Alien Resurrection is the game often credited with inventing the modern standard for first-person-shooter controls on consoles. But is that actually true? An...
“Schrödinger’s Invent Of Dual Analogue”, kind of yes and no at the same time. It’s not as simple yes or no and depends on the qualifiers the question asks. I personally would tend more towards “Yes”, but its not that cut and clear depending on the view.
Yes, if you ask which game standardized and normalized this kind of controls, as the main control scheme. And No, because there were previous experiments with this kind of control scheme, some very oddly realized (like two controllers) in a non standard way to play the main game. So The Alien Resurrection is an evolution of previous experiments and ideas and did not 100% invent it by its own.
I don’t even remember which one I used. Goddamn it was hard playing that with a Switch controller and not remembering at all in the year of our lord 2025 when I had last played like in the 90’s. Even though I used to be pretty much the best person on the game from eveyone I knew. Granted I wouldn’t say I had a massive difference to my brothers but we ofc had a huge lead on everyone else as we were pretty much the only home with a N64 in the town. We also had 4 controllers. Times have and will never ever be better than sitting with brothers and friends playing Goldeneye or Mario Kart while grandma is making pancakes in the kitchen and occasionally providing commentary. She definitely knew what the Blue Shell does. RIP. <3
I absolutely did not. However I don’t own the Switch, my brother does, and we only reminisced about Goldeneye the once and perhaps I managed to shoot a window in the first level, or perhaps even a guard or two, but no, I didn’t figure out a control scheme.
I’m actually unsure how I played it with N64 in the first place. Did I move from the C-buttons when freeaiming… hmm… I remember at least trying the D-pad setup as well. But I feel like d-pad side wasn’t good because less buttons. Honestly can’t fkin remember. Would need to play with a N64 controller to remember I think. Or perhaps it’s just lost. But I do remember we actually did freeaim and and strafe at the same time, whereas the regular scheme didn’t properly allow for that iirc. (Due to the whole lack of two joysticks)
Also mandatory mention about how shit the N64 joystick was. There were some friends I’d give the good controller to to even out the odds but some weren’t ever allowed near the good ones, because they used way too much force and would’ve shat the good ones as well.
It’s not that long, and I think the nuance is more interesting than a yes or no answer, but @[email protected] 's answer is the shorter, less interesting answer.
perfect dark released earlier in 2000 and offered dual analog controls, but required two controllers for that.
i think alien was longer in development though, so that might boil down to your definition of “did it first” and “did it first on a dual analog controller”, either way it’s definitely one of the firsts.
tl;dw, did it?
“Schrödinger’s Invent Of Dual Analogue”, kind of yes and no at the same time. It’s not as simple yes or no and depends on the qualifiers the question asks. I personally would tend more towards “Yes”, but its not that cut and clear depending on the view.
Yes, if you ask which game standardized and normalized this kind of controls, as the main control scheme. And No, because there were previous experiments with this kind of control scheme, some very oddly realized (like two controllers) in a non standard way to play the main game. So The Alien Resurrection is an evolution of previous experiments and ideas and did not 100% invent it by its own.
Before dual analogu we also had the fucking bizarre control schemes in 007: Goldeneye
https://goldeneye.fandom.com/wiki/Control_style
I don’t even remember which one I used. Goddamn it was hard playing that with a Switch controller and not remembering at all in the year of our lord 2025 when I had last played like in the 90’s. Even though I used to be pretty much the best person on the game from eveyone I knew. Granted I wouldn’t say I had a massive difference to my brothers but we ofc had a huge lead on everyone else as we were pretty much the only home with a N64 in the town. We also had 4 controllers. Times have and will never ever be better than sitting with brothers and friends playing Goldeneye or Mario Kart while grandma is making pancakes in the kitchen and occasionally providing commentary. She definitely knew what the Blue Shell does. RIP. <3
Did you ever figure out a control scheme on Switch that wasn’t absolutely awful? I’ve been trying to replay some childhood classics but I just… can’t…
I absolutely did not. However I don’t own the Switch, my brother does, and we only reminisced about Goldeneye the once and perhaps I managed to shoot a window in the first level, or perhaps even a guard or two, but no, I didn’t figure out a control scheme.
I’m actually unsure how I played it with N64 in the first place. Did I move from the C-buttons when freeaiming… hmm… I remember at least trying the D-pad setup as well. But I feel like d-pad side wasn’t good because less buttons. Honestly can’t fkin remember. Would need to play with a N64 controller to remember I think. Or perhaps it’s just lost. But I do remember we actually did freeaim and and strafe at the same time, whereas the regular scheme didn’t properly allow for that iirc. (Due to the whole lack of two joysticks)
Also mandatory mention about how shit the N64 joystick was. There were some friends I’d give the good controller to to even out the odds but some weren’t ever allowed near the good ones, because they used way too much force and would’ve shat the good ones as well.
It’s not that long, and I think the nuance is more interesting than a yes or no answer, but @[email protected] 's answer is the shorter, less interesting answer.
perfect dark released earlier in 2000 and offered dual analog controls, but required two controllers for that.
i think alien was longer in development though, so that might boil down to your definition of “did it first” and “did it first on a dual analog controller”, either way it’s definitely one of the firsts.
Sponsorblock highlights to the rescue: It gets answered at 13:10 “by his qualifiers: yes”