Fourth Storm
Member
I think the secret to making a good enough Dpad that can also function as 4 individual facebuttons, is the angle in which the button input gets pressed down. Especially for the Dpad behaviour.
Because even though these 4 inputs need to be "detached" from one and other, when used as buttons (in order to push multiple buttons simultaniously), the feeling of pressing a Dpad input, is completely different. Because your thumb is always moving from the inside out. See my drawing:
![]()
This way, when used as a Dpad, it will still behave more like a Dpad, because it will "rock" according to the same angle as a regular Dpad.
Good point. I think the way Nintendo's dpads have been made lately (from the DS Lite on pretty much) with a somewhat softer feel to them should work nicely for what they intend. The shape and texture of the directional inputs themselves should help distinguish them from round face buttons. Playing around w/ the dpads on the Gamepad, Wii Remote, and Pro Controller just now, they're almost serviceable as buttons as is. They're not like Nintendo's old school dpads that used to burn a hole in my thumb.