It's all about timing, just like face buttons. Platforming or fighting games, you gotta have that instant response. Aiming or acceleration needs the precision of analog. So, "depends on the game" is my hot take...
this post was submitted on 04 May 2024
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I realised all these years later that so many games from my childhood had the issue of "floaty characters".
Mario 64 felt so good because you could run at full speed, snap the alalog stick back and jump, and Mario would pivot on a bees dick and launch himself at your face.
You are a poet. But seriously, you're so right. I don't even like the floaty fighters in Smash Bros!
Depends on the game
A good example is the Ori games compared to Hollow Knight. Ori moves at a different speed depending how much you push the thumb stick so it feels more precise to use them. In Hollow Knight you move the same speed with the thumb stick no matter how little it is pressed so the d-pad feels better.
Depends on the game really. If there is a need for fine precision be it movement, pointing or aiming an analog Stick can't be beat (the latter even enhanced by gyro) if its a 2D game its gotta be a dpad.
I misread that as "enhanced by Spyro". And yeah, most things are...
True everything would be better with that little dragon.
Dpad for precise timing (like movement). Analogue for precise looking (like aiming).
If I could use the dpad to move in a souls game (especially the ones with movement based combos) I would. But I'd still want the analogue stick for the camera.
Dpad for games that were intended for dpad, analog if the game was intended for analog.
Analog for dpad games feels awkward in my experience, and dpad for analog games is not even an option.
Usually analog sticks, but it depends on the game. Something like shovel knight is better with the dpad.
I just happen to play more games that are better with analog sticks.
I prefer Dpad for platforming and top down as being able to move precisely diagonal is more important than speed control, plus the analogue stick wears out quicker and dpad allows switching directions faster. Analogue for driving and therpy gamess
As with most, depends on the game. 2D I generally prefer D-pad, even if the game has 8 directions. For 3D, there's really no choice.
My cursed option: I like playing fighting games with the d-pad.
Also a stray opinion: I hate games that mix the two on moment to moment gameplay. Using D-pad for pause menus while moving with the Analog, fine. Using d-pad to use items during live gameplay, like in soulslikes? Terrible.
I would have thought Dpad was the obvious choice for fighting games due to combo button combinations. Is it more common for players to use the joystick?
A fightstick is the ideal for anyone wanting to invest in the genre, as it provides both precise control and a wide array of movements that neither d-pad or analog can reach.
It was a joke-y cursed option because d-pad are not only wildly uncomfortable but also quite inefficient when it comes to the high speed sequences
@AdellcomdoisL @overload there are plenty of top players using gamepads in the fighting game community these days. As it transitioned online and arcades sort of disappeared entirely there is less bias toward fightsticks emulating the arcade cabinet experience. Not to say they aren’t still the popular choice but gamepads aren’t considered garbage like they were.
Yeah I play fighting games on both an 8bitdo fight stick and a PS4 d-pad. I'm still not sure which I prefer. Fight stick feels more accurate but I can react much faster with a d-pad.
I'm still not very good at these games though, so I can't speak for people at a high level!
Analog stick. Most of the time I end up finding that the dpad on my 360 controller doesn't feel as good to me compared to as an analog stick. That, and the majority of games I used to play growing up used analog stick for movement, so it's engrained in me.
Part of the issue there is actually the 360 controller, from my experience. It has one of the worst D-pads ever made. That said, platformers and fighting games are typically the only ones I use a D-pad on anyway, so if you don't play those you'd likely never use it.
D-pad for precision, analog for thereabouts.
Or in monster hunter, d-pad for camera with index finger, analog for movement with thumb, embrace claw until everything cramps.
Usually the analog stick. I'm just more used to it so it feels more natural most of the time. But some games do play better with a dpad, so there are exceptions.