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Sadistic Camera's And Control Schemes

Started by weckar, 29, May, 2009, 06:51:00 PM

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weckar

Some games aren't difficult (or they are), but they are made (way) (more) difficult by the weird camera angles you can barely shift or strange reversed controls when you don't need them FOR ENTIRE LEVELS (yeah I mean you Glover).

And still, it's always these games I remember and feel nostalgic about, the games I always come back to, unless they are in the actually difficult category (Pikmin IMO). Most of the time, the horrible camera is aided by lack of shadows to position yourself, a game killer for platformers, but still that seems to be what makes me come back to be tortured by them over and over.

All this being said, there were time when it was the controls that bagged you and threw you into the river. Swimming controls, which never work. And yet they popped up in every game you got (except for Robotron, which was awesome like that). Yes, I'd like to press a button to dive, I'm not flying a plain here, I can swim backwards (ignore this for 2D based games).

In even stranger cases, you just couldn't reach all the buttons you need on your controller at the same time, which means you have to grab another part of it for every maneuvre and pretty soon your arms are tangles in the wires, amusing both your friends and the Game Over screen.

In my memory, there has only been a single console in history to unite all these elements into a single experience. Therefore, I'd like you to join me in raising the glass to the first and greatest source of 3D Nostalgic Torture...

The N64

(comments and rants are appreciated, but keep it lighthearted, I know I will :P)

Charon

Hmm... I remember Tomb Raider's control scheme was downright ATROCIOUS. The directional pad wasn't used for moving like most games, it was used for turning Laura Croft, making extremely annoying gameplay mechanics.

In the camera department... well, the only think I hate about GSIII (Genso Suikoden, NOT Golden Sun XD) is the fact that you have absolutely NO camera control whatsoever (I believe they do that in the later games as well but I haven't played them, and they look isometric rather than ground level like GSIII). It's really annoying for you to go through the same passage 3-4 times because you can't see where you're going.

The other end of the spectrum are most of the Sonic the Hedgehog games. They were fun as hell, but the camera... was moving so much it was annoying.

I think the only game that I played with decent swimming controls was Spyro Ripto's Rage! and Year of the Dragon (possibly one of my favourite games to date) (I can't remember if Spyro: A Hero's Tail had swimming, but that game had really good control), and they really weren't that good. S:HT actually had really good controls, and would have been an excellent game if it were more of a challenge and wasn't aimed for 8 year olds.

Salanewt

You know what? Cheers to crappy camera angles, and cheers to Nintendo 64! Want to know a game with horrible, but easily adjustable camera angles? I will name 2...

Super Mario 64, and The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time (I have not played very many N64 games, but the ones that I have played are very fun). However, it is easy to adjust the camera in both games, and you can also change it so you have a bird's eye view.

Often in Ocarina of time, the camera will go behind a wall or will move with the enemy (if you have it targeted). This way, it is harder to aim your attack at the enemy, especially if it is moving. One thing that I hated, in shops (actually, in all buildings except for dungeons), the camera angle would change when you enter the building, and change again when shopping (or window shopping). The camera is much better in this game than in many other games though, since it tends to stay near Link for the whole game, and only moves if you move it (or during cutscenes). One thing that made ReDeads worse was not only their scream and being naked, but also that the camera would follow them instead of you (and it is hard to move from the spot when they scream, the camera makes it worse). This game is an awesome game, and the camera is not as bad as in other games.

For Super Mario 64, the camera would move to a different angle if you left the game idle for a few seconds. Also, if I recall correctly, it would move if enemies came near you. One of the worst camera changers, in my opinion, is Lakitu (both the rarely seen NPC and the fighting monster). Fighting Bowser is so fun though. The camera, if I recall correctly, changes every time he uses his fiery attacks, expecially the last Bowser fight when he breathes upwards, and the fire rains down (not to mention the second fight, when Bowser runs to one side of the screen, tilting the stage). Also, when you make him fly off of the edge, the camera follows him until he comes back. If I recall correctly, the game was Super Mario, not Super Bowser (awesome game though).

Well, that is it for my post about camera angles. If I post in this tpoic again, then I will type about two more games.

Have a nice day.

:MercurySet:

This post has been edited by Salanewt on Jul 2 2009, 03:18 PM
Oh yeah baby, £ me harder.

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