So I’m to understand that when the MadCatz controller isn’t broken, it is a very nice pad akin to the Saturn pad?
I am also to understand that these things are failing/breaking easily and/or some are broken out of the box?
Not sure what to do then. Both my gamestops have 1 Chun-Li controller left waiting for me. However if these problems are widespread I may hold off and wait for a new shipment.
I would probably get it asap if you have a chance. These are pretty rare to find now a days. Unless you want to wait 1 or 2 months for new ones. Which probably will be exactly the same as the older ones…
Question… Are there problems on both xbox and PS3 controllers? It seems to me like the majority of people who are complaining have the PS3 controller? True, false?
Well, some problems with the controller is PS3 specific such as mines with the wireless USB dongle continually blinking and not picking my controller. since the controller itself seems to be just fine and pretty effective w/hadoken type characters (I’m too bad w/charge types to accurately say how effective it is w/them).
Sadly I’m at a loss for figuring out what my alternatives are for this since the PS3 controller relies 100% on wireless connectivity and I’m unable to figure out what wireless protocal this uses (this is the part where I envy you 360 folks since a wired connection is a working connection lol). Definitely isn’t bluetooth since PS3 won’t pick it up when doing a Bluetooth device scan (was desperate enough to try already). Something that’s propertatory to Madcatz? An unspecified protocol that everyone is hush hush on? Has to be some radio signal that happens to be 2.4GHz. I’m wondering if figuring out this would help me get one step closer in getting a spare working USB dongle outside of what Madcatz provides.
Is the fightpad good with Charge characters?
MarkyX - My fightpad is especially good with charge characters because all you have to do is move the d-pad and let the controller “hit the buttons” for you. (Sorry. I couldn’t resist)
Okay guys. My report is - PS3 Chun-Li, random button presses (generally square button’s function) occur. Sometimes I’ll just hold the controller or shake it in the air…and watch all the random moves that happen on the screen. I haven’t had but one noticeable connectivity issue, and it was in the menu after coming out of a challenge.
Laughing, I actually e-mailed madcatz about it. I haven’t read their official response on it yet if there is one. I even asked if they had instructions for opening/soldering/replacement/etc to let me know, but I also acknowledged that they cannot officially recommend some sort of internal fix like that.
If it I get it replaced and the replacement has issues, I’ll try to open it up.
I also wonder if the random button presses are a malfunction of the controller’s conversion of button presses to communication OR if it is an issue with the communication between the controller and the dongle. In regard to that last possibility, I also wonder about interference.
Several users in this thread have commented about trying to eliminate interference and their lack of success. Someone also mentioned the madcatz rep saying “probably just the dongle.”
I’ll just throw in my own 2 cents. I have 40+ hours of SFIV under my belt, 12 of which has been with a Chun-Li Xbox 360 fightpad I picked up Friday night at Best Buy. The previous 28 hours or so have been with the Xbox 360 analog stick. It is my intent to pick up a Tournament Stick once they’re available again, but I want to go with the best I can until then.
Right now, as a scrub player, I have to say I’m pretty pleased with the controller. I can consistently pull of specials and ultras/supers for my characters (Cammy, Sakura, and Dan :china:), perhaps even better than I could with the analog stick. The only move I consistently have difficulty with is the hooligan, but that seems to be due more to my lack of skill and practice than anything.
In training mode I do seem to notice that the diagonals require a tiny bit more thumb action but it’s nothing that has caused enough of a problem in actual matches.
In the XBL HD Remix game, however, I’m not having much success with the fightpad. My DPs are extremely inconsistent and even my HKs are not 100%. I don’t play this game as much any more, so it’s possible I was having an off session, but I don’t think I could have been THAT bad.
For now, since I’m only going to be playing SFIV, I’m pleased with the fightpad and I hope it will last until the Tournament Sticks are available again. Good luck, everybody.
If the diagonals are bad, then no. Occasionally, you lose your charge because you’ll be holding down or back instead of downback.
I main chun li and the fightpad is definitely not good for charge characters (even if in the end it’s still better than the regular pad). I keep failing the ultra because sometimes an SPB or a d/f+lk come out instead.
I generally play with a stick, but I picked up a Ryu pad (PS3) when I got my copy of SFIV.
For shits, I just went into challenge mode with Chun Li and completed Normal and a few of the Hards in about 15 minutes. I don’t have any issues doing ultras, supers, or charge specials consistently on the pad. When I shook the living hell out of the thing, I got no inputs triggered at all. All the testing I did showed no problems with diagonals… I did all the character/color unlocking with this pad while I sat here reading SRK, and had no issues. It’s a great pad, actually. I definitely prefer stick for ‘real’ playing, but IMO it is better than my Saturn pads. The dpad feels better, and the buttons feel far better.
I saw a few gripes about the battery casing, but it adds heft to an otherwise lightweight pad, and keeps the On/Off and LS/DP/RS switches off the face. It might bug me if I had much longer fingers, I guess. It rests really well in my palms, rubberized sides/back feel great. Altogether better than I had expected.
This is not meant to downplay the real issues people are having with the pads. I got a good sample though, and it’s a good controller. I would write a more in-depth review but I don’t have much else to say. The chunky dpad is a lot better than I thought it would be. Buttons are well-placed, nice and clicky with a medium-light action, and the layout is good (on PS3). Wireless, instant-on (though it does need a USB dongle). Solid pad!
can someone confirm if you cannot use 2 fightpads at the same time? i’m looking to buy 2 but if you can’t have 2 at the same time, i will just use my stock ps3 controller and fightsticks. thanks.
Hey guys,
after reading this I think I’m going with the USB saturn pad
2 questions though:
Will this work with Vista 64-bit (only says up to XP on the box). And will it run SFIV when it releases (I’m assuming it would, but never used a controller in windows), or will it only work with emulations?
Do they give you blisters like the Sega Genesis pad (only sega pad I’ve played). Those things HURT LIKE HELL!
I’ve used my Saturn pad with my PC and I had no problem with loading it. Granted, I’m running Vista 32bit, but it doesn’t need any special drivers. It detects the controller as a “Standard USB controller”, so I would imagine Vista 64 would do the same.
As for the Sega pads, do you mean the 6 buttons ones? They ARE a lot like the 6 button pad dpads. IIRC, the cross on the 3 button pad was raised higher, which would cause greater pain.
Whatever the case, even if you’re talking a 6 button pad, I’ve had no problems with my fingers hurting from using the Saturn controller extensively. If you do, I’m sure you’ll build up a callous rather quickly. Just suck it up, don’t be a Nancy, and take the little bit of pain in your thumb for a few days. You’ll be fine in no time at all. 
The Genesis ones I’m talking about is this one. I don’t think it was an official though, but I liked the shape as it was flat and I didn’t have to hold the whole thing in my hands (could hold it like an original nintendo controller)
http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/60000508/Images/2/000000000000.jpg
Which I liked alot more than this one https://www.cliffracer.com/store/images/gen-officialsegapad1.jpg
(I wasn’t playing fighting games back then though, I was playing sidescrollers like Castlevania: Bloodlines etc, but I didn’t like how the buttons were kinda mushy on the second one, so I rarely used it. The first ones were more hard and clicky). I forget, but maybe the D-pad on the second one may have been better than the first though, can’t really remember.
But yeah the first one is the one I played and the little ‘raised cross’ part would always hurt the padding of my thumb, and sometimes it felt like the skin connecting the the thumb fingernail was getting pushed and pulled alot when holding it down to move, which was annoying as heck lol.
Was just hoping the Saturn one’s pad wasn’t so hard and raised, otherwise I’d be fine with it. Based on the pictures though it looks like the rubber is softer though.
Also, I’m not asian so my hands are a little bigger and are pretty long/thin, will this be a problem with a saturn controller? Not too sure of what the size is like (then again I should probably look back in the thread at the comparison picture lol)
So I picked up a PS3 Fight Pad two days ago. It worked fine, I had no problems with the D-Pad/diagonals or the buttons.
However, this morning, it just suddenly stopped working altogether: the LED on the USB-receiver started to blink, and the home button on the pad itself, too. I tried everything to make it work again: took out the batteries and entered them again, tried new batteries, switched the thing off and on, but nothing changed. The light on the USB-receiver still keeps blinking (and it really shouldn’t).
Anyone else have this problem? What can I do to fix it? (I’ll try to contact MadCatz too).
The Saturn pad is closer to that Genesis one you posted in terms of layout (as I’m sure you know), though the DPad on the Saturn pad doesn’t seem as raised as that Genesis one. I can definitely see how you might have problems with the Superpads you posted.
I don’t really think you’ll have problems with the Saturn pad in the same way, though. The cross isn’t as raised as it looks on the pictures of the controllers you posted and I don’t find it to hurt in any way at all. The first couple of days I played SFIV, I was using stock PS3 and 360 controllers and that didn’t make my thumbs very happy, but I haven’t had one issue in that sense with either the Fightpads or the Saturn controllers. 
Can anybody confirm if the Saturn USB pad works with XBOX 360?
It works fine on my PC with GGPO, but I’m thinking of getting an XBOX and if this pad works with it, that might just close the deal.
no it wont …
I knew it wouldn’t. Thanks for the confirmation. Damn Microsoft.
Someone mentioned in the Sega USB thread that they hacked it and got it to work on 360 and PS2, but when asked for a tutorial, there was no response, so he was either lying or has stopped checking that thread.
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=163928&highlight=360&page=3
Ah well, Fightpad it is I guess. = (
After using a Hori EX2 stick and failing with it im thinling of getting a Mad Katz 360 pad. Had anyone tried doing the HARD trial modes with one of these? Is it easier than the 360 pad?
