An Angry Look At the Accent Core Wii Controls
Okay. Before I go on the upcoming rant, I understand that Guilty Gear Accent Core for the Nintendo Wii has not ruined anything technically. For all of the purist out there (and I consider myself one of them), Accent Core features a completely traditional control style for use with the Classic Controller (or the Gamecube controller - which I don't recommend). The Nintendo Wii is also receiving a Hori Fighting Stick sometime in August. These should be the only ways that you play this game. Period.
Am I just being a difficult traditionalist who is refusing to see the light of motion controls in a fighting game? Perhaps, but only if you thought Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO was a good idea.
Before I preface into how exactly the game controls, I find it extremely funny that in nearly all of the promotions for the game (including the manual) Arc System Works has recommended the use of the Classic Controller or the Gamecube Controller. The Wii Remote and the Nunchuck seems to be the red headed step child of Accent Core control schemes. A necessary evil, but one that you would much rather be done with and ignore than to let see the light of day.
But I gave it a chance. I promise I did.
When I first picked up the game after using my Classic Controller for a few rounds of Axl on Bridget action, I immediately set the Classic Controller aside to give the Wii Remote and Nunchuck a fair shake. "How bad can it really be?" I thought to myself, unknowing of the can of worms I was about to open up. For those who haven't read up on how the Wii Remote and Nunchuck works in Accent Core for the Wii, let me give you a run down:
Nunchuck
* Analog stick - Responsible for movement
* C Button - Hold the button and perform a shake with either the Nunchuck or the Remote to do a special move
* Z Button - Same as C, but features different moves
* If you shake the Nunchuck quickly without holding a C Button or Z Button, you perform punch
* If you shake the Nunchuk strongly without holding a C Button or Z button, you perform a kick
Remote
* D-Pad Left - Punch
* D-Pad Right - High Slash
* D-Pad Up - Slash
* D-Pad Down - Kick
* A Button - Dust
* B Button - Force Break
* 1 - Taunting
* 2 - Respect
Yeah... It really is as convoluted as it seems.
Essentially with the addition of an easy input and easy False Roman Cancel input mode, any sort of timing is thrown out the window in a mess of shakes, twirls, and hops, while you try to get your character to perform exactly like you want it to. These controls are not just an issue of essentially "dumbing" down the game for the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, but they also successfully take almost all of the skill out of the Guilty Gear engine and replace it with a haphazardly tacked on series of waggles and obscenely unergonomic button presses to perform moves that on a Classic Controller are second nature.
Furthermore, they are badly implemented. There is a bit of a lag in response while trying to use specific moves, meaning that while you may be attempting to Cancel out of a maneuver to continue a chain, you end up trying to perform a Kick and end up eating a 27 hit combo from someone smart enough not to be using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck.
This is probably one of major issues with the Nintendo Wii as a whole. The system's primary control function is inherently difficult to program certain genres for. Attempts to do so are often left in a mess, with developers forced to use alternative control methods such as the Classic Controller as the control method of choice for their Wii games. Nintendo may be ushering in a new era of motion controlled game play, but if this sort of game play is the future, I'm not sure if I'm ready for it yet.
But I digress.
Guilty Gear Accent Core's Nunchuck and Wii Remote control stylings are bad. It is essentially taking the worst parts about Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO and redressing it for the Wii console. If you are a gamer who feels that one flick Shoryukens are a good thing, you are going to feel that Accent Core's controls are right up your aisle.
The gameplay in Accent Core for the Wii while using these control methods however is broken to the point of unplayability.
And this is the real shame of the situation.
Guilty Gear Accent Core for the Wii is a strong port that features several fixes over the PS2 version. However, it is held back by the fact that the Wii Remote and Nunchuck control option is out of the box unpractical for fighting game fans. For people wanting to purchase this game, the price has essentially increased $20 so that you can own a Classic Controller. There are other uses for it of course, but for a series that already has a niche following, this is a good way to alienate fans and to ensure that they will not be encouraged to move away from their comfortable PS2 in order to try out something new.