This as well. Even in the Arwing rails sections, aiming on the top screen is less precise than Star Fox 64, which is mind-boggling.
2+ weeks after release: how do you feel about Star Fox: Zero's controls?
- Thread starter Spring-Loaded
- Start date
This as well. Even in the Arwing rails sections, aiming on the top screen is less precise than Star Fox 64, which is mind-boggling.
The hyperbole of disdain is definitely the loudest opinion, but far from perfect or accurate - much like the game's controls.
Seriously, motion controls can be set to hold-to-activate, it works best in standard flight mode, and isn't nearly as much of a pain as many seem to lead on. That being said, All-Range Mode frustrated me constantly, delivering inconsistent results of "control" when the forced 2-screen interaction is most dire, but also the most annoying (see: Gigarilla). The continued focused use of motion controls also slowed the game down quite a bit with the Gyrocopter sections, which never really helped Zero's case much. The chicken walker was hilarious and sort of cool, though, especially with the Star Fox amiibo activated.
Seriously, motion controls can be set to hold-to-activate, it works best in standard flight mode, and isn't nearly as much of a pain as many seem to lead on. That being said, All-Range Mode frustrated me constantly, delivering inconsistent results of "control" when the forced 2-screen interaction is most dire, but also the most annoying (see: Gigarilla). The continued focused use of motion controls also slowed the game down quite a bit with the Gyrocopter sections, which never really helped Zero's case much. The chicken walker was hilarious and sort of cool, though, especially with the Star Fox amiibo activated.
IdreamofHIME
Member
Chicken Walker is hot garbage, but the rest grew on me and i find it ok. The problem with this game though is the whole thing is over and done in a few hours, so you don't have enough time to grow into the controls unless youre replaying it 3 or 4 times.
Best controls ever for Star Fox, they just replaced right analog with the gyro for more precision, you just have to move your arwing with the left stick and point and shoot with surgical precision with the gyro, easy peasy.
If you don't want too glance at the gamepad just press the minus button to bring the cockpit view to the TV.
If you don't want too glance at the gamepad just press the minus button to bring the cockpit view to the TV.
kunonabi
Member
I really don't get the reticule complaints but people's refusal to learn to learn control schemes fascinates me. Arcades would have died even earlier if people were always so dismissive of alternate control schemes and learning curves.
SolidSnakex
Member
We still use analog sticks because no one has come up with a better and more reliable solution. Unless your analog sticks just happen to break, then they'll work without fail every single time. What they do will work exactly as you expect every time. That isn't the case with what we had in SFZ, Wiimote, or PS Move shooters. You may get a better degree of aiming, but it comes at a cost. And that is that you don't necessarily know what movement is going to register at any given time. With SFZ they even have a dedicated button to recalibrating the aiming reticle. That says so much about the controls on its own. And that's exactly why it's not a solution that can replace analog sticks.
The frustrating thing about SFZ is that you can see the SF DNA is still there. The gameplay is solid. But much of my memory of the game will be fighting with the controls instead of how much I enjoy SF gameplay.
DownGrader
Member
Every motion-controlled game has a recalibration button, but is is a bad thing? It's literally the same thing as lifting the mouse and placing it on a center of a mouse pad.
SolidSnakex
Member
Because if you're talking about something replacing analog sticks, then the tracking can't get lost as easily as they do with motion controls. That's why they died off so quickly and why they never really caught on in AAA games.
its funny, how long it took dual analog to catch on. I remember playing FPS with a flightstick style joystick, and no one had really ever thought of it. Now its the norm we can't imagine doing without. Something else will come along, but it will need a killer app, and will need to be intuitive.
User 479360
Banned
I think they made the game worse than it could've been by shoehorning unnecessary and frustrating motion controls into it.
after I set them to "only activate when firing",I had little problem with them. I had to recalibrate a bunch of times when I first played the first level, but they clicked by the end of Corneria. and I found they added a fun dimension to the game.
I do have a problem with the control scheme but it's not with the motion controls... you can do sommersault and u-turns both by pressing face buttons or flicking both analog sticks at the same time. Because of the later, it's very easy to trigger those moves by accident and it caused me a lot of irritation during the all-range sequences. There really should have been an option to turn the analog stick inputs off.
I do have a problem with the control scheme but it's not with the motion controls... you can do sommersault and u-turns both by pressing face buttons or flicking both analog sticks at the same time. Because of the later, it's very easy to trigger those moves by accident and it caused me a lot of irritation during the all-range sequences. There really should have been an option to turn the analog stick inputs off.
they already figured out a better option, infrared pointer. you cant get more precise on a console than sin and punishment 2 in a game like this. its sublime. gyro aiming will never be as good
DownGrader
Member
Yup, my only legit complaint about the controls after dosens of hours being put into the game. I get that they are harder to execute but reward the player with extra speed, but they are too easy to trigger without thinking about them.
Movalpolos
Banned
I hope Nintendo has learned their lesson in trying to force a gimmick into a game that didn't need one.
KingdomHeartsFan
Member
The controls really show their shortcomings when a challenge comes along, if your just playing normal and getting thru the levels the controls seem fine.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Honestly, they were what I liked most about the game.
It just had no staying power for me as too many missions were bland (the non-Arwing ones and space ones) and I'm in general just not much into replaying levels over and over for high scores anymore.
It just had no staying power for me as too many missions were bland (the non-Arwing ones and space ones) and I'm in general just not much into replaying levels over and over for high scores anymore.
I didn't have any problems with them, i play with motion controls always on and i rarely recalibrate, and most of the time i do it because i wanna change the way im holding the gamepad. I loved the controls so much it pushed me to trying gyro in splatoon, and it helped me a lot (i was stuck in the hell known as B ranking, and after 6 hours of using Gyro it bumped me into A).
I seriously don't wanna go back.
I seriously don't wanna go back.
now that I think of it, another, more minor problem I had with the controls was that I feel there should be have been more... separation? (or diagonal deadzone? I don't know the technical jargon for this stuff, argh) between the x and y axes on the right stick (up/down controls the boost and brakes, left/right roll and turning sharply) . Like, unless I pointed the right stick straight up, the arwing would bank in one direction and boost at the same time. It didn't cause me that many problems, but it felt kinda annoying.
They already figured out a better option than the infrared pointer, but most people are not going to want to sit on their couch and use a mouse. Free aim pointing will never be as good.
Until someone figures out a better pointing device than a mouse anything else is just about what level of compromise you have to live with. The mouse was patented on November 17th 1970 and has yet to be surpassed.
RobFox64tm
Member
I found them frustrating in the beginning, but now it's fun to figure them out through practice. Aquarosa kicked my ass the first time (well, more like the first four times), but now that I better understand the controls, I can beat him fairly easily.
Here are some things I learned with practice:
-It's easier to have motion controls on all the time because you can react faster with your shots.
-The target reticle only accounts for a certain amount of distance; for targets farther away, you have to shoot ahead of them to compensate.
-It's imperative to learn how to control your ship in target mode.
-Holding down the targeting button is key to controlling the walker effectively.
-In most all-range battles you never want to fly at your targets head on; it is by design you fire from the sides in these situations.
-No matter how good you get at controlling this game, trying to hit Monarch Dodora's weak-spots is maddening.
I think the game itself is well designed, but the main problem is that Nintendo doesn't usually over complicate control schemes. People just didn't expect to have to re-learn controls for an already established franchise, and it was received poorly as a result. While I enjoy the game, I can't really fault others who don't.
Here are some things I learned with practice:
-It's easier to have motion controls on all the time because you can react faster with your shots.
-The target reticle only accounts for a certain amount of distance; for targets farther away, you have to shoot ahead of them to compensate.
-It's imperative to learn how to control your ship in target mode.
-Holding down the targeting button is key to controlling the walker effectively.
-In most all-range battles you never want to fly at your targets head on; it is by design you fire from the sides in these situations.
-No matter how good you get at controlling this game, trying to hit Monarch Dodora's weak-spots is maddening.
I think the game itself is well designed, but the main problem is that Nintendo doesn't usually over complicate control schemes. People just didn't expect to have to re-learn controls for an already established franchise, and it was received poorly as a result. While I enjoy the game, I can't really fault others who don't.
Still able to play the game well and I still love them (I'm pretty much in the 10% of the minority with that opinion 
), albeit the Walker was a bit cumbersome at first. Much better at it now.
It's cool we got another SF game after many years, but I'm not sure another one will happen....and that sucks
Hope I'm wrong.
), albeit the Walker was a bit cumbersome at first. Much better at it now. It's cool we got another SF game after many years, but I'm not sure another one will happen....and that sucks
Hope I'm wrong.I love them. I think they're a great balance between having enough of a learning curve to get over so it feels really great when you pull off cool maneuvers in fights but not so much of a learning curve that you have to spend hours practicing before you can even move properly. Learning an unconventional control scheme like that was really fun, and it encouraged me to give The Wonderful 101 another try.
RomanceDawn
Member
I absolutely LOVE the controls in this game. This kind of control is what a multiplay VS Star Fox needs to give it some depth. It just needs to be refined a little since the right stick is assigned to way too many functions. The motion part and the fixed view do wonders when you've got opponents who are really quick and in an environment that is unpredictable and wild.
I do wonder how dual analog would work with this game? Like if it were an option would you be able to beat the game with all the functions being placed elsewhere? I think so, maybe Nintendo will allow the option next time.
I don't like dual analog first person shooters but I don't call it garbage or broken because the mouse and key board or wii remote exists.
I do wonder how dual analog would work with this game? Like if it were an option would you be able to beat the game with all the functions being placed elsewhere? I think so, maybe Nintendo will allow the option next time.
I don't like dual analog first person shooters but I don't call it garbage or broken because the mouse and key board or wii remote exists.
Spring-Loaded
Member
Sadly, no. There are almost as many missions, but a few are pretty small scenarios. And there are only a few notable branches with some alt paths being behind replaying levels. There's also about 6 missions locked behind one single path branch.
The full levels are great, but there are a few smaller missions that seem lesser. It's one of the bigger gripes I had with the game, and crazy that it's at all worse than 64 in that regard.
Real shame. I was looking forward to re-visiting the franchise.
Why are 6 locked behind one path? I heard you kinda have be slower on a boss or something to go on that path?
Also is Zero like a reboot/re-imagining of 64's story or is there references to the past campaigns of Star Fox? From what I've seen it looks very samey in the story department.
Imperfected
Member
After Stockholm Syndrome set in I only found them to be the worst controls in any Nintendo game I can readily recall in the last twenty years, rather than a potential war crime.
Spring-Loaded
Member
It's still good overall level design-wise. Once you unlock all the levels, going for medals is fun but the oath branching itself leaves something to be desired. It's not worth skipping solely for that.
You have to not
shoot down Wolf in Sector Beta
Zero is a reboot/reimagining. In the animated short, they mentioned Sauria from Adventures.
mrmickfran
Member
I understood them 2 hours after release.
Astral Dog
Member
worst Platinum game on Wii U imo
I adjusted fairly quickly, and overall, I thought they ranged from meh to great. The gyrowing was a lame shit to play as, and the walker could be frustrating, but they were passable. That said, I feel the control scheme really dropped the ball during the final battle. It felt more like I was battling the controller than Andross.
Vampirolol
Member
Best thing about the game, the dual screen improved and innovated the arcade spirit of the series, while motion controls made it more precise. Yes, there are times I feel like shit because I get hit by something I wasn't watching to, but that's totally my fault. I gave the game a 9 in my review and I still think it deserved it.
GAF has never seen true appreciation threads aight.
You've got it backwards, afaik they started with the controls prototype and then decided that they could make a new Star Fox game using them. They explained this approach game design in an old Iwata Asks article.
They're great and take the gameplay to a level beyond 64. I get why some people just can't use them but 20 years ago some people couldn't get their heads around analogue sticks. Some people just don't have a willingness to learn new ways of playing, I refuse to accept that so many players don't have the coordination to handle the controls.
mrmickfran
Member
Just now realized that the Wii U has 4 Platinum exclusives.
I like Zero better than W101 though.
This sums all I think pretty well.
Alex_Mexico
Member
Pssh why stick with 1997 controls that worked perfectly back then when we can tinker with what works all in the name of innovation?
They're so much better all around than the classic control scheme i can hardly go back and play the older entries. Needs some practice at first, yeah, but not nearly as much as some people say. The game itself is better too, i'm doing another playthrough in cockpit view+motion with RZ only and it's absolutely amazing. If you didn't like the default controls try this.
Because innovation is MUCH better in this case. Faster horses and all that.
Mudron
Member
I haven't touched the game since release day. There's no way I'm subjecting myself to that mess of a control scheme until it's been patched up to some extent.
Looking at the bright side of all this, I imagine that the only reason Nintendo would let a game with such wrong-headed controls out the door is because everyone else at the company is too busy cooking up NX launch software to oversee and/or fix this nonsense.
Looking at the bright side of all this, I imagine that the only reason Nintendo would let a game with such wrong-headed controls out the door is because everyone else at the company is too busy cooking up NX launch software to oversee and/or fix this nonsense.
i only put an hour into it so far but i got dizzy with the switching between tv and gamepad and had to stop.
i'll still give it a go later but the controls are sort of an uphill battle so far. i'm still feeling like i want to shoot like in the old games and the gyro aiming is messing me up.
i'll still give it a go later but the controls are sort of an uphill battle so far. i'm still feeling like i want to shoot like in the old games and the gyro aiming is messing me up.
The funniest thing is that you can play 90% of the game without even touching the gyro aiming if you don't want to. Just move arwing+reticle with the left stick and don't move the gamepad too much (which is especially easy to do if you disable it when you don't press the fire button). Gyro is mostly to aim in a different direction than where you're going, e.g. if you're moving the arwing to the upper left corner to avoid some obstacle and want to shoot an enemy in the low right corner.
Not talking about you in particular but the vast majority of posts in SF0 threads are people complaining about something they didn't even try and self fulfilling prophecies ("reviews said controls are bad so they must be bad, i also want to play with a 1996 control scheme forever and motion controls are terrible"). Which is incredibly annoying, especially considering that you CAN play with those controls if you really want to.
Tbh the franchise was already dead to begin with but the resurrection was not that successful.
What were the others? Bayo 2, Wonderful 101, StarFox Zero...?
You are going to be very disappointed.
Having played both recently, Starfox Adventures has far worse controls. At least you're not constantly fighting the pull of a target reticule in SFZ.
Golgo 13
The Man With The Golden Dong
I've finished the game and most of the optional missions. I don't know how many medals, but I really haven't been trying to earn them so it's probably not many, 15 or so?
Anyway, to be brief -- I don't think the game benefited from motion controls, at all. I don't think they're bad overall, but I experienced frustration with the controls on many occasions where a more traditional setup would've worked just as well, if not better.
The crazy thing is, with a more traditional control scheme and less use of the second screen (for those who don't know, the entire screen needed to be rendered twice -- once on the TV and once on the pad), the visuals and gameplay could've been vastly improved.
Overall I enjoyed it, but to me it's not anything more than a 6.5/10 experience.
Anyway, to be brief -- I don't think the game benefited from motion controls, at all. I don't think they're bad overall, but I experienced frustration with the controls on many occasions where a more traditional setup would've worked just as well, if not better.
The crazy thing is, with a more traditional control scheme and less use of the second screen (for those who don't know, the entire screen needed to be rendered twice -- once on the TV and once on the pad), the visuals and gameplay could've been vastly improved.
Overall I enjoyed it, but to me it's not anything more than a 6.5/10 experience.