Nintendo Revolution controller REVEALED!

[Immortal Goat]

http://cube.ign.com/articles/651/651320p1.html

Link to an article...


http://cube.ign.com/articles/651/651224p1.html
Possibilities for gaming...

All in all, I am hopeful. Imagine the real-time sword fighting in Zelda!

[Marc Summers]

Ewwww when really fat people play it you have to watch their arms jiggle :(

[ItalianStereotype]

just when I had hope for Nintendo :<

[Immortal Goat]

I think it could be good. Just give it time. This is actually perfect for FPS games.

[King Hadas]

I guess I'm getting the PS3.
Popular Examples: Pokemon, Final Fantasy, EarthBound, Paper Mario
Damnit Nintendo :(

[Mockery]

video of the controller:
http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2005/09/16/443527.html

I'm extremely excited about it actually... glad this wasn't just some rumor about how the controllers were gonna be. Looks soooo nice.

[ArrowX]

HOW IN THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO PLAY SUPER METROID AND LINK TO THE PAST WITH THAT!!!!

on the Plus side they may yet double as a set of minin nunchucks

[Dr. Boogie]

This is actually perfect for FPS games.

Sure. Not "keyboard and mouse" perfect, but still kinda perfect.

[Schimid]

I don't like the idea of actually having to move my entire arm to make things happen on-screen. I really hope they can do something with this, I really do.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea, but for something like this to work it has to...be perfect. The Revolution was the pony I'm betting on, but this...this is almost a dealbreaker.

[DamnthatDavid]

I've already thrown in my bet for the X-Box 360.

Seems like to much work for video games with those Nintendo controllers.

[Zomboid]

I'm drunk. Gimme the jist of that,

And yeah, xbox 360 will kick ass.

[Chojin]

I'm excited, my only bitch is that Nintendo consoles don't tend to carry the games that I like these days :<

[the_dudefather]

its very nice, and the games developed for it will be cool, but your average-joe developer will think this

joe1:"only 4 buttons? how can we make NFL07 with that?"
joe2:"and we need to use the wavy-gyro-whatist"
joe3:"just heavily cut down the game, and use the gyro thing to control a cursor in a menu or something"

[Schimid]

Yeah, I think that Nintendo is really digging their own grave for the third-party support. You can put Madden on X-Box 360, you can put it on PS3, but...

Nintendo better have an ace up their sleeve, because if they're relying on star power, downloadable content and a complete innovation, I don't think they'll last long.

I think this isn't really going to be in competition as much as the PS3 and X-Box 360 are, in that I think the Revolution will establish itself as more of a "party system", like they were trying to make Gamecube out to be with the 4-player and GBA functionalities.

[Marine]

just one word about the controller... Nooooooo!

[Stak]

I like the new controller, it opens up a lot of new possibilities. If a developer doesn't like it, they can just make their own attachment for it!

Also: I've heard the idea thrown around that it may be possible to put this thing in a "shell" of sorts to make a more traditional-style controller, kind of like putting a VMU in a Dreamcast controller.

[Marc Summers]

I like the new controller, it opens up a lot of new possibilities. If a developer doesn't like it, they can just make their own attachment for it!

Also: I've heard the idea thrown around that it may be possible to put this thing in a "shell" of sorts to make a more traditional-style controller, kind of like putting a VMU in a Dreamcast controller.

So not only would you have to buy the controller, you have to buy a specific attachment for it if you want to play a certain type of game. Third-party developers making controller attachments for their own games would get VERY costly VERY quickly.

[Stak]

I like the new controller, it opens up a lot of new possibilities. If a developer doesn't like it, they can just make their own attachment for it!

Also: I've heard the idea thrown around that it may be possible to put this thing in a "shell" of sorts to make a more traditional-style controller, kind of like putting a VMU in a Dreamcast controller.

So not only would you have to buy the controller, you have to buy a specific attachment for it if you want to play a certain type of game. Third-party developers making controller attachments for their own games would get VERY costly VERY quickly.

I'm wondering how Nintendo is going to address this, too. I mean, they did say they want to make their games "more accessible".

Maybe there aren't going to be a lot of attachments. Iwata said that the analog stick one would probably come with the controller, so that's taken care of.

Maybe if a game uses a new attachment, it comes with the game? Maybe they've found a way to make them ridiculously cheap? I don't know.

[Guitar Woman]

How the hell is this gonna work for Super Smash Brothers Online? :(

[DamnthatDavid]

Come on guys! This thing is going to be the next big hit!
It going to be as popular as the Vitural Boy and has handy as the power glove!

[Mike P]

Perhaps this is just some elaborate ruse on Nintendo's part to trick the competition? Miyamoto has said in the past that he didn't want to reveal the controller for fear of idea-theft. So what better way to get past this then to introduce a fake controller?

I really hope they package a REAL controller with the system, one with the a, b, and start buttons. It's not a Nintendo controller without those three buttons.

[Dr. Boogie]

How are you supposed to hit all the buttons on this thing? I'm assuming you have your hand wrapped around it, with your thumb on the d-pad and your index finger on the B-button on the back. Are you supposed to curl your remaining fingers around and use them to hit the other buttons, or what?

[Mockery]

Someone posted this elsewhere and I thought you guys might be interested in it...

From The Chaosengine

Here's an initial FAQ. More tomorrow.


So what did you play?

I played the Retro-fitted version of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

And ...?

It played far better than the original controls. Turning and aiming were instantaneous. Control was absolutely precise.

At a certain point during the demo, one of our designers did a double-jump over a gap and spun a full 180 degrees in midair before landing on the opposite side. When I saw this my arm literally started shaking and had to grab and squeeze the cup holder on my theater seat like Doctor Strangelove to hold my arm steady.

Then he circle-strafed around a Space Pirate.

Yes, circle-strafed.

In Metroid Prime 2.

And that's without target-locking.

How were the controls set up?

It was set up in the "nunchaku" configuration described in the article. On the left controller, the thumbstick controlled player movement, the upper trigger button was assigned to visor-switching, and the lower trigger was assigned to the "scan" function and locking onto a target. On the right controller, the controller itself moved the player's gun independently of the player's view (yes, you could fire at any point on the screen without changing the player view -- the gun tilted to face toward the aim point), the trigger button fired the gun, and three of the buttons controlled jumping, firing missiles, and switching to morphball mode.

How does it compare to a mouse?

From what I experienced, it seemed to be more precise than a mouse, but it's also much faster because it requires only a much smaller movement of the hand to achieve the desired effect. You just instantly point the controller at any part of the screen and bam!, that's where you're looking.

There is no lag.

There is no error.

It took a while to get used to the idea of how little effort is required to play a game with this controller. I kept wanting to lean forward and move the controller closer to the screen, and it took some practice to just sit back and just calmly move my hand ever so slightly.

At one point, someone said, "If you were to play a game with this against someone using a mouse, they'd have no chance against you." I had to admit it was true.

I've been using a mouse and keyboard for gaming for almost as long as I've been a gamer. I've logged over 80 hours so far in Battlefield 2 and I have a level 60 World of WarCraft character. If somebody had tried to tell me before now that a better controller would come along, I would have laughed at them.

But it only took me 5 minutes with the Revolution controller to realize that I don't need to use a mouse ever again.

Let's take a first-person shooter as an example. With a flick of the wrist, you can completely change your aim point from one corner of the screen to the other. Changing your aim point that way would require you to move a mouse all the way across a gamepad and could potentially take up to several seconds of pushing on a thumbstick with a standard console game controller.

Add to that the fact that the controller can correctly interpret roll (rotation of the controller clockwise and counterclockwise) and movement toward the screen or away from it, and you start to get an idea of the universe of new gameplay possibilities that Revolution games will be able to explore.

Gizzard: I would worry that if its in any way sloppily implemented, it will suck bigtime.

No worries in that category. If there was any sloppiness whatsoever, I didn't see it.

I do not expect to be using any other controllers ever again once the Revolution comes out.

The Angriest Smurf: This is cool as a novelty, but how does this lend itself to extended play sessions?

Try it yourself. Then see if you can still call it a novelty.

Trust me, I was very skeptical going into this. That skepticism is gone.

The Angriest Smurf: Could you imagine playing an FPS for over an hour with this without your hands getting tired?

Hell yeah, brother.

I often play Battlefield 2 for up to 3-4 hours in an evening (yes, I'm an addict), and after 10 minutes with the Revolution I'm ready to throw my mouse out the window for good.

When you take into account that the Revolution controller is very light (it seemed to me a bit lighter than I'd expect a TV remote of the same size) and that it's basically effortless to play with it, extended play sessions are a non-issue.

EvaUnit02: My concern is with playing today's standard genres of games. How do I play a racing game? Do I spin the controller around like a steering wheel?

That would be one way to do it.

Given the number of buttons available in the "nunchaku" configuration, combined with the tilt/rotate/push/pull aspects of the controller, I can't think of a game you couldn't easily adapt to the Revolution controller.

EvaUnit02: It's just not going to work.

I have played it. It works brilliantly.

So now that you've played it, what kinds of things do you think are possible with it that weren't possible before?

Off the top of my head:

A tennis game where your motions control the racket directly, and you never have to press a button the entire game.

A Harry Potter game where you can control Harry Potter's magic wand with the Revolution controller, and cast "Expelliarmus" with a few flicks of the wand.

... and where you steer your Quidditch broom just by steering your controller.

A boat racing game that lets you steer entirely by rotating the controller clockwise and counterclockwise.

A fencing game where you can slash, parry, and stab with the controller.

A Nintendogs game that lets you pet your dogs, pull on a leash, or throw a frisbee with the Revolution controller.

A real-time strategy game ... yes, on a console.

Furthermore, I want this RTS game to have a special cargo helicopter unit. Move the controller forward, and the cargo chopper descends and grabs hold of a tank sitting underneath it. Pull the controller toward you, and the cargo chopper lifts the tank into the air. Then you tilt the controller wherever, and the chopper flies over there, and you move the controller forward a bit to lower the tank to the ground again.

[Guitar Woman]

That sounds like a hoax to me. Either that or the guy they interviewed wasn't too bright. How could one button be assigned to visor and beam switching without fagging up the game? If you were in the middle of fighting some enemy that you needed to use the Echo visor or a certain beam on, you would have to cycle through 2 other visors/beams before you got to it. And if you screwed up and pressed the button one too many times, you would have to cycle all the way back through the menu to get to the proper item. And by that time, you've already lost an energy tank. This controller effectively turns MP2 into Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicals. :(

Furthermore, the Metroid Primes weren't supposed to play like shooters. They were more like the 3D Zelda games, except with guns and a first-person view.

And when this guy said having to push the joystick for several seconds on a console controller to aim sucked, it became apparent to me that he only plays slow, shitty, low-quality shooters like MoH: Frontline, or he plays his games with the thumbstick sensitivity and look speed on the lowest setting.

[Ninjavenom]

Though it does sound a bit like he's gushing or getting some sort of benefit for exaggerating, i don't really have trouble believeing that it plays like this. I'm surprised it wasn't done on Gamecube, honestly. I look forward to playing Metroid Prime on the Revolution without ever really having to move my hands. Not that i do anyway, but it's a cool idea, to have your hands totally separate while playing something engaging like that. It's got a lot of possibilities and if developers get the technology down, it could become a very cool feature.

[Guitar Woman]

Also, how the hell are my roommate and I supposed beat people over the head with these? They don't look heavy at all. :(

[DamnthatDavid]

nintendo has always gotten the new controller features out first.

Thumbsticks, bottom triggers, rumble features, etc. (though, the rumble feature isn't as 'cool' as it was 2-3 years ago)

[Stak]

For everyone worried that the controller is too different:

There's going to be a "shell" that you can put it into (sort of like putting a VMU into a Dreamcast controller), and that's how you'll play SNES and N64 games. Also companies porting 360/PS3 games to the Revolution can use it instead of the "remote" by itself.

This shell will act as a more traditional controller while retaining its remote-like functionality.

IGN mockup:
http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/article/651/651559/understanding-the-revolution-controller-20050916041026412-000.jpg

[Chojin]

i think it's interesting that that rumor post we had here a while ago was correct :o

Console FPSes of any variety require a good degree of adaptation and still suck compared to a keyboard and mouse, but this does sound really good. This is the first wacky idea of Nintendo's that I'm willing to support - They can't compete with xbox/ps3 so they're making their own niche market that is impossible to compete with. It would seem there's relatively little risk in this for Nintendo in that regard, but by the same token, i don't think you'll see ports of games going to the revolution at all.

[Immortal Goat]

On the contrary, I think it is the other systems that will be getting ports of Revolution games. As previously pointed out, it is PERFECT for FPS games, so they are the natural choice for those titles. PS3 is going to have a hard time competing with the 360's price tag and Revolution's new controller.

[Sacks]

http://www.sackreligious.net/images/revolutiongun.jpg

If this doesn't happen I'm going to Japan and crying until the whole god damn island drowns in my tears.

[Dr. Boogie]

Feh, it sounds to me like that guy was just a nitwit. Gushing over something new I can understand, but he was practically drooling over the fact that you can now play console games with the same level of control that every FPS on the PC has. It's like when my cousin was gushing to me about how happy he was that they finally ported Diablo II to the Mac, months after it had been out on PC (this isn't meant to be a slam on macs or mac users, so keep your pants on).

He talks about how you can change the view quickly compared to a mouse. It seems that despite his many hours playing Battlefield II, our friend has never once taken the time to fiddle with the "mouse sensitivity" option. I wonder if that's hurting his game.

More importantly, though, someone asked him whether or not the controller would work well for long periods, and he essentially brushed off the question. He said that the controller was light, but he didn't acknowledge the fact that holding your arm in front of you for an extended period is bound to be tiring, regardless of how light the controller is.


But I digress. He said he was initially skeptical, and so am I. The controller could be a really great innovation. Like the DS.

[Dr. V]

http://www.sackreligious.net/images/revolutiongun.jpg

If this doesn't happen I'm going to Japan and crying until the whole god damn island drowns in my tears.

Let me know when, we can get a cheeper rate if we go together.

[Ninjavenom]

I'm not entirely sure you need to have your hand extended in front of you for this to work. Even if you did, i'm sure sitting in an armchair is a simple replacement anyway.

[Emu]

But I digress. He said he was initially skeptical, and so am I. The controller could be a really great innovation. Like the DS.

:lol

I'm skeptical of how this is going to work out, too. I imagine probably a large amount of the games will convert to the Gamecube controller style shell instead of using the remote. That gives me hope.

[Dr. Boogie]

Yeah, the fact that you can put different modules on it to make it more like other controllers sounds nifty. I'll have to see for myself, though.

[soundtest]

I applaud Nintendo for actually trying something innovative. It seems like a really cool idea.

If it fails? So what? At least they're trying something different, unlike Sony and MS who are milking the casual gamer for all they are worth via rehashed titles, slightly prettier graphics, and annual EA franchise updates that are about as necessary as the annual re-release of MS Office.

[Dr. Boogie]

I agree. It's a cool idea. We'll just have to see if it's as cool as some of their other innovative ideas.

And originality is usually good. Sometimes, though, originality is the toilet that you flush your opportunities down.

[soundtest]

There's a huge chance that it will totally suck. Nintendo definitely has balls to introduce something like this into the market. And if it's a success? MS and Sony will be the first to copy it and implement it as an optional accessory for their next-gen consoles, riding off of Nintendo's success without assuming any risk of their own. They (along with developers like EA) have made the industry stagnant.

[Dr. Boogie]

Doesn't anyone care about the games anymore?

[ArrowX]

I do :(

[Immortal Goat]

There's a huge chance that it will totally suck. Nintendo definitely has balls to introduce something like this into the market. And if it's a success? MS and Sony will be the first to copy it and implement it as an optional accessory for their next-gen consoles, riding off of Nintendo's success without assuming any risk of their own. They (along with developers like EA) have made the industry stagnant.
Thank God Nintendo already safeguarded that. They patented the technology so much so that no other company can do it the same way. If other companies figure out how to do it as well, it won't be as good. They just can't do it.

[HickMan]

I don't care what anybody says. Nintendo will be a colossal failure. There is no doubt in my mind. I don't care if they came out with the best damn controller ever made. It doesn't matter. Nobody buys a Nintendo system for shooters, especially after the big pile of garbage that was the Gamecube.

[soundtest]

I agree. You casual gamers that swallow every regurgitated piece of shit that the industry throws at you will ensure that it will be resting in peace with the Dreamcast quicker than you can say Madden 2k6.

[Guitar Woman]

Oh my god, you're right... Nintendo is going the way of the Dodo you guys :tear

It's hard to believe that if this fails, we may never see a new Zelda or Metroid game again. Unless, of course, the rights to those and other exclusives are bought up when Nintendo is in the shitter. (I hope they go down with honor and don't let that happen, 'cause that would be fucking gay. :()

This is all Sony's fault :tear

[HickMan]

The thing is, I'd LOVE to see Nintendo do well. Absolutly love it. But they just don't have the muscle anymore. As far as the public is concerned, NINTENDO = KIDDIES/QUEEFS

[Stak]

I don't care what anybody says. Nintendo will be a colossal failure. There is no doubt in my mind. I don't care if they came out with the best damn controller ever made. It doesn't matter. Nobody buys a Nintendo system for shooters, especially after the big pile of garbage that was the Gamecube.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/StakRemix/Achewood/worstpossibleanswer.jpg

[Guitar Woman]

rofl what comic is that :lol

[whoreable]

Motion sensors packed with the unit are placed atop the player's television screen and the device's every movement is ready and interpreted in the games.


I hope it works better than the power glove. Hopefully it will also work with all types of tvs unlike those damn lightguns. oh god i hope i can finally have a gun game on my big screen.


I have to give props for the new design, i hated the idea until I saw that you can have a regular style controller too. Now I have the option of at least trying to play a game close to the way I have for the past 17 years.

[AChimp]

I agree with Boogie. I think it's LOL that console gamers are creaming themselves over mundane activities like circle-strafing, which you have been able to do in PC games since forever.

[Guitar Woman]

This is for people who can't afford decent computers and software, like me.

Of course, the Revolution will probably cost more than a brand new Dell with a cupon... But those come with XP Home Edition, which means you have to shell out annother $175 for XP Office to stop your computer from being gayer than Retro Kat.

So... Revolution will, in reality, probably be cheaper than getting a PC to play shooters on.

MABYE THEY'LL PORT HALF LIFE 2 ON TO IT! :eek
THAT WOULD KICK TOO MUCH ASS FOR WORDS!! :eek
AND MABYE THEY'D PUT A MARIO CAMEO IN IT SOMEWHERE!!! :lol

[Immortal Goat]

Hickman's being a pessimist again. Nobody can pass judgement until the unit comes out. I am hoping for the best, but I could be wrong. Still, even if they DO fail with the Revolution, Nintendo is rich enough to keep going for at least three more generations, and by then, their console will most likely be so innovative and different that it won't matter. They will corner their own market that they won't even be in competition with the other companies.

I still say that they are going to be the first company with a home VR console.

[Dr. Boogie]

I agree. You casual gamers that swallow every regurgitated piece of shit that the industry throws at you will ensure that it will be resting in peace with the Dreamcast quicker than you can say Madden 2k6.

Thank god. I was afraid that we might make it through a console thread with any elitism.

Anyway, if Nintendo's new modified laser pointer controller is as good as they say it is, even those subhuman casual gamers will buy into it.

[HickMan]

I'm being a realist. Nintendo's had a great run, don't get me wrong, but as of now, they're a handheld company.

[Immortal Goat]

The key phrase there is "as of now". Don't predict doomsday until we have a hold of the console.

[HickMan]

Then I guess this thread should be locked. Because there is no point in discussing how great or disappointing it will be if we can't even play it.

By the way, mom wants you home, lol

[Dr. Boogie]

Nonsense. We lock the thread once it becomes another totally gay console wars thread. The countdown will begin once we get some new shots of the PS3 and the 360.

[soundtest]

Even if this unit failed worse than the VB, the worst that would happen would mean Nintendo would become a third party developer for the others. There is no way they would go under. Their portable devices more than pay the rent.

Personally, I don't even really like Nintendo that much. My heart will always be with Sega. In fact, I thought the N64 and Gamecube were complete shit. They (Nintendo) were, however, at least trying to develop new and interesting titles, unlike the others, and they deserve credit for that. As for the 'elitist' comment, perhaps I am, but in all fairness I don't even consider myself a gamer. I just think the majority of what is out there is complete shit and not worth the time.

It's not elitist to say that the market is saturated and flooded with garbage. Its been this way for some time - around the same time companies targetted the casual gamer (who btw is not subhuman, they just have shitty taste). It's like the music industry or movie industry, but without the independent artists. Due to strict licensing agreements requiring huge investment (let alone development costs), small development teams that brew innovation can't survive in the console world unless they get bought out (or develop for PC). Anybody who thinks otherwise is being naive.

[AChimp]

This is for people who can't afford decent computers and software, like me.

If you can surf the Net on your computer, you can play the first Quake and enjoy a decent game AND circle-strafe.

[Dr. Boogie]

It's not elitist to say that the market is saturated and flooded with garbage.

It wasn't so much that you were saying that the market is full of crap, as it certainly is quite full. It was that you said "you casual gamers," as though you were classifying yourself as one of those self-styled "hardcore gamers," while simultaneously writing off Hickman as just another NFL2K6/DOA Beach Volleyball jerk just because he's sick of Nintendo's bolognium.

[Immortal Goat]

To clarify Hickman's gaming status, he is a causal gamer in that it isn't a HUGE part of his life. He plays when he wants to play, and that's it. He loves the Splinter Cell series, Halo, and even Zelda. Hell, he beat WindWaker before I did. He's just a pessimist about it (sorry, Hick, it isn't "realist" to say that something is definitely going to happen when all current data points away from that happening).

He is, however, an annoying little prick that likes to hold hands with other men. :)

[Pub Lover]

Not just their hands. ;)


I'm saying Clay is gay. >:

[soundtest]

It wasn't so much that you were saying that the market is full of crap, as it certainly is quite full. It was that you said "you casual gamers," as though you were classifying yourself as one of those self-styled "hardcore gamers," while simultaneously writing off Hickman as just another NFL2K6/DOA Beach Volleyball jerk just because he's sick of Nintendo's bolognium.

He loves the Splinter Cell series, Halo, and even Zelda

I'll never make assumptions again. :tear

[Emu]

Nobody buys a Nintendo system for shooters, especially after the big pile of garbage that was the Gamecube.

fuck you, RE4 and the Gamecube were like sex in my hand >:

[HickMan]

lol :o


I'm with soundtest. I think it'd be great if Nintendo became a third party company. It worked for Sega. Zelda and Mario don't desirve to be on a system nobody's going to buy.

[Sacks]

This is for people who can't afford decent computers and software, like me.

If you can surf the Net on your computer, you can play the first Quake and enjoy a decent game AND circle-strafe.

What exactly is 'circle-strafing'? Because if it's strafing in a circle, I was doing that shit in Goldeneye on 64.

[Guitar Woman]

Fucking tell me about it. :rolleyes

But apparently, there's a better kind of circle strafing that us Goldeneye/Perfect Dark players aren't aware of.
Either that or people are just creaming themselves over the fact that you don't need to lock on in MP2 now. :rolleyes

[DamnthatDavid]

Because if it's strafing in a circle, I was doing that shit in Goldeneye on 64.

You could only do that if you hooked up 2 controllers and played ultra crazy controller Goldeneye.
And it don't count when the game has auto aim. >:

The difference:

Console Circle Strafe: Run around in circles, shooting toward the middle.

PC Circle Strafe: Run around in circles, shooting toward the middle, but with a mouse. *TA-DA!*

[EverythingWillSuck]

The difference:

Console Circle Strafe: Run around in circles, shooting toward the middle.

PC Circle Strafe: Run around in circles, shooting toward the middle, but with a mouse. *TA-DA!*

I still don't get it! :o

[The Damp Moose]

It's easier and more accurate if you do it with a mouse.

[Rongi]

you can circle strafe in console games too, fag >:

[Immortal Goat]

The big thing about circle strafing wasn't that you couldn't do it in console games before, but that it is a welcome addition to a good series that has been made only easier with the addition of this new controller.