Dance Dance Revolution Revolution (DDRR)

Second, what says that games that are incompatible with the new control interface can’t just use old GC controllers when they port it? If the new X360 and PS3 controllers are basically the same layout as their previous incarnations, and the GC controller could play most ports fine, then the Revolution should still play ports fine using the older GC controllers.

Besides, Nintendo has only upgraded how we control games. At any time they can doungrade to normal analog controls. The X360 and PS3 ONLY have basic analog. That puts Nintendo at an advantage, not a disadvantage, as some believe. The only problem I see in regards to competition is raw power of the consoles, which Nintendo may improve in the next year to be very competitive with its rivals.

I’m just happy someone finally realized that graphics and sound are not the only things you can improve in games. Go Nintendo.

Cross platform games are NOT the end of the Revolution. They are the beginning.

I’ve read a lot of people’s comments about how Nintendo is screwing over game companies by making it impossible to port games across platforms. I think people are missing a key insight, which 1up briefly mentions in their article on the controller: “When the two controller pieces are attached, the so-called ‘Nunchaku’ configuration (the two bits are connected by a short cord) can work similarly to current controllers, just with the second analog stick replaced by actual movement of the Revolution controller.”

Think about it. In your left hand, you’ve got an analogue stick with two trigger buttons. In your right hand, you’ve got an analogue controller (more precise, and sensitive along an extra axis), 5-7 face buttons and a trigger button. How is that so impossibly different from the standard controllers of today? It certainly allows for software companies to do *more*, since the control will be much more precise if implemented properly and there’s an extra axis to work with, but it won’t prevent them from continuing to use today’s 3D control paradigm.

Think about TimeSplitters. On PS3 and XBox360, it will work exactly like it does today, but look prettier. On the Revolution, you’ll be pointing your “gun” (controller) at characters on the screen, but from a software standpoint the control paradigm is the same. It’s just another analogue stick. You control forwar/backward and strafing movement with your left thumbstick, and direction/firing with your right hand. This depends a lot on Nintendo implementing a good developer interface that allows for easy mapping of current analogue-stick functions onto the remote control wand. But assuming they do that (and I’m betting they do–I’m guessing that’s how Metroid Prime 2 was updated for the demonstration) then TimeSplitters could easily work on all platforms will just a bit of tweaking. The only real difference would be that the Revolution version will kick a** and the others will be the same as every other console FPS we’ve played for the last nine years.

Uh, yeah, stabbing games. Of course. How could I forget?

Great points! It is amazing what fans can think of in the way new ideas. If a small ounce or two of that creativity can make it to the developers then we’ll have some pretty cool stuff on our hands next year.

Then if some enterprising 3rd party (or the software company itself) developed a compatible controller, with all the same buttons as Nintendo’s, that had the look and feel of a wooden wand, the emersion factor would be amazing. Similarly, Lucasarts could ship a Lightsaber shell for the controller, and I’m possitive someone will develop a controller for FPSs that has the shape and feel of a gun.

You are right, the new system shouldn’t have any problem handling some of the tried and true game formulas. The problem is getting people to accept that it can. The Revolution has gotten a lot of good publicity and a lot of bad publicity in the last few days. You and I know that the bad publicity is from people that don’t have a clue about the new controller, but that doesn’t stop people from reading and believing it.