(andPOP) – The Nintendo Revolution?s controller.

Can?t say we expected that one did we? If you haven?t seen it yet I?d strongly recommend Googling for an image. At first glance, it looks like a remote control and this is expected since most of the pictures place the controller in its vertical form, when in fact, the controller can be used horizontally acting like a classic NES one.

When I first saw a picture of it I thought, ?my God, they?ve really done it this time? indeed, as I have feared many times that Nintendo may become the architect of its own demise. But then I read-up on how it works and the criticisms people were giving it, both good and bad, and I think people should be very excited.

In a nutshell, the controller uses Bluetooth technology, which seems to be all the rave these days, not to mention a clever selling point, and with a sensor placed above or under a television becomes a magic stick ? no pun intended. The controller not only recognizes pointing but also twisting and even, get this, proximity. It is also possible to connect what is called the nun chuck to the controller. The nun chuck looks like a mouse with an analog stick and a duo of trigger buttons. So with the nun check you?re actually holding what looks like two controllers but they work together in a crucial way.

With the nun chuck addition many video game writers have been commenting on how perfect this would be for first person shooter games. The analog would allow you to move around and possibly shoot, meanwhile the pointer would allow you to aim the gun and I?d gamble that with the D-pad literally at your thumb you?d get some quality strafing. I don?t think I could be happier as I sincerely miss the arcade style shooters on Nintendo. Just imagine what this innovative control scheme could do for games such as Metroid.

Keeping in mind that the Metroid Prime series was an exceptional success for Game cube and it is tied with Resident Evil 4 as the game with highest rating on IGN, there is no doubt in my mind that the revolution may turn out to be single-handedly the top seller in the next generation console wars. Not just for the reason of a Metroid title because after all, they could seriously bomb instead of dropping one. As I mentioned in a previous column, Nintendo knows how to work the media. Regardless, even the coldest of cynics such as myself cannot dispute the fact that with this controller, free online use, the best price and assuming we see the right moves with the Nintendo titles such as Mario and Smash bros., the Revolution not only has the potential to turn the tide in the North American market but absolutely consume it. But remember: this is only if Nintendo does things right.

Now getting back to the controller, I?ve read many criticisms saying that it might be too hard for the controller to work with certain genres such as fighting games in which the D-pad tends to be a preference. Heck, sometimes I prefer the D-pad in racing games. Or perhaps one might just need that familiarity that can only come with a more classic controller. Regardless, I cannot understand these skeptics of the controller from this point of view because first of all, it is possible to plug a Game cube controller in the Revolution. Second of all, you will be able to slide the pointer into an accessory that looks like a Game cube controller so you?ll basically have yourself a wave bird. This was a brilliant move. However many games some of us veterans play, the anxiety that technology might get the best of us some day always lingers.

So it looks like I did some serious advertising for the Revolution this week, not bad. However glorifying I might appear to be of this controller and the soon-to-be-released system I simply remind you that this is all speculation. And that at this point all that I, or anyone out there can do is say based on this cause, this should be the effect; experience however, is the only way we will truly know and I sincerely hope the experience will be the desired effect.






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