Going from pads to arcade sticks?

[Geezer]

Right, I've always been a pad man as it were, even at the arcades I hated using sticks. I bought the Soul Calibur 2 stick recently cos I wanted to see what all the fuss is about and be more comfortable at the arcades. I can whoop ass at home using pads but down at the arcades I just cant get my moves out with any consistency

I can barely ever pull the dragon punch motion using a stick too
What do you guys prefer, pads or sticks? and any tips on using arcade sticks?

Geezer

[Geezer]

Crud, wrong forum, could someone please move it to Questions and Advice pls

[dataDave]

Sticks are by far the better choice IMO. I am however miles better on pads with any fighting game unless it's KOF, 3rd Strike or VF4 for some reason. I can't play Vs. games or the Alpha/Zero games on a stick - I suck at them.

I am the master of Super Street Fighter 2 with the SNES pad - be warned.

[Spacecowboy]

Well with Soul Blade (PSone) and Soul Calibre (DC) i am better with a pad, and most other beat 'em ups i can think of, i prefer a pad, especially the saturn pad.
And so with SCalibre on the DC, i use an adaptor to let me use a saturn or psx pad.

[Vaipon]

I've promised myself that one day I'll learn sticks. At the moment though, I'm absolutely terrible on them. I bought a DC arcade stick for Ikaruga, but right from day one I've been far better at the game on a pad. I know sticks are the superior control method once you are used to them, and games like shooters really benefit from the more intricate control they afford, but at the moment I haven't got the time to make the transition. One day though....

[Abhisara]

I've really wanted to move onto using sticks for some time now. I bought myself a DC arcade stick some time ago, but even now, the only game in which I can use a stick as well as a I can use a pad is Virtua Tennis 2.

One of these days though, I swear I will learn to use a stick. I think I need to find a new game and only ever use a stick with it. Having never got into the Virtua Fighter series so far, a HORI stick and VF4 Evo may just be my next major gaming purchase.

[Faded]

I'm a fairly recent stick convertee. Take all the following with a pinch of salt, as everyone knows I'm an idiot.

My one piece of advice. You know that moment where the stick just doesn't seem to be cutting it and you don't feel like what is happening in your brain is getting out through your hands ok? When you just want to say **** this and put the pad back in?

Don't.

Keep going with the stick, accept the fact that you are going to suck for a little while. Try and remember what it was like when you first played a fighting game on a pad. (I dunno about you, but I certainly couldn't do dragon punches more than one in ten on my first night of snes sf2) Of course the stick doesn't feel natural, you're trying to unlearn about 10 years or so of physical memory.

I promise you if you stick(rofl, teh funneh pun!) with it then eventually it will get better. It will start to feel like the most natural thing on earth.

One of these days though, I swear I will learn to use a stick. I think I need to find a new game and only ever use a stick with it. Having never got into the Virtua Fighter series so far, a HORI stick and VF4 Evo may just be my next major gaming purchase.

This is pretty much what I did. I can't reccomend it highly enough. (The game and the method) Just make sure you resist the temptation to switch to the pad when things go pear shaped early on. I had a lot of moments like that early on. First time I actually played someone else using the stick I got raped hard. It was very demoralising. Now a couple months on I honestly don't think I could ever go back to the pad for vf.

[Geoff D]

Keep practicing with the stick man - use the training mode in your fighting games to work out some moves (so you don't keep getting beaten) & it'll come. You just need to get used to the travel of the stick, getting the moves to flow.

[optimusomega]

What Faded said is exactly right, I felt like going pack to pads but now having spent months on a stick feel totally at home on one, now I have the option to use both pad/stick just as good as each other

[Mayhem]

I learnt arcades on sticks when young, plus 2600 and C64ness play... so switching from pads to sticks and vice versa is quite natural now. Still takes a little while getting used to different way to control everything though...

[dataDave]

(I dunno about you, but I certainly couldn't do dragon punches more than one in ten on my first night of snes sf2)

Ahh, I remember those days well - Swapping pads whilst playing 2-player vs. on my own with Ryu and Ken.

[Spacecowboy]

Although i said i prefer a pad for most beat em ups, surely the best way to play most 2d shooters is with a stick???
Thats the only way i play Ikarugu and Zero Gunner 2 on my DC, with a lovely official arcade stick!!

Just need to find a decent stick for the saturn now.

[Che Musashi]

I'm trying to make the adjustment myself, does anybody have a certain way they place it. Like on their lap or with a special table or something. That's a big holdup keeping me from using the stick all the time.

[Geezer]

I'm trying to make the adjustment myself, does anybody have a certain way they place it. Like on their lap or with a special table or something. That's a big holdup keeping me from using the stick all the time.

I tend to play with it on my lap. I've got the Soul Calibur 2 stick and the base is nice and sturdy and rests nicely on my lap. When I play with a converter on my pc I rest it on my desk