Hey, I’m pretty new to fighting games (aside from obviously the occasional button mashing competition with my mates) though I picked up sf4 a few days and am loving it so far (though I really suck at it right now). My one gripe with it however has been the standard xbox 360 controller, it feels like I’m just suggesting to the controller what to do, then wether it decides to go with my suggestion or not is entirley up to it.
Now I did wonder if it was just me, not being used to having to enter precise sequences quickly on the d-pad, and maybe it is partly that, but I FEEL like I’m pressing everything correctly and even simple things like blocking, sometimes I’ll do a jump in the air instead, though I’m definitley only pressing back. I tried a few different standard 360 controllers (same model) and the d-pad on some of them was definitley better than others, but I still have some major problems no matter which controller I pick. So this is when I decided to google and it seems many people hate the 360 d-pad as much as I do… unfortunatley the suggested replacements always seem to be impossible to get hold of or going for some stupid price on e-bay (official sf4 pad, hori pad…).
So my question is, can anyone recommend me a controller with a decent d-pad that’s readily available in the uk and less than 40? I wouldn’t mind spending a bit more on an arcade stick, but it seems both the official sf4 ones and the two hori ones are impossible to get hold of for less than a 300% markup, maybe someone can point me in the direction of an online store in the uk that actualy stocks them (although I know this is doubtful)?
In my searching I came accross this (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saitek-Cyborg-360-Rumble-Xbox/dp/B001EYU1V4) and was wondering if maybe the d-pad is decent on it, seeing as it’s 8-directional, wheras I’m led to believe the 360 d-pad is only 4-directional… although the shape of this pads d-pad makes me wonder if it will maybe feel a bit unstable/wobble when trying to point it in precise directions.
Any input is appreciated. I hope this topic hasn’t been posted before, I did search though could only find topics on d-pads for other consoles.
Bump… if as far as you know there arn’t any decent alternatives to the hori or official sf4 pads please say so I can then just keep on lookout for when one becomes available.
Dude you just need to hold out for the SF4 pads. They were restocked at BestBuy.com for a little while. No, there are no other appropriate pads besides the Hori pad and the SF4 pads.
Ohhh… I’ve got the exact same pad, the Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad. I’ve played about 12 hours worth of Street Fighter IV and I believe its suffice enough if you play characters like Sagat and Ryu. I could easily pull off SRKs and Chicken Wings multiple times with ease and due to its design, its easy on the thumb compared to the PS2/PS3 controllers where I got burned after playing for 2-3 hours straight (3S btw). When I first got this game, I played it for 5 hours straight with no problems. ^^ Sadly, I seem to have difficulty pulling off Hooligan Throws and Piledrivers but that’s probably me sucking on the d-pad. Overall, its much better than the 360 d-pad. The buttons are a bit tacky compared to the 360 but considering I got it for $40… I was expecting less but I have no issues with the X, Y, B, A, LB, and RB buttons and I don’t use the trigger buttons much so no comment there.
Hmm… the only problem that I have with this controller are the shallow analog sticks but its still precise as 360 analog sticks. I clocked about 15 hours on Beautiful Katamari and my brother clocked about 40 hours on that game, plus 20 hours on Lost Odyssey and 35 hours on Dynasty Warriors: Gundam… soooo that’s about 122 hours of usage with nothing malfunctioning. Therefore, you could easily conclude that the build quality is solid. No loose parts.
It didn’t bought this pad for SFIV or SF2THDR either… I bought it 'cause I was curious about the Cyborg Module. That and Katamari. Later on, I was using it for JRPGs… 'cause it felt nice on my hands (larger than the 360 controller but found it comfortable) and it wasn’t slippery after a while… which was a major plus for me.
I’m using it for my SFIV fun for now and it will continue to serve me well until my TE arcade stick arrives from LizardLick and I might buy the official SFIV FightPads later on the line 'cause it’s been a while since I played with a 6 button controller.
Edit: But yeah, like Bomberman said, if you want a pad for SFIV then hold out for the official SFIV pads.
a friend of mine picked up this pad (http://www.hori.jp/us/products/xbox360/horipad_ex_tb/index.html) from ebay for 40 euros + shipping… i think currently this is the cheapest pad you can pick up and it’s quite decent except the l+r triggers feel kinda wierd. the dpad is + shaped like the one nintendo uses which is a good thing imo
another good thing about this baby is that it’s actually a useable 360 controller with 2 sticks AND a dpad!
if all you want is ONLY a dpad then you could as well go for one of the madcatz pads but i guess you won’t find them for their retail price of 35 euros… but if you manage to get your hands on one of these pick one up… (just not from ebay xD)
I’ve used the Hori pad myself for over a year. Its dpad is truly great. But the 6-button layout of the Madcatz SF4 pads make a big difference, which is why I prefer them for fighting games now.
thing is he bought one of those when sf4 was already out and when he couldn’t get one of the madcatz pads… i could ask him who he bought it from to see if the seller has still got some left, if you’re interested… but be prepared as shipping would be from germany and i’ve got no idea how much that might be
