When I played Rockstar's Table Tennis at PAX, I had a really difficult time seeing the relation between my actions and what was happening on the screen. Sure, if I moved the Wiimote, the paddle would move (most of the time), but the direction or speed of swinging didn't seem to matter as much as the d-pad-based spin controls (which mattered in that they made the ball a different color). I kind of assumed that the game really didn't take the specifics of my motions in account, rather using the swing as a trigger for a canned "swing" action.
Apparently, that's not true. Rockstar sent Wired's Chris Kohler details about the control schemes, and apparently your Wiimote movements do affect your shots like you would expect; as in, you can actually aim your swing and position the ball. This is true even in the mode in which ball placement is mapped to the joystick. In fact, the Wiimote controls are the same in all three control schemes, meaning that it would be fairly easy to try the others once you've gotten used to one. I like that; it adds a little bit of choice and replayability to the game.
At this point, I feel like my problems with the controls may be partially due to their newness and to the venue in which I was introduced to them. I'm not entirely convinced that they aren't just nuts, but I'm at least interested in giving the game another chance in a location that isn't full of the din of hundreds of World of Warcraft CCG games and virtuoso Rock Band performances.
Reader Comments (4)
Posted: Aug 29th 2007 10:12AM (Unverified) said
Real ping pong is less complicated.
Posted: Aug 29th 2007 10:36AM (Unverified) said
I really like this wave of simple to complex motion controls for the Wii. I guess it goes along with this whole casual mess we're going through. But I appreciate the fact that I would be able to play a game with my grandmother while still using a complex motion scheme for myself.
Posted: Aug 29th 2007 11:42AM (Unverified) said
Call me a purest, but isn't all this button pushing suppose to be replaced by real motion? Isn't that the real value of Wii? It is to me.
The Sports games demonstrate this in a big way. I can put spin on the ball when playing tennis a bunch of different ways.
The Sports games demonstrate this in a big way. I can put spin on the ball when playing tennis a bunch of different ways.
Posted: Aug 29th 2007 2:57PM (Unverified) said
James: I disagree. Ping Pong can be a very complex game. Try playing against somebody who actually knows how to play and you'll see what I mean.
Joe: I agree. What's the point of holding a button to put spin or something like that. That's what the motion controls should be for. I could see using the joystick on the nunchuck to move your character left and right but that's about it.
Joe: I agree. What's the point of holding a button to put spin or something like that. That's what the motion controls should be for. I could see using the joystick on the nunchuck to move your character left and right but that's about it.
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