Zero Punctuation: Kid Icarus: Uprising

[Kirbys]

I still don't understand what people are going on about when they whine about the controls, though.
Just from my experience, I can stand up straight whilst walking and I can play the game easily. Left thumb on the circley-thingy, left index finger on the trigger, right hand holding the stylus.
How come this is so difficult for everyone?

Have you played any chapter on the most intense mode? It's like really spraining your hand.

 

[skylog]

I generally play the game lying on my side, propped up on my elbow. So aside from my hand falling asleep, I've no real qualms with the controls. My hand falls asleep even when I lie on my back playing a normal game, so I'm pretty much used to it.

Regarding the dialogue, I like how it gives you all the story and characterization without interrupting the game. It's reminiscent of Sands of Time.

 

[Enlong]

I still don't understand what people are going on about when they whine about the controls, though.
Just from my experience, I can stand up straight whilst walking and I can play the game easily. Left thumb on the circley-thingy, left index finger on the trigger, right hand holding the stylus.
How come this is so difficult for everyone?

Have you played any chapter on the most intense mode? It's like really spraining your hand.

I've completed about a dozen chapters on 9.0 with that sort of setup.

Granted, not while walking. Intensities that, er, intense require my full attention.

 

[Pariah164]

Finally. Thank you, Yahtzee. I like the game, but the controls are shit on toast.

 

[MegaManOfNumbers]

*looks around*

Dang; did everyone here just drop 20 IQ points when I was gone? Calm down guys. Yahtzee once said that if you like a game or is interested in one, then no amount of criticism should deter that fondness. Ergo he's saying to ALWAYS take his "reviews" with a boulder of salt!

 

[bjj hero]

problem 2. Wow. Way to over-exaggerate the controls there. I rarely get cramps from the game.

That must be the worst defence of a game I've ever heard. I've never got cramps from playing a videogame, its not like running a triathlon. If a viddeogame gives you cramps then the designer hasn't tested the hardware or interface properly.

If the controls are shit it is a major blow for any game and enough for me not to play it.

The review was entertaining as ever.

 

[FallenMessiah88]

Well to be fair, Kid Icarus isn't the only Nintendo franchise where the name that appears in the title isn't actually the name of the main character.

Case in point: The Legend Of Zelda.

 

[Enlong]

problem 2. Wow. Way to over-exaggerate the controls there. I rarely get cramps from the game.

That must be the worst defence of a game I've ever heard. I've never got cramps from playing a videogame, its not like running a triathlon. If a viddeogame gives you cramps then the designer hasn't tested the hardware or interface properly.

If the controls are shit it is a major blow for any game and enough for me not to play it.

The review was entertaining as ever.

The default controls might be bad (I don't agree that they are, personally), but they're completely customizable, so if the default doesn't sit with you, you can change them to whatever does suit you, which, in my opinion, makes opinions about the controls less damning.

 

[brazmanoqk]

A bleak expectations reference? Holy Twatting Shit. If I didn't respect you enough before I do now I know you listen to radio 4. Huh, that's the first sliver of interest I've had in this game, I want to hear his voice to see if it matches; I'm sure it'll pass.

 

[Shiro No Uma]

Wan't the character in the original Kid Icarus named Pit?

 

[bjj hero]

The default controls might be bad (I don't agree that they are, personally), but they're completely customizable, so if the default doesn't sit with you, you can change them to whatever does suit you, which, in my opinion, makes opinions about the controls less damning.

There are a lot of people on here, even those who say they enjoy the game, who think the controls are bad. The stand thing seems to suggest they knew the controls would be awkward, otherwise they'd have saved their money and not included it.

Customisation is great and I'm all for it, but standard controls shouldnt seem awkward to a large percentage of your audience and they should definately not result in cramps or spasms.

Fans will buy your game at launch, some people will get the game as a gift with no input. Great.

Others will play their friends or the shop version and bad standard controls will cost sales for this group.

 

[johnnnny guitar]

Yahtzee why do you try to reason with the nintendo fanboys they are always gonna hate you unless your kissing nintendo's ass and begging for more.
You should just start doing what they think you do which is hate every nintendo game because its on a product that has the word's nintendo on it.

 

[crazyarms33]

Bleh. I guess it was funny, but I have not disagreed with you so much on a game review since Smash Bros Brawl. I'll start out with the good points. Your disclaimer about being unbiased was actually backed up with examples of what you like(d) about Nintendo. You liked the Gamecube and the DS? Cool, you don't like the direction Nintendo is going, that's all. So, Yahtzee, if you really liked the Gamecube and DS, you should have told us before this. Just sayin' With that in mind...

You're joking right? I mean...seriously? Go and watch almost ANY of his 3-DS/Wii game reviews. He basically calls them pieces of shit EVERY time. And is it REALLY that bad that he wants more out of his games than a cartoony adventure with standard controls that don't require them to be messed with? Out of the dozens of games I own, I changed the default controls on one of them. When they include a stand with the game to make it "user friendly" with the default controls, doesn't that scream that they knew the default controls were ass or at least less than optimal but didn't change them for some reason?

 

[crazyarms33]

It's less people think that you're biased against nintendo and more that they think that you're biased against the Wii because you never pass down an opportunity to rag on it and now that I think about it you've taken a lot of pot shots at the 3DS too. I know that you're not biased but really you can only come back to the same thing with the same complaints and so many times before people start to think that you have a bone to pick.

I get what you're saying, but I have a rebuttal anyway.

If the issues continue to exist and the company continues to make games that highlight the existing problems that he feels the systems have(3D with the DS, accurate motion tracking with the Wii) then its still a justifiable beef. Personally I have the same issues with both systems and I never tire of ripping on the systems. But you could be right I suppose, that could be a type of bias?

 

[Powerman88]

Man I was having a bad day and then I come home to thinking "man I wonder what game Yahtzee reviewed today..... a Nintendo game!!! w00000000t!!!!"

Always fun to hear someone tell it like it is about Nintendo. I DID grow up with Nintendo and I remember when they were about innovation, not milking franchises. Last good game from Nintendo was Pikmin. /trolling

 

[Spenstar]

Bleh. I guess it was funny, but I have not disagreed with you so much on a game review since Smash Bros Brawl. I'll start out with the good points. Your disclaimer about being unbiased was actually backed up with examples of what you like(d) about Nintendo. You liked the Gamecube and the DS? Cool, you don't like the direction Nintendo is going, that's all. So, Yahtzee, if you really liked the Gamecube and DS, you should have told us before this. Just sayin' With that in mind...

You're joking right? I mean...seriously? Go and watch almost ANY of his 3-DS/Wii game reviews. He basically calls them pieces of shit EVERY time. And is it REALLY that bad that he wants more out of his games than a cartoony adventure with standard controls that don't require them to be messed with? Out of the dozens of games I own, I changed the default controls on one of them. When they include a stand with the game to make it "user friendly" with the default controls, doesn't that scream that they knew the default controls were ass or at least less than optimal but didn't change them for some reason?

Well, he liked Mario Galaxy and the Mario RPGs, that counts for something, and in this review he said he really liked the Gamecube and the DS. And games come in all forms, cartoony adventure being one of them. I disagree with Yahtzee because I liked Uprising a lot. And if you read the rest of my post, you'd know that I mentioned the custom controls in a negative way because the stylus is the best way to aim and the face buttons and d-pad are crap. As for the stand, yes the idea of it is jarring but it's not as bad as everyone thinks it is. It's lightweight and I have held the stand with my hand and had the game on it, effectively making it portable.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I really enjoyed this game despite the pain caused by the controls.
I am not a Nintendo sheep or twat but I liked the gameplay and voice acting.
NOT BIASED!

Also, in case it matters, YES WHEDON FAN!
I caught that Buffy bit.

Do you require the stand to play it properly or does it just make the game slightly less awkward to play?


____________________________________

Was never a big fan of the gamecube controller.

I always found the Gamecube controller slightly awkward to use. I know, it sounds strange but I played A LOT of games for the snes, PS1 and PS2 before getting a gamecube so my natural thumb position was resting in the middle of the four buttons and I roll my thumb toward the button I'm going to use. The gamecube controller just doesn't really mesh well with that method of playing and I didn't like the position of the x and y buttons, I understand why they were positioned there but again, it didn't work very naturally to me. The L and R buttons also felt doughy... if that makes sense, wasn't that big of an issue until I played Paper Mario: the Thousand Year Door, where mashing the R button was required. I did get used to it but it never feels as natural as the controllers that followed the snes's button layout.

Most of my friends naturally hold a controller with their thumb in what I call a 'hook' position, they all love the gamecube controller.

Spoiler: I hold a controller similar to this person

Spoiler: This is the hook position I was talking about

 

[admiraljustin]

Good game design has easy controls that are intuitive.

Bad game design has hard controls that are bad enough they felt the need to include additional hardware to make it easier.

Sure, it works for some people, but that's the main reason you have configurable controls, so that people who tend towards the odder configurations (perhaps a disability or other limitation can be a factor, as well) are able to play. Having configurable controls does not excuse having horrible default controls. In general you want to design an interface that one can pick up, use, and put down without much effort.

 

[Kermi]

I was afraid of this. Why did I let my curiosity get the better of me and break my "no Nintendo related reviews" policy w/ Yahtzee and watch this simply because it's one of the best games Nintendo released this year. Okay I'm gonna do this commetary style and go over every single problem I find with Yahtzee's shallow bullcrap. But just prove I'm not heartless, I'll list his good points as well.

Problems:

problem 1. Stop judging the 3DS on the 3D alone. Some of us know the thing is a gimmick but bought it for other reasons. That and Uprising's 3D is actually good.

problem 2. Wow. Way to over-exaggerate the controls there. I rarely get cramps from the game. I have more problems with it being to easy to dash and accidentally falling off narrow platforms, not something as simple as aiming. And I don't even use the stand. Also, you complaining about how you like to lay on a couch and play DS? OK 1, that's your petty problem, not Nintendo's and 2, even I can't do that.

problem 3. So, you're complaining about a game having too much stuff to do now? That's the kind of ungrateful behavior that makes me hate the fighting game community.

problem 4. Visuals too busy to look at? Dude, I don't have the best attention span and even I don't have this problem in all but 3 levels. Perhaps you need too stop drinking all the beer at that pretentious bar of yours.

good point 1. Yeah the dialog is pretty corny at points. But I've heard worse.

good point 2. See now the dashing over the edge thing? That's a legit complaint.

Really not as downright hateful as I thought it would be but still, I love how you claim you aren't biased against Nintendo, just willing to point out the company's flaws even though almost all the time you point out said flaws its nothing more than trivial ***** fitting and/or bullcrap, Yahtzee.

1. Without the 3D it's basically just a DS with better graphics. If you're reviewing a game with 3D and the 3D sucks (which is the case in MOST 3DS games), what else are you going to say about the console? "Case looks nice. Buttons are familiar..."

2. I haven't used a 3DS for any length of time myself but if he says he doesn't like the controls, who are you to argue? If they legitimately gave him hand cramps, again, who are you to argue? That's like people saying the 3D gives them headaches or eye strain and people saying "err, no it doesn't!". It's a personal experience remark, you can not dispute it.

3. There's a difference between games with a lot of fun/good content and games with repetitive or grindy bullshit that overstays their welcome.

4. What you said here was "I experienced this problem but you are wrong for mentioning it." Might want to rethink that.

 

[TheFriskySpatula]

I actually liked the controls for uprising, they were... different, but once you got used to them you're fine. Didn't notice any pain or soreness either, guess that's just me though.