Well, not exactly. But, with the recent revealing of their new "one-handed" controller, combining your two favorite past-times may get a bit easier. If drinking beer was not the other favorite one-handed past-time your mind raced to, I REALLY don't want to know about it.
Nintendo's assertion is that today's controllers have too many buttons, which shuts out novice players and makes gaming more work than it ought to be. Their solution to this problem is to provide a controller that looks more like a television remote and has two easily-reached buttons (one trigger-style), two harder-to-reach buttons, and one thumbpad.
Where to start in critiquing this hardware? I suppose it's fair to point out the good before tackling the apparent bad. To that end, Nintendo does have some interesting uses for this remote contr - er, I mean, for this new controller. Taking a page from the DS, the Revolution controller will have the ability to use it's position in 3-D space to control elements on the screen. This means you may be using it as the bat in Mario Baseball 2007.
A quote from their Press Release sums up what they feel is unique about their controller. "When picked up and pointed at the screen, the controller gives a lightning-quick element of interaction, sensing motion, depth, positioning and targeting dictated by movement of the controller itself.....The feeling is so natural and real, as soon as players use the controller, their minds will spin with the possibilities of how this will change gaming as we know it today...."
Hmm, well, I do have to admit having some fun with a little game called Duck Hunt once upon a time. Sorry, I'm still supposed to be focusing on the positives.
It is a wireless controller, and will apparently come in a number of colors. Since Nintendo cannot guess which color you'd want, we'll assume you'll get a white one and will have to buy any other color you'd like.
For you "hard-core" gamers out there who might want to be able to move in one direction while aiming in another, the Revolution will offer a "nun-chuk" style add-on for the controller.
OK, I'm sorry, I know this is supposed to be the News, but I can't pretend to be positive any longer. Let's get to slamming this thing.
Two buttons. Two buttons? Let's see, that's Jump, and, um, Reload? Oh wait, you have to shoot before you reload. Change Weapon? Or, Give Treat? (Damn Nintendogs, creeping into everything I write) Maybe you'll shake the thing to reload? If so, don't sneeze during the game or you'll reload unintentionally. There are also Select, Start and home buttons, but they sure aren't positioned anywhere you can reach them quickly. For that matter, other than the giant A and B buttons, reaching the smaller, and cleverly lower-case, a and b buttons will require you to take your "one hand" off of the thumb pad to reach them. I suppose you could use your other hand to reach those buttons, but then it would be, like, a two-handed controller. No, that can't be right, can it?
While we're on the buttons, I guess I must have to take my thumb off of the thumbpad to press the A button? Or are they anticipating the new generation of gamers will have fingers that rotate 90 degrees better than us old-timers?
OK, enough about buttons. Let's talk shape. I'm the first to admit that the current "swoop" design of controllers is not ideal for hand comfort, but, a TV remote? THAT'S the solution to better comfort? Worse yet, a TV remote that you have to plug a separate nun-chuk into for any kind of FPS? Did you notice how short the cable for that thing is? Think you'd ever accidentally pull it out when you're in the heat of battle?
Now look at this. Just how many add-ons are you going to have to buy? How heavy are they? Can you still go one-handed with all of them plugged in?
OK, OK, you get my points. I suppose it's not really fair to completely pan this hardware until I try it out, but, I have to say, first impressions are not good. I'm really not sure what "everyone is excited" about. This controller looks ideal for a little side-scrolling action, or maybe to pause your movie, but as a next-gen game controller? Sorry, I don't think this Revolution will be re-writing history. But, it's never wise to count Nintendo out before they blah blah blah......sorry, I just can't defend their weird decisions any more.
To see more for yourself, check out Nintendo's press release.
Where to start in critiquing this hardware? I suppose it's fair to point out the good before tackling the apparent bad. To that end, Nintendo does have some interesting uses for this remote contr - er, I mean, for this new controller. Taking a page from the DS, the Revolution controller will have the ability to use it's position in 3-D space to control elements on the screen. This means you may be using it as the bat in Mario Baseball 2007.
A quote from their Press Release sums up what they feel is unique about their controller. "When picked up and pointed at the screen, the controller gives a lightning-quick element of interaction, sensing motion, depth, positioning and targeting dictated by movement of the controller itself.....The feeling is so natural and real, as soon as players use the controller, their minds will spin with the possibilities of how this will change gaming as we know it today...."
It is a wireless controller, and will apparently come in a number of colors. Since Nintendo cannot guess which color you'd want, we'll assume you'll get a white one and will have to buy any other color you'd like.
For you "hard-core" gamers out there who might want to be able to move in one direction while aiming in another, the Revolution will offer a "nun-chuk" style add-on for the controller.
OK, I'm sorry, I know this is supposed to be the News, but I can't pretend to be positive any longer. Let's get to slamming this thing.
Two buttons. Two buttons? Let's see, that's Jump, and, um, Reload? Oh wait, you have to shoot before you reload. Change Weapon? Or, Give Treat? (Damn Nintendogs, creeping into everything I write) Maybe you'll shake the thing to reload? If so, don't sneeze during the game or you'll reload unintentionally. There are also Select, Start and home buttons, but they sure aren't positioned anywhere you can reach them quickly. For that matter, other than the giant A and B buttons, reaching the smaller, and cleverly lower-case, a and b buttons will require you to take your "one hand" off of the thumb pad to reach them. I suppose you could use your other hand to reach those buttons, but then it would be, like, a two-handed controller. No, that can't be right, can it?
While we're on the buttons, I guess I must have to take my thumb off of the thumbpad to press the A button? Or are they anticipating the new generation of gamers will have fingers that rotate 90 degrees better than us old-timers?
OK, enough about buttons. Let's talk shape. I'm the first to admit that the current "swoop" design of controllers is not ideal for hand comfort, but, a TV remote? THAT'S the solution to better comfort? Worse yet, a TV remote that you have to plug a separate nun-chuk into for any kind of FPS? Did you notice how short the cable for that thing is? Think you'd ever accidentally pull it out when you're in the heat of battle?
Now look at this. Just how many add-ons are you going to have to buy? How heavy are they? Can you still go one-handed with all of them plugged in?
OK, OK, you get my points. I suppose it's not really fair to completely pan this hardware until I try it out, but, I have to say, first impressions are not good. I'm really not sure what "everyone is excited" about. This controller looks ideal for a little side-scrolling action, or maybe to pause your movie, but as a next-gen game controller? Sorry, I don't think this Revolution will be re-writing history. But, it's never wise to count Nintendo out before they blah blah blah......sorry, I just can't defend their weird decisions any more.
To see more for yourself, check out Nintendo's press release.
