If you are like me, then you love the Xbox 360, but hate the horrible D-pad on the controller. Sure, there are ways to crack open that bad boy and mod it to work better, but since this is me we’re talking about, I know the disaster that would likely follow.

Enter the Madcatz Street Fighter IV Fightpad.

When Street Fighter IV first came out, these little guys were nearly impossible to find either in stores or online. Unless of course, you were willing to pay three times the $39.99 retail price on eBay.

Now that they have been out for a little while, I was able to pick up two of them. Pictured above is the Akuma pad I found online and last night I grabbed the Chun-Li themed one.

Since I have been gaming for years, the Madcatz name still makes me nervous. They used to be synonymous with shoddy, cheep rip-off controllers. I am happy to report that lately, their stuff has been solid from the Rock Band 2 gear to these fightpads.

The D-pad is fantastic. It is very accurate and feels a lot like the old Genesis controller. In fact, the whole pad feels heavily inspired by Sega’s old Genesis 6-button controller and Saturn era controllers. The ergonomics feel pretty good. In extended sessions, my hands did start to get a little sore, unlike the standard 360 controller which is probably the most comfortable controller I’ve ever used.

If you play either fighting games or old school games, I would recommend tracking down one of these fightpads. It will give you the best experience for d-pad related gaming on the 360.

Update: I picked up Street Fighter IV last night and played with the controller, and they work like a charm. Good for fighting games confirmed.