Nintendo Defends Kid Icarus Controls

The man at the helm of the ambitious and – for the most part – crticially acclaimed 3DS title Kid Icarus: Uprising says that if you are annoyed at the game's control mechanic, then you're playing it wrong. He didn't quite use that level of derision (this isn't Apple, after all), but he did provide tips to alleviate the frustration that has been the source of one of the biggest complaints of the game.

Many reviews of the title point a critical finger at the way that users need to use the 3DS's Circle Pad to move around, while using the stylus to aim shots. In a recent interview with IGN, game creator Masahiro Sakurai said that, obviously, the controls took a long time to develop and perfect, and it made the choice to have one universal control scheme so that multiplayer challenges were fair and that the development team could optimize the experience.

"If a player used to touch screen-based aiming played against someone used to right-analog control, the first player would probably dominate. The speed is on a whole different level," he justified. The problem with the controls as they are, though, is that many gamers are experience sore hands. Sakurai says if that is the case, "you're applying too much force. Try to relax and work on building a rhythm to your control. Place the pen in the middle of the touch screen; when you're flicking it, take the pen off the screen as you're sweeping with it, and stop right there," he explained. He hopes with that bit of advice, everyone can have a good Kid Icarus experience.

[via IGN]