3DS producer explains new Tag Mode, confirms final hardware shape

@Loucetios

Why do you need another analog stick? You have a touchscreen... and it's a way better control layout for games like FPS.

The lower screen acts like a mouse pad... left analog stick acts as the WASD keys, and you shoot with the L button. It emulates the keyboard + pretty well. All the action happens in the upper 3D screen.

Here is a video showing how FPS games work on the DS... I don't know why a lot of people still thinks that FPS on the DS works by tapping the screen where you want to shoot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ4G4ob7n5Q

@FernandoRocker

Well on the 3DS it seems the touch screen got smaller and to me holding a stylus while using the analog nub and trying to push L/R seems like a lot to go on when using the face buttons would be the simplier solution

@Loucetios

The 3DS touchscreen is a little bit bigger (and higher resolution) than the one used the DS Lite, and the control layout works very well.

It's far more precise and faster than dual analog sticks.

@Loucetios Touchscreen+Gyroscope= No second analog needed!

Sure it would be nice, but with all this functionality built in already, I'm not sure we'll miss it. It was a huge pain on the PSP because we didn't have a lot of options, but with the 3DS we can have Wii/PC like accuracy on the go!

@NaeemTHM

I still don't buy it unless I get my hands on with the thing, shooting with the left button is very odd to 99% of all gamers as even on the wii shooting is done with the right hand, if you guys are right then you're asking everyone to start using their left for both movement and shooting which to me, is very odd way of playing, especially on a handheld

@Loucetios

But it's not something new... all FPS games on the DS works like that: Metroid Prime: Hunters, Dementium 1, Dementium 2, C.O.R.E., Moon, Call of Duty games, etc...

And it works fine.

@Loucetios

I only wish the 3DS would be the size of the DSiXL....

Guess I'll wait for the 3DSXL

@Loucetios

It sounds weird, yeah, but it works just fine. It's not like you have to hold the thing differently than you normally would, just press L to fire instead of R. And touchscreen aiming is definitely better than a second analog stick.

@FernandoRocker
Do you seriously think that touchscreen control for a FPS is better than a second analog?
I'll admit that the thumb strap for Metroid DS worked very well, but it also scratched the touch screen a lot.
Also, I can't stand trying to use a stylus to aim

@Brodo

It isn't perfect by any means, but I liked the amount of precision I got with it.

@Loucetios

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@FernandoRocker

Sigh.
Yes, touchscreen is great for FPS, but in games like Zelda a seconds stick for camera control is always good.

@Esposch

I was thinking of an alternative control scheme... What if you aim/move the camera with the Analog stick and walk with the ABYX (as in forward, backward, strafing) and shoot with the L button??

It could work... Of course i'll always prefer touchscreen, i don't know how people don't get it down by now :P

Can we grow up and stop downvoting people because they have different opinions then you? Can you all please stop acting like children? Is that possible?

@MrMouthy . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . ,.-‘”. . . . . . . . . .``~.,
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No way. A black matte background keeps your eyes focused on the screen. Much like a movie theatre.

Any other color (or even white) around the screen is distracting to the eyes. All vision is light-based, and black is the absence of light. It's a physics thing, not just a design aspect.

I have always bought the black versions of handhelds because of that. Now I may consider the colored options since the screen will still be surrounded by black.

@Elranzer

The black around the screen is there so you can be focused on the screen.

@Elranzer
Professional colour-balanced monitors have dark grey bezels instead of black. Don't know if there is any scientific basis for this, or it's just an attempt to make it look more expensive...

I think the glossiness is more of a problem than the colour when it comes to distraction - and the black on 3DS looks pretty glossy. :(

@Uncontrol

Exactly what i was thinking. How are you supposed to use that?!

@Uncontrol

Pretty useful to select different weapons or things like that.

@Uncontrol Not too far off from a 360 controller setup. Perhaps just a bit less ergonomic since you don't have the diagonal towards where the thumb will go, but it should not be a huge problem.

@FernandoRocker

I'll bet that the exact details of the online system remain a secret until a final launch date is announced.

@Mr Khan

I hope they don't blow it when it comes to online :(

But... with all the good packed in to the 3DS I believe...

I want to believe...

@ShadowXIII Yeah, i can't stress this enough. Region unlocked is the way to go. And i hope they seriously add a proper charger (a la PSP) that works everywhere in the world, unlike the one that came with my DS that only works in 220 V. I mean, its a portable thing, do they only want it to be portable in certain voltage zones? Puhlease!

@MK4512

Agreed! It just looks a bit silly as it is.

@MK4512 Symmetry?

"A part of me that loves symmetry."

@Gashlycrumb It's a great feature in places like Japan where there's dense population centers w/ plenty of opportunities to connect w/ players in this way... too bad in the states we don't have as many times that happens.

Guess on the upside, like you said, it'll promote people to bring these to events , vacations etc. I'm sure they could implement this online but that probably won't get the effect they're going after.

@Spoof Meister
I wanna get this so badly! but I'm afraid it'll be too expensive in the beginning :(

@GreenElf i defintely agree...that totally boggled me when I first saw that....

@GreenElf
Agree they don't look great, but I presume those buttons won't really be used during gameplay - I mean how often do you pause compared to, say, pressing A. It'll probably be okay.

IMO the system is a bit ugly compared to DS Lite, which is unfortunate, but let's face it that isn't going to stop me buying it (and at least it isn't as ugly as the Phat was).

@holla06

Yeah. I can't decide if it looks retro or just dated. Plus the Oreo color scheme makes it appear chunkier.

@Ninbrendo yes! dated is exatly the word! it looks like it could have come out with the DSphat! like they went bk in time on their designs!

@holla06 *exactly