Does anyone else here totally suck at MK when they use a PSX controller?

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03/19/2004 03:53 PM (UTC)

One of the oldest exuses in the book is to blame the controller when you lose to someone in a fighting game. But I was thinking about that the other day, after I happened to play some MKT against a game store employee.

I walked into the match fairly confident in my abilities, but I had a much harder time fighting then I anticipated, just BARELY pulling out victories against what appeared to be a fairly average player. We had a few matches and he got a couple of wins. What really bugged me is that another employee considered challenging me, but then basically blew me off after I lost a match to the first guy, implying that I wouldn't be worth the effort if I couldn't even beat HIM.

I felt cheap blaming the controller. But that may actually have some merit... quite a bit of merit, actually. I have an X-Arcade arcade controller, and that's pretty much all I play MK games on. There really is a WORLD of difference between using an arcade controller and a PSX console controller. For one thing, you have the basic feel of joystick control - a full hand grip, vs the tiny D-pad of a PSX pad. But the real kicker, in my opinion, comes from the BUTTONS.

Think about it, on an arcade controller, you have a free hand to work all the buttons with. That's what I'm used to. On the PSX pad, your THUMB is responsible for all the attack buttons - which really is a HUGE adjustment and a crippling handicap. Normally I just use my thumb for the run button. I think this factor, far beyond a different controller layout or whatever, is what ultimately damns me to sucking at Mortal Kombat whenever using a console controller.

This isn't just the rambling of some guy who's pissed off that he lost. It's a real issue! Anyone agree? Any of you otherwise-good players end up sucking when you use a console controller? Personally I'd even take a keyboard over a PSX pad, since I won't have to use my thumb for all the attacks.

Thoughts?

Spike

@Spike

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I'm sorry, I didn't care.

•04/29/2004 04:28 PM (UTC) •

I much prefer a controller to be honest. I bought an arcade stick for my dreamcast a few years back, but hardly used it as I couldn't adjust to it too well. Give me a control pad any day :)

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AIM BustaUppa if you're up for some Kaillera (after 6 PM Eastern... can't slack off THAT much while I'm at work)

•04/29/2004 04:50 PM (UTC) •

I guess it all comes down to what you're used to. I never owned a console version until a couple years after Trilogy came out so I guess the arcade stick is just my thing.

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•04/29/2004 04:55 PM (UTC) •

A LONG time ago, I bought MK1 for my old Amiga 500 computer and I had to use a Joystick back then.
These days I use gamepads! that stick would
get my ass killed!!!

About Me

AIM BustaUppa if you're up for some Kaillera (after 6 PM Eastern... can't slack off THAT much while I'm at work)

•04/29/2004 05:37 PM (UTC) •

Amiga 500?!?! Yeah baby! I never had a console when I was growing up; all my old games were actually for the Amiga 500. How many buttons were you able to use with MK? I remember most Amiga games only supported 1 button!

Man, so am I the only one with no gamepad love?

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•04/29/2004 06:15 PM (UTC) •

Some sticks had 2 buttons, but normally 1!
One day, I plugged a sega gamepad into my Amiga
and it worked fine! I could now play Mortal Kombat
with the pad and a 2 button config! I never went back!

About Me

AIM BustaUppa if you're up for some Kaillera (after 6 PM Eastern... can't slack off THAT much while I'm at work)

•04/29/2004 06:25 PM (UTC) •

So that DOES work!? I honestly had always wondered that... I noticed that the plugs were shaped the same so that got me thinking. Never got around to trying though. Cool!

I'm curious, do the majority of people here use the standard pads or do we have some control freaks? I've noticed a few people talk about building MKT or MAME arcade cabinets, so I'm only assuming that those people have some sort of arcade stick that they use. I've got the X-Arcade 2 player. Someday I'll probably get one of those big-ass Slik Stik units with all the custom junk (not until I get my own place though).

krsx66

@krsx66

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MORTAL KOMBAT APOCALYPSE

•04/29/2004 06:39 PM (UTC) •

slobzerov19 Wrote:
A LONG time ago, I bought MK1 for my old Amiga 500 computer and I had to use a Joystick back then.
These days I use gamepads! that stick would
get my ass killed!!!

Ha, I had MK1 and MK2 for the Amiga 500 when I lived in England. I remember using the joystick for all my games back then. But when I moved to Canada in 97 and bought a PS I LOVED the controller - it is so much easier IMO.

p.s.- to anyone that owned or owns the Amiga versions of MK - did MK1 have the same amount of blood as the arcade? I dont remember exactly, but I think it did, cus I do remember buying MK1 and seeing a 15 rating on the box.

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•04/29/2004 06:43 PM (UTC) •

Never played the Arcade but on sega you had to enter
secret kodes to unlock the violence...but on the Amiga
it was just there

Konqrr

@Konqrr

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MKII is a Glorified RPG...Turn Based Chip Damage!

•04/29/2004 08:43 PM (UTC) •

I don't totally suck...but I'm at a huge disadvantage like your story.

I've never been good with pads...especially that piece of dog shit xbox controller for fighting games.

I also have an X-Arcade stick to use for console/pc fighting games, the only way to play MK IMO.

You should bring your stick to that store and challenge the employees, show them what you're worth. Watch them either deny you the chance or take you up while you waste them and watch THEM blame it on the controller.

MK2KungBroken

@MK2KungBroken

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•04/29/2004 08:50 PM (UTC) •

I prefer the keyboard over everything, if I could get a nice keyboard, that you could hit say, 4 or 5 keys at the same time anywhere on the keyboard, I'd be set, because a lot of times I get jammed up if I'm hold D+B+BL and try to buffer a move. But you can things like duck and buffer back back or back forward moves so easily so they come up as a surprise.

Matt

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AIM BustaUppa if you're up for some Kaillera (after 6 PM Eastern... can't slack off THAT much while I'm at work)

•04/29/2004 08:57 PM (UTC) •

MK2KungBroken Wrote:
I prefer the keyboard over everything, if I could get a nice keyboard, that you could hit say, 4 or 5 keys at the same time anywhere on the keyboard, I'd be set, because a lot of times I get jammed up if I'm hold D+B+BL and try to buffer a move. But you can things like duck and buffer back back or back forward moves so easily so they come up as a surprise.

Matt

I know just what you mean, the crouch buffering is awesome. Only really possible on a keyboard! You lose that ability with an X-Arcade, but the good side is that with a keyboard emulator like X-Arcade you don't have to worry about the keys jamming up. I remember I couldn't even do Sub Zero's slide before.

Shadaloo

@Shadaloo

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MK Khronology: 58.49% complete...

•04/29/2004 10:58 PM (UTC) •

I haven't played MK in an arcade since MK4. I've since become so terribly used to a PSX control pad that the other day I walked into an arcade, tried to play CVS2, and lost with my first character. I'd get back into arcades if the scene was actually alive, but...

It makes me sad. I used to win MKII arcade tournaments back in the day.

I'd like to see how I fare against opponents on MAME, but I'm on 56K and my computer has all the memory of a senile 89-year old with Alzheimer's. I honestly have no clue how I'd fare on a keyboard. I can hand the CPU its but in MKII (and that's with all the skipping and whatnot), but I'd probably get my ass whooped. Need controller...

I hope MAT2 will be online. In about a month or so I'm getting a memory upgrade, and I'll put some cash aside for a high-speed connection. I seriously want to play some of you guys, there was precious little competition up here in Montreal, even when MKII was popular. It's sad that I was around twelve at the time, and realized that. >_<

As for MK3-UMK3, there was no competition worth mentioning up here. Just this one guy who picked Scorpion a lot.

Esmouc

@Esmouc

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•04/30/2004 12:01 AM (UTC) •

I cannot Think about Anything Better than The PS®2 Pad to Play any Kind of Fighting Game, do The Fact it Resembles Me The Ol' SNES Pad.

I Use this to Attach My 2 PS®2 Pads to the PC:

That's what I Use to Play, it had Worked on every Emulator I've Tried, and of Course it Works so Fine on Mame32 with MK, MKII, MK3 & UMK3.

But also Think about Awful GamePads like The N®64, SEXBox or DreamCast, that Pads are a sure Headache and You can Blame 'em Every Single Time.

Sometimes You Realize The Arcade Controls are Broken Down when You had already Inserted The Coin... it Sucks.

This is also a Cool One: