Post by Cervantes on Apr 10, 2017 15:42:19 GMT
This might be a complicated topic because some control methods start as unusual and then become common over time (Plastic guitars and motion controls, for example). So I suggest we focus on controls that only few games have used and see what we find: some games might even use the standard controller but in unusual ways.
See, this week I started playing Kid Icarus Uprising, one of the 3DS games I was the most hyped about - not because of the classics (I can't stand the NES game and haven't played the GB one), but because it reminded me of Panzer Dragoon and Sin & Punishment, and I just love my on-rails shooters. Also, the idea for the controls seemed kind of logical to me: the Analog+Stylus is pretty much like a portable version of Keyboard+Mouse.
And boy, was I wrong!
Even using the stand, this game gives me serious cramps. Plus, there's a huge personal problem for me: I'm a lefty, so there's no comfortable option. Holding the stylus with my right hand is tiresome and imprecise. But the option for lefties is also not great: the right nub on the New 3DS is terrible (it's not even analog), and moving with ABXY is also not great; but even then, I'm just not used to controlling my character with the right hand, so the problem would remain even with that right analog accessory for the 3DS.
But anyway: even for right-handed people, the whole thing is still flawed. The camera controls are just not good: see, the K+M combo works on pc because the reticle is always at the center, so moving the mouse is moving the camera. But here, you have to do these swipes to adjust the camera, which is just not good. I think the game would be much better if there was no need to adjust the camera: if it either was entirely on-rails (the flying parts are ok, they just needed to make the on-ground parts as Sin & Punishment), or if the camera turned automatically to whatever enemies are on-screen. I mean, some approaches worked before we got used to dual-analog controls (remember that you can't control the camera directly in Ocarina of Time, and that game still has an excellent camera), why not use them again?
By the way, I'm still liking the game, it's fun despite the controls. And, well, at least they tried. This also reminds me that Sega was planning for GunValkyrie on the Dreamcast to use a combination of Controller+Lightgun, though when the game was released on the Xbox, they used standard controls.
An unusual controller I would love to use is the Steel Battalion one, that looks badass. And I guess we would find more examples in the arcades than consoles. Any thoughts?
See, this week I started playing Kid Icarus Uprising, one of the 3DS games I was the most hyped about - not because of the classics (I can't stand the NES game and haven't played the GB one), but because it reminded me of Panzer Dragoon and Sin & Punishment, and I just love my on-rails shooters. Also, the idea for the controls seemed kind of logical to me: the Analog+Stylus is pretty much like a portable version of Keyboard+Mouse.
And boy, was I wrong!
Even using the stand, this game gives me serious cramps. Plus, there's a huge personal problem for me: I'm a lefty, so there's no comfortable option. Holding the stylus with my right hand is tiresome and imprecise. But the option for lefties is also not great: the right nub on the New 3DS is terrible (it's not even analog), and moving with ABXY is also not great; but even then, I'm just not used to controlling my character with the right hand, so the problem would remain even with that right analog accessory for the 3DS.
But anyway: even for right-handed people, the whole thing is still flawed. The camera controls are just not good: see, the K+M combo works on pc because the reticle is always at the center, so moving the mouse is moving the camera. But here, you have to do these swipes to adjust the camera, which is just not good. I think the game would be much better if there was no need to adjust the camera: if it either was entirely on-rails (the flying parts are ok, they just needed to make the on-ground parts as Sin & Punishment), or if the camera turned automatically to whatever enemies are on-screen. I mean, some approaches worked before we got used to dual-analog controls (remember that you can't control the camera directly in Ocarina of Time, and that game still has an excellent camera), why not use them again?
By the way, I'm still liking the game, it's fun despite the controls. And, well, at least they tried. This also reminds me that Sega was planning for GunValkyrie on the Dreamcast to use a combination of Controller+Lightgun, though when the game was released on the Xbox, they used standard controls.
An unusual controller I would love to use is the Steel Battalion one, that looks badass. And I guess we would find more examples in the arcades than consoles. Any thoughts?
