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[FK in the Coffee]

I don't usually laud mobile games for their virtual controls, but it blew me away how well Kero Blaster's controls worked for the iPhone medium.  For those who have never played, here's a screenshot:



Swiping that "Shoot" triangle in any direction will automatically fire your gun that way, and you can swipe it any way you want at an point.  It works beautifully, and made even the most challenging sections a dream to control.  I never once blamed the controls for my in-game deaths.

Are there any other notable examples of mobile/touch games handling virtual control schemes this well?

[blekdar]

Virtual style?

The Sonic 2 + CD ports by Christian Whitehead work very well. Not perfect, but 9/10 it was my fault when I died. Simplified and you know, they actually worked. Turns out that's worth a lot.

Infinity Blade is probably a prime example of a more complex control system done well. Rides that fine line of simple enough to grasp but deep enough for skill to make a big enough difference.

I'm also very fond of Deep Dungeons of Doom. Simple + skill based.

[s0]

goblin sword goblin sword goblin sword

[bdsowers]

One of the things I hate about these control systems is that they just look hideous. You dedicate so much of your game to UI. And in the process, you lose a lot of in-game real-estate, limiting your designs. I haven't seen one where I wasn't immediately turned off, quality of the controls notwithstanding.

[HopFrog]

I honestly think any handheld device working with these kind of buttons attached to the UI is just lazy design. These devices were not made for games with horrible and uncomfortable buttons covering half of the screen.

[[RM8]]

I honestly think any handheld device working with these kind of buttons attached to the UI is just lazy design. These devices were not made for games with horrible and uncomfortable buttons covering half of the screen.

They really work in this game, though. I bought it on iOS and PC, and I genuinely wouldn't say it plays worse on iOS - so I'd say there's room for games that don't mimic traditional controls, but also games like this one. Also, I don't find the buttons particularly ugly in this game. I actually appreciate when there's a "control areal" instead of having to obscure the game screen with your fingers. Same with Pizza Boy, it really should be the norm IMO:

[Razz]

kero blaster is also a PC game and I never felt like the screen was too small, so I don't really understand the wasted screen space argument (at least when it comes to this game)

[Gorgoo]

I saw a presentation recently on the controls for Warhammer 40,000: Carnage, and downloaded the game to try it out. I'm not sure the game is my thing, but it's a mobile platformer with on-screen controls that is really, surprisingly responsive.



The thing is, you don't technically have to press the buttons to perform an action. Each button is just the visual representation at the center of a slice of screen-space, and pressing anywhere in that sector will perform the action (or sliding your thumb from one to another).

And according to the presentation, the button locations were chosen specifically so your thumb would be in a very different position for each one (extended upward, extended horizontally, or tucked into a corner). That was supposedly an effort to get muscle memory to make up for the touch screen's lack of tactile feedback.


Personally, I was pretty surprised by how well the controls worked. And it's an interesting alternative to the "standard" onscreen control scheme, which puts everything in one horizontal line (and tends, for me, to lead to input mistakes).



That being said, I do also love Kero Blaster's control scheme, and the way it looks and acts like physical switches.

[johnguydude]

I honestly think any handheld device working with these kind of buttons attached to the UI is just lazy design. These devices were not made for games with horrible and uncomfortable buttons covering half of the screen.

I have to agree. I think the best controls for these types of games on mobile are the kinds in Super Hexagon, Punch Quest, and Flappy Bird. The games listed in this thread play less like games designed for smartphones and more like ports of games from other platforms.

[Gorgoo]

I have to agree. I think the best controls for these types of games on mobile are the kinds in Super Hexagon, Punch Quest, and Flappy Bird. The games listed in this thread play less like games designed for smartphones and more like ports of games from other platforms.

Touch screen devices definitely seem more suited to the kinds of control schemes present in those games. But I still think it's worth looking at effective on-screen controllers. There are probably better control schemes out there, but it's still worth trying to get the suboptimal ones right if you're going to use them.

[quantumpotato]

Virtual joysticks drag controls: touch down anywhere, start moving -- the distance and angle away from your touchdown point determines your movement speed & direction. Can do the same for dual stick shooters. Works great, supports lefties, no clutter.