My thoughts on the controller.

The Nintendo Revolution Controller.

Everybody else has been talking about it since the second the news hit. I've been too busy being in a state of shock that I partially solved the Revolution controller mystery, which has probably been one of the biggest mysteries in the history of video games. I know I've been milking this fact, but I feel I have a right to. Nobody else in the world got nearly as close to the truth as I did.

The cool part about this? It puts me in a great position to give my impressions. Unlike everybody else, I've been thinking about a lot of aspects of this particular controller for 6 months.

First off, if you're of the opinion that this controller just plain sucks, that's fine. I don't care. It doesn't insult me one bit. You could be right. Nobody really knows until they actually use it, and I know I haven't used it. I am going to say some very positive things about this controller. It doesn't mean I think Nintendo is infallible, it means I honestly think this controller is very, very cool. I know Nintendo can screw stuff up. I have been dissapointed by Nintendo hardware and software a number of times. I was even slightly dissapointed by Ocarina of Time. I still feel there are some things in that game that easily could, and should have been done much better. I don't care to discuss it further. Back to the point.


REV-003, a remote control.

It's important to understand that the "remote" part of the Revolution controller is the controller. The analog stick shown was an add-on. Regardless of whether the analog stick or classic "shell" come with the system or not, the remote itself is the controller. A while back, when asked why it hadn't shown the controller, Nintendo said that not only was it worried about copycats, it wasn't quite sure how to go about unveiling the controller. Makes sense, how the hell do you show someting that on first impression is a DVD remote, and expect anybody to believe that it will revolutionize video games as we know them? I find it very humorous that the way Nintendo chose to do this was to attach a very non-revolutionary add-on to it. And the best part of the joke? To some degree, it worked.

From now on I'll refer to the remote as the "Master Controller", it's a much more fitting name. The master controller does much, much more than any remote control ever made.


Truly a Revolution?

I think there is a simple answer to the question of whether or not the master controller can revolutionize gameplay. Yes, it can. I feel that the N64 era leap from 2-D to 3-D was a revolution in gaming. It changed the visual perspective of games from something flat and detached to something similar to the way we see the real world. The master controller is literally another jump from 2-D to 3-D, only this time it has been applied to the way we control the game instead of the way we see it. A standard controller is flat and detached, the master controller is used in a way similar to the way we interact in the real world.

Just the 2-D to 3-D jump is revolutionary, but there are many additional factors that could cause this particular gaming revolution to rise above all others. First off, all new video game genres could be created around the new 3-D control scheme. I'm not going to try and formulate new genres in this article. Give me a job as a game designer if you want that. Just remember, the analog stick allowed for all new types of games, the master controller will do the same.

The ability to create add-ons that attach to the master controller will also be a very welcome addition to console gaming. There is something I realized as I poured over the revoltuion controller patent many months ago, and it may be the most important thing to understand about these add-ons. They will be inexpensive. All of the main circuitry, wireless connections and power is housed within the master controller. The add-on needs none of these things. All the add-on needs is a housing, input device(s) and the means to connect the input devices to the master controller. It should cost quite a bit less to produce an add-on for the master controller than it would have cost to produce the same add-on as a stand alone controller. It's a pretty simple equation. Less money = more custom controls.


My Mom can't copy/paste

My mom is an eBay seller. She's been doing this for the past 8 years. She has written thousands of item descriptions in Notepad. I have tried for these 8 years to teach her how to copy/paste. She still can't do it. If she needs a portion of some old text file added to some new text file, she looks at the old text, writes it on paper in shorthand, and re-types it into the new file. It drives me insane.

One of the few electronic devices my mom can operate is her remote control.

Maybe you can see where I'm going with this, and you're thinking "I don't want to sacrifice all my buttons and sticks just so your mom can play Nintendo too". Well, you haven't. You have sacrificed your buttons and sticks for a whole new control scheme unlike anything you've ever used before. The master controller is the way it is because it's natural to use it that way. Pick up your DVD remote and wave it around, seems natural, doesn't it? Now imagine that you're controlling an analog stick on the remote, or try and press different navigation buttons while you wave it, keeping in mind that both the button presses and the waving movements are equally important. It's not natural, it's confusing. It's totally counterproductive to the whole concept of the Revolution controller. There really is only one way to place the buttons on this type of new input device. Directly under the fingers you'll be using to hold the controller. You need to be focused on moving the controller itself, not moving your fingers around to find different buttons. Nintendo could have created a rounded more traditional looking device, but it still would have only had single action buttons under the fingers. But Nintendo did something ingenious. They made it look like a remote control. The remote control style design was purely an aesthetic decision, and it's a decision that Nintendo made for the benefit of my mom.

My mom wouldn't even touch my Gamecube controller, but I can guarantee you that she will pick up my Revolution master controller.


I bought the power glove

Remember how I said I had been dissapointed by Nintendo hardware before? The power glove would be a great example of this. Did you ever play with one? If so, then you'd know that it was terrible. If I look back I can remember the sensors I had to place all around my TV to use my power glove. They really didn't seem to work very well. Does it worry me that a similar sounding setup is used for the master controller? Nope. It's kind of encouraging if you think about it. It reminds me that Nintendo has been working with this kind of technology for about 20 years now. If anybody should have it right by now, it's Nintendo. I am sure they wouldn't base a whole console around a design that didn't work very well. And if it didn't work well we would have heard about it from those who have now done hands on impressions of the controller. Of course, this is the one thing that nobody will really be sure about until they pick up the controller for themselves. I for one, cannot wait.


How am I suppossed to play (insert game) on that thing?

OK, first off, those of you that are confused about playing NES/SNES/N64/Cube games on the Revolution just stop it. The master controller is a NES controller, you can plug your Gamecube controllers into the Revolution, there will be add-ons that work like current conventional controllers. You will have multiple options. I guess the answer is that you can play them in the way that you like best.

Now, everybody seems to be asking this same question of Smash Bros. Well, there's a Smash Bros. gave in development so it's got to work somehow doesn't it? I could point out that an add-on can be created for any game if it is necessary. But who says it's necessary in the first place? I believe that you could actually play Smash Bros. with just the master controller.

Every move for Mario listed in the Melee instruction booklet will be used to demonstrate. (I am calling the master controller MC here)

Jump = Point MC up
Walk = Point MC left or right
Dash = Point MC further left or right
Duck = Point MC down
Drop Through = Point MC further down
Standard Attack = A
Strong Attack Side = A + Point MC left or right
Smash Attack Side = A + Point MC further left or right
Strong Attack Up = A + Point MC up
Smash Attack Up = A + Point MC further up
Strong Attack Down = A + Point MC down
Smash Attack Down = A + Point MC further down
Standard Combo = A repeatedly
Smash Charge = Hold A
Midair Attack neutral = A while in midair
Midair Attack Up = A + Point MC up while in midair
Midair Attack Down = A + Point MC down while in midair
Midair Attack Left = A + Point MC left while in midair
Midair Attack Right = A + Point MC right while in midair
Shield = Pull MC backwards
Grab = A + B
Fireball = B
Cape = B + Point MC left or right
Super Jump Punch = B + Point MC up
Mario Tornado = B + Point MC down
Pick Up/Use Items = A
Throw Projectile Item = A
Throw Non-Projectile Item = A + Tilt MC left or right
Smash Throw Non-Projectile Item = A + Tilt and point MC left or right
Discard Item = B + Tilt MC left or right

Are you happy now?


Sum it up already

Maybe that Smash Bros. control scheme seems hard to you. Well guess what? It will be... at first. Yes, you've mastered the current traditional controller. You have yet to master the totally new input device that is the Revolution master controller. But if you play, you'll get it eventually, and I for one intend to play quite a bit.

I feel that the Nintendo Revolution master controller is a triumph of science, business and art all wrapped up into a simple unassuming rectangle. It's a masterpiece.

Isn't it amazing just how many articles and discussions a single console controller can generate? People are talking about this and people will continue talking about this for years to come. I seriously believe this is going to be huge. I believe that Nintendo will succeed in attracting the broad range of users they are seeking. I believe that the Nintendo Revolution will truly live up to it's codename.

What's more? The controller isn't the only revolutionary aspect of the new console. That discussion will have to come another day.

My final thought: I wish I had a great deal of money to invest in Nintendo stock right now.