Gaming Motion Controls Never Work

AkiraKurusu · Jan 11, 2020

This is the Wii Discussion board, right? Well, I'm gonna discuss the main point of the Wii: the motion controls.

They are freaking AWFUL. Horrendous. I have owned a Wii for more than a decade now (2008? Not sure), and NOT ONCE have the motion controls ever worked well.
I get inputs, so it's "working", but never the right inputs. The pointer always flickers and movement is never 1-1, meaning the pointer is always leaning (even when I'm holding the Wiimote dead-straight) and tends to zoom about wildly.

This made Skyward Sword an absolute BITCH to play, since swordplay, the Beetle, the Bow, and the Goddess Harp are all governed by motion controls. Swordplay? 90% chance of hitting the opponent's block instead of the gap. The Beetle? Always leaning off to one side or the other, making flying straight an impossibility. The Bow? Never could aim accurately. The Goddess Harp? An exercise in sheer frustration and anger management, due to being required several times - and the musical petals that fold out when I'm finally able to get my inputs to correctly register have the sheer freaking temerity to fold back IN if the player has stopped following the rhythm, even when it's not their fault but rather that of the inherently gimmicky and shitty technology!
Super Mario Galaxy only required motion controls for six missions, but trying to do those missions made me ragequit the game. Trying to roll on a ball, blow bubbles, and surf on a manta ray using nonfunctional motion controls was sheer aggravation.

At least Twilight Princess allowed me to turn the stupid pointer OFF, and Super Paper Mario barely used motion controls, while Super Smash Bros. Brawl never used them...

The Wii would've been far better if the Classic Controller had been made a universal secondary option for those who want to freaking murder motion controls, or just want something more familiar and superior - Skyward Sword would've been much less infuriating (though still quite awful), Super Mario Galaxy would've been tolerable and able to be finished, and I'd be able to navigate the Home menu just fine. As for Pikmin, if I ever wanted to buy the first two games I'd look for the GameCube versions since those would be far more comfortable to play.

One reason I love my Wii U is because it all but abandoned the stupid, worthless, unnecessary, nonfunctional gimmick. I can play Pikmin 3 just fine with the GamePad; Xenoblade Chronicles X, Twilight Princess HD, and The Wind Waker HD don't recognise motion controls at all.

...I just wanted to let off some steam about this console's main gimmick, and its fundamental flaw.

KiiWii · Jan 11, 2020

100% agree motion controls should be optional for games like SMG or Zelda SS, the same way SM Odyssey’s motion controls are optional on Switch.

However, the Wii had some badass rail shooters, that are incredibly enjoyable, and Wii Sports; it’s still hugely playable today due to its simplicity and controls. I still play bowling regularly!

sl0ps · Jan 11, 2020

They worked for me when I breezed through iCarly for Wii.

banjo2 · Jan 12, 2020

AkiraKurusu said:
NOT ONCE have the motion controls ever worked well.
I get inputs, so it's "working", but never the right inputs. The pointer always flickers and movement is never 1-1, meaning the pointer is always leaning (even when I'm holding the Wiimote dead-straight) and tends to zoom about wildly.

I've never had such a problem, huh.

I enjoy most forms of motion controls, however, it bothers me when shake the controller/twist the Wiimote/etc feels put in, because motion controls.

FancyNintendoGamer567 · Jan 12, 2020

I like motion controls, and they work for me. Your sensor bar is either wack or broken.

ChibiMofo · Jan 12, 2020

LOL.

(and then seconds later...)

LOL!

The Wii is the most popular and best selling console in Nintendo's history. Know why? Motion controls. That was its thing. Wii Sports by itself sold 40 or 50 million consoles. The motion controls worked great. Not perfect, but great. Now some game devs didn't know WTF they were doing and made bad motion control games, just like Auto Modilista on GameCube was practically unplayable due to poor (but non-motion) controls. If you are just a button masher who just wants to sit on your rear and press all those buttons mindlessly, do yourself a favor and skip the Wii. It wasn't meant for you, and I really wish Nintendo hadn't bothered making any gamer games for the Wii and had saved them for their next flop console to not feature motion controls: the Wii U. Everyone would have been better off.

But don't tell the 100 million of us that bought the Wii for the motions controls that they were horrible. You're wrong, and the Wii won the 7th Generation against much more powerful consoles because of them. And how did MSFT and Sony respond to what you hilariously called a "fundamental flaw"? By spending billions developing Kinect and Move. Now those were fundamentally flawed.

When I first started playing gamer games earlier this year on a dual analog controller, it was very difficult to control because the last controller I used was an Atari 2600 joystick. Instead of whining about it, I embraced it and soon learned how to do it. Just as I did 12 years earlier with a Wiimote with motion controlled games. If you can't learn to control games that 100 million others embraced, that's not because the rest of us were wrong or that the Wii was fundamentally flawed. The real answer lies within.

Nice trolling job, BTW. Best one I've seen this year. I mean "Motion Controls Never Work" is 5 star clickbait.

KleinesSinchen · Jan 13, 2020

Including motion control in games just because the console offers the option was not a good decision (like touch control was mandatory in many DS games – e.g. the Zelda titles which I find unplayable without dpad patch). In fact motion and touch controls were my main reasons to avoid the DS and Wii for a very long time without even trying. After many people assured there were a lot of good games with classic controls and the consoles got very cheap on the used market I gave it a try and never regretted it. Wii/DS/3DS are now among my favorite consoles because of their simplicity and the many good homebrew emulators.

Games like Wii Sports that made the Wii successful among casual gamers and even non-gamers (many old people’s homes had/have Wii consoles and some old people really enjoy Wii Sports) never interested me. I booted Wii Sports once, tested it for five minutes and said: “Nope!” The second time I put in the Wii Sports games was for backing up the DVDs. Never used the discs nor the backups again.

Mario Galaxy: Shaking the remote so often is a bit too much… but I eventually accepted it and after some hours it felt quite naturally. I found the six gimmick levels with heavy motion controls rather interesting (and the three “challenge” levels are actually challenging). It’s not that the complete game is overloaded with these levels and unless you go for 100% you can simply ignore them.

When done right motion controls can be helpful. In the Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask remakes on the 3DS I found aiming by moving the 3DS actually much faster and much more precise than with the circle pad (or analogue stick on N64). But again: Such things should be optional – and they are on those Zelda games.

In general: I like motion controls/pointer for aiming. Using the pointer (optionally) for selecting options in menus or inventory is also a nice addition

More options are always better. Mario Kart and Smash Bros did that right. They support virtually any controller input. This is like it should be.

AkiraKurusu · Jan 13, 2020

KleinesSinchen said:
In fact motion and touch controls were my main reasons to avoid the DS and Wii for a very long time without even trying. After many people assured there were a lot of good games with classic controls.

I get you, Kleines; have you tried Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (the thing Rescue Team DX is remaking, without the extremely useful A-button basic attack that allows the player to save PP whilst finishing weakened foes off) or Explorers of Sky? Those are amazing games, the best in the series, especially Explorers of Sky. The stories in these two games are some of the best I've seen in Pokemon, hands-down.
Plus, they also have incredibly exploitable Wonder Mail systems - there's generators out there that allow you to create missions with custom objectives and rewards (want the Tight Belt or the Ice Beam TM? Or a bunch of Ginseng? No problem!).

OkamiDen is also another favourite that is criminally never mentioned. Brilliant follow-up to Okami, limited only by multiple 'events of no return' (and thus missable Quests) and by system limitations. It should've been remade for the 3DS, if not any other platform. PS4, Switch, PC, whatever.

Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV are best played on the DS, and Super Mario 64 DS is my favourite 3D Mario game (even more so than Odyssey - so many utterly frustrating Moons there, and only 3 HP? Ugh - and Galaxy - motion controls, 3 HP, extreme linearity).

KleinesSinchen said:
When done right motion controls can be helpful. In the Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask remakes on the 3DS I found aiming by moving the 3DS actually much faster and much more precise than with the circle pad (or analogue stick on N64). But again: Such things should be optional – and they are on those Zelda games.

Except that's not the same "motion" as in the Wii. The Wii uses a pointer; the 3DS uses gyro. There's an extremely noticeable difference between the two; the pointer method just feels so inaccurate, so separated from what's happening, and doesn't mesh well with the Nunchuk's analog stick. Gyro, meanwhile, works alongside the Circle Pad and doesn't feel anywhere near as obtrusive or disconnected.
Also, the 3DS's gyro is right in front of your face and controlled using both hands, while the pointer is controlled with only one hand.
I too use the 3DS's gyro whenever I can (along with the 3D slider - always have it maxed out. Games that use it just feel so flat and look unpleasant with it), but the Wii's motion-controlled pointer? No thank you.

KleinesSinchen said:
More options are always better. Mario Kart and Smash Bros did that right. They support virtually any controller input. This is like it should be.

Except that both of these games rightfully eschew actual motion. Fighting's done with buttons (and, if the Nunchuk's attached - as it should be - the analog stick),not motion. I don't even remember if either game ever used the pointer for anything, or if the menus were only navigable via d-pad or analog stick.

eyeliner · Jan 13, 2020

I've never been a fan of the motion controls, but there are games that work really well with them.

Shooters became another level (when using the Zapper), car games became renewed (Excite Truck/Bots are really fun).
Other games became a nuisance, like Donkey Kong Country Returns, where the motion is nothing that a nuisance.

I'd say that when having the WiiMote pointer wiggle on the screen, that could be down to a few issues:
WiiMotion+ - that thing is sensitive, even a bit too much, sometimes
The sensor bar is at a low sensitivity
the sensor bar is too far (happens to me sometimes)
Batteries are weak

The motion controls work, their implementation is an entirely different matter. it's a hit or miss case, here...

godreborn · Jan 13, 2020

I love the motion controls in skyward sword and odyssey. with odyssey, motion controls are very awkward with the pro controller. that's the only game I use with the joycons, but those things seem to be too small in my hands.

then, there are some that I hate like dkc returns. that was obviously put in that game as a gimmick. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's died in that game, because the system couldn't detect my response.

Alexander1970 · Jan 13, 2020

Hello.

Just Dancing...

I also like this Sports Games with Wii Motion Controller - Bowling is still a very dangerous Game
.....for my Environment.

I also agree this Touch Screen and Shaking "Surplus" on supported Games is/was not really "necessary"..

Thank you.

Draxikor · Jan 13, 2020

The only games where the wiimote works for me is aim games, any other games that use the motion seems to me like nintendo think is a must but in the practice everything could be done in a classic control scheme, yeah the wiimote functions made the Wii a great consoles and sells millions for plenty of casual users but for the most hardcore gamers this console along it's "weird" obligated function control was like a repellent.

TheThief · Jan 16, 2020

The pointer as in the IR on the Wiimote works 1:1 without any jumping unless there is other light interfering with it. It shouldn't jump unless it catches other light from bulbs around the house or outside. If you arent able to move the cursor in the Wii Menu without it jumping, something is off. You can also go into settings and MAX out the sensor bar sensitivity. I do this since I sit semi far from the TV. I've always used Wii Pointer controls for Call of Duty including the more modern versions on the Wii U and they control wonderfully since it tracks the IR and doesnt depend on any movements. I wish the Switch had support for Wii remotes/nunchuck solely for the ability to point in shooter games. But that would require nintendo to impement it, and honestly unless we could map the buttons it probably wouldn't work well. Got off topic, as for other wii motion, I agree it was never very accurate. I like it for simple things, though Red Steel 2 uses motion for sword fighting very well. Never did get around to playing Skyward. Maybe I will. I also agree that many games could have just used standard controls and they would have been better off. But a game like, Max and the Magic Marker (which I loved) wouldn't have been possible or at least as intuitive without being able to point at a screen and quickly draw.

AkiraKurusu · Sep 17, 2021

Huh, this has been viewed over a thousand times now. Interesting.

ChibiMofo · Sep 18, 2021

AkiraKurusu said:
Huh, this has been viewed over a thousand times now. Interesting.

Clickbait titles with ludicrous assertions often end up being viewed a lot. This clown disagrees with the 100 million of us who bought the Wii specifically for the motion controls (ie the most successful console in Nintendo's history by a wide margin). It's a shame so many people had to read his ridiculous diatribe. At least I put him in his place.

UltraDolphinRevolution · Sep 18, 2021

AkiraKurusu said:
...I just wanted to let off some steam about this console's main gimmick

I disagree with every statement you have made and question your intelligence or equipment. Even Chinese no-brand Wiimotes I encountered have not produced any of the problems you claim to have. The pointer does not flicker (try a different distance or the settings in the main menu) or "lean" (perhaps you mean drift, which is not a problem of the pointer but Motion+, actually the pointer helps to solves this problem, which is Motion+ games frequently encourage to point at the screen).

I could record Skyword Sword and make 99 out of 100 sword slashes as intended. And even the one I would miss is the result of my hand movement (e.g. slightly going in the other direction before doing the main movement). The only problem I had was uppercuts with the Nunchuk in Wii Sports Boxing (though I also figured it out and wrote about it on this board, if I recall correctly).

You also call traditional controls superior, yet you would have no chance in defeating somebody with pointer controls in Twilight Princess if it had multiplayer. I guess you could compare the high scores in the shooting minigames to get an idea... or implement thumb stick controls in Crossbow Training and see how well you do. Thumb sticks are arguably superior for character movement, but luckily most games rely on the Nunchuk thumb stick for that anyway.

AkiraKurusu · Sep 19, 2021

ChibiMofo said:
Clickbait titles with ludicrous assertions often end up being viewed a lot. This clown disagrees with the 100 million of us who bought the Wii specifically for the motion controls (ie the most successful console in Nintendo's history by a wide margin). It's a shame so many people had to read his ridiculous diatribe. At least I put him in his place.

UltraDolphinRevolution said:
I disagree with every statement you have made and question your intelligence or equipment. Even Chinese no-brand Wiimotes I encountered have not produced any of the problems you claim to have. The pointer does not flicker (try a different distance or the settings in the main menu) or "lean" (perhaps you mean drift, which is not a problem of the pointer but Motion+, actually the pointer helps to solves this problem, which is Motion+ games frequently encourage to point at the screen).

I could record Skyword Sword and make 99 out of 100 sword slashes as intended. And even the one I would miss is the result of my hand movement (e.g. slightly going in the other direction before doing the main movement). The only problem I had was uppercuts with the Nunchuk in Wii Sports Boxing (though I also figured it out and wrote about it on this board, if I recall correctly).

You also call traditional controls superior, yet you would have no chance in defeating somebody with pointer controls in Twilight Princess if it had multiplayer. I guess you could compare the high scores in the shooting minigames to get an idea... or implement thumb stick controls in Crossbow Training and see how well you do. Thumb sticks are arguably superior for character movement, but luckily most games rely on the Nunchuk thumb stick for that anyway.

Again, I can only write about my own experiences; why would I bother making stuff up, especially when it would make me a contrarian, going against the norm?

I've tried multiple different Wiimotes and sensor bars, and multiple different sensor bar locations; I've tried to be at varying distances from the bar, and to remove any possible sources of interference. Nothing has ever worked for me. The Wii has been the most uncomfortable console I've ever played.

And, @UltraDolphinRevolution, the pointer does flicker (even with fresh batteries), and it does lean. I'm not talking drift, I mean the hand icon is always tilted to predominately the left, never being straight; this directly affects the usage of, for example, Skyward Sword's Beetle and Super Mario Galaxy's ray-surfing, making such things a complete pain to control.

I do not know why you suddenly started talking about "Twilight Princess multiplayer", though, when I never mentioned any sort of competition or anything. Analog-stick control feels so much better in TP Wii, and thankfully Nintendo remastered the game for the Wii U and added gyro controls (which, unlike pointer controls, don't suck; gyro feels very natural, whereas pointer has that degree of separation between the player and the game, which even without the problems I've encountered would still feel off and irritating).
Sure, if there was some kind of competition - and there were no motion issues - pointer would very likely beat analog, but competition's not something I care about.

CMDreamer · Sep 19, 2021

Yes, motion controls don't work, at least not those copy cats made after the WiiMote success, from Sunny and Microsucks.

Never had a problem while playing any game on my Wii, not a single time.

There are many factors/reasons WiiMote don't work as intented and most of them -if not all- are user's fault. Afaik there wasn't requests from players for the WiiMote to be replaced because it was faulty from factory.

UltraDolphinRevolution · Sep 19, 2021

AkiraKurusu said:
the pointer does flicker (even with fresh batteries), and it does lean. I'm not talking drift, I mean the hand icon is always tilted to predominately the left, never being straight; this directly affects the usage of, for example, Skyward Sword's Beetle and Super Mario Galaxy's ray-surfing, making such things a complete pain to control.

It does not flicker. Watch youtube videos if you need proof. I can make it flicker if I wanted to in the options menu. I guess you never bothered to check. How far away from the sensor bar are/were you?
Now I know what you mean by lean. YOUR HAND LEANS, Einstein. It is natural and does not affect pointer gameplay. Put in your left hand and it leans right. Turn it parallel to the ground: voila. People lean their hands differently. How should Nintendo manipulate the hardware if some hold it at 90° like a "gangsta" (see Red Steel) and some people perfectly parallel. Furthermore, the Beetle in Skyward Sword does not need the pointer. Unplug the sensor bar if you want proof. Skyward Sword might use the sensor bar optionally to reduce motion+ drift (otherwise one has to do it manually by pressing up on the Dpad or something).

Ligeia · Dec 23, 2022

I intensely dislike motion controls as well. They're gimmicky and will never be as confortable and accurate as a gamepad. The Wii was a huge success because of the novelty factor for casual gamers but motion controls got old very quickly, there's a reason why Nintendo hasn't been forcing them on the player as much ever since.

I don't mind motion controls as long as they're not mandatory. Making them mandatory in so many Wii games was one of the dumbest decisions Nintendo ever made. The only games motion controls didn't ruin at least in some way are Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2.

Since they're so keen on re-releasing stuff I want motion control-free re-releases of Wario Land Shake, DKC Returns, Zack & Wiki, Sonic & The Secret Rings, Metroid Other M (with an option to skip cutscenes please)... Skyward Sword was also completely ruined by motion controls, but sadly it was not the only major issue with this game, and even on Switch they still couldn't get the gameplay right.

Gaming Motion Controls Never Work

Pokémon's dead

Editorial Team

Well-Known Member

gamer

Well-Known Member

Elon Musk is my dog

GBAtemp's Backup Reminder + Fearless Testing Sina

Pokémon's dead

Has an itch needing to be scratched.

Welcome to the Machine

XP not matters.

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Pokémon's dead

Elon Musk is my dog

Well-Known Member

Pokémon's dead

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Popular threads in this forum