Learning how to be good at fighting games entails hours of practice, muscle memory and matches with other people. This means you need to have your button inputs on point so that when you see an opening, you can land your combos reliably. Now comes the age old question – which is better for fighting games, the fight stick or controller?
Fight Sticks – A Nostalgic, Mechanical Dueling Tool
Generally speaking, most fighting games are developed with the arcade playstyle in mind, which means fight sticks are the way to go.
Fight sticks accommodate any type of player, from beginners to more advanced and seasoned veterans. Such is its retro-arcade feel – their button and stick placement are designed to provide smooth button and movement inputs, essential to landing your combo strings.
Moreover, if you plan on playing fighting games competitively, you’re better off learning the tricks of the trade with a fight stick. Most pro players use fight sticks since they give more personal control over their characters – it all depends on their mastery, timing and precision of their movement and button inputs.
Game Controllers – A Convenient Alternative
Most fighting games nowadays have console versions, which means console owners can play such games with controllers. Some players are more inclined to use controllers since they come with their consoles. Most fight sticks in the market cost more than controllers, so if you’re on the more thrifty side, you’re better off playing fighting games with the controller.
In terms of button input, some people prefer the closeness of controller buttons, as it makes it easier to pull off quick and spammable combos.
There is also the case of key binding – most fighting games utilize at two or more simultaneous button presses, and for beginner-level players, this might be hard to pull off. With controllers, you can use the shoulder and analog buttons to bind multiple inputs with just one press.
Competitively, professional fighting game tournaments allow the use of game controllers. Though most professional gamers tend to use fight sticks over controllers because of the arcade feel of the sticks.
Fight Stick or Controllers? A Matter of Preference
So, when it comes to fight sticks or controllers, which is better for fighting games? It all boils down to the player’s preference.
Think of using the fight stick as driving a car with manual transmission – you have full control of your character, meaning you can learn the basics up to the advanced combos of your fighter, but you have to practice proper button inputs.
Likewise, using the console controller is like driving a car with automatic transmission – it helps you learn the basics and assist you with the harder inputs thanks to key bindings.
Seeing as the objective of fighting games is to defeat your opponent, you are more likely to accomplish this task by choosing the tool that best suits your playstyle.
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