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In reading an interview with Masahiro Sakurai (Kirby, Super Smash Bros.) on Wired.com's GameLife, one of my fears about the design of Nintendo’s forthcoming portable, the 3DS, was realized. Sakurai describes the controls for Kid Icarus: Uprising: “The controls are really boiled down to three separate devices on the 3DS: The slide pad for movement, the L button for shooting and the touch panel for aiming.” The slide pad is operated with the left thumb and the stylus is held in the right hand. The problem with this is, I’m left handed.
On the original DS, handedness wasn’t an issue because of its symmetry. On the left and right of the DS were five points of digital input: the left shoulder button and the D-pad or the right shoulder button and face buttons. This made games like Metroid Prime Hunters, a game with movement by buttons and aiming by the touch screen, playable no matter the handedness of the player. In contrast, the design of the 3DS is asymmetrical, with the analog slide pad only being on the left side of the device.
It seems in the case of Kid Icarus: Uprising, having left handed players just give up analog control isn’t an option as gestures are a part of the controls. Sakurai mentions there is “a flick motion to quickly turn” and there is also “a stronger ‘smash’ attack by flicking on the stick.”
As for other possible work arounds, since the 3DS still uses a resistive touch screen instead of a capacitive one (think iPhone), bare finger use isn’t a practical option. Resistive touch screens don’t respond very well to finger presses, especially when the finger must be slid. It could mean the return of the thumb stylus but even that, in my experience with it, didn’t work as well as a traditional stylus (and seems more prone to scratching screens).
Trying to use a stylus in my right hand is an uncomfortable, awkward, and somewhat shaky experience for me, and I’m sure for others as well. This might be something that I improve at over time or with more use but the asymmetrical design of the 3DS should have been a foreseen flaw from the start. It doesn’t make sense for a company so focused on inclusive gaming to overlook such a simple and crucial boundary.
Comments
14 years, 4 months ago
Couldn't they just add a second slider on the bottom right of the 3DS to alleviate this? Slap the power button somewhere else like the left side or something. If you add a slider on the top left and one on the bottom right of the sides it will resemble a GC/360 controllers layout. Just make the right slider just a little bit smaller.
14 years, 4 months ago
Fail...
14 years, 4 months ago
Wow, that's pretty messed up.
Sounds like Nintendo just took a steaming dump in the mouths of all their left-handed fans.
14 years, 4 months ago
Hmm I never thought how the 3Ds would affect left handed people. Dang nintendo has left you out to dry School..
14 years, 4 months ago
That's ridiculous.
I thought it was generally accepted that about 1 in 10 people were left handed. That's quite a lot of people when you think about it... You done wrong, Nintendo.
14 years, 4 months ago
IMO I think that Nintendo should make a a left handed and a right handed 3DS. Might cost a bit more. But in the end more people will be happy.
-Alex
14 years, 4 months ago
They probably figure since we're already going straight to hell we might as well not have any fun while we're here.
14 years, 4 months ago
Damnit, Nintendo. Im left-handed.
Also railTracer90, that is impossible considering the internal work done on the inside. Like posted above, the best option is to make a left-handed 3DS.
14 years, 4 months ago
I am left handed as well, I'm going to get off my chair, open up the window, and yell "I'M MAD AS HELL! AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!!"
Then I'll probably go cry in a corner and wish I was ambidextrous. The DS Lite always pissed me off since they put the stylus holder on the right side so everytime I wanted to pop it out, I had to pull it out with my right hand, let go with my left and grab it, then grab the DS again with my broken pinky and ring finger. Doesn't seem so bad I know, but after the 40th time, it gets old FAST.
But this is just the icing on the cake of rage for me.
14 years, 4 months ago
As a lefty this is the first thought that entered my mind upon debut of the 3DS. I love the handheld and am very excited for it but everyone complained when the PSP only had one analog nub yet this is the first article on the internet even addressing the fact that the 3DS only has one and its an even bigger problem since the 3DS requires touch screen input that I can't/refuse to do with my right hand whereas the PSP worked fine for both left and right handers, we just would have preferred to have 2 sticks instead of 1.
2 sticks on a PSP = kinda cool
2 sticks on a 3DS = absofuckinlutely necessary.
14 years, 4 months ago
Button + touch screen controls suck regardless of dexterity. Even Star Fox Command (touch screen for everything, except shooting which is mapped to all of the buttons) had my left hand cramping up often.
Still, I could flick a stylus with my non-dominant hand. Even if it wasn't percise enough, I'd get used to it and commit the proper motions to muscle memory like learning to use two analog sticks simulataneously.
14 years, 4 months ago
dude thats kinda suckish especially if your left handed(im not)
14 years, 4 months ago
screw the stylus, lets look into the future people... mind control :o
14 years, 4 months ago
as nice as a left handed 3ds would be, it would just be a huge hassle.
sure, it would better if a lefty such as myself were able to have a little more control over the games i'm playing, but honestly i'm so used to the right handed controls that it wouldn't make a difference in my experience at all. although despite my above tirade, i have to agree i would prefer a capacitive touch screen. would that be as difficult to change?
14 years, 4 months ago
Being left handed I am really starting to get pissed off at Nintendo. First Skyward Sword and now this! Nintendo really needs to get there head out of there asses and start thinking more about their fans than how much money their gonna make.
14 years, 4 months ago
Holy oops. Well, at least they tried....A for Affort!
14 years, 4 months ago
I am also left handed and I also have this concern. I noticed it right when it was shown to have a slider stick.
I am hoping (but doubting) that the ABXY can be used instead of the slider, though this is highly unlikely possible for all games, not to mention the disadvantage it puts us at.
Metroid hunters, i excelled with ABXY partally cause they were easier than the Dpad but this is a barrier I just dont think we can overcome
14 years, 4 months ago
With all the sliding from the 3ds where is your hand when adjusting the 3dness of the screen for left handed people it could prove akward kinda like the iphone if you hold it on the bottom right it screws with the reception??
14 years, 4 months ago
Well that is a slap in the face by Nintendo, who knew such a simple thing as handedness could be overlooked. SMH
14 years, 4 months ago
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