I think two questions are worth examining, here:
1. Is the input recognition working as intended? I understand that some mechanics are set up to intentionally require some learning curve. But if otherwise seemingly competent people are struggling to get inputs recognized correctly and/or it feels overly cumbersome, it may be worth considering that what's intuitive for one person may not be universally applicable across the board. That's not to say that any criticism should be taken to heart and that the existence of detractors means the mechanic is bad or faulty, but it's also true that just because the designer had a rationale for the implementation that doesn't mean it was automatically sound design.
I'm not sure input recognition is the issue. because unlike a fighting game it's not interpreting quick digital inputs so much as it's interpreting lines and shapes and sizes. Maybe that's the same thing inside a game but it's different from the perception of the player.
In that the game is able to you so much useful feedback that helps you learn to do the shapes correctly if you're the kind of person who can pick up on it. Whenever the game accepts a shape as a form, the line you've drawn will glow in the color of that form.
So not only does this communicate to the player what form they will be getting, but it also allows the player to sort of figure out what the system accepts and what it doesn't. Like in the process of drawing a circle for Red, the line will start glowing red before you even close the circle, letting the player know that half circles are acceptable. It also will go black if you go too far or cross the lines, letting the player know that doing such is unacceptable.
You'd be surprised what it accepts if you play around with it. Like for whip it'll recognize any double half circles, not just S shapes. I've been drawing the mcdonalds logo to use pink in the demo. lol
So I don't think there's any issues with "input recognition". I think the issue's people are having are with not being able to consistently do the forms with the given control schemes. because there should be no surprises with what you get. Game not only let's you know ahead of time what you will get with your current shape, but at the same time let's you see exactly what you drew so you're able to assess why what your action got the result it did.
Is the barrier to entry intentional? Many people are making comparisons to fighting games, and I agree that it's a good place to look. Something worth considering is that -- in a competitive environment -- more advanced moves are made more difficult to pull off intentionally. It's not by accident that a simple jab requires one button press, while the dragon punch requires a more complex sequence of inputs. Now, does one think that's supposed to be the case with the drawing mechanic in Wonderful 101?
I don't think that's the case at all. Not only are the forms intentionally lenient and simple, they're also extremely intuitive. The shape for whip makes you think whip. Same with gun, sword, bomb, hammer etc.
While in fighting games the inputs are at times completely arbitrary. There's often little to no common logic between the motion and the type of move it yields to the layman
101 also gives you the visual feedback to assess your mistakes. If you wanted a hammer and are getting a whip, the game will show you that before you even press the button to confirm it, allowing you to assess why you got the wrong shape and make adjustments for next time.
So I don't think the system was designed to be difficult at all. I think the exact opposite. It was designed to be as simple and intuitive as it could possibly be while still being the game that it is.
But if otherwise seemingly competent people are struggling to get inputs recognized correctly and/or it feels overly cumbersome, it may be worth considering that what's intuitive for one person may not be universally applicable across the board.
I think it's worth considering, but at the same time I also realize that most people usually get through these games with "brute force" and don't really pay attention to all the things the game is trying to tell you.
So while I realize and accept the possibility that the control scheme may not be 100% ideal, I also realize and understand that not everyone who plays the game may be aware of how to use it.
So obviously it's just something you gotta judge for yourself. People really shouldn't be drawing conclusions either way without playing for themselves
