Games With Unconventional Controls

[juuso]

Push a stick to move a dude on the screen? No thank you!

I love games with unconventional control schemes. To name some examples:

Tumbleseed has you control a bar at the bottom of the screen upwards from both sides with the two sticks on your controller, pushing a seed up the level.



Snake Pass is a platforming game, where you don't run or jump, but slither like a snake. The controls reflect that too.



What are your favourite games with really unique control schemes? Let's not stick to just traditional controllers either! Whether it's a microphone-controlled pinball game or a 2D platformer played with a set of conga drums, it is all welcome here!

 

[Phantom Thief]

Does Kid Icarus Uprising count? Because that’s my answer if it does.

 

[eli]

Katamari!

 

[excelsior]

Steambot Chronicles is an action RPG that controls like Katamari

Pac-Pix - drawing your character etc on the touch screen

Wonderful 101 - Draw shapes for your weapon type on the touch screen, or alternatively (and more easily) on the right stick

Final Furlong - bob up and down on horsey to move faster

The Typing of the Dead series - reworks House of the Dead games into a typing tutor

 

[Aostia82]

Hokuto no Ken arcade cabinet

 

[Ahmed]

Another thread where I can name Donkey Kong Jungle Beat!

It's supposed to be controlled with the bongo controllers. But you can also use a regular controller, where you need to hold the stick in a direction and tap the B button repeatedly to actually move. The faster you tap, the faster DK moves. And you use the c stick to "attack", which is the same as clapping when using the bongo controller. It controls really weird, but it works and the game is still amazing.

 

[Ayron]

— Pro Evolution Soccer (for example 10) on Wii by Konami, when using the innovative Playmaker controls, which basically allowed you to precisely control all 10 players simultaneously by dragging and pointing. Konami took a big risk — the first Wii PES game, PES 08, didn’t even have traditional controls — and created a masterpiece. PES 08 was more like a proof of concept, the later versions were fully fledged. Extremely ambitious, very rewarding games.

— Kororinpa 1/2 by Hudson Soft (different names per region). It was a rather obvious idea to create a game on Wii which uses tilt controls to navigate in mazes, yes, but nonetheless quite unique. Very good and fun games!

— Of course, games like Wii Fit and Ring Fit Adventure both have extremely unique control schemes due to the peripheral physical components. As we would expect from Nintendo, the controls work very well.

 

[tim1138]

Would Super Monkey Ball count here? Sure it's your standard analog stick set up, but instead of controlling the character you're actually manipulating the stage to make the ball roll.

 

[Yzz]

Cliche answer but Rhythm Heaven only requires one button, and you can play it with your eyes closed.

Crypt of the NecroDancer and Cadence of Hyrule can be played with a 4-panel dance pad.

 

[juuso]

Crypt of the NecroDancer and Cadence of Hyrule can be played with a 4-panel dance pad.

I have played a lot of both of these games, but for some reason this never occurred to me

 

[Clov]

Killer7 has a pretty strange control scheme. To explore in third person mode, you have to hold down A to run down predetermined paths that you select. For combat, you have to hold R to enter a first person mode, and then use the L button to scan for enemies to make them visible. Strange controls for a strange game, but it really clicked with me for some reason.

 

[Waluijob]

Early Nintendo DS: The Thread

 

[ngpdrew]

Do we count the Mega Man Anniversary Collection for Gamecube that mapped jump to B?

I have no idea how I finished both 1 and 2 with that setup.

 

[excelsior]

Another one I forgot is one of Nintendo of Japans Club Nintendo exclusive games for DS - Zekkyo Senshi Sakebrain. I picked this up in Akihabara and haven't been able to play it because it's exclusively multiplayer. What's unusual about the controls is that it works on voice input. You have to say move names into the microphone and they will be performed on screen.

 

[Sheldon]

Yeah, this is pretty much the Wii and DS thread.

I'm not ready to write my dissertation on Pro Evolution Soccer and Ayron has already sung their praises, so here's mention to PES Playmaker's little handheld cousin:

Inazuma Eleven

An RPG that has you collect soccer stars like pokemon and overworld battles and story matches against rival teams play out in a sort of mini-RTS on the bottom screen, making full use of stylus touch cotrols. Drag to move. Tap to pass/shoot. And in between you get to use special skills like tackles, volleys, headers or saves whenever players clash that play out like they would in a sports anime.

 

[lightning16]

Killer7 has a pretty strange control scheme. To explore in third person mode, you have to hold down A to run down predetermined paths that you select. For combat, you have to hold R to enter a first person mode, and then use the L button to scan for enemies to make them visible. Strange controls for a strange game, but it really clicked with me for some reason.

This was what I came into the thread to say. My friend just bought me the Steam version and I'm playing with keyboard and mouse and I had to study the controls before playing. It's unconventional enough as it is, but the button prompts are also controller prompts lol. But by the end of the first stage I feel like I've gotten the hang of it and it's a pretty fluid experience. I'm still getting used to the game in many ways but it feels like you can pretty quickly go in and out of first person mode and change directions on a dime. Definitely something you have to adjust to, though.

 

[Krvavi Abadas]

This Formula One game for the ZX Spectrum, released in 1984. Reportedly included a "steering wheel".

This would be a big deal, being the first such peripheral (predating the Thrustmaster line by over a decade.) released, but in actuality. It's merely a yellow Plastic Circle you'd slide over the top row of keys.
(I can't find an image of this for some reason)

Notably, the developers were actually investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department. Though not for false advertising specifically, rather, it appears they initially didn't even bother sending the game out to people who went and bought a copy (with "steering wheel") through the numerous magazine ads that got printed.

(Your Computer Vol. 4 No. 6)​

Presumably in an attempt to hide the fact they didn't have a proper steering wheel.

Unsurprisingly, this was the only game Spirit Software ever made. The rights to it were eventually picked up by Mastertronic a year later, and their version didn't include the "steering wheel".
Though it did still include instructions on how to simulate the feature. Using a "sellotape tin or similar object".

Steering wheel - Use a sellotape tin or similar object, about 4 1/2" in
diameter and 1" deep, hold it at the top and position it at the centre of top
row of keys so that it nestles against the ridge at the back. Roll it to the
left or right with moderate pressure to steer. To begin with, a rocking
motion on the wheel may help get the feel of the car.

 

[Lant_War]

Inertial Drift!

You use the left stick to steer, and the right stick to drift. Each car handles completely differently too so you'll need to get used to like 10 drifting styles if you wanna master the game.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

Every single Smash game.

 

[Yzz]

Divekick is a fighting game that is played with two buttons.

Also honorable mention to that Street Fighter 1 cabinet where the level of your kicks/punches depends on how hard you push the button.

 

[pokeDrago]

Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll was a monkey ball game controlled with the Wii Balance Board and it honestly kinda might be one of my favorite games in the series (tough competition, i know)

Playing standing up is kind of a mess but I saw someone suggest playing it while sitting down and just using your feet to play and it is an experience unlike any other and legitimately fun as hell. Only real downside is that the level design keeps it pretty simple due to having to accommodate for such a control scheme until the final worlds start to ramp it up a bit, and there arent too many levels to begin with, but the pure act of playing it makes up for it. (also helps that the game is like 5 bucks used lol)

It's like the closest a video game has come to feeling like driving a car, if that makes any sense at all. It's really weird and probably not for everyone but I really, really dug it.

Also has a 10/10 soundtrack that had the genius idea of adding more instruments the further you get through the world which every monkey ball game should incorporate

 

[Aostia82]

I loved PES Playmaker on the Wii!

 

[Lichtsang]

Another thread where I can name Donkey Kong Jungle Beat!

Such an underappreciated gem! Loved it so much when I was younger. Playing with the bongos was really fun and the boss fights were really cool.

 

[excelsior]

Such an underappreciated gem! Loved it so much when I was younger. Playing with the bongos was really fun and the boss fights were really cool.

At least it's pretty clear Nintendo regarded it well considering the team is now one of Nintendo's most prominent. As for the game itself, I was really impressed with how well they managed to incorporate scrolling style platform gameplay of Country, along with the characters score attack routes whilst at the same time adding the new element of rhythm. Replaying the levels to improve your score to the point of perfection really showed how well they were thought out as there is never any dead space in the game and every moment of gameplay flowed together perfectly.

 

[PlatinumClover]

I love, love, love games with different, weird and even cumbersome control schemes. Mega Man 64, God Hand, all the tank control Resident Evils, Killer7, Kid Icarus Uprising, Typing of the Dead, Star Fox Zero, Ivy The Kiwi. Love them.

I know it's a bit out there, and not really a control scheme as it's a rhythm game, but I love how Ouendan plays.

There's a Brazilian indie game called Dandara which fits the bill. It's a Metroidvania where you can just move by jumping on the walls. It's unusual to say the least.

I have always heard about Gunvalkyrie on the first Xbox, but never played it. Has anyone here ever played Rodea The Sky Soldier on the Wii?

Edit: oh, I forgot Flower on the PS3. Love that game.

 

[Tendo]

Steel Battalion. What a wonderful monstrosity.

 

[Puruzi]

The World Ends With You DS

 

[JazzPotatoes]

Super Mario 64.

The controls were so unconventional they had to give the camera buttons their own separate character so that new players would understand the concept of a independently moving camera.

Fortunately enough though, the controls worked so well they ended up becoming the de facto standard for third person games.