general.

I was looking at this:

http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation3/4-/10934234/Tekken-6-Arcade-Stick-Bundle/Product.html

Not only would it get me back in to Tekken but the stick could also be useful for Super Street Fighter IV and whatever else I play in the future.

Question is though: Is this arcade stick ideal?

Anywho, throw some recommendations my way. Sticks, pads, etc.

AlienHunter

29-07-10, 19:39

MadCatz also sells non TE sticks: i mean they're SFIV branded as well, but they're cheaper (when i bought my TE, it was 50€ cheaper, so 99€). of course they're lighter and maybe less resistant, but i think they're good products and you won't complain. about that Tekken Arcade Stick well, i don't know, i saw it when i was looking for the TE that i bought, but i preferred SF one because it looked more solid and cooler ;)

Tri~Gamer

30-07-10, 01:27

I actually got this bundel a few days ago to get in to tekken also but for the Xbox360 the Tekken 6 games were on sale here so I got it for 50 Euro's anyway the plus and negatives from the arcade stick it is wireless stick and it has no lag but I have only used it with tekken 6 though but uses AA batteries nowit is alot light lighter that the TE stick now for the buttons and stick it self there standard HORI buttons and stick the stick is alright but the buttons are not don't get me wrong thier alright but thier not swana buttons and I don't know how modable this sticks is. I have an SFIV TE Stick but I'm swithing the gate out at the moment so I wanted another stick :D Anyway I hoped this helped Carbonox_Ratchet

Dante2014

30-07-10, 07:50

I've not been in to the fighting game scene too long (almost a year!) But I can tell you one thing:

It's all about comfort. There is way too much pressure for people to buy Arcade sticks when all they're going to do is play the game on a casual level and will waste £60 or more on something they'll fiddle about with for an hour before sticking it back in the box. So if you're comfortable with a pad and play on a casual level, there's no need to go out and blow cash on something you'll probably feel less comfortable with.

But, if you're absolutely positive that you want to take it up a notch, arcade sticks are the way to go, the primary benifit being that your hand is freed up to press more buttons on a flat surface instead of turning your fingers in a mutilated hand-claw, however, it takes a lot of practice to use properly, you won't turn your main character in to a demigod straight out of the box, you'll probably get hammered a few times before adjusting yourself to the motions, sensitivity of the buttons and so on.

The standard SFIV stick is the most readily available and probably one of the cheapest out there that I know of, however, I've had it less than a year and I've had to perform a little maintenance on it, nothing fancy, the buttons stuck and and I had to smear some oil and loosen them up, I didn't have to open it up, but its something to look out for. The Tekken 6 bundle with the game and stick is a good deal, but the stick itself requires batteries and a dongle, the dongle comes with the stick. But if you lose it, the stick is as good as inert, also, you don't want batteries dying on you mid match, so while it has its quirks, there's the risk.

Madcatz SFIV Fightpads are awful, while the pad is good for motions, the buttons are put in to two rows to the right, I'm guessing the theory was to have the pros of a fightstick on a fightpad, but its so small and awkward to hold, even if its a step up from the regular pad. Also, it requires the dongle and takes batteries, so its got all the drawbacks of the Tekken stick and few pluses.

As a fellow new guy, I hope this helps, I'm sure more experienced players can give you better advice on a technical scale, but as someone new, this is what I've discovered and it'll no doubt be somewhat relatable to your current situation.

Ryu Kazama

30-07-10, 10:24

What ^ said.

I'd say to avoid wireless sticks where possible. Just not worth the hassle and if you ever get into the tournament scene you most probably won't be allowed to use it anyway just because of wireless issues that occur.

If you know you're going to play a fair bit of fighting games then it's worth investing in a good stick. Try looking for any TE stick. They do ocassionally go for dirt cheap but it's rare. My friend purchased the original TE SFIV stick for less than £60 off of Game. You could get one custom built but it may cost you the same (can be less as well). I don't know too much about this area so hit up Shoryuken.com for more info.

Your best bets right now are Madcatz TE, SE (replace the buttons later if you want) or whatever Hori makes (again, replace buttons). Hori also make 100% Sanwa (like the TE) but they cost a bomb to import.

So yeah, invest if you know you'll be playing for a while.

Dante2014

30-07-10, 11:14

Another issue with dongles that just sprung to mind is that you'll have to unplug it frequently, if it stays in your console and you sync up your standard pad, it'll treat it as Slot 2 (so you can control menu's with the controller and games with the arcade stick, even if you don't want to), unless you get in to the ritual of assigning your pad to Slot 1, it can be annoying.

Carbonox_Ratchet

30-07-10, 12:50

Ryu Kazama

30-07-10, 13:37

Thanks for the advice guys.

Some ones I found on Amazon cos Play is useless with sticks:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Catz-Street-Fighter-Arcade-FightStick/dp/B001M22WLU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1280494142&sr=8-9

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Street-Fighter-Arcade-FightStick-Tournament/dp/B001M25AY6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1280494142&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Official-Street-Fighter-Arcade-Fight/dp/B002WB20RQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1280494142&sr=8-1

Opinions?

#1 is a good choice for casual play. You can swap out the buttons easily if you want to use more pro parts later on.

#2 is the top end version. The buttons are the top end buttons that aren't in the SE version. It's a nice, sturdy stick. Good weight. Size may put some people off though. It's also not that awesome to lug around in a back pack. Well, at least I don't like lugging it around that is. Generally everyone loves this stick but there are some that found it overrated.

#3 is the same as #2 but the Round 2 version (or something later). Only difference is colour scheme and panel art. You can change the panel art in this model (same with #2 sine they're the same model).

There's also the TE - S that came out for Super. It's a slim version of the TE with harder edges. Looks cool but it's still pretty much full price.

Out of that range #1 is your best bet for now. #2 if you want the top end. Remember, you CAN swap the stick and buttons in all models and this shouldn't cost you too much for new parts, either.

Carbonox_Ratchet

30-07-10, 14:25

Thanks. #1 is of a decent price as well. Do you use one stick for multiple games? If so, is it reliable for different types of fighters. I'd plan on using it for MvC3 as well.

Dante2014

30-07-10, 15:06

Thanks. #1 is of a decent price as well. Do you use one stick for multiple games? If so, is it reliable for different types of fighters. I'd plan on using it for MvC3 as well.

Most games will work, since most will have customisable button configs within the game, some games like BlazBlue make use of the right stick for special moves, but they are disabled during online play and can be done with the right button presses anyway.

2D games are practically guaranteed to work if they don't make use of the right stick, games like Marvel Vs Capcom 2, King Of The Fighters and so on will be fine.

Also, there are little switches on all the sticks you've mentioned, which can flick between left and right sticks, but you probably wont use it.

Carbonox_Ratchet

30-07-10, 15:17

Aight. I'm sold then. Cheers guys.

Ryu Kazama

30-07-10, 16:01

Oh...noone got into but there's also actual stick type and gate preferences...so the sticks you linked to are all Sanwa sticks based on the lolipop design. Some prefer the baseball bat sticks (American sticks, hate them myself), especially for MvC2. Then again MvC2 is a heavily American loved game anyway.

As for the gates/restrictor, they come in square or octagonal. Some prefer square, some don't. The Madcatz are square gates. I'm not really sure what games people prefer octagonal gates on. Soul Calibur, maybe? I'm really not sure. This stuff right here goes into territory I'm not too familiar with.

But yeah, you'll be fine with either of the linked sticks for most games.

JDK knows more about sticks, I think. Obviously Shoryuken.com is gonna be your best place to stop by, or possibly sdtekken.com.

Dante2014

30-07-10, 18:04

Easy now, no need to crack it open and play cats cradle with its insides just yet.

I've had mine for a while and I've made no modifications to it, and it works just fine for me.

The thing about gates is, they are restricting but you'll eventually get the hang of working within a limited range, effectively making a circle in a square, it just requires practice, there's no need to grind the very edges in the hope of spitting out a hadouken.

There are also some neat shortcuts which are much easier on the standard square gate stick, like pressing diagonal down twice and punch is the shoryuken motion and a U shape is the 360 motion if you time the button press at the top of the arc.

JDK

01-08-10, 01:25

Hey Alex, personally i'd advise getting a te mate, i've actually got the wireless stick your looking at and while it has a nice case and size it uses the hori own brand stick and buttons which honestly are pretty horible.
To be specific the stick shaft is really short, it just feels too short for the average human hand and the switches are kind of mushy. But the gate is the absolute worst, its made out of such thin plastic it kind of feels flimsy and uneven as you run the stick around it and the corners dont hit nicely as well which is a big no no for obvious reasons.
As for the buttons, well put simply ,they are garbage. They have poor quality control, feel flimsy, have different depression resistence and depth, basically they are utter pants.
Also hori sticks have smaller internal dimensions than the better quality sticks and as such the cases are ususaly thinner, nice for case design and feel but it means you wont be able to mount anything else in there in future once you inevitably get so frustrated by the thing you decide you just cant use it any more.
Wireless i personally wouldnt let put you off unless you want to use the stick at tournaments where wireless is a social faux pas, wireless provided its done right makes an indistinguishable difference as far as input lag goes.
So basically nice case, garbage everything else, personally i bought mine for the art book at 50 notes from game.

The se is is pretty nice but i wouldnt bother with it as you absolutely have to change the buttons, they are just as horrible as the hori, and doing so means you lose your warranty. The jlf rip off is actually pretty good, only noticeble difference is the switches dont feel as nice, but the real killer is the pcb gets all scubbed up over time (they say they have fixed it, i do not believe them) and the thing stops working. Then you have to go get a stick monkey like me to pop it open and fix things for ya because your warranty is gone after you switched out those buttons.

Talking of warranty, for me that is the biggest selling point for the TE, you can open it from the top and not lose your warranty (just be carefull not to change out anything that is glued in, a gentle hand will suffice) which means you can try different gates, spring tension and buttons safe in the knowledge that if it starts to malfunction you can still get a repair or replacement free of charge.
Also imho the sanwa jlf and snap ins are the best components to use, the other respected manufacturers parts have their charms but overall the vast majority of people always come back to sanwa, they just have superior quality and feel and imho offer the best control.

One thing though, shop around, squee pants got hers for fifty squid, personally as a rule i wouldnt pay more than a hundred for the old style one ;)