I haven't used the stick so I can't offer any real advice on it outside of second hand impressions...but the game itself is very good. I could see someone not liking it as much as say, MvC2, because it has a slower, meatier and more meticulous style. This is exactly what draws me to it though, as it really feels more impactful. Another thing to note is that although the character list is minimal compared to MvC, almost each one is very unique. You can't really jump from character to character and expect to immediately feel at home with them since almost all of them have some sort of mechanic to try and exploit.
One of my favorite fighters in a long time. Really good stuff...but Zero is completely broken. At least he is to me :lol