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It seems the whole entire race of Human Beings is controlled by curiosity. We have to explore, touch, play and interfere with anything and everything we find new, interesting or possible to mess around with. And so, like children, deep down we are obsessed with the interactivity that comes with pressing buttons.
Many years ago, when home videogame systems were new, Button Moon was being aired to us kiddies, and the Spectrums were becomming obsolete, games were very simple. On an 8-bit system, there was no need for any more than two action buttons in any game. And so, Nintendo's NES and Sega's Master System both had two digital action buttons in addition to their direction pad which made for some simple, yet challenging gameplay.
As developers started feeling the limitations of two action buttons, console developers Sega and Nintendo decided to change their controller designs on their newer consoles, the Super NES and the MegaDrive. Sega decided one extra button was enough, but Nintendo went ahead and added another four. And so, games expanded, most of them making use of all the buttons on the controllers, and some using even more when Sega released a new pad with six action buttons.
Now we have joypads with twin analogue sticks which double as buttons, analogue and digital action buttons and still the trusty old direction pad, and still, developers seem to be able to use every single different button for something!
But is it really necessary to use every single button in every single game? After all, some games could easily do without some of the buttons being used, yet a very high percentage of games try.
Is it all down to a fear? Do developers fear that if they do not use every single input possibility in their games, then they'll lose sales of their games, no matter how good or fun to play they are?
Sega seem to be the only company not to fear rejection due to a lack of button usage. It seems way back in the early 1990s, Sonic The Hedgehog on the MegaDrive only had one action - and that was giving Sonic the ability to jump. You could press either of the three digital action buttons and they would each do exactly the same thing. The only time that game used all three were to input the 'select level' code on the 'Start' screen. However, it isn't just the classic games Sega have stuck to when it comes to not using all the buttons. Sega's Super Monkey Ball on the Nintendo GameCube also only uses one action button - and that is used to select different options in the menus, or for specific actions used in each of the mini-games.
This, by all means, doesn't automatically mean that all the games using complex control systems are bad, nor does it mean that each and every game that uses a minority of the buttons available to it are of exceptional brilliance. It just seems that only a minority of games have ever seemed to use less than all the input keys at the disposal of the gamer.
So is it true that developers are obsessed with buttons? It does seem so. Maybe developers sit in large rooms with a big screen at one end and a penboard, discussing what they can do with that left over Y-key. I bet that would be a really rollicking meeting to actually attend! Capcom seem to take the Sir. Michael out of button commands with their two-dimensional fighting games - they must have extensive meetings and huge research teams to try and find out new 'combo' moves for their characters!
I am obsessed, you are obsessed, Calvin Klein is obsessed, we are all obsessed, including those Sega guys who refuse to believe it! We all like to press buttons. Capcom just go to the extremes of getting friction burns when inputting in their games, however.
Many years ago, when home videogame systems were new, Button Moon was being aired to us kiddies, and the Spectrums were becomming obsolete, games were very simple. On an 8-bit system, there was no need for any more than two action buttons in any game. And so, Nintendo's NES and Sega's Master System both had two digital action buttons in addition to their direction pad which made for some simple, yet challenging gameplay.
As developers started feeling the limitations of two action buttons, console developers Sega and Nintendo decided to change their controller designs on their newer consoles, the Super NES and the MegaDrive. Sega decided one extra button was enough, but Nintendo went ahead and added another four. And so, games expanded, most of them making use of all the buttons on the controllers, and some using even more when Sega released a new pad with six action buttons.
Now we have joypads with twin analogue sticks which double as buttons, analogue and digital action buttons and still the trusty old direction pad, and still, developers seem to be able to use every single different button for something!
But is it really necessary to use every single button in every single game? After all, some games could easily do without some of the buttons being used, yet a very high percentage of games try.
Is it all down to a fear? Do developers fear that if they do not use every single input possibility in their games, then they'll lose sales of their games, no matter how good or fun to play they are?
Sega seem to be the only company not to fear rejection due to a lack of button usage. It seems way back in the early 1990s, Sonic The Hedgehog on the MegaDrive only had one action - and that was giving Sonic the ability to jump. You could press either of the three digital action buttons and they would each do exactly the same thing. The only time that game used all three were to input the 'select level' code on the 'Start' screen. However, it isn't just the classic games Sega have stuck to when it comes to not using all the buttons. Sega's Super Monkey Ball on the Nintendo GameCube also only uses one action button - and that is used to select different options in the menus, or for specific actions used in each of the mini-games.
This, by all means, doesn't automatically mean that all the games using complex control systems are bad, nor does it mean that each and every game that uses a minority of the buttons available to it are of exceptional brilliance. It just seems that only a minority of games have ever seemed to use less than all the input keys at the disposal of the gamer.
So is it true that developers are obsessed with buttons? It does seem so. Maybe developers sit in large rooms with a big screen at one end and a penboard, discussing what they can do with that left over Y-key. I bet that would be a really rollicking meeting to actually attend! Capcom seem to take the Sir. Michael out of button commands with their two-dimensional fighting games - they must have extensive meetings and huge research teams to try and find out new 'combo' moves for their characters!
I am obsessed, you are obsessed, Calvin Klein is obsessed, we are all obsessed, including those Sega guys who refuse to believe it! We all like to press buttons. Capcom just go to the extremes of getting friction burns when inputting in their games, however.
I remember I used to love watching Button Moon, and I remember the title screen, but that's all I remember of it :)
"We're off to Button Moon to follow Mr Spoon,
Button Moon, Button Moon!"
Button Moon, Button Moon!"
Button Moon back when gaming was young? That makes me feel old, I was too old for Button Moon when it came out, more Bagpuss, Bod and original Noddy (puppet version) and that was when gaming started on the VCS and then the 8-bits, none of this Megadrive and SNES malarky then. Damn, rambling again.
Still, game design always seems to be bigger-better-faster these days, which includes (if Microsoft joypads are to be believed) more buttons. It should be obvious that great games can be built on several buttons alone. Oh well!
Still, game design always seems to be bigger-better-faster these days, which includes (if Microsoft joypads are to be believed) more buttons. It should be obvious that great games can be built on several buttons alone. Oh well!
Monkey Ball uses only the analogue. And A/L/R occasionaly.
Congrats on the GAD.
Congrats on the GAD.
And the spin function still operated from the same buttons. Sonic could have had a d-pad and one other button and would have been just as good.
Those extra moves sonic performed were in the latter Sonic games on the MegaDrive - in the original, he just ran and jumped (as well as spun if you held down on the d-pad whilst moving)
Sonic didn't only jump, he had a function where he sped up on the spot and zoomed forward along with another one which I can't completely recall. The NES was brilliant though with just the two buttons, simply because it made playing Super Mario very enjoyable as well as challenging, like you mentioned less buttons do.
I would have thought rather than developers stuck for ways to fully complete functions for all the buttons on a controller, that they instead wished the controller had more buttons. Some games have been released that prove this, mostly FPSs making even us wonder whether there should have been more buttons for more possible maneouvres in a game.
It's Microsoft that have taken control pads to a new level with their giant Mech Warrior device. I've used this and although I found it quite difficult to begin with I found that the gameplay became a lot more fun and involving than using the official Xbox pad.
More buttons in games makes the player think more to make sure the right move is performed at the right time by pressing the right button. It also allows developers to achieve more functions they would have liked in their game whereas a lower amount of buttons could limit a developer's genius idea for a deeply in-depth title.
Good post though
I would have thought rather than developers stuck for ways to fully complete functions for all the buttons on a controller, that they instead wished the controller had more buttons. Some games have been released that prove this, mostly FPSs making even us wonder whether there should have been more buttons for more possible maneouvres in a game.
It's Microsoft that have taken control pads to a new level with their giant Mech Warrior device. I've used this and although I found it quite difficult to begin with I found that the gameplay became a lot more fun and involving than using the official Xbox pad.
More buttons in games makes the player think more to make sure the right move is performed at the right time by pressing the right button. It also allows developers to achieve more functions they would have liked in their game whereas a lower amount of buttons could limit a developer's genius idea for a deeply in-depth title.
Good post though
It seems the whole entire race of Human Beings is controlled by curiosity. We have to explore, touch, play and interfere with anything and everything we find new, interesting or possible to mess around with. And so, like children, deep down we are obsessed with the interactivity that comes with pressing buttons.
Many years ago, when home videogame systems were new, Button Moon was being aired to us kiddies, and the Spectrums were becomming obsolete, games were very simple. On an 8-bit system, there was no need for any more than two action buttons in any game. And so, Nintendo's NES and Sega's Master System both had two digital action buttons in addition to their direction pad which made for some simple, yet challenging gameplay.
As developers started feeling the limitations of two action buttons, console developers Sega and Nintendo decided to change their controller designs on their newer consoles, the Super NES and the MegaDrive. Sega decided one extra button was enough, but Nintendo went ahead and added another four. And so, games expanded, most of them making use of all the buttons on the controllers, and some using even more when Sega released a new pad with six action buttons.
Now we have joypads with twin analogue sticks which double as buttons, analogue and digital action buttons and still the trusty old direction pad, and still, developers seem to be able to use every single different button for something!
But is it really necessary to use every single button in every single game? After all, some games could easily do without some of the buttons being used, yet a very high percentage of games try.
Is it all down to a fear? Do developers fear that if they do not use every single input possibility in their games, then they'll lose sales of their games, no matter how good or fun to play they are?
Sega seem to be the only company not to fear rejection due to a lack of button usage. It seems way back in the early 1990s, Sonic The Hedgehog on the MegaDrive only had one action - and that was giving Sonic the ability to jump. You could press either of the three digital action buttons and they would each do exactly the same thing. The only time that game used all three were to input the 'select level' code on the 'Start' screen. However, it isn't just the classic games Sega have stuck to when it comes to not using all the buttons. Sega's Super Monkey Ball on the Nintendo GameCube also only uses one action button - and that is used to select different options in the menus, or for specific actions used in each of the mini-games.
This, by all means, doesn't automatically mean that all the games using complex control systems are bad, nor does it mean that each and every game that uses a minority of the buttons available to it are of exceptional brilliance. It just seems that only a minority of games have ever seemed to use less than all the input keys at the disposal of the gamer.
So is it true that developers are obsessed with buttons? It does seem so. Maybe developers sit in large rooms with a big screen at one end and a penboard, discussing what they can do with that left over Y-key. I bet that would be a really rollicking meeting to actually attend! Capcom seem to take the Sir. Michael out of button commands with their two-dimensional fighting games - they must have extensive meetings and huge research teams to try and find out new 'combo' moves for their characters!
I am obsessed, you are obsessed, Calvin Klein is obsessed, we are all obsessed, including those Sega guys who refuse to believe it! We all like to press buttons. Capcom just go to the extremes of getting friction burns when inputting in their games, however.
Many years ago, when home videogame systems were new, Button Moon was being aired to us kiddies, and the Spectrums were becomming obsolete, games were very simple. On an 8-bit system, there was no need for any more than two action buttons in any game. And so, Nintendo's NES and Sega's Master System both had two digital action buttons in addition to their direction pad which made for some simple, yet challenging gameplay.
As developers started feeling the limitations of two action buttons, console developers Sega and Nintendo decided to change their controller designs on their newer consoles, the Super NES and the MegaDrive. Sega decided one extra button was enough, but Nintendo went ahead and added another four. And so, games expanded, most of them making use of all the buttons on the controllers, and some using even more when Sega released a new pad with six action buttons.
Now we have joypads with twin analogue sticks which double as buttons, analogue and digital action buttons and still the trusty old direction pad, and still, developers seem to be able to use every single different button for something!
But is it really necessary to use every single button in every single game? After all, some games could easily do without some of the buttons being used, yet a very high percentage of games try.
Is it all down to a fear? Do developers fear that if they do not use every single input possibility in their games, then they'll lose sales of their games, no matter how good or fun to play they are?
Sega seem to be the only company not to fear rejection due to a lack of button usage. It seems way back in the early 1990s, Sonic The Hedgehog on the MegaDrive only had one action - and that was giving Sonic the ability to jump. You could press either of the three digital action buttons and they would each do exactly the same thing. The only time that game used all three were to input the 'select level' code on the 'Start' screen. However, it isn't just the classic games Sega have stuck to when it comes to not using all the buttons. Sega's Super Monkey Ball on the Nintendo GameCube also only uses one action button - and that is used to select different options in the menus, or for specific actions used in each of the mini-games.
This, by all means, doesn't automatically mean that all the games using complex control systems are bad, nor does it mean that each and every game that uses a minority of the buttons available to it are of exceptional brilliance. It just seems that only a minority of games have ever seemed to use less than all the input keys at the disposal of the gamer.
So is it true that developers are obsessed with buttons? It does seem so. Maybe developers sit in large rooms with a big screen at one end and a penboard, discussing what they can do with that left over Y-key. I bet that would be a really rollicking meeting to actually attend! Capcom seem to take the Sir. Michael out of button commands with their two-dimensional fighting games - they must have extensive meetings and huge research teams to try and find out new 'combo' moves for their characters!
I am obsessed, you are obsessed, Calvin Klein is obsessed, we are all obsessed, including those Sega guys who refuse to believe it! We all like to press buttons. Capcom just go to the extremes of getting friction burns when inputting in their games, however.