[quote name='CaseyRyback']could you explain the corner buttons on the pad? I am still pretty new at this and do not know what you are talking about
and is it really that bad? If it is, I may just end up modding my softpad sooner than expected because I really hate playing on it, as I can never seem to nail arrows like I can on my PS2 pads. I am just looking for something that would give me immediate satisfaction so that I do not have to spend the money to mod my pad.[/QUOTE]
Ok, take a look at this pad, and also keep in mind the PS2 controller.
When you play with the PS2 controller, you use the DPad in conjunction with face buttons. Up is equivelant to triangle, right is circle, left is square, and down is X.
In Max1/2, you can turn off the corner buttons, so that if you stomp on circle it won't register as right, etc. It would only leave the DPad on (just like a real DDR pad).
This option was removed in DDR Extreme. This means that if you accidentally step halfway between left and X, it's going to register you as pressing down+left. If you have a quick succession of down/left notes, the game would misinterpret what you were trying to step, and throw you a boo/miss.
Circle and Right are a big problem too. Since they're both right next to eachother, and act as the same button, you might press one or the other milliseconds before or after you meant too. Again, you'll get a good where you shouldn't have.
I'm trying to think if Ultramix 1 and 2 have the option to turn this off, but my memory is failing me. UM2 just might be missing this option as well, hrm. You might not be any better off in this regard if you're trading UM2 for Ex, but it is something to be aware of.
However, I DO remember that UM2's songlist is MUCH better than Ex's. I'll grant you that this might be a matter of taste, so I don't think it would be a bad thing for you to try out Ex's songs on stepmania, or to just give the game a rent before you trade.
Heh, have you thought about using a laptop or computer for a stepmania setup? That's what I have, and I'd recommend it for anybody of any difficulty.
