Wii Warm Up: Button placement

by Alisha Karabinus { Apr 24th 2008 at 9:00AM }

Confession: I have small hands. This means that, over the years, a lot of controllers are just difficult to use. The Dreamcast controller, the first monstrous Xbox controller ... and sometimes, the Wii remote. Yes, the controller that is supposed to be the most user-friendly thing ever is, at times, a little unwieldy. And forget waggle; it's got nothing to do with motion controls. No, it's those pesky little 1 and 2 buttons.

Anyone else have trouble getting to them sometimes? Do you groan whenever you notice a game using them? They just seem hard to reach when you're in the thick of things, unless the controller is turned sideways. Of course, those of you with gigantic man-hands probably don't have any issues at all.

Freaks.

Tags: buttons

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

samfish @ Apr 24th 2008 9:17AM

I have gigantic man-hands (so I can grip my gigantic man-pen– what? Huh? oh.), and I still have trouble getting to the 1 and 2 buttons. Major PITA and hand cramps to boot.

Ideally, Nintendo should've widened the Wiimote by 1/4 of an inch and made the 1 and 2 buttons kidney shaped, like on the GC controller.
It would've also probably been a smart idea to make the D-pad a very short analog stick instead (with the ability to click in certain directions if you push it hard enough, thus making it still feel like a d-Pad sort of) since so many games seem to use it as camera control anyway.

James @ Apr 24th 2008 9:32AM

I have pretty big hands, and I just resign myself to repositioning my hand to press those buttons when I need them. Fortunately, most games treat them with the same caution reserved for Start/Select on last-gen controllers -- I have yet to see one where they're used for any *common* actions. That said, I wouldn't mind having easier access to them.

What might bug me more, come to think of it, is the positioning of +/-. Some games use those fairly frequently (I'm thinking of MP3:C), yet they require some thumb-joint-swiveling to reach and you have to be careful not to hit the home button (though that's thankfully recessed a little). I would have been happy to see a total of 3 buttons where A currently resides, as samfish suggested, though I'd move +/- and leave 1/2 alone (and largely unused), so that you could still hold the thing like an NES controller when needed.

Mike D @ Apr 24th 2008 9:40AM

Madden uses it for strip ball. So pretty much I dont strip the ball...

Joe Cart @ Apr 24th 2008 1:44PM

@ MikeD

Yeah bro, I feel your pain. Bad thing is, the game doesnt let u adjust the buttons, so trying to strip the ball carrier is a pain in the neck. They better adjust that for 09

Nigeria - MK: 0430-8491-9123 @ Apr 24th 2008 9:42AM

The d-pad needs to be a little bigger - at least matching the size of the DS Lite d-pad. And if they could smoothen out the corners that'd be great. Currently, the d-pad is well too sharp. My thumb always comes away with a pinkish-glow after using it for a sustained amount of time.

Also, it'd be nice if the home button doubled up as a real pause button - though I know this is rather unlikely. Most games use +, but it's a bit hard to reach. I don't have massive man hands to boast of. They're man hands, just not massive.

Co @ Apr 24th 2008 11:07AM

I gotta say I dont like the d-pad on the DS Lite. It's too loose and plasticy. The D-Pads on the Wiimoite and Classic Controller feel more soft, fit and solid.

Nigeria - MK: 0430-8491-9123 @ Apr 24th 2008 12:08PM

Yeah you're right Co, I meant the Classic Controller. I have no idea why I mentioned the DS there. The DS d-pad is rather poor.

On the other hand, the classic controller has an awesome d-pad. My second favourite ever; after the Saturn pad.

Dreganfyre @ Apr 24th 2008 9:59AM

Mmmm, I agree. Another couple buttons beside the A button would be very handy... 1 and 2 need to stay where they are for those times when the remote gets turned sideways... But what ever happened to X and Y?? :(

Then Smash Bros could be played with the Wiimote with ease... Twilight Princess could have an optional button press instead of waggle...

TheCoats @ Apr 24th 2008 10:23AM

1 and 2 dont bother me as much as the + button. i always somehow manage to press it while getting really into brawl mainly when i do a B up move......that ticks me off

Neal Eaton @ Apr 24th 2008 10:38AM

I also have large hands, and I find that *occasionally* I have issues trying to get to the 1 & 2 Buttons. But I can't recall any games that use those too much.

My wish list for revisions: slightly larger d-pad w/slightly more rounded edges, a little wider & thicker controller (just a smidge larger - like Samfish says), and cord free nunchucks (this one is not that big of a deal to me, though).

I DON'T wish for the remote to go up in weight or lose the perfect weight balance it now has.

I find that playing in 'classic' 2 handed horizontal style actually gives me cramps worse than using like a pointer. The added thickness would help with that, I am sure.

CJLopez @ Apr 24th 2008 12:55PM

Cord free nunchuck? hadn't you seen the Nyko wireless nunchucks, there even was a post here on wiifanboy recently

http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/a-rainbow-of-nunchuks/

Oneiroi @ Apr 24th 2008 10:34AM

Now that I'm looking at the picture, I'm completely at odds at why they designed it this way.

Why not put the - Home + at the bottom and move the 1 and 2's where you can actually reach them? Or move the speaker? Something...

Sonic_13 @ Apr 24th 2008 10:40AM

I don't have big hands, but I have no problem moving my thumb from the a button to the 1 and 2 buttons, without changing my grip.

If need be, I can also just press them with my other hand.

vidGuy @ Apr 24th 2008 11:05AM

I have absolutely no problem with the remote's buttons. While the 1 and 2 buttons aren't EASY to get to, they are rarely used and my thumb doesn't have a problem getting to them.

Seraph @ Apr 24th 2008 11:09AM

Just learn to hit them with the palm of your thumb. Thats what I do.

SoshiKitai @ Apr 24th 2008 11:13AM

I have normal sized hands... But I remember when I first started using the Wiimote, I had to use my other hand to press the 1 or 2 button (which meant the possibility of dropping the nunchuk)...

Nowadays, I can press it... but I practically have to dislodge my thumb to press it quickly.

If I'm in a show-off mood, I just slightly toss it in the air and quickly press 1 or 2 and catch it back to its normal position....
But no one likes a show-off, so I don't do that in multiplayer games. :P

CreepersCreek @ Apr 24th 2008 11:24AM

I have a friend that is a big Zelda fan, but she has to play the Gamecube version because she is missing some fingers. I've never felt so awful for her. In any case, at least Nintendo is supporting alternative controllers (like in Brawl and Kart). I hope other game developers consider those people who aren't able to reach those 1 and 2 buttons.

Chris @ Apr 24th 2008 9:14PM

the only thing that really bothers me is that they're called "1" and "2" instead of "X" and "Y".

CJLopez @ Apr 24th 2008 12:52PM

Fault at the pretty big man hands, and so, i don't have much of a problem reaching the 1 and 2 buttons, while playing No More Heroes or Zelda:TP. I did like the design, it's pretty original, but it's a shame not everybody can adapt to it

Nica @ Apr 24th 2008 3:18PM

it's not a problem so long as i don't need to reach for it mid action, but i have pretty big hands and i've gotten used to it. the -/+ never give me any trouble. it would be nice if the A button weren't so lonely though...

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Apr 24th 2008 3:19PM

The buttons don't bother me as much as the needless waggle.

Sean @ Apr 24th 2008 4:04PM

I don't understand why so many crazies complain that they can't reach the 1 and 2 buttons. The solution is so simple; stop using your right hand to stretch down and reach them! Presumably, at least, you have two hands, and your left is free to grab wherever. Even if you're holding the nunchuk in your left, it's easy to position it near the bottom of the Remote when you know you're going to need to press the 1 and 2 buttons. It's just like pressing the d-pad on a 360 controller - you just take your thumb off the analog stick for a second.

Croove55 @ Apr 24th 2008 7:02PM

Yeah, using the map and changing the camera in Okami is a bit of a pain. I can do it on the fly, no problem, it's just a bit odd using a map for navigation when you have to contort your hand for a few seconds to hold the button.

The obvious solution, of course, it to rub cancer-inducing sludge on my wrist until I grow a tumor, which, with any luck, will grow two vestigial fingers before it kills me.