There was a time when The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword might have been a button only affair, with nary a motion control in sight. But Legend of Zelda producer, Eiji Aonuma, explained to Official Nintendo Magazine that he could not imagine going back to classic button controls now. The control scheme from Skyward Sword is likely to continue in future titles. The Wii U controller doesn't seem to fit the bill, not on its own anyway, but I could imagine it being used for things other than direct control.
Aonuma has mentioned before that he wants to evolve the franchise and put his own mark on it, so I'm excited to see what we'll get, even if I will miss using buttons all the time. Perhaps we'll reach a stage where controller buttons are merely used as fashion accessories for post-button rebels and in the memories of old people, freaking children out with tales of a time when thumbs ruled the roost. Food for thought.
Aonuma: Future Zelda games will use Skyward Sword-style controls [Official Nintendo Magazine]
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
69 comments | showing # 1 to 50
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
3:15 PM on 12.12.2011 | 
If you want traditional controls in games, stop yer complaining and reverse engineer the game and make it use those button controls. Simple enough, but then people don't bother. Sigh.
It really hindered the experience for me to an extent.
You forgot the minecart scene! It was literally the most frustrating thing ever. I nearly broke my gold wiimote...
Used correctly, it enhances the experience and Skyward Sword uses them extremely well. I can only imagine those having trouble are the same people that make huge, exaggerated gestures to accomplished by simpler movements.
Gaming can move beyond two analog sticks, eight buttons and a D-pad, people.
That being said, certain parts of the game needed some work. The harp was a bore, and could have been implemented in a much more interesting way.
Gamers don't seem to realize that the motion controls for this game have to be learned and adapted to. It's a new experience. I live how some people instantly freak out and hate things sight unseen OR because of a very limited experience.
I could make the case that when I first played Demons Souls, the control scheme was different enough that even though it was button-based, it was something that needed time and experience to feel comfortable with (like MANY Japanese games).
What about all the people that never played Resident Evil because of the controls? So the argument about buttons automatically being better is retarded, because it's been shown over and over that controls amounts to much more than buttons VS. Non-button controls.
Same goes for iOS, DS or whatever,.....my point is only that gamers should be open to all these new ways to interact with games, and should drop the DudeBro Dummy attitude towards anything "different".
My first few hours with SS were painful. Why? Because I had just spent 90 hours Dark Souls, played Batman AC, and many other PS3 games with regular controls. If I was a moron, I would blame the motion controls for my troubles, instead, I have discernment and realized it wold take time to make the transition.
It's that simple. People rush to judgement way too fast, and make ignorant claims and comments ALL THE TIME about Wii's motion controls.
Really,the only thing that I had a problem with in SS was the Harp,it was just extremely boring to play.
Have you tried maping motion+ to a game pad?
Its a fucking mission and a half, and shouldn't be used as an excuse for the absence of optional controls since most people don't play their Wii games on pc with a 360 controller
Apathy abounds, it would seem.
I'm going to make it my mission to get through it before the end of Christmas.
Motion controls for bird flight that constantly deadzone, needless waggle for shimmying on ledges/grass, and odd bomb throw/roll motion controls? Not so great!
What I don't get is a lot of the game's controls that could be motion based are button based, and a lot of controls that could be button based are motion based (ie not having to use the "real" archery method with the nunchuk, and just pressing "A" to shoot instead). It's like the designers couldn't decide on what the game should be outside of sword play, and the result is more than jarring.
I hope they get it right next time if they're really intent on using motion controls.
Which is another point I wanted to get to is the development stage that studios face when creating a game. When you design a game, you have to build it upon core mechanics. How will the player play the game (First person shooter, third person adventure, something else)? How will controls be mapped? All these question come into play, and from what we can see with Skyward Sword, Nintendo wanted to focus on motion+ control.
Having to add traditional controls to that would add more work which means more time and money being poured into the game. Not just for the control scheme, but animations would need to be changed, and the control methods for items and many other uses within the game. I'm sure (though not 100%) that the team had this go across their mind, but had to skip because of development implications.
There are studios that have made their games with both motion and traditional controls. However, this can cut a big portion of the experience of playing the game with motion controls if it was just tacked on. Games like Killzone and SOCOM. Maybe it was just me, and the experience was different for other people. Great for them I say. But the whole motion control for Killzone 3 felt stale, and felt as if they only put in there to promote the move.
This is just my take on this though. Maybe that was the problem or not. We all have different approaches to creating games. The better course of action I can see from this at all is reverse engineering the games. Change it to play the game way you feel its best to be played as.
Maybe I'm just spouting nonsense. I frankly give a deep 'meh' at this whole motion control hate. Then another long speech would go below here, but BrainWasherAttendent has already covered that topic. Which was nicely said by the way.
What I do NOT look forward to is having to stand up some more in front of my game and engage in physical combat. Maybe if I was still 12 and filled with boundless child-energy this would not be such a daunting concept. But I'm not, and it is. I'm 33 and I'm tired, dammit. I grew up with Zelda, and I want to play it without burning more calories.
Looks like I'm screwed.
Also, good luck entering codes via motion controls.
You can play Skyward Sword while sitting, comfortably slouched, on a couch. I know because I do it all the time.
Even Wii Sports we figured out how to play all the mini games while sitting down. C'mon now....
What I DON'T like is having them shoehorned into things that actually detract from the experience. (Insert everything Magnalon mentioned here.)
Every Zelda game since Majora's Mask has had some frustrating and boring parts, and not only fetch quests. Remember the Gibdo Well? The Triforce quest in Wind Waker?
Surely, this game seems to throw one or two at your face constantly and that hurts the pacing of the game, but I think the good things outweigh the bad. Like in every Zelda game so far. In this game you have an upgrading system, flexible item management, an agile Link, top notch dungeon and boss design, a lovely cast of characters and a fucking boss rush. A boss rush in a Zelda game. That alone, for me, is worth those stupid Silent Realms.
I think people expected too much of this game. Zelda is not perfect. Zelda has never been perfect. I have to confess this has been my least favourite console Zelda game, but I think some things in it were better than in past Zelda games, so I digress. I was satisfied by this game and it felt like a step in the right direction for me.
For the nest Zelda, though, I hope they throw the better things from this one in a more open and bigger world.
And either get rid of the motion controls or perfect them.
Even more hilarious because Skyward Sword requires the MOST twitch reflexes of any 3D Zelda.
-----
GOOD.
Frankly after playing Skyward Sword, I couldn't imagine playing and enjoying the next 3D Zelda WITHOUT them as they are that big a leap forward.
The combat is a revelation. It's like comparing an FPS where enemies take cover (Skyward Sword) to an FPS where they stand around picking their noses (Twilight Princess). Now every enemy in Zelda is engaging, not just the bosses and Darknuts.
Considering Zelda is about as complex as it gets from a mechanics point of view, the added cohesiveness the motion controls bring is just what the series needed. The controls in Skyward Sword would NOT work on a regular controller and be playable or fun to any real extent.
The motion control hate is quite tiresome, and if silly misconceptions are enough to stop people having an amazing experience then they won't be missed. It's quite sad that Skyward Sword gets some hate because people don't want to validate Nintendo's direction but it ultimately doesn't matter.
Just watch Skyward Sword get sky high sales, Nintendo don't need to care about the stragglers that can't adapt. It's impossible to please everyone, but from a design point of view motion control swordplay is the way forward.
As for people who say they're too tired, you don't HAVE to be all that energetic or stand up while playing, and maybe it wouldn't hurt to save the game for the weekends?
Obviously not EVERY game needs to have controls like Skyward Sword, but Skyrim would be a HELL of a lot better with them.
The swimming segments say hi.
The tadpole hunt in Faron Woods is my pick for the worst thing in the game.
Possibly the worst part in any Zelda game ever.
They really don't get that they cannot lead anyone besides their own hardcore fans by the nose.
Well put. Exactly what I was thinking.
As for people complaining about Nintendo changing their beloved franchise....get over it. This is an issue with a lot of fans in Gamedom nowadays, where they think they have complete control over a franchise because they support it. Wrong. While a creator has to be aware not to alienate their audience, they can't adhere to whatever the fans want. It's a balance.
And, while it may sound redundant, any true, die-hard Zelda fan will appreciate what the creators have in mind for the franchise. From day one, the Zelda franchise has been changing things, and if you really were expecting it to stay confined to the same parameters over and over again, it's time to wake-up and smell the roses.