Street Fighter IV – Gamepad or Fighting Stick?

As the world prepares itself for the imminent release of Street Fighter 4 onto the Xbox 360 and Sony PS3, a lot of debate has been going on as to the effects of using a game controller compared to an arcade style fightstick.

While many gamers would already have had the game pre-ordered by now, most hardcore beat-em-up fans will also have the MadCatz fighting sticks on order as well as many feel that the difference between playing on a console pad compared to an arcade stick is a different experience altogether.

Where do you stand on the debate? Are you happy with practising your skills with the standard PS3 and 360 gamepads, or are you prepared to dish out even more cash for a premium arcade stick?