6th April 2008, 2:33 PM
I wouldn't call it button overload, mainly because it's got the same number of buttons as the PS3 and 360 controllers, actually two less (the two sticks don't act as buttons as they do on the other two controllers).
It is a nice controller. It could be a little more comfortable, and I must say I'm impressed with how the shoulder buttons are more easily accessible than I originally thought they would be. I'm just saying there is room for improvement.
My list:
Make the controller standalone. It is a little awkward having a pseudo-wireless controller. It's not entirely tethered, but it isn't as free as it could be.
Add grips. While the controller is still pretty comfortable, in an SNES controller way, it isn't quite as good as the gamecube controller in terms of comfort, and grips go a long way towards that.
Add a total of 4 more buttons. The first two are the ones I mentioned before, that is, adding a "click" to the two analog sticks so they can be used as buttons. This will allow for more games to be added to retro. The second two are just two more buttons to make it a full 6 button layout on the face of the controller. Now in case there are concerns about space, consider the gamecube controller layout. The face buttons are unique but only at first glance. On thinking about it, doesn't it look exactly like a 6 button layout minus the upper left and upper right buttons? There's easily room to add those buttons and still be comfortable.
Allow the controller to be used in Gamecube games. This is one of the extremely few nitpicks I have with the backwards compatibility of Gamecube games. Nintendo's BC is almost completely perfect and way ahead of both Sony and MS (especially MS). I'm just saying that one should shoot for the moon here. In this case I just mean that allowing the firmware to assign controllers to trick the GCN into thinking they are plugged into the gamecube controller slots would be just like the method currently used on the other two systems. Incidentally, they could also do the reverse and allow Gamecube controllers to navigate the Wii menu. I can tell you it's just a little annoying to have to get up and pick up a Wii remote just to turn on a Gamecube game when I already have a fully functioning controller option right in my hands.
Lastly, and this is an ergonomics decision I've seen a total of ONCE in all the systems I've used but am shocked was never reused, consider putting the shoulder buttons on the back of the controller. This was done on the Virtual Boy, and personally I found it to be the most comfortable location I've ever found for those buttons.
It is a nice controller. It could be a little more comfortable, and I must say I'm impressed with how the shoulder buttons are more easily accessible than I originally thought they would be. I'm just saying there is room for improvement.
My list:
Make the controller standalone. It is a little awkward having a pseudo-wireless controller. It's not entirely tethered, but it isn't as free as it could be.
Add grips. While the controller is still pretty comfortable, in an SNES controller way, it isn't quite as good as the gamecube controller in terms of comfort, and grips go a long way towards that.
Add a total of 4 more buttons. The first two are the ones I mentioned before, that is, adding a "click" to the two analog sticks so they can be used as buttons. This will allow for more games to be added to retro. The second two are just two more buttons to make it a full 6 button layout on the face of the controller. Now in case there are concerns about space, consider the gamecube controller layout. The face buttons are unique but only at first glance. On thinking about it, doesn't it look exactly like a 6 button layout minus the upper left and upper right buttons? There's easily room to add those buttons and still be comfortable.
Allow the controller to be used in Gamecube games. This is one of the extremely few nitpicks I have with the backwards compatibility of Gamecube games. Nintendo's BC is almost completely perfect and way ahead of both Sony and MS (especially MS). I'm just saying that one should shoot for the moon here. In this case I just mean that allowing the firmware to assign controllers to trick the GCN into thinking they are plugged into the gamecube controller slots would be just like the method currently used on the other two systems. Incidentally, they could also do the reverse and allow Gamecube controllers to navigate the Wii menu. I can tell you it's just a little annoying to have to get up and pick up a Wii remote just to turn on a Gamecube game when I already have a fully functioning controller option right in my hands.
Lastly, and this is an ergonomics decision I've seen a total of ONCE in all the systems I've used but am shocked was never reused, consider putting the shoulder buttons on the back of the controller. This was done on the Virtual Boy, and personally I found it to be the most comfortable location I've ever found for those buttons.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)