This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Editor's note: Suriel asks some top-level fighting game players if an arcade stick is required equipment, then tries out both control methods for himself. I have to admit I switch between the two, but no one's ever confused me with a top-level fighting game player before, either. -Demian
Unlike the flight sticks and racing wheels associated with flight and racing sims, arcade sticks are still popular enough to warrant continuous releases. For most tournament players, like the ones at this year's EVO championship, they're the de facto standard that anyone who wants to win must adhere to. But, as a player who's always used regular "game pads" — the term for controllers used when people discuss the arcade-stick-versus-controller debate — I've never understood why the arcade stick is a must.
So this year, I actually went and bought one. Is there an unquestionable benefit to the stick over the pad? I used a not-at-all-scientific method to find out.
The Control(ler)
While I waited for my fancy stick to arrive, I asked the Shoryuken.com forum — the biggest fighting game message board — my all-important query. I got some very interesting responses. User MaxSonic gave me a very good answer early on:
“There are several reasons a stick may be considered better than a pad. The first and probably most important is the overall design of the controller. An arcade stick has you using your whole arm or wrist to move the joystick, while a pad only has your thumb, and thus [the arcade stick] gives you a faster, wider range of motion….
Another reason that arcade sticks can be superior is that a good quality stick is going to be made from high-end arcade parts, which are going to be significantly more durable than a game pad. Sanwa parts are also known for their incredible sensitivity. Finally, fighting games were made based on these types of controls in mind. They are intended to be played with on a stick.”
I practiced with my PS3 controller in the meantime. Playing Super Street Fighter 4, I found I could do most any move I wanted to with the controller, except for Ultra Combos that required me to wiggle the D-pad or analog stick backwards; my thumb just couldn't get used to those movements. I also had some trouble quickly executing Focus Attacks and throws, since they required two simultaneous button presses.
MaxSonic's argument made sense to me as I fumbled around on SSF4's training mode. Another user, Rtdzign, made a point that echoed my problem:
"Street Fighter historically is a six button layout. You also have to press three or two buttons in a row simultaneously to execute some moves, or press another button adjacent to another for certain move cancels. For example, there is a [character] named Balrog that has a move where you need to hold down three buttons for a few seconds, but are free to use the other three buttons for attacking while that move is charging. Pad players must be more agile with the fingers and hold it with a grip that the pad was not designed for to do some of these moves."
This was certainly true, but though I couldn't perform these specific movements, the characters I wanted to learn weren't quite as demanding. I kept at it, trying to execute the backwards Ultra on demand. I wasn't having much luck.
The Experimental Stick
A couple of days later the stick arrived, and I quickly got to work relearning the moves I already knew on the pad. Luckily, both Sakura and Cody — the characters I had been practicing with on the controller — are easy characters to learn, and after a day of working on Sakura's Ultra (the same one that was giving me problems on the pad) I was able to do it more quickly.
But I didn't notice a definite improvement; it didn't seem as though the arcade stick offered me more options. I had problems pressing the three buttons needed to perform an Ultra combo, something I assigned to a single button on the D-pad.
While the arcade stick seemed able to read my actions more quickly, I felt like I lost some of the accuracy I had with the D-pad. I was more prone to button mashing, whereas on the pad I was much more calculated.
[Photo credit: top image courtesy of whatnot]
Meanwhile, the thread I created on the Shoryuken forums raged on, with some points made about the benefits of the controller. Much to my surprise, there were many competitive players who used the D-pad. Even more shocking: At least one character in SSF4 actually benefited from the use of the D-pad. From user Nerrage:
"One huge advantage I saw at this year's Evo (I believe it was by Vangief himself, one of the top eight players) was the "walking 720," something a stick can't possibly ever do. By this, I mean, that he was able to perform a 720º motion [two full circling motions] on one stick, a crucial input much like the QCF [quarter-circle forwards], but it is necessary for a heavy-damage-dealing ultra move.
Now, all players on a stick would have to stand still in the time it takes to make this motion. However, because a pad has multiple sticks, he was able to hold one stick forward while also making the 720 motion on the other stick. Because he was walking forward, no player was expecting him to be able to perform this devastating attack. No player on a stick would be able to walk forward while inputting a 720, because their character would move a little bit backwards.
[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HKIZhNUJg ]
Because they weren't expecting such a thing, he was able to surprise them with the move and catch them off guard to deal serious damage and turn the tide in his favor, or even provide the finishing blow for a match.”
Poster Kubebot also noted that two of the top eight players at Evo — Vangief and Shizza — used pads. User Kazujiro did point out, however, out that Vangief was actually using a modified 360 pad.
Analysis
While this back-and-forth was playing out online, I was learning more about the uses of the arcade stick. Hold characters like Blanka and E. Honda seemed more approachable now, and I started learning Guile, someone who I hadn't even touched before. But I was also getting my butt handed to me by my brother's Akuma and his D-pad mastery.
I realized that this was in largely due to my inexperience with the stick more than anything else. I didn't have a solid technique just yet, but my accuracy was definitely improving.
Another comment from Kazujiro also made me realize that learning the stick would benefit my play style in the long run:
"I prefer stick just for the sake of consistency, Saturn pad, Dreamcast controller, DualShock 2/3, 360. I could learn to use each of them for various games/situations, but it's just easier for me to have the same control scheme for every fighter on any console I play. I actually prefer to use a stick on any game that doesn't require an analog stick to play."
Conclusion
So, is there a notable difference? I'm not sure that there is. I'm still learning the ins and outs of the arcade stick, but I'll say that playing with the stick is definitely more fun, if for no other reason than novelty. But I definitely don't think it's entirely mandatory for pad players to migrate to the stick. "If you're already a competitive player on a pad,” says user Cracka J, “really no reason to switch now.”
The serious tournament player will need an anchor when learning new games and tricks, however, and an arcade stick offers that consistency. Besides, there will always be a history between the stick and fighting games. From user Shubacca:
"[Arcade sticks are like] your trusty sword that you associate with Street Fighter. That is my tool for practicing and beating people. When I carry this over to your house, it's with me for a purpose. For me, that same association cannot be related between game and pad."
The entire Shoryuken forum thread regarding this subject can be found here.
For the Pressing Issue assignment, Michael Rousseau asked me to investigate the differences between the arcade stick controllers used with fighting games and the regular controllers we use for almost everything else. This article was the result.