Finally got it. Actually, Brandon got it for me… the PS3 MadCatz FightPad. I would prefer a Tournament Edition FightStick, but the limited quantities prevent that.
First and foremost, I’m not going to be your average reviewer. I’ve read reviews on other sites for this FightPad and I can tell you 90% of them are bullshit. I think my favorite lines were, “this pad is perfect,” and, “as soon as I picked it up, it felt natural.” Idiots. This pad is definitely not perfect. That being said, lets get started…
Packaging
MadCatz investigated all types of packaging techniques and decided to use the most annoying fucking type in the history of anything. Apparently they think everyone in this world has a Pyranna cutter. I do not, but I do posess the required dextrous skills and managed to open the packaging without cutting my fingers off.
Once I demolished the packaging, there were no fixins. Inside is just the controller, USB stick (for connectivity), instruction manual, and happiness. Of course this didn’t come with AA batteries, I’ll touch on that a bit later.
Build
First thoughts: feels cheap. The faceplate seems plasticy and does feel cheap when you press the buttons during gameplay. Luckily the rest of the controller is very sturdy.
The sides have a matte texture feel to it, and my hands really seemed to feel comfortable holding it. One thing you’ll notice at first is that this controller is big. It’s definitely a lot bigger than the PS3 controller, and a bit wider than the XBox360 controller. The top/faceplate is very smooth as well as the buttons. I really like how the PS Home button as well as the Turbo/Select/Start buttons are embedded in a position where you cannot press them by accident during a match.
When I shook the controller, it sounds like there is loose plastic or maybe even a chipped piece of plastic in there. I suppose it’s an added “feature.” It doesn’t really bug me since everything works fine. Nothing else was really broken when I first tried it, and so far with about 5 hours of play, it’s still intact.
The controller seems very durable, and I suppose it needs to be for those scrubs out there who get beat down and slam their fightpads on the ground after losing a bout.
Experience
It was weird. Definitely is a different feel because it’s unusual. I expect everyone to feel this way when first using this controller, but after some time I slowly got used to it. I’ll explain the different features of the pad, and express my truest thoughts on each..
The D-Pad
It floats! Unlike other D-Pads I’ve used in the past, this one actually floats on a single pivot point. The embossed cross on the D-Pad tells you what direction you’re pressing, but completely unlike the PS3 controller where each direction feels like it’s own button.
The heightened directions truly helps with some of my execution. Traditionally something like a C.LP, F, D, DF+HP (crouching light punch cancelled into a dragon punch for example), would be difficult on a PS3 D-Pad because of the lack of the diagonal portions and more emphasis on the UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT directions (difficult only because you might get a super instead of a dp). The D-Pad for the fightpad is 360 degrees of control. It’s a new take on the D-Pad for fighting games (although XBox controllers are like this). It takes some getting used to but can be handy for those times you’re turtling DB and you don’t have to stretch your thumb across the B and D buttons.
One thing which I noticed that is a bit of an annoyance is the bevel angle of the directions. Although it’s good for control, my thumb got sore after 45 min session. Just need to develop that callous 
Another thing to note is the diagonals. DB and DF are fine but FU and FB do not always work as expected. You actually have to press a bit harder. For the most part it’s not an issue, but in the event you need to react quickly to jump over something, the inputs sometimes do not register. Sidenote to this, last night my D-Pad got stuck up, so my character kept jumping. Twirling the D-Pad around a couple times fixed it, but this is something you don’t want to happen in the middle of a match. Luckily this happened only once, and only in training mode.
Triggers
Fuck the triggers. I’ve always hated using my index fingers to press the buttons on top of a controller. The triggers for the fightpad are not an exception. Consider these buttons as opposed to triggers. You have to apply quite a bit of pressure for the buttons to work, and this is something to get used to. The position of these buttons are perfect, but they are most effective if you press the portions of them closer to the center of the controller. This means you have to reach a little ways. It feels unnatural, and I don’t like it.
The 6-buttons
Finally! I love having all 6 buttons available! Throw away your old button configurations, here is your arcade pad. Theoretically it works great, but not in all situations. Kara-throwing is not easy (unless you’re a freak and have giant thumbs), and the spacing is pretty close. These buttons are quite large which is not really a problem, but having them so close might be an issue. I’ve had times when I’ve reached for a mp but a mk or FA comes out. Once again, with time this can be avoided.
I also discovered a small issue when piano’ing punches. Last night I finished Blanka’s hard trials but it took a little longer than normal. I couldn’t figure out why my ele wasnt coming out. I went into training, turned on key-data, piano’d a bit and saw random MK inputs. I did not press the MK at all. It might be the button spacing, not sure. This is potentially a problem for you mashers out there. Luckily I don’t use Chun, Blanka or Honda too often to give a shit.
Connectivity
I have found no lag with this controller, works just like any other wireless pad. One thing I wish they changed is the batteries. If they provided a similar charge-type functionality like the regular PS3 controller, I’d be one happy camper. Until then, I’ll have to live with destroying the environment with wasted AA batteries.
Yes I do realize that XBox360 controllers use AA batteries as well, I’m just pointing this out because I’m a fucking princess.
Final Thoughts
This pad takes a lot of getting used to, especially the large D-Pad and having all 6 buttons available for your thumb. Two days ago I would’ve said I hated it. I had a good session last night and finished 3 hard trials I wasn’t able to do before. Simply put–it takes time to get used to this controller, but this is definitely an upgrade from the PS3 controller. If you play on an XBox360… anything is better than that piece of shit controller.
The price of this pad is similar to the sixaxis controller for PS3, but is geared towards fighting games. Just spend the extra time to give it a chance and practice a bit and you can really unlock the potential for this pad.
Just make sure you have an adult handy when cutting open the packaging.
Designer, developer, and excellent napper.