Games where the controls have aged poorly?

[Ikagura]

Mario 64. It was revolutionary at the time, but nowadays it feels so slippery and imprecise. It's even worse because I got used to the similar but improved movement of the later 3d marios. I swear its easier to play the platforming sections of Alone in the Dark than Mario 64 to me.

Honestly I do agree that making Mario do a 180° is infuriating, especially on platforms but I forbid myself from criticising the game simply because it redefined 3D gaming (on console) as a whole.

And because of the crazy speedruns of that game.

The default controls from Goldeneye and Perfect Dark (N64). What sort of masochist can use move forward/backward + look left/right on one stick and strife + look up/down on another stick?

I'll be honest I got used to that control method but only when playing casually with cheat codes on or on Agent.

I've only finished these games so far in the harder difficulties on both the XBLA and PC with a mouse injector for 1964 (or the PC recompilation of PD) but imo it also kinda trivialised the games because they're balanced around the usage of the R buttons to aim precisely.


IMO tank controls for AitD/RE are meant to make you feel powerless in horror games instead of being able to swiftly dodge the enemies, same reason why RE4 onwards with the over the shoulder camera became more action-focused, Leon felt like a beast with his high kick.

FPS for consoles is tricky I may agree, I think Turok with the platforming and aiming (that centers back automatically) is less convenient than the slower paced Goldeneye.

 

[Bonkers225]

All the Resident Evil games until 4
Virtua On for Saturn and Dreamcast
WWF Warzone and Attitude
JPN version of the Dragon Quest games

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

All the Resident Evil games until 4
Virtua On for Saturn and Dreamcast
WWF Warzone and Attitude
JPN version of the Dragon Quest games

US version of those games had the same menu system

 

[Waffles]

I'd like to add the WWF games on SNES.

Sometimes they feel randomized.

 

[Bonkers225]

US version of those games had the same menu system

It's more simplified for the US. As in, you don't need to open up the menu each time.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

yes you do in the NES versions.

Post automatically merged: Dec 16, 2024

Hell, in Dragon Warrior, you have to open the menu to go down stairs.

 

[A man on a computer]

IMO tank controls for AitD/RE are meant to make you feel powerless in horror games instead of being able to swiftly dodge the enemies

Even the developers admitted that part. One of the biggest misconceptions - they ONLY made the games like that because the limitations of the hardware.

But it was also because you wouldn't feel no where near as hopeless if you were able to move around quickly with camera based controls and shoot up the zombies like in Doom - which at an early point was planned to play like it.

If the developers did not make the choices they made with the gameplay it would've been regarded as another generic shooter of that time and would've never made as much of an impact. Horror genre in video games would've never been the same, if not at all. Konami and other companies would've never commisioned their own horror games inspired by Capcom's own success.

 

[Ikagura]

Even the developers admitted that part. One of the biggest misconceptions - they ONLY made the games like that because the limitations of the hardware.

But it was also because you wouldn't feel no where near as hopeless if you were able to move around quickly with camera based controls and shoot up the zombies like in Doom - which at an early point was planned to play like it.

If the developers did not make the choices they made with the gameplay it would've been regarded as another generic shooter of that time and would've never made as much of an impact. Horror genre in video games would've never been the same, if not at all. Konami and other companies would've never commissioned their own horror games inspired by Capcom's own success.

I'd be the first to say that limitation brings creation.

In a similar way Metal Gear apparently became a stealth action game because they couldn't handle too many enemies at once on the MSX so they made it a slower paced game where you're being incited to avoid conflict instead (which is something I can get behind honestly).

Ditto with Silent Hill's fog to hide clipping.

I feel that the seventh gen, allowing to do much more for creators, made them less creative and doing things that weren't necessary.

People forget that the "pure" survival horror genre isn't about letting your character outrun enemies or avoid their attacks or even counterattack or else you'd be making an horrific themed action game instead (like Splatterhouse or House of the Dead) which is fine but not the same as survival.

 

[Waffles]

There's a great quote that was plastered all over Abandonware sites back in the day: "there was a time when the lack of processing power was solved through creativity".

 

[A man on a computer]

I'd be the first to say that limitation brings creation.

In a similar way Metal Gear apparently became a stealth action game because they couldn't handle too many enemies at once on the MSX so they made it a slower paced game where you're being incited to avoid conflict instead (which is something I can get behind honestly).

Ditto with Silent Hill's fog to hide clipping.

I feel that the seventh gen, allowing to do much more for creators, made them less creative and doing things that weren't necessary.

People forget that the "pure" survival horror genre isn't about letting your character outrun enemies or avoid their attacks or even counterattack or else you'd be making an horrific themed action game instead (like Splatterhouse or House of the Dead) which is fine but not the same as survival.

Well said.

 

[DanVzare]

For everyone saying Tank Controls, I have just one thing to say to you. Try playing them with a keyboard's arrow keys. I tell you, it makes a world of difference.
Also some games just need Tank Controls to be playable (such as Tomb Raider as proven by that recent remaster including modern controls as an option) and some games people never complain about the Tank Controls for some reason (Resident Evil 4 for example, I wonder why).
But yeah, use a keyboard. Having those distinct separate buttons, makes Tank Controls feel way better. (Don't use a mouse to aim in an FPS, and don't use a d-pad to move around with tank controls.)

Now that I've defended Tank Controls, I am now going to shit all over them.
Croc.
I know that the PS1 version has normal modern controls if you enable the analog sticks. But come on man, by default it's Tank Controls and I think the PC version only has said Tank Controls. And those controls are clearly only making the game more difficult, because as soon as you take them away, all of those platforming challenges suddenly become waaaaaaaaay easier (almost as though they were designed for terrible tank controls). If the controls are making the game harder, then they're bad controls!
Also on a related note, Skyward Sword. No more needs to be said on that front.

 

[ATenderLad]

Early SNK fighters had a lot of terrible ideas on diagonal inputs.

Fuck that one, in particular.

 

[Ikagura]

Early SNK fighters had a lot of terrible ideas on diagonal inputs.
View attachment 4865

View attachment 4866
Fuck that one, in particular.

I still remember the pretzel.

 

[ATenderLad]

I still remember the pretzel.

Which they have the nerve to keep bringing back for nostalgia, for Geese/Rock/Terry like one time.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

Motion Controls, unless it's used as a light gun.

 

[PhrawzT]

It's a Kojima Joint, so It could control like a First Person Resident Evil game made by From Software, and it wouldn't matter.

I remember Zone of the Enders having somewhat awkward controls even the first time I played it. Still beat the game but never did play through the second one.

 

[Ikagura]

Which they have the nerve to keep bringing back for nostalgia, for Geese/Rock/Terry like one time.

To think that actually Street Fighter 1's motion input were considered to be innovative just for adding special attacks without the need to have any dedicated buttons for them.

Thankfully they added simplified alternatives in the later games (like how SF allows for a hadouken while crouching).

 

[Anim8rDude]

At least with tank controls the knowledge on how to use them is universal! There's this slight satisfaction navigating around weird camera angles & using quick-turns...
And the more notable games gave you the alternative "free-movement"option anyway, for better or for worse.

Early SNK fighters had a lot of terrible ideas on diagonal inputs

Unfortunately SNK/Capcom fighters wasn't my generation but the more relatable one is Ivy's commmand grab. The Dreamcast version never works.

One game that absolutely spits on the player for bad controls is Gunvalkyrie for the OG Xbox. This game is an analog stick/controller destroyer! Every boost & dodge in this game requires you to click the analog stick, which is something you're doing at least once every 2 seconds. And it's something required for good rank. Add insult to injury, I don't even think the A button is used during combat. I love the game but will also never play it again.

 

[Yousef]

I'm usually pretty chill about what I play (advantages of having free rein after a childhood of having to save up for everything!), but some games really make it impossible to enjoy them due to their bizarre or inconvenient control schemes.

MegaMan Legends is a game I had to learn to love due to the way the camera operated and how you'd rotate your character with the shoulder buttons. That was a pretty tough hill to conquer and it doesn't feel natural, despite me beating the game twice already.

Can you think of other examples?

This is one of my proudest immunities. The concept of poorly aged controls does not exist for me because I can theoretically get used to ANY controls. Flexible as water, sting like a bee!

 

[Anim8rDude]

The concept of poorly aged controls does not exist for me because I can theoretically get used to ANY controls.

I don't particularly think bad controls exist, but bad button layouts on certain games definitely do!

 

[Yousef]

I don't particularly think bad controls exist, but bad button layouts on certain games definitely do!

But of course! (Metroid says hello )

 

[LUNARMYTH]

Croc - The Legend of Gobbos has directional movement that sort of feels like it would do well with the analog sticks, I think there's even an option for it. But every time I play it just feels so wonky, lol. I love the game though and have grown accustomed to it's sort of silly mechanics. Cannot speak for the sequel, still have yet to play it.

 

[Ikagura]

But of course! (Metroid says hello )

Metroid? The NES one?

 

[Yousef]

Metroid? The NES one?

Oh no no no, I should’ve clarified. I was alluding to how Metroid would automatically map the shoot button to the center upper button, instead of the left face button (I’m not calling them by letters because it might confuse people cuz Xbox and Nintendo act in reverse of each other)

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

This is one of my proudest immunities. The concept of poorly aged controls does not exist for me because I can theoretically get used to ANY controls. Flexible as water, sting like a bee!

I mean, likewise, but that doesn't mean they couldn't be improved by remapping the buttons. Again, I feel a lot of the bad controls I put up with (I.e. og System Shock.) due to Stockholm syndrome.