I'm playing for Team Sweden [Yellow] in the ongoing tourney on Shmups Forum. Raiden Fighters Jet was the only game this year that didn't have me pulling my hair in frustration. I'll definitly continue playing it when the tourney is over (tomorrow that is, haha).
I'm too impatient for...
The translated original:
http://ddstranslation.blogspot.com/2006/08/introduction_16.html
SMT3 was the first one I played through, so while I consider P3 one of the best games I've played*, the original SMT-series is still closest to my heart.
*Thus I'm having both positive and negative...
There's isolation you can use to soften the sound (http://pici.se/222619/), and putting pieces of paper inside the microswitches should decrease the sound as well as increasing response time.
Generally a stick will improve your game in any fighter. Especially in the directional department, but it takes some getting used to.
When playing on a pad you get those shoulder buttons though, making sure you don't screw up any dubble presses.