Tips For Learning How to Use an Arcade Stick

[ICrappedMyPants | 302]

I never really played at an arcade growing up. I was a little young, born in 84, and my parents never took me to one before they basically fell off of the face of the earth.

I bought a Hori SF II RAP arcade stick for the Switch. I’d like to try and use it for fighting games and other vintage arcade games that I bought (beat ‘me ups and shmups). Does anyone have tips for getting accustomed to the stick? I tried the arcade stick for SF IV and gave up back then, but I’m willing to try again, especially given all of the vintage and retro style games on Switch.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

Part of using an arcade stick "correctly" (IMO) is generally going to involve having it on a table or something to better emulate the arcade cabinet form-factor.

 

[JamesRobot | 5,840]

Cripes! Get this man to an arcade!  

Arcade sticks don't quite capture the experience but I'd agree with Arch.  Stability is key.  Coffee table or something. 

[Sumez | 2,995]

Are we talking about the physicality and rigidness of the stick? Like the others suggest, putting it on a stable surface does wonders. Good quality sticks will usually come with a heavy bottom plate to give some weight to them.

Or the controls themselves? Because although there's a lot of study into various grips etc. I'd say the best approach is just to go with what feels right. Playing with an arcade joystick and buttons on a flat surface should be a very intuitive approach, and I can't really imagine what there is to "learn" as such. The first time I ever played a shooter or a fighting game with an arcade stick I could immediately feel how these games were always meant to be played this way. For fighters especially, I'd been playing them at home for years before ever coming across one in an arcade, and suddenly all that time struggling with the awkward button positions and unresponsive special inputs via the D-pad made a lot more sense.

Just keep playing and it should feel natural very fast.

[ICrappedMyPants | 302]

25 minutes ago, Sumez said:

Are we talking about the physicality and rigidness of the stick? Like the others suggest, putting it on a stable surface does wonders. Good quality sticks will usually come with a heavy bottom plate to give some weight to them.

Or the controls themselves? Because although there's a lot of study into various grips etc. I'd say the best approach is just to go with what feels right. Playing with an arcade joystick and buttons on a flat surface should be a very intuitive approach, and I can't really imagine what there is to "learn" as such. The first time I ever played a shooter or a fighting game with an arcade stick I could immediately feel how these games were always meant to be played this way. For fighters especially, I'd been playing them at home for years before ever coming across one in an arcade, and suddenly all that time struggling with the awkward button positions and unresponsive special inputs via the D-pad made a lot more sense.

Just keep playing and it should feel natural very fast.

Really both, but mostly the latter. I did buy Sanwa buttons and stick to replace the stock parts.

[Nostalgic Machine | 27]

It's honestly going to come down to practice and preference. Eventually you'll figure out what works for you.

The best advice that helped me is don't worry about what your hands look like they're doing; all that matters is being able to reach and execute a key command as needed without feeling like the challenge is coming from the control vs the game itself.

Those who weren't actively at the arcades in the 80's and 90's often under-appreciate how the human body's motor skills adapt to such an inefficient controller layout, lol.

I spent years of my life on arcade cabinets. I'm rusty AF when I go back once or twice a year, but I'll be damned if my hands don't remember how to maximize speed and movement for UMK3 lol.

[Sumez | 2,995]

57 minutes ago, Nostalgic Machine said:

such an inefficient controller layout,

Arcade joysticks are ineffecient?

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

1 hour ago, Nostalgic Machine said:

 

Those who weren't actively at the arcades in the 80's and 90's often under-appreciate how the human body's motor skills adapt to such an inefficient controller layout, lol.

 

?

Arcade layouts are WAY more "efficient" than pretty much any controller that predates modern multi-trigger and back-button controllers.

 

[Sumez | 2,995]

D-pads are more efficient at some things, most notably quick tapping. Platformers with precise controls, especially when there's inertia involved, tend to be much easier to control with a D-pad where you can quickly adjust your momentum with the thumb.

But for any kind of control where you need to equally effortlessly move in 8 different directions, pulling a stick in that direction is so much more intuitive and precise.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Sumez

[ICrappedMyPants | 302]

I think he’s saying controllers are inefficient.

 

 

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

48 minutes ago, Sumez said:

D-pads are more efficient at some things, most notably quick tapping. Platformers with precise controls, especially when there's inertia involved, tend to be much easier to control with a D-pad where you can quickly adjust your momentum with the thumb.

But for any kind of control where you need to equally effortlessly move in 8 different directions, pulling a stick in that direction is so much more intuitive and precise.

GOOD D-pads definitely have certain advantages for certain types of games.

But there are relatively few scenarios where there is an advantage to operating buttons with just my right thumb versus having my entire hand spread out with buttons for each finger.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

16 minutes ago, ICrappedMyPants said:

I think he’s saying controllers are inefficient.

 

 

Could be that I misread him.

[Nostalgic Machine | 27]

19 hours ago, arch_8ngel said:

?

Arcade layouts are WAY more "efficient" than pretty much any controller that predates modern multi-trigger and back-button controllers.

 

I respectfully disagree. My anecdotal claims are based entirely on being a semi-professional MK competitive player for years. The games have intentionally bad arcade button layouts to milk quarters. This is well known and not some conspiracy.

Ever play Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 competitively, in person, in a packed room on OG cabinets? That run button is purposely places far out to make it more challenging to play and milk quarters.

Look at this:

Now, tell me you're going to be pulling off combos using run with your right thumb, and stretching your pinky all the way up to HK to start a chain combo without it slipping. Add to this that word cabinets are prone to misfiring, and "finger tapping" too lightly won't register at all.

Now, tell me how you'll smoothly transition from run and block and back to run to continue aggressive offense.

Compare this to say, a Saturn controller, where L and R are run and block, and the entire thing is right in your hand, and all of these issues are solved.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Nostalgic Machine

[Sumez | 2,995]

Mortal Kombat is pretty much famous for having a hilariously terrible button layout. You can't use that as a case for anything, and definitely not for arcades in general.
The default joysticks are really bad too.

It would be like using the Jaguar controller as an argument against joypad controllers.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Sumez

[Nostalgic Machine | 27]

Oh I know, that's why I prefaced my last post, once everyone was like "Wtf did he just say?!", with that's admittedly the majority of my arcade experience.

TMNT the arcade game has a great layout, as a counterexample to my own argument lol.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

4 hours ago, Nostalgic Machine said:

I respectfully disagree. My anecdotal claims are based entirely on being a semi-professional MK competitive player for years. The games have intentionally bad arcade button layouts to milk quarters. This is well known and not some conspiracy.

Ever play Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 competitively, in person, in a packed room on OG cabinets? That run button is purposely places far out to make it more challenging to play and milk quarters.

Look at this:

Now, tell me you're going to be pulling off combos using run with your right thumb, and stretching your pinky all the way up to HK to start a chain combo without it slipping. Add to this that word cabinets are prone to misfiring, and "finger tapping" too lightly won't register at all.

Now, tell me how you'll smoothly transition from run and block and back to run to continue aggressive offense.

Compare this to say, a Saturn controller, where L and R are run and block, and the entire thing is right in your hand, and all of these issues are solved.

Never really played beyond MK2 in the arcades -- but as was mentioned MK was NOTORIOUS for badly designed arcade controls.

My guess is a console-based arcade stick, nowadays, is laid out in some permutation of the "standard" Capcom configuration, with an extra 4th button on one arc for NEO GEO.

 

But it would be absolutely ridiculous to say that classic JAMMA cabinets or NEO GEO cabinets, where each right-hand finger has a readily accessible button of its own, aren't superior to playing the same game on a controller, with very few exceptions.

[ICrappedMyPants | 302]

This is the stick that I picked up.

 

I thought this video was helpful for understanding grip and tips for practicing.

 

[T-Pac | 7,590]

To master the arcade stick, you must become one with the arcade stick...

-CasualCart

[Nostalgic Machine | 27]

18 hours ago, arch_8ngel said:

Never really played beyond MK2 in the arcades -- but as was mentioned MK was NOTORIOUS for badly designed arcade controls.

My guess is a console-based arcade stick, nowadays, is laid out in some permutation of the "standard" Capcom configuration, with an extra 4th button on one arc for NEO GEO.

 

But it would be absolutely ridiculous to say that classic JAMMA cabinets or NEO GEO cabinets, where each right-hand finger has a readily accessible button of its own, aren't superior to playing the same game on a controller, with very few exceptions.

NEO GEO cabinets are an example of what all arcade cabinets should have been, bare minimum! A lot of the American arcade games by Midway etc. were all about getting them coins from you while keeping you just pissed enough to keep throwing them in LOL.

[RH | 4,983]

*pulls pin from truth grenade*

 @ICrappedMyPants I'm just glad to see it's a ball, coz you bat users can take your controllers and just head home.

*toss*

 

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

Street fighter IV was a very technical and demanding game. 

I would say just practice a lot and continue to watch videos on different styles and techniques. Find a style thats comfortable and allows you to have solid control then just practice in training mode for one of your favorite fighting games that show inputs to make sure you're playing efficiently. Start with getting good at basic moves and movement before working up to more demanding combos and techniques. SF 4 has some pretty crazy links with the fadc techniques etc. 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Andy_Bogomil