[Newcomer Count Grishnack starts off his C-blogging career on a high note! Read on for his take on the Wiimote motion controls in Destructoid's continuing Monthly Musings theme. -- CTZ]
Nintendo’s Wii is a testing ground for innovative control in gaming today. From various states of waggling, shaking and grips, the consoles titles have been quite varied in their unique control schemes.
But hitting that sweet spot – the perfect balance between traditional and motion controls, has been an uphill battle. How much waggle is too much? Does the title just feel like a port with a few swings and shakes tacked on? Is any of this fun? Successful Wii games have found this harmony, while terrible ones have failed miserably.
Super Paper Mario for the Wii failed to implement motion controls well. While a solid title, the game not only tacked motion controls on a game that didn’t need them - they weren’t even tacked on all that well.
In this 2D/3D platformer/RPG, motion controls are designated to auxiliary items and various niche tasks. To drink a mushroom shake, one must tilt the Wii-remote. An item that drops shooting stars on enemies must be aimed point-and-click style. Players have to shake the remote to break free from ice blocks. While cute at first, these motions become tired, annoying and bothersome as the games goes on.
What developers have to learn is two-fold. First, determine if your game is going to have motion controls. Do this from the start, not “oh this is a Wii game. Let’s throw some motion control in.” Secondly, do it correctly. Incorporate it into the core gameplay. Not to the point of excess, but to the point where the player knows and gets used to using it.
Super Paper Mario would have been better as a straight-up, no motion controls platformer. Putting in motion controls just because you can or think you have to, is silly. It would be like using computer generated images in every film. Some are just better without them.
No More Heroes is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. The third-person action title uses motion control better than any Wii title thus far. A core technique in the gameplay, the motion controls manage to be fun, appropriate and perfectly paced.
The left/right/up/down beam-sword prompts appear multiple times in every fight in the game. And every single time they feel badass. Whether you’re swinging left/right for a decapitation or down to cut someone in half the long way, each flick of the wrist is a satisfying one.
Even more enjoyable than the beam-sword prompts are the wide array of wrestling moves players can perform. These involve nunchuk and remote motion simultaneously – to glorious effect. From the simple “both, up” suplex to the complicated “both, left/both down” slam, each wrestling move is not only satisfying – they feel somewhat realistic.
The biggest praise to
No More Heroes has to go to what motion control they
didn’t use. When the term “beam-sword” comes to mind, Wii developers must have thought, “swing the remote, the sword swings on screen.” By eschewing this trapping, No More Heroes is a much more enjoyable and playable title. Instead, the developers used a simple high/low system (in which pointing the remote up was “high”) that made the game play like a Wii title without screaming, “I’m a Wii game! See!” *Swings Wii-remote violently.* My forearm and shoulder owe Grasshopper Manufacture a beer.
Other titles like
Zack and Wiki, Metroid Prime 3 and even
Madden '07 have used motion control with varying degrees of success. But for every title that understands temperance and pacing, there are three that just don’t get it. Even great games like
Super Mario Galaxy and
Twilight Princess were great despite the motion controls, not because of them. With slightly more than a year worth of titles, Wii motion controls still have quite a way to go.
Contest:
12:03 PM on 02.07.2008
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@article
You've got a point there.
I mean, if you're going to shoot for the front page, you might as well have a profile and unique icon, right?
Don't give up.
Nice write up.
Yeah, its a rare case that developers are really digging into the motion controls. Metroid Prime 3 is really my favorite overall use of the Wii controls so far (though I haven't played WarioWare or Zack and Wiki OR Godfather BlackHand edition, which I hear are all excellent)
I'm looking forward to Mario Kart for motion controls (because I don't want to spend $40 for ExciteTruck), but there isn't much else that looks like its going to be a real blast to play because of the motion controls.
I want my Bushido Blade Wii.
Great write up man!
Metroid Prime 3 used motion control well even if it felt a bit gimmicky at times. Pulling switches and batteries was cool but use of the grapple beam was even better. Of course, it was the FPS controls that was Retro Studio's most impressive accomplishment.
Zelda:TP's use of motion control was gimmicky as far as the standard sword waggling goes. On the bright side, the bow and arrow, claw shot, sword spin attack, sword thrust and other moves like the shield bash provided interactive and enhanced controls.
Super Mario Galaxy used motion control well but some of it did feel gimmicky, but I didn't have a problem with the spin attack and the rolling ball motion control was very responsive. The manta ray surfing was pretty cool but I found that it was easier to use the same motion control scheme used in the rolling ball mini game. I didn't like throwing fire balls when using the fireflower power-up. It just felt awkward.
@RevivedDemon - +1 for being first to recognize my name.
As far as Mario Galaxy goes, I think waggling to perform the spin (primary attack) got old after a while. Also, side missions like manta surfing and that big gold ball where you held the remote joy stick-style, were lame. Overall the motion parts were not terrible, but really didn't add much to the game.
MP3 did a pretty good job and Z&W did an awesome job. Here's to hoping games go these routes or SSBB and use little to motion controls at all
Same thing will happen here. Once people realise the Wiimote isn't the be-all and end-all of their game ideas, decent games with innovative (or at least, fun) control schemes will appear.
I also played the first two games in the series and gameplay, especially combat in Super Paper Mario. I hate to say this, but I'm a sucker for turn-based combat and despite sounding biased, it was better the way it was. Super Paper Mario felt like the old mario games, which I'm not really interested in playing again.
Also, I am sick of onscreen prompts throughout entire games that show me what to do with the wiimote. That's fine for the first couple levels, but after that dammit I got the point.
The worst game we've bought so far was Pool Party. My wife and I really liked the 'billiards' party of Wii Play so we thought Pool Party would take everything that made the minigame great but add on all the game modes you'd expect from a billiards game. WRONG. The motion sensing was used for a power meter and then you press a button to shoot the cue ball. WTF?! Absolutely no reason for motion control at all then. If I wanted to play like that I would just go play Bankshot Billiards...
It was not a bad game, but the motion controls were not used as well as they could've been. For the bow and grappleshot, they were great. For swordfighting, not so great.
"I say that after beating Super Paper Mario and a few other things for completion, including four runs through the 99 rooms (I messed up once)."
Wow, it really must have sucked. I always finish my crappy games too, and keep playing for the 100% completion on them
Jokes aside, I'm glad to know it plays like the old ones, I was just playing SMW with my brother. Good times :) It's all a matter of personal taste I guess.
The Force Unleashed on Wii better have 1:1 contorls or else. I am not going to do gestures. Why do gestures when you can do tghe exact same thing with a button press. Oh and a baseball and golf game that accurately replicate my swing would be great.
I expect the Wiimote to perfectly replicate my sword/bat/golf swings, period. No excuses, no compromises, no gestures.
You'll get those screen prompts on most casual or party games. You won't see them at all in AAA titles (unless it's No More Heroes, but it fits with the style of the game).
Also, buy a real pool table :P
That game is so unnecessarily complicated to control on the Wii. I took it back after a week of trying to get used to it. You would think that after nearly 10 years of keeping the controls nearly the same that they would do just that for the Wii too, but no, for some reason they *had* to implement the motion controls and entire nunchuck.
Totally unnecessary.
I agree with that one. I have MoH:2, and the controls really are amazing. Not in and of themselves, but because of the level of CUSTOMIZATION that they give you. You can adjust the sensitivity how YOU wish, fast or slower. And its RESPONSIVE, which is a big plus. And the other added Wii-waggle moves for the controls I think are appropriate and work great. I love pumping the remote for the shotgun. It gives it a visceral feel which is great, even during online play. Most people mention Metroid 3, which deserves being mentioned because the controls WERE great in that game, but I do feel that they were actually surpassed with MoH:2. I wish more people would reference that game when it comes to control.