After reading the majority of the negative feedback in this thread I decided to grab a fightpad for curiosity sake and I fully went in with the expectation that I’ll probably end up going back for an exchange/store credit.
I ended up with a ps3 Blanka fightpad (being the only one left in stock) and to test it out I hit up training mode in HD Remix (only fighting game I had available for the ps3). First thing I do is pick Ryu and see if I can get his shoryukens out on both sides; I get about ten in a row on both sides – a good start.
Then I remembered most ppl here had issues with the diagonals not registering as easily or taking more pressure for the inputs to register. I pick classic ST training mode, pick Sagat and try out his Tiger Knee; best I get is about three in a row at first but after a few minutes of adjustment I could get about five to seven in a row on both sides. Next I test out Fei Long’s old chicken wing motion (even though I’ve almost no experience with Fei) and I can barely manage to execute two or three in a row at best, but after about five minutes of adjustment I could average four/five in a row on both sides.
One problem I did have with the pad was how every once in a while the pad seems to get stuck in a particular direction so that my character would just be stuck in crouch or back, and I’d have to tap a different direction on the pad to get it unstuck. I can see how something like that could cost someone a match but I haven’t had it happen too often, still it’s a definite problem and I think someone else also mentioned having this same issue.
Aside from that I find the dpad to be very responsive and I haven’t encountered any problems with the diagonals. It’s much better than the Nubytech SF Anniversary pads that came out about 5 yrs back – now that controller had a stiff unresponsive d-pad. Maybe I lucked out and got a decent batch but overall the pad is very playable, and if anything I can pull out supers at a far higher rate since I have access to the six face buttons so I just drum the inputs.
Main reason I got this pad is so I can use it during late night plays; I can’t use a stick during late hours due to all the clickity noise. With that said, I’ve used the ps2/3 pad for quite some time so maybe the pad experience helped me out with the Fightpad or maybe I just got a decent one out of the bad. Either way I haven’t had problems with the d-pad being unresponsive. The only problem I had was that once in a while it’ll get stuck in one direction. Other than that I think the Fightpad is pretty good – or maybe it’s just the one I got, I don’t know.
I got one early. I can’t put into words how much better this pad is than the 360 stock D-Pad. Before this pad, I didn’t know that you could actually 720 to do T. Hawk and Zangief’s supers in HDR. Shoryukens and Hadoukens work at a level I’m used to with any control pad, really.
Outside of Street Fighter, in DOA4, I can do a lot of those moves that require quick 360 inputs (like Hayabusa’s and La Mariposa’s combo throws) without fail. Hayate’s Raijin is still ridiculous. I don’t know how I managed to even do that move on a stock 360 pad. On Soul Calibur IV, I can do so many moves involving “down” with precision I could never do before.
The only drawback I have is that it isn’t wireless… and that’s more on Microsoft than Madcatz.
It’s a lot better than those old Nuby controllers, but they aren’t Saturn pads. The way it’s built doesn’t make me think it’ll fall to the depths of the (Dreamcast) ASCII Pad FT, either. The DC ASCII FT pads were great at first, but I wasn’t sure if the PCB or something else tended to fail on it – you could not do anything involving the “down” button on that controller for a while.
As bad as that stock 360 controller is for fighting games, $40 is a small price to pay. Microsoft should stop being usurious with its licensing fees, and fix its stock controllers though. An analog stick is not a good (or accurate) substitute.
Hey I live in Sweden and I ordered one. It’s was free shipping on mine, ebay pwns Haven’t got mine yet but it only cost about 240 sek (swedish kroner).
Doing DPs and FBs on this is no problem for me. HDR and SF4 seem to have enough leeway for those motions.
The way to really test the 360 fightpad is:
Use a charge character where you’re holding a diagonal for a good portion of the match.
Play against someone using lots of low footsies on wakeup
Try out ROYBOT’s test: Do a charge db,df,db,uf super
Also of note, the PS3 FightPad’s main defects seem to be connectivity and direction-sticking, notsomuch bad diagonals.
In other news, I don’t know if I’m breaking it the pad in or if it’s just better input leeway, but I’m finding the fightpad to be a lot better on SF4 than HDR. Occasionally, I still run into the same issues with the down-left direction, but it’s not nearly as bad as before. I have no problems with up-left. Odd.
Please give me a link! I have been looking for this for such a long time! How come it was free shipping? What about Moms? I dont know what Moms is called in english but i hope you can understand since you are swedish. You know the 25% of the price on top of the normal price for getting it into the country. I hope you know waht i mean…
I’ve had the biggest problem with the PS3 controller. I got it with the game yesterday and it worked fine, until I tried to kick. The X button worked in the menus and in HD Remix, but in SF4…nothing.
I brought it back to gamestop and exchanged for a Ryu…this one’s even worse. It doesn’t do anything. The D-Pad is awful; I hit left like three times…5 seconds later it moved the cursor left…three times. The buttons don’t work and the controller overall is just garbage.
I’d hoped Mad Catz left their shitty products behind when they got the SF4 license, but it looks like we were all duped.
Yeah…so far the Anniversary pads sound better than these and those weren’t that great either. I’m sure Mad Catz will be working to fix these up in the future though. The tournament edition stick is the best thing I’ve ever used from a 3rd party company that’s for sure.
I would suggest everyone try that move in SF Alpha 3 with Guile X-ism.
This is because SFIV is much more forgiving with special moves than previous games. It would be more likely to forgive you (or your controller) for making a mistake in the input.
I was initially pretty happy with the pad last week. But now, buttons are failing. Last night while playing time trial, all the kick buttons just stopped working. I powered down the 360 then got back in the game and everything seemed fine, then ALL the buttons stopped working.
This is a real shame, the FightPad works quite well in Street Fighter 4 which was surprising for bad it felt in HD Remix.
Wow, that really sucks, Gr1mace. I’d chalk this up to first-gen hardware, but since it’s MadCatz, I’m doubtful the second batch are gonna be any good either.
It might be time for me to give up finding a good pad and invest in a good stick :-/
Aye, the only reason I’m not raging TOO hard over it, is that I snagged a HRAP EX Pro, which arrived yesterday. Thing that bugs me the most is pals are gonna have to play with the 360 D-pad when they come over to play… and thats just gonna make me feel bad. xD
I got one and its great (360). I’ve been using it more on PC to play Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 though. Some people need to remember when you change controllers there will always be a learning curve, and you need to *practice *before you can just start playing. I feel bad for those who have issues, I have had mine for a week with no problems.
I’m thinking the same thing. Now not only I have to check if the diagonals and the buttons work right out of the box, but I also have to worry about that it could stop working for no reason.
Eh. I have mixed feelings about the Fightpad. At first and like so many others, I thought it was a godsend for 2D games. The first game I tried it out with was the Genesis collection on 360. Then I started to take note of the widespread inconsistencies, like the diagonal directions working intermittently. And just today, my start button refused to work. I was going to pop the thing open to see if I could target the source of the problem and noticed that there was already a screw missing on the back of the pad. Just how- sigh
COME ON, MADCATZ. WTG. How could you guys let us down like this? I’d look into a fightstick, but the TE ones are next to impossible to find and I don’t want to settle for anything less ALLLLLTTHOUGH there were a few Hori RAP EXs going for 130~ on Ebay. Being relatively new to the whole ‘stick scene’ I didn’t know if I should bite or not.
Also, I’m surprised nobody tried modding or locating the problem of the directional issues on the fightpad yet. I’m really holding out for a fix here, since I like the conventional layout of the buttons. Meh.
omg a screw missing? seems like these controllers are worthless pieces of crap la madcatz. but theres no fuckin alternative solution. modding arcade sticks is too expensive i dont wanna spend more than 40 bucks on a controller, so i have no other possibility besides buying a fightpad. are there any other issues like buttons not working after some days of intense gaming ?
I ended up with a Ken and Ryu pad when Best Buy started selling them early…with some of the problems you guys seem to be having…should I just eBay both pads and spend the $ on another SE + Sanwa stick/buttons? I would have liked to have a good controller also to switch up / let others play with…but it seems this fight pad is far from good.
The fightpad I have for ps3 is ok. It is much more effective than a regular ps3 controller and does not destroy my thumbs, which I appreciate. One thing about it that kills me though, is trying to combo a cr. lp into a dragon punch. If I do this with meter is always fucking results in a super. I have no clue why, but my stick should arrive today, so other people I play can deal with that shit.
If you can find a good deal, then go for it. But I’d suggest trying out a “representative” stick (e.g. a relatively cheap Hori) that you can easily return for a refund first. Personally, I hate Japanese-style sticks and it would really suck to spend over $100 for something that you’re not comfortable with and have to jump through hoops to return.
Good point. However, this thing feels so cheaply made that opening it and trying to mod it might end up making it even worse.
Haven’t got mine yet but it only cost about 240 sek (swedish kroner).