being a steadfast pad player myself, i've said for years that the tools you use aren't nearly as important as how comfortable you are with them, and that any type of player has the potential to win- hell, i've seen some dynamite keyboard players beast in Third Strike

still, "if you really want to be good, you have to play on an arcade stick" has been a prevalent mantra within the FGC for a long time despite the rising prominence of pad warriors