Last week I gave a tip that said having the right mentality is key. Having the right mentality is a tip that can help players before they ever pick up a controller. This leads me to my next tip, choosing the right controller. Fighting games are coming out on every platform, and with controllers becoming more expensive, choosing the right controller is important. There are first-party controllers like the controllers that Microsoft and Sony create for their systems. Third-party controllers are popular in the Fighting Game Community because they give players different experiences for their execution. These third-party controllers can range from arcade sticks, fightpads and HitBoxes which require different execution skills.
Why Would I Go First-Party?
First-party controllers have two main options for inputs and they are the analog stick and the D-Pad. These are things to consider when using your Microsoft and Sony controllers because of the placement of these on the respective controllers. These controllers are constantly being produced and that makes them easy to replace. They can also be purchased already customized. One of the biggest drawbacks to using these first-party controllers is that they only work on that one specific console. A converter needs to be purchased to allow the controller to work on the other consoles. With most converters having some sort of effect on the second play port, the only converter that is tournament legal is the Brook converters. Brook offers all sorts of converters to allow players to use their preferred peripheral.
What are My Third-Party Options?
There are a lot of third-party controller options and they all have pros and cons. Arcade sticks are expensive to purchase. This purchase can become an investment because parts can be bought to replace any worn out parts. Arcade sticks use a stick for inputs and allow for the most freedom in terms of customization. They can be customized to work on multiple systems at a fraction of the cost of converters. Another option we have are fightpads, controllers that were specifically designed with fighting games in mind. They tend to only have a D-Pad input along with six buttons on the face of the controller. These can be extremely affordable, but they can only ever really be used to play a fighting game. The last major option that we have for peripherals is the HitBox. A HitBox is a combination of a keyboard and an arcade stick. It uses buttons or keys for the directional input while maintaining buttons for the button inputs. HitBoxes also have a similar build to arcade sticks and lets them be customized just as much. These controllers require a lot of execution but can provide the best precision.
Players have so many options when it comes to controllers today. That makes it even more important for them to decide what is best for them. It takes time to be able to have high execution on your peripheral. This learning curve can be the difference of losing and winning at the beginning of competition. As time goes on and you become more comfortable with your weapon of choice, you will see progress being made. Controllers are the tools that players use to compete, and you never want to be limited by your tool.