Joystick vs. Gamepad

laser · 26 August 2007, 05:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

What you are talking about, of course the Competition Pro is a good and very precise stick. Sure, the first USB PC remake from 2004/2005 sucks, because they used cheap micro-switches. But the second PC revision and the new Amiga Classic remakes are awesome.

Still have a 16 year old Competition Pro 5000 too, which works perfect till today. I can't say this about the Logitech & Microsoft joypads, which i bought the last 6-8 years.

also I still have an original competition pro here...it can be used on amiga and atari or commodore 64 or spectrum or any other compatible system...it's an ordinary ,ancient and outdated stick...
I prefer an original atari-2600 stick instead
the CP usb remake like you said surely is made with low quality switches & plastics

anyways...you can't compare that ancient things with a great game pad like the MS sidewinder or any Logitech gamepad

Retro-Nerd · 26 August 2007, 05:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by laser

anyways...you can't compare that ancient things with a great game pad like the MS sidewinder or any Logitech gamepad

Really? I have this Logitech Dual Action pad, first revision. What a crap, the D-pad is useless, because you press left/right+up/down at the same time and the analogue stick runs automatically to the left in some windows games.

The most amiga games were designed for sticks, not for pads. Sad, but true and off-topic.

laser · 26 August 2007, 05:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

Really? I have this Logitech Dual Action pad, first revision. What a crap, the D-pad is useless, because you press left/right+up/down at the same time and the analogue stick runs automatically to the left in some windows games.

The most amiga games were designed for sticks, not for pads. Sad, but true and off-topic.

stick or pad is the same thing...you can acclimatize to one thing or the other or both... like I did...however now I prefer gamepads of course...once you are acclimatized to a gamepad (but a great one)you will forget quicly any stick ..I guarantee

Retro-Nerd · 26 August 2007, 06:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by laser

stick or pad is the same thing...you can acclimatize to one thing or the other or both... like I did...however now I prefer gamepads of course...once you are acclimatized to a gamepad (but a great one)you will forget quicly any stick ..I guarantee

Play Sensible Soccer (Amiga, not Mega Drive) with a pad, then you know that you need a good stick. Games without a jump-button aren't enjoyable too with a pad

Sorry for off-topic:

@Damien: Maybe you can move this to a "Which Amiga games do you play with a stick, which with a pad?" thread.

Ironclaw · 26 August 2007, 09:34

I play all Amiga games in WinUAE using the keyboard. If I'm to play to play with a handheld controller, it would without doubt be a gamepad, sticks sucks, for me...

eLowar · 26 August 2007, 10:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironclaw

I play all Amiga games in WinUAE using the keyboard. If I'm to play to play with a handheld controller, it would without doubt be a gamepad, sticks sucks, for me...

We know.

Ironclaw · 26 August 2007, 11:21

Haha, I knew someone would be like "not Ironclaw and his 'gamepad only' speech again"

.... but didn't expect it to be in the very next post :P.

sort of

.

26 August 2007, 11:59

whoops, didn't mean to start a joystick vs gamepad war. Anyway, when it comes to retro gaming there's not contest, it would just feel all wrong to play them with a pad.

I think I grew up with a zipstick which was amazing and got the competition pro because it looked like a very similar piece of kit, and it does feel much the same, I just can't get the same times as I could in the old days with it in emulation.

P.S. does anyone know what the little switch on the back corner does? I never could figure it out.

Ironclaw · 26 August 2007, 12:25

I was grown up with joysticks only. Got 4 of them for my C64, then 2 new ones for my Amiga, they were all different joysticks. Then after a couple of my fav joysticks broke, I tried with my sega gamepads, the small red one, and the big black one with 3 big black buttons.... my god, all those years of playing with joysticks when I could have played with gamepads... I never went back..... I'm so glad todays consoles, and old consoles aswell only have gamepads... most of them anyway.... that´s just me I guess.

My gaming accuracy and swiftness went up 200% when I used gamepads instead.

turrican3 · 26 August 2007, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

Play Sensible Soccer (Amiga, not Mega Drive) with a pad, then you know that you need a good stick. Games without a jump-button aren't enjoyable too with a pad

Sorry for off-topic:

@Damien: Maybe you can move this to a "Which Amiga games do you play with a stick, which with a pad?" thread.

I agree with retro playing sensible soccer with pad is a hell, th stick is far better

Retro-Nerd · 26 August 2007, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emulationnoob

P.S. does anyone know what the little switch on the back corner does? I never could figure it out.

It activates/deactivates the tiny triangle buttons.

Paul_s · 26 August 2007, 16:39

If you've got the cash get an X-Arcade joystick

Works great with WinUAE and beats the USB re-makes...

Retro-Nerd · 26 August 2007, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul_s

If you've got the cash get an X-Arcade joystick

Works great with WinUAE and beats the USB re-makes...

The perfect arcade board, but nothing for amiga games.

oneshotdead · 27 August 2007, 13:58

Playing Amiga games with a gamepad is simply an inauthentic experience. Only a console gamer could assert gamepads are superior to a joystick.

I'm running a Logitech "Precision" Gamepad and a Competition Pro, and find the latter far superior. For instance, the gamepad is too sensitive when waggling in Xenon to transform from tank to jet, which means you transform accidentally. This rarely--if ever--happens with a decent joystick of any kind, in WinUAE or on original hardware.

Also games which require sensitive diagonal movements are all but useless using a gamepad. And if you are a purist, and don't utilise auto-fire, whether you use your thumb or invert your hand and use your finger on the pad matters not: you cannot fire like you can with a decent sized trigger.

In short, sticks >> pads on Amiga. To assert otherwise is foolishness.

(Oh, OT: try playing Raiden on MAME with a gamepad, lol.)

Graham Humphrey · 27 August 2007, 14:26

Generally I agree with you, joysticks are better suited to Amiga games than pads. Not all though, certainly most of the Amiga's FPSes play much better with a joypad. And most platform games are better with a pad too (as long as they don't use 'up' to sodding jump) though I guess that's down to personal preference.

Graham Humphrey · 27 August 2007, 14:31

Er, wasn't there a post from oneshotdead before mine? Where's it gone? Or have I gone crazy?

EDIT: Ah mystery solved

DamienD · 27 August 2007, 14:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham Humphrey

Er, wasn't there a post from oneshotdead before mine? Where's it gone? Or have I gone crazy?

EDIT: Ah mystery solved

Bad timing... You posted while I was moving all the Joystick vs. Gamepad related posts to this new thread

Retro-Nerd · 27 August 2007, 15:04

I've tried Lionheart several times with a joypad. Even with a jump-button it isn't suited for the amiga, the controls with a stick are smoother.

Try the right+down feet attack with a pad, sometimes you miss some smaller enemies or you hit them to late. Works perfect with the Competition Pro here.

Amiga games with a good pad playability are imho:

Aladdin
Apidya
Deluxe Galaga
Battle Squadron (WHDLoad install)
Desert Strike & Jungle Strike
Bubble and Squeak
Dynablaster
Banshee
Turrican 3
Fire & Ice
Bio Challenge
Leander

and some more, but not much.

dlfrsilver · 27 August 2007, 16:06

Competition pro is a holy fine piece of junk me say. I have one in my collection,
my god how could it be possible to play with ...this... ?

@Retro-nerd : I kill lionheart in every mode with Gamepad only. The 2nd button is not useful here.

I agree with Ironclaw, those who want to achieve precision gameplay want everything but NOT a comp pro.

There are many japanese gamepads with small sticks and using coin-op style switches for very accurate play to sell. The old joysticks are plain bad. Many old games had crappy playability, hence a good pad is needed to bear it.

Best players use the best pads

Dizzy · 27 August 2007, 16:07

I thought this was a poll with that title..

Please make a poll

View Poll Results: Do you prefer using:
Joystick	19	26.76%
Gamepad	22	30.99%
Mostly a joystick, but sometimes a gamepad	18	25.35%
Mostly a gamepad, but sometimes a joystick	12	16.90%
Voters: 71. You may not vote on this poll

27 August 2007, 15:04	#18
Retro-Nerd Missile Command Champion Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Germany Age: 52 Posts: 12,453	I've tried Lionheart several times with a joypad. Even with a jump-button it isn't suited for the amiga, the controls with a stick are smoother. Try the right+down feet attack with a pad, sometimes you miss some smaller enemies or you hit them to late. Works perfect with the Competition Pro here. Amiga games with a good pad playability are imho: Aladdin Apidya Deluxe Galaga Battle Squadron (WHDLoad install) Desert Strike & Jungle Strike Bubble and Squeak Dynablaster Banshee Turrican 3 Fire & Ice Bio Challenge Leander and some more, but not much. Last edited by Retro-Nerd; 27 August 2007 at 15:18.

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26 August 2007, 09:34	#5
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 45 Posts: 3,313	I play all Amiga games in WinUAE using the keyboard. If I'm to play to play with a handheld controller, it would without doubt be a gamepad, sticks sucks, for me...

26 August 2007, 11:21	#7
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 45 Posts: 3,313	Haha, I knew someone would be like "not Ironclaw and his 'gamepad only' speech again" .... but didn't expect it to be in the very next post :P. sort of .

26 August 2007, 11:59	#8
Emulationnoob Posts: n/a	whoops, didn't mean to start a joystick vs gamepad war. Anyway, when it comes to retro gaming there's not contest, it would just feel all wrong to play them with a pad. I think I grew up with a zipstick which was amazing and got the competition pro because it looked like a very similar piece of kit, and it does feel much the same, I just can't get the same times as I could in the old days with it in emulation. P.S. does anyone know what the little switch on the back corner does? I never could figure it out.

26 August 2007, 12:25	#9
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 45 Posts: 3,313	I was grown up with joysticks only. Got 4 of them for my C64, then 2 new ones for my Amiga, they were all different joysticks. Then after a couple of my fav joysticks broke, I tried with my sega gamepads, the small red one, and the big black one with 3 big black buttons.... my god, all those years of playing with joysticks when I could have played with gamepads... I never went back..... I'm so glad todays consoles, and old consoles aswell only have gamepads... most of them anyway.... that´s just me I guess. My gaming accuracy and swiftness went up 200% when I used gamepads instead.

26 August 2007, 16:39	#12
Paul_s Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Amigaville Age: 46 Posts: 3,337	If you've got the cash get an X-Arcade joystick Works great with WinUAE and beats the USB re-makes...

27 August 2007, 13:58	#14
oneshotdead Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: asteroid belt Posts: 273	Playing Amiga games with a gamepad is simply an inauthentic experience. Only a console gamer could assert gamepads are superior to a joystick. I'm running a Logitech "Precision" Gamepad and a Competition Pro, and find the latter far superior. For instance, the gamepad is too sensitive when waggling in Xenon to transform from tank to jet, which means you transform accidentally. This rarely--if ever--happens with a decent joystick of any kind, in WinUAE or on original hardware. Also games which require sensitive diagonal movements are all but useless using a gamepad. And if you are a purist, and don't utilise auto-fire, whether you use your thumb or invert your hand and use your finger on the pad matters not: you cannot fire like you can with a decent sized trigger. In short, sticks >> pads on Amiga. To assert otherwise is foolishness. (Oh, OT: try playing Raiden on MAME with a gamepad, lol.)

27 August 2007, 14:26	#15
Graham Humphrey Moderator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Age: 37 Posts: 11,167	Generally I agree with you, joysticks are better suited to Amiga games than pads. Not all though, certainly most of the Amiga's FPSes play much better with a joypad. And most platform games are better with a pad too (as long as they don't use 'up' to sodding jump) though I guess that's down to personal preference.

27 August 2007, 14:31	#16
Graham Humphrey Moderator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Age: 37 Posts: 11,167	Er, wasn't there a post from oneshotdead before mine? Where's it gone? Or have I gone crazy? EDIT: Ah mystery solved

27 August 2007, 16:06	#19
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,474	Competition pro is a holy fine piece of junk me say. I have one in my collection, my god how could it be possible to play with ...this... ? @Retro-nerd : I kill lionheart in every mode with Gamepad only. The 2nd button is not useful here. I agree with Ironclaw, those who want to achieve precision gameplay want everything but NOT a comp pro. There are many japanese gamepads with small sticks and using coin-op style switches for very accurate play to sell. The old joysticks are plain bad. Many old games had crappy playability, hence a good pad is needed to bear it. Best players use the best pads

27 August 2007, 16:07	#20
Dizzy Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 3,395	I thought this was a poll with that title.. Please make a poll

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