> Um... Try playing something like Super Metroid with an arcade control stick. It might > suffice for the general movements, but won't cut it for quick subtle movements like > wall jumping, mock-balls.... > > I guess what I'm meaning to say is - there are just sometimes when a control pad is > the best option. :-)
I find that a control pad is actually more difficult to use for games that require certain types of quick movements.
A classic example for me is Boulder Dash on the Commodore 64. Back in the day, I played it with an Atari joystick on my friend's C64. 24 years later, I download Boulder Dash on my Wii and attempt to play it with a SNES gamepad controller connected through a N64 adapter. I find that it's almost impossible to play with the gamepad. I believe that it's because you can stop on a dime and reverse direction immediately with a stick. The gamepad is just too "loose" and imprecise. I find myself running into the enemies or getting crushed by rocks because I can't stop and change direction accurately with the gamepad.
Another possibility is that with an Atari joystick, the stick is controlled by your right hand, whereas the gamepad directional cross is controlled by your left thumb. Maybe I'm just not as coordinated with my left thumb as my right hand.