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Kotaku: PS Vita controller can handle fighting games just fine

Posted by Catalyst
September 17, 2011 at 6:20 p.m. PDT

Kotaku: PS Vita controller can handle fighting games just fine

Playing fighting games on a portable device can be an interesting experience, and with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Street Fighter X Tekken being announced for the PlayStation Vita, people in the community have expressed concerns on just how well these titles will handle on Sony's latest portable.

Kotaku did a concise write up on their site explaining how the controller options on this new device work. Here's a snip.

One of the things I like about the new handheld is the "click" of its buttons. They're not soft or squishy; you get a definitive click when you've depressed them, really letting you know you've hit the button. The Vita's d-pad has the same feel to it, and for a fighting game this felt great.

Unlike the d-pad on the DualShock 3 (or the PSP, for that matter), which is broken up into four individual sections, the surface of the Vita's d-pad is (as you can see in the pic above) actually joined in the middle, raised from the surface of the handheld and with sharp (well, not sharp) edges. This meant that whipping my thumb around the pad to move my characters and pull off special moves was both fast and, more importantly, precise, the raised sections and "click" letting me know that, yes, I'd definitely just pushed down.

It also meant that no longer was I pushing down one or two of four individual "buttons" to interact with the d-pad. Because they're joined in the middle I could "roll", closer to what you'd do with a stick or fancy control pad. It doesn't match the feeling of using an actual arcade stick, but for a handheld, it feels pretty damn great.

Tip from Rafael2487.

Comments

Tunkmang said on September 17, 2011 at 6:25 p.m.

Can't wait to get one with UMvC3.

akd said on September 17, 2011 at 6:27 p.m.

If something like MK9 was on there, I would probably be interested. That seems to be the only fighting game I'm comfortable with on a D-pad. That and maybe Soul Calibur. As for stuff like SF and UMvC3, I don't think I would be able to play without a full stick. I did get SSFIV for 3DS, but that is really just for quick fun on the go. No way does it compares to a stick, especially with the button layout. Still, it does seem like a promising set up for those interested in getting those games for Vita.

spotlesseden said on September 17, 2011 at 6:29 p.m.

can't wait for Vita. I'm done with console gaming.

VegaBisonAbel said on September 17, 2011 at 6:34 p.m.

i highly doubt that umvc3 is playable with the vita. Pad players require a dash button because dashing around with the d-pad is too tedious.
not to mention zero is unplayable with only 6-buttons.(well he can't use his lvl 3 buster shot properly

Grim said on September 17, 2011 at 6:34 p.m.

@ #3 spotlesseden if you're done with console gaming you might as well stop coming to this site.

spotlesseden said on September 17, 2011 at 6:44 p.m.

why? going to website has nothing to do with console gaming. I'm not buying any new console. sorry. if you don't like it, that's your problem. i can go to any website that i want.

Infern0Ant said on September 17, 2011 at 6:45 p.m.

#3
I highly doubt this herald Vita will really usher in any real strike against console gaming.

That being said, I was never a fan of that "Buttons as a D-pad" thing that Sony loves so much. Gimme a regular crosshair + shape D-pad and I'll make it work.

MALDA said on September 17, 2011 at 6:49 p.m.

(This user was banned.)

supraklok said on September 17, 2011 at 6:52 p.m.

#4 i dont think thats the reason pad players use a dash button. they use it because pad layout makes it inconvenient to quickly press two attack buttons for wave dashing. the d pad doesn't really factor into that. unless im misunderstanding your statement in which case my bad

Timic83 said on September 17, 2011 at 6:55 p.m.

#4 i think you can use the back touchscreen as a semi "L2 and R2"

#10

ricefarmer said on September 17, 2011 at 7:05 p.m.

(This user was banned.)

#11

boobee_cakes said on September 17, 2011 at 7:13 p.m.

But the PS3 D-pad IS one piece, it's not individual buttons. If you press one side, the whole thing tilts, like any D-Pad. The reason it looks that way, is because Nintendo holds the patent on the cross shaped D-pad,(They did invent it) which is why you only see them on Ninty stuff.

Vita just has it closer together, so I imagine it will roll along better than a dual shock.

#12

VegaBisonAbel said on September 17, 2011 at 7:21 p.m.

@10
hmm if that is the case then that might not be too bad, but still. having only 6 buttons will push away people who actually know how to play mvc3. unlike the scrub from kotaku who wrote this article.

also not to mention ssf4 ae where most pad players use L2 and R2 for the EX moves. Im not going to get umvc3 or ssf4(if it's on vita) if I have to handicap myself to play it.

#13

Zarathos said on September 17, 2011 at 7:25 p.m.

you realize you also got tap/touch functions on the back ? Wich can probably be set up as l2-r2 or L3-R3 ?

#14

KMasters said on September 17, 2011 at 7:25 p.m.

@Malda (#8)

The retail is $249.99 [Insult edited out by a moderator. Watch yourself.]

#15

Augusta said on September 17, 2011 at 7:33 p.m.

Who's silly enough to play fighters on a handheld?

You can replace controllers and sticks. Good luck replacing vita buttons when you've damaged them.

If Vita has bluetooth and you're able to sync up the dualshock on the otherhand...

#16

Batsu said on September 17, 2011 at 7:46 p.m.

I don't take Kotaku very seriously when it comes to fighters. When someone here or at SRK makes a right up, I'll read it then.

#17

zores said on September 17, 2011 at 7:59 p.m.

yea, no

sorry i cant see piano sliding for hondas jab hands bnb on this without a fightpad type of layout

#18

lordgootecks said on September 17, 2011 at 8 p.m.

am I missing something? it says it's stiff unlike sanwa buttons and has a dpad that's one big piece, like the 360 pad, which most people dislike. what the?

#19

Gorehound said on September 17, 2011 at 8:02 p.m.

There is nothing wrong with the PS3 D-Pad it was the PSP pad that was poorly designed. I remember the nightmares when playing Darkstalkers on the PSP because of the pad.

I'm glad the Vita is going to have an improved d-pad.

#20

Guile4Life said on September 17, 2011 at 8:03 p.m.

why cant madcatz make the fight pad d-pad like this lol

#21

RedRapperSux said on September 17, 2011 at 8:21 p.m.

@15 Shut up

#22

Shareware said on September 17, 2011 at 8:44 p.m.

Dashing with the D-Pad isn't for everyone, but some people (myself included) have been doing it for years, and can use it with nearly the same speed as a dash button.

As a lifetime pad player, and a fan of portables, I could not be happier that my 2 most wanted games are coming to the PSV.

#23

Shareware said on September 17, 2011 at 8:49 p.m.

@13

He's a scrub for NOT using button shortcuts then?

I don't even get why you would need more than six buttons for UMVC3. Honestly.

L = A1
R = A2
Square = L
Triangle = M
Circle = H
Cross = S

What else do you need??

#24

AngrySteve said on September 17, 2011 at 8:50 p.m.

Oy.... Goddammit video games are such an expensive habit. At least I will be able to keep fresh on my Marvel at work while I'm on break. Smokers take smoke break I take Marvel breaks. Vita is a helluva lot more reasonable in price than I thought it would be so I will be pickin up the WiFi one with Marvel on release day. 3G not interested in due to what the pricing looks like in Japan I can't fathom what it will be in the US.

#25

ChunLi said on September 17, 2011 at 9:04 p.m.

Thank. GOD.

Handhelds have been having CRAPPY D-Pads, but the PSP one was actually good.

In my opinion, the 1st Generation DS had the BEST D-pad and face buttons of ALL time.

Perfect clicks every. freakin. time. and they never got stuck.

The same can't be said for the shoulder buttons, but I digress.

#26

nitrocan said on September 17, 2011 at 9:15 p.m.

Hey everyone, get ready to do your ROM loops on the PS Vita!
/sarcasm

#27

DestinyZX1 said on September 17, 2011 at 9:19 p.m.

I'll give the PS Vita a chance with fighting games. The PSP was an excellent handheld for fighting games on the go and with the new games coming, I'm excited. :)

#28

VegaBisonAbel said on September 17, 2011 at 9:33 p.m.

@24
umm ok.
good luck wavedashing, doing flight combos, rom loops, using lvl 3 zero buster, tri-jumping, doing taskmaster ultras without accidentally mashing xfactor without the extra L2 or R2.
mobility will be the biggest issue when using pad without a dedicated dash button.

#29

genocideSX said on September 17, 2011 at 9:42 p.m.

...dang it, i like the d-pad separated :/

#30

DK_DOOM said on September 17, 2011 at 9:53 p.m.

On a basic level, it can. On a high level, it can't.

#31

Hakansoilbarrel said on September 17, 2011 at 10:03 p.m.

(Will get Vita + UMVC3 if there's no game-breaking bugs. YA HEAR ME CAPCOM!!?!?!?!)

#32

Skrekro said on September 17, 2011 at 10:15 p.m.

Getting Vita just for SFxT and UMvC3.
Who wouldn't want to play these two games on the go?! Its like you bringing a PS3 around BUT handheld!

well, PAD is BAD for me though but it'll be great for waiting times like in the train to brush up BnB's and just figuring out set-ups and whatnot.

#33

InitialR said on September 17, 2011 at 10:17 p.m.

@29
>Implying he plays any of those characters
everybody that says playing on a pad is stupid look at Fanatiq. everything you just said fanatiq does on a pad. Now being able to do it on a had held pad might be a different story...

#34

VegaBisonAbel said on September 17, 2011 at 10:37 p.m.

@34
duh I know that. You seriously think fanatiq doesn't use "one button dashes"? ........oh wait he invented it.

#35

Creeper said on September 17, 2011 at 10:48 p.m.

I have to admit that the Vita D-pad LOOKS comfortable and responsive. I can't tell, is the D-pad slightly concave like recent Nintendo ones?

#36

jimk23 said on September 17, 2011 at 10:55 p.m.

I'm worried it ends being like the 360's pad... Now that is a bad pad. The dual shock pad is a whole piece by the way and pretty good in my opinion.

#37

Aluppoj said on September 17, 2011 at 11:17 p.m.

These ports are going to be a ton of fun to play. The iPhone app is vastly inferior to this... But that's a blast to have on the go also.

So I can only imagine how good these will be.

#38

kk1234567 said on September 17, 2011 at 11:29 p.m.

@VegaBisonAble you are just bad

#39

Grizz said on September 17, 2011 at 11:33 p.m.

I don't know why people complain about handheld controls so much. The psp was and the vita looks to be as good as you are going to get for a d-pad+button layout. Yeah no duh some inputs might be awkward or hard to do, but so what? YOU ARE GETTING A FULL CONSOLE PORT to a handheld of a game you most likely LOVE. If playing a fighting game on a portable is so abhorrent to you just don't buy it, you don't need to pout on the internet about it.

#40

shadow050 said on September 17, 2011 at 11:38 p.m.

people actually have gripes about the PS controller's D-Pad?? i always thought it was the best.

#41

VegaBisonAbel said on September 17, 2011 at 11:42 p.m.

@39
ahh ok...just because you don't know what I'm talking about you assume that i'm talking over my head.
typical scrub mindset.

#42

BaroqueObama said on September 17, 2011 at 11:46 p.m.

If Kotaku said the sky was blue I would still be skeptical

#43

Shareware said on September 18, 2011 at 1:01 a.m.

@29 And I can't use the standard 2 button dash... why?

Whenever I play on consoles, I don't use a dash button. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, I'm just saying, the game can be played without it. It's not that hard.

#44

DynaDASH said on September 18, 2011 at 4:23 a.m.

¿How hard it is for you to dash with the typical two-attack buttons? It's... incredibly easy. Anyone can customize their buttons to their liking and adapt. People always arguing for stupid things like "you don't setup your buttons in a professional way".

#45

SteadiestShark said on September 18, 2011 at 6:19 a.m.

I think I'll get one of these presuming I have a steady job at the time.

#46

old_school_rival said on September 18, 2011 at 6:33 a.m.

I'm wondering what the online play will be like on PS Vita, if it's stable, fluent and free. This should be quite nice.

#47

bullitt23 said on September 18, 2011 at 7:42 a.m.

Seriously?????? you cant dash without a dedicated dash button :S My brother does it all the time with the two attack buttons, he drops combos sometimes, but that can be expected.

Saying that though, Vita is not worth my money personally, especially at those prices. enjoy whoever does buy it

#48

xShonuffx said on September 18, 2011 at 8:17 a.m.

So vita only has 6 buttons? Im shocked, would think there would be two additional buttons.

#49

Psycho said on September 18, 2011 at 9:06 a.m.

it has a sensitive pad on the back so maybe it doesn't need those buttons.

#50

Psycho said on September 18, 2011 at 9:09 a.m.

@41 not it's not imo.

#51

Sladezero said on September 18, 2011 at 9:24 a.m.

I'm surprise you guys don't think the touch pad on the back will be used to map buttons, thus the vita will be perfectly viable for fighting games with more then 6 buttons.

#52

kk1234567 said on September 18, 2011 at 10:09 a.m.

@VegaBisonAbel

the real scrub here is you, stop crying and play the game without shortcuts maybe you can win something for once ;)

#53

Tensa said on September 18, 2011 at 11:27 a.m.

good ol eventhubs people always have something to complain about the vita port is just something to play while you are away and want to play some umvc3 on the go the vita is gonna be the best handheld for fighting games

#54

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