Last Friday the world discovered that there will be four ways to play Super Smash Brothers Brawl via an update from the Smash Bros. Dojo: Wiimote, Nunchuk + Wiimote, Classic Controller, and Gamecube controller. This is a very exciting piece of information. Anyone who owns a Wii has a wiimote and nunchuk. Any fan of Smash Melee probably owns multiple gamecube controllers. With so many ways to play, no one should be left out during the transition into Brawl. Even knowing so little, I’ve already heard rumblings declaring which controller options will be useless. Some have already decided on the gamecube controller without even giving the other options a chance because it’s the most familiar to them. Before I say anything about the three new controller options, I’ll comment on the only controller I have experience in with Melee.
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I’ve researched many game controllers, taking note from the greats and staying far away from the near failures. From analog sticks, to d-pads, to buttons, a good controller is dependent on many factors. Aside from physical layout of a controller, how the creators design the button configurations is equally important. The gamecube was my favorite video game controller until I got my hands on a wiimote. Fortunately, Smash Melee provides a shinning example of why. Melee has a button configuration that is context sensitive using every part of the controller intelligently. Between the four ways to jump, two ways to shield, two ways to perform smash and air attacks, two ways to grab, and several ways to dodge, the player’s fingers are always in position to execute the next maneuver. Because the cube controller is a Nintendo product, it can withstand some rough treatment every now and then. I’ve personally gone through about three controllers during the six years I’ve been smashing. All products wear down over time. The two parts of the cube controller that are most susceptible to wear and tear are the analog stick and the shoulder triggers. The analog stick can become loose. A loose stick can easily turn what would normally be a dash into a placid meander. Try shaking your controller. If the stick jiggles in its socket and makes noise then the stick is too loose. Of course, you can still play with a controller like this, but I wouldn’t lend it to anyone for use. Gamestop won’t even take this controllers off your hands. The digital click in the shoulder buttons have a possibility of sticking. Every player uses their own controller, and every controller is unique. Just how “worn in” the player’s controller is can make all the difference in the world to them. For Super Smash Brothers Melee, the gamecube controller was perfect.
Super Smash Brothers Brawl is not Melee. New levels, new characters, a new air game, and a slower pace are all things that can change how the game s played. Peach and Samus players know that the speed and accuracy of their controller inputs is significantly less compared to a highly technical character like fox. This is why Samus and Peach players tend to play those characters exclusively. Though we don’t know how the buttons are mapped to each of the new controller configurations, it is important to consider how they can be better than the gamecube controller. If a context sensitive button confirmation means being able to efficiently input commands regardless of which position the player’s hands are in, then depending on how the creators design motion controls, a similar or a higher level of context sensitivity can be achieved for the wiimote and nunchuk + wiimote options. Some instantly frown upon any notion of motion controls especially where smash is concerned. However, there are many motions that exists when playing Melee that the player is unconscious of. Holding down the L or R button when shielding sends pressure through the controller and out through the player’s elbows. The force is directed into the players stomach (when they are playing while seated). This motion reflects the cringing and tightening of the stomach muscles that occurs in a defensive response to a physical blow. This is an example of how the form of the shoulder buttons fits the function of shielding. The Melee-gamecube controller setup is filled with such a level of design already. Implementing motion controls into Brawl can be a natural extension of these ideas.
Some smashers have trouble with the more technical rapid inputs prevalent in high levels of play. Perhaps these people will find more success with some motion control rather than button inputs. A parallel example can be found in Planet Puzzle League for the Nintendo DS. This game is a recreation of a game that was released on the SNES, N64, and GBC. With all previous iterations of the game, the on screen cursor is manipulated with the d-pad and the colored blocks were switched with the press of a button. Certain techniques in this game had to be executed with split second timing and accuracy making them very hard perform. However, on the DS, the five controller inputs can be replaced by simply sliding a colored block on the touch screen. With touch screen controls, a lot of the raw timing and dexterity skills became more accessible while at the same time reducing the stress involved with the game. I can’t go back to standard controls with this game much in the same way that I never what to return to the traditional Zelda controls. For these reasons, finding a control style that works for each player with Brawl may be less about which controller is more familiar and more about which controller reduces the most stress.
The classic controller is an interesting case. The analog sticks are the same unlike the cube controller’s analog and C-stick. Unlike the Gamecube controller, they’re arranged in parallel. Also, the face buttons aren’t centered around a single button like the gamecube controller’s buttons were centered around the giant A button creating a “home” for the players fingers. This home operates much in the same way that the “home row keys” do on a PC keyboard. From the centered position, the multiple buttons on the keyboard or controller can be accessed most efficiently. The classic controller doesn’t have a “home” to rest the players hands. The cube controller is gripped by the left hand so the right thumb and fingers are free to move around quickly. Because the left stick on the classic controller is positioned low and towards the middle of the controller the grip is potentially weakened. Also, the shape of the classic controller is harder to hold onto because of it’s ovular design. I’m not sure what advantages the classic controller has over the gamecube controller besides being wireless.
There are still things the wiimote can do that opens up a world of of possibilities. What if taunts were projected form the wiimote speaker? What if there was a training mode that played a sound from the wiimote speaker whenever the player waveslides correctly or reminders the player that they should be edge hogging their opponent? These ideas are quite playful. On a more serious note, the Wiimote’s 6k of internal memory can be used to store a unique information card about the player. The card could hold a Mii of the player, their name, and their handle, or other information. Not only would this allow controllers to be identified if lost, but the information can assist in stat tracking. This way, you can track how many hours you play Brawl between any number of consoles.
With only a bit of information a world of possibilities are opened. In the mean time keep your cube controllers safe from harm. Personally, I’m going to give each of the four options a shot before I pick my style.
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I’ve researched many game controllers, taking note from the greats and staying far away from the near failures. From analog sticks, to d-pads, to buttons, a good controller is dependent on many factors. Aside from physical layout of a controller, how the creators design the button configurations is equally important. The gamecube was my favorite video game controller until I got my hands on a wiimote. Fortunately, Smash Melee provides a shinning example of why. Melee has a button configuration that is context sensitive using every part of the controller intelligently. Between the four ways to jump, two ways to shield, two ways to perform smash and air attacks, two ways to grab, and several ways to dodge, the player’s fingers are always in position to execute the next maneuver. Because the cube controller is a Nintendo product, it can withstand some rough treatment every now and then. I’ve personally gone through about three controllers during the six years I’ve been smashing. All products wear down over time. The two parts of the cube controller that are most susceptible to wear and tear are the analog stick and the shoulder triggers. The analog stick can become loose. A loose stick can easily turn what would normally be a dash into a placid meander. Try shaking your controller. If the stick jiggles in its socket and makes noise then the stick is too loose. Of course, you can still play with a controller like this, but I wouldn’t lend it to anyone for use. Gamestop won’t even take this controllers off your hands. The digital click in the shoulder buttons have a possibility of sticking. Every player uses their own controller, and every controller is unique. Just how “worn in” the player’s controller is can make all the difference in the world to them. For Super Smash Brothers Melee, the gamecube controller was perfect.
Super Smash Brothers Brawl is not Melee. New levels, new characters, a new air game, and a slower pace are all things that can change how the game s played. Peach and Samus players know that the speed and accuracy of their controller inputs is significantly less compared to a highly technical character like fox. This is why Samus and Peach players tend to play those characters exclusively. Though we don’t know how the buttons are mapped to each of the new controller configurations, it is important to consider how they can be better than the gamecube controller. If a context sensitive button confirmation means being able to efficiently input commands regardless of which position the player’s hands are in, then depending on how the creators design motion controls, a similar or a higher level of context sensitivity can be achieved for the wiimote and nunchuk + wiimote options. Some instantly frown upon any notion of motion controls especially where smash is concerned. However, there are many motions that exists when playing Melee that the player is unconscious of. Holding down the L or R button when shielding sends pressure through the controller and out through the player’s elbows. The force is directed into the players stomach (when they are playing while seated). This motion reflects the cringing and tightening of the stomach muscles that occurs in a defensive response to a physical blow. This is an example of how the form of the shoulder buttons fits the function of shielding. The Melee-gamecube controller setup is filled with such a level of design already. Implementing motion controls into Brawl can be a natural extension of these ideas.
Some smashers have trouble with the more technical rapid inputs prevalent in high levels of play. Perhaps these people will find more success with some motion control rather than button inputs. A parallel example can be found in Planet Puzzle League for the Nintendo DS. This game is a recreation of a game that was released on the SNES, N64, and GBC. With all previous iterations of the game, the on screen cursor is manipulated with the d-pad and the colored blocks were switched with the press of a button. Certain techniques in this game had to be executed with split second timing and accuracy making them very hard perform. However, on the DS, the five controller inputs can be replaced by simply sliding a colored block on the touch screen. With touch screen controls, a lot of the raw timing and dexterity skills became more accessible while at the same time reducing the stress involved with the game. I can’t go back to standard controls with this game much in the same way that I never what to return to the traditional Zelda controls. For these reasons, finding a control style that works for each player with Brawl may be less about which controller is more familiar and more about which controller reduces the most stress.
The classic controller is an interesting case. The analog sticks are the same unlike the cube controller’s analog and C-stick. Unlike the Gamecube controller, they’re arranged in parallel. Also, the face buttons aren’t centered around a single button like the gamecube controller’s buttons were centered around the giant A button creating a “home” for the players fingers. This home operates much in the same way that the “home row keys” do on a PC keyboard. From the centered position, the multiple buttons on the keyboard or controller can be accessed most efficiently. The classic controller doesn’t have a “home” to rest the players hands. The cube controller is gripped by the left hand so the right thumb and fingers are free to move around quickly. Because the left stick on the classic controller is positioned low and towards the middle of the controller the grip is potentially weakened. Also, the shape of the classic controller is harder to hold onto because of it’s ovular design. I’m not sure what advantages the classic controller has over the gamecube controller besides being wireless.
There are still things the wiimote can do that opens up a world of of possibilities. What if taunts were projected form the wiimote speaker? What if there was a training mode that played a sound from the wiimote speaker whenever the player waveslides correctly or reminders the player that they should be edge hogging their opponent? These ideas are quite playful. On a more serious note, the Wiimote’s 6k of internal memory can be used to store a unique information card about the player. The card could hold a Mii of the player, their name, and their handle, or other information. Not only would this allow controllers to be identified if lost, but the information can assist in stat tracking. This way, you can track how many hours you play Brawl between any number of consoles.
With only a bit of information a world of possibilities are opened. In the mean time keep your cube controllers safe from harm. Personally, I’m going to give each of the four options a shot before I pick my style.