Alternative Game Controllers Options

[SmokesCement]

Do you stick to the classic controller, or do you have a 3rd party pad or arcade stick?

Couple of other things I've wondered:

1. Is it frowned upon to use non-standard controllers on console versions? Plus have you ever used turbo features? (allowed or cheating?)

2. Would anyone consider using a different controller? If you play on PC, perhaps an arcade stick instead of keyboard, or even a button box. How about one of these for the NES version?

[Rosti_LFC]

Just to clarify, you're talking purely about Tetris on a NES (or emulation thereof) here? Because I'm pretty damn sure that nobody in their right mind uses a NES controller to play any other kind of Tetris. A gamepad is a pretty massive handicap compared to a keyboard or joystick.

And I've no experience in this domain whatsoever, but I'm pretty sure using turbo controllers or macros would be regarded as cheating on NES Tetris, or at least playing a different game.

[Paradox]

I use a keyboard

[caffeine]

In a tournament, they probably won't let you play with anything too crazy if it's a console game. In the event that you can use a crazy controller, and all your opponents used standard controllers, you'll probably get mean looks.

[XaeL]

xbox 360 controller upside down for tetris splash, anyone?

Im pretty sure one of our japanese users, Kaibutsu maybe, uses a gamepad to play. and he is faster than me, so he is pretty good with it too xD

[massi4h]

Most xbox tournaments wouldn't mind what you use as long as you don't use turbo. I've never actually considered using turbo on Tetris Splash. New WR sprint time now maybe?

[SmokesCement]

Really I just meant any console version of Tetris - NES, Xbox, etc.

Personally I agree about turbo being cheating, but I still wanted to hear people's opinions, or if anyone had ever heard of it being used it in a tournament or to set a record.

Speaking more about controls, do people prefer Dpads, Arrows/WASD (Keyboard), or Arcade Sticks?

Dpad is the staple for consoles. Chances are you've never even considered using an alternative if you play NES Tetris. Perhaps you use the Xbox Thumb Stick? But if somebody offered you a keyboard modified to work on a NES, would you make the change? Or do you still prefer the handheld controller, possibly being more comfortable for long Tetris sessions.

Arrow keys/WASD are probably the cleanest input method - you can have a finger to each button at all times, so there is less room for error (compared to the Xbox Dpad for example, where you could push up or do if you're not careful). Obviously most PC Tetris games will be played on this.

Arcade Stick is the standard for TGM. In fact, you can't use anything else unless you play TGM on an emulator. But if you could, would you swap your controller?

A final thing to consider is that all of these methods utilise different parts of your body - thumb for the Dpad, fingers for the Arrow Keys, and the whole hand for the Arcade Stick. Can this have an effect on your game?

[Rosti_LFC]

Arcade Stick is the standard for TGM. In fact, you can't use anything else unless you play TGM on an emulator. But if you could, would you swap your controller?

Not necessarily because the keyboard is a more refined method of input (though I think it is), but I'd definitely play the real TGM games on a keyboard if I could. I just get way higher scores because I've had so much more practice.

Interestingly on TC nobody really cares about the input used for TGM as long as you're not actively cheating. But I guess that's because decent joysticks are expensive and it's unreasonable to expect everyone to have one (I guess the same reason NES players don't always use a NES gamepad when emulating).

[cafeche]

I must try PS3 stick form hori to play TGM