My apologies if this has already been said, but I find the Logitech Wireless controller for PS2 to have an extremely accurate dpad. Pretty much effortless for me to pull off moves with whatever character I want. Of course, it doesn't have 6 face buttons unfortunately. But it is a decent option to try if a good dpad is the main concern.
http://reviews.cnet.com/sc/30921401-2-4 ... view-1.gif This is the particular one I'm talking about.