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Friday, September 16, 2005So, you say you want a Revolution...Nintendo unvieled the controller for its next system (the Revolution) at the Tokyo Game Show. I have to say that it is certainly...different. They basically have what looks like a TV remote that has a D-pad on top, a large A button below it, a B button on the underside, then a set of buttons in the middle (Select, Start, and Home), and two more buttons at the bottom...oh yeah, and an On/Off switch for the console. In addition, the controller (like a TV remote) is completely wireless, will have a rumble feature, will have a slot for add-ons (a control stick add-on with two extra buttons is supposed to come with the system), and appears to be gyroscopic in nature (this seems to be the key element of the controller and is what could truly be a "revolution" in gaming). Before I say anything bad about it (namely it looks like an iPod, which means it looks ugly), I would like to point out that Nintendo has often revolutionized the game controllers that we have used: they invented the D-pad (NES), shoulder buttons (SNES), the control stick (N64), made rumbling work in a handheld controller (N64), made wireless work (GC), and have a game system with a touch screen (DS). Of course, they have had some failures: the Power Glove (NES) and the Virtual Boy. This still requires me to give them the benefit of the doubt on a TV Remote-Power Glove controller. RICHARD: It certainly is interesting. I can't wait to see what it does for baseball gaming specifically (imagine actually swinging the controller as a bat instead of simply timing a button press, or imitating a throwing motion in order to pitch). Of course, the problem that Nintendo has had recently is a lack of third-party developers churning out hits on their "revolutionary" systems. I don't see how making it considerably more difficult to port games is going to help the situation. IGN has the teaser video Nintendo is showing at this year's Tokyo Game Show - it gives you a good idea of how the thing will be utilized. Comments:"It's not gyroscopic in nature" You need to go back and read a little more closely, bro... I think you missed the point completely. Well, as my favorite console games have pretty much been the ones Nintendo makes (it is very difficult to top Mario, Zelda, and Metroid games), I won't particularly worry about 3rd party development at first. Of course...I am going to want to mess around with that controller before being convinced about it either way. As far as swinging the controller, I was thinking the same thing, but with throwing a football. And it could end up being the best controller for FPS'. Think about it...3D mouse! I love nintendo, but I will almost guarantee that this controller will blow, I know I will not like it...they just need to designate a controller to all systems like PS. Why do the Revolution, PS3, and Xbox 360 all look the same? All thin silver or black boxes. They made them so plain, but I guess that means they are cool (see: IPod). Why should they? They are not trying to be like Sony or Microsoft, they are trying to innovate. Besides, they have said that with the new system, you will likely be able to get a lot of their old games. If they can make it so that those old games work with the new controller, then what is the problem? I mean, any NES game, you can use it without the gyroscope. SNES, N64, and GC games would probably require the control stick attachment or some other add-on, but they certainly could be done. And Nintendo over the last ten years or so has done a great job in making sure their own peripherals and such are designed about as flawlessy as possible, to a fault sometimes. With the N64 they did not release the disk drive in America for that reason and with the GC they have not (and probably won't) release the SD card adapter. Both of those things were things I wanted, but Nintendo would not bring them out until they were ready. And like I said before, until I use the controller, I can't really say anything else about it. Strange, doesn't look very revolutionary to me... looks a lot like the controller for the orginal NES. KG - Looks like, yes (that is, in fact, one of the features. You can flip it around and it will feel & function as a NES controller). But that would be where the comparisons end. The technology really is quite an innovation - but is it only a gimmick, or can Nintendo follow through on it? Cody- Nintendo and Sony are both releasing their consoles in multiple colors, if that excites you... So, while holding each part in both hands, how am I expected to hit the A, b, or a buttons with my right hand, which managing to get back to the control pad in time? I'm not going to like this at all. Bret, I think you would use the stick to move and just press the a and b buttons - much like on a PS2 or Gamecube controller when you use the analogue and leave the d-pad. There are certainly several configurations. They may still change it up some (such as add more buttons and whatnot). I'm a playstation whore, so I doubt I will be trying the new nintendo, but the design is slick.. I hate the ps3 design, the controller looks like some weird boomerang, and the box is just ugly; something I'll have to live with. On the other hand, I like the hard straight angles on the nintendo box.. I like that hah. |
