The only time the standard controls have messed me around in Final Fantasy would be in Final Fantasy 9 with the Ragtime mouse. Throughout the game I was using X as confirm so my mind was set on choosing the big floating blue X to mean "correct".

I haven't playing FF7 in a long time but if memory serves me correctly I never did well in the marching but always got the force stealer in the formation. I fond it to be a good sword for that portion of the game. Certainly helped against Jenova.