Can't memorize the buttons!

[ZeroAX]

because the a button should be at the bottom.

Why is that?

Also

http://gangles.ca/2008/09/16/a-brief-history-of-a-b/

[Limewater]

you guys are talking about 4 button controllers! Sega had 6 button controllers before the dreamcast. try memorizing layouts back then!

Yeah, but at the time you generally didn't have to quickly refer to the labels on the controller layout. You got into a game and the "jump" button stayed the "jump" button the whole damn time. The "punch" button was always the "punch" button. You didn't spend ten hours pounding the action assignments into your head only to have the game suddenly freeze and a message pop up that said, "Press button X within 0.8 seconds or you character will die!"

[neilencio]

you guys are talking about 4 button controllers! Sega had 6 button controllers before the dreamcast. try memorizing layouts back then!

Yeah, but at the time you generally didn't have to quickly refer to the labels on the controller layout. You got into a game and the "jump" button stayed the "jump" button the whole damn time. The "punch" button was always the "punch" button. You didn't spend ten hours pounding the action assignments into your head only to have the game suddenly freeze and a message pop up that said, "Press button X within 0.8 seconds or you character will die!"

So true. It's also annoying that QTEs were supposed to look cool and all, but you'll be too busy looking at the prompts to pay attention to what's happening in the game itself. Or worse, what's happening in the game engine is going to distract you and mess up your button presses.

[Hobie-wan]

Stick a post-it with a diagram on the top of your TV.

[Limewater]

Stick a post-it with a diagram on the top of your TV.

I used a quarter on top of my television set to keep track of my character when he was above the top of the screen in M.C. Kids.

[Original_Name]

I've NEVER been able to get used to the fact that the Super Nintendo's controller reads B-A instead of A-B, actually. How counter-intuitive is that for a westerner?

[Hobie-wan]

I've NEVER been able to get used to the fact that the Super Nintendo's controller reads B-A instead of A-B, actually. How counter-intuitive is that for a westerner?

You didn't play NES at all, which was the same way?

[Original_Name]

Well, my first system was a Genesis, and I didn't start going backwards through consoles until much later. I've played on an NES on several occasions by now, obviously, but the conversation was about the B-A, Y-X configuration of the SNES pad versus A-B, X-Y which I find far more intuitive. It makes perfect sense that people got used to the SNES configuration, but having not grown up with it, I find that the "reversed" letters make me second-guess myself. It makes sense for Nintendo to have done that though, since the Japanese read right to left.

[Limewater]

It makes perfect sense that people got used to the SNES configuration, but having not grown up with it, I find that the "reversed" letters make me second-guess myself. It makes sense for Nintendo to have done that though, since the Japanese read right to left.

That's funny, because until the advent of QTE's, I never gave button labels a second thought. The button on the left was shoot and run, and button on the right was jump. I always just associate a button with what action it performs in a game. If I need to jump over something, I press "jump," darn it! I don't think, "oh, I need to hit the 'A' button," or, "oh, I need to his 'X'."

That works all the darn time, except during stupid quick-time events.

[ProfessorK]

It makes perfect sense that people got used to the SNES configuration, but having not grown up with it, I find that the "reversed" letters make me second-guess myself. It makes sense for Nintendo to have done that though, since the Japanese read right to left.

That's funny, because until the advent of QTE's, I never gave button labels a second thought. The button on the left was shoot and run, and button on the right was jump. I always just associate a button with what action it performs in a game. If I need to jump over something, I press "jump," darn it! I don't think, "oh, I need to hit the 'A' button," or, "oh, I need to his 'X'."

That works all the darn time, except during stupid quick-time events.

I'm the exact same way. Whenever someone wants to try my game out and they ask "what button do I hit for this?" I either shrug and say "Don't know, try some" or i have to hold the controller, hit the button, leave my finger on it and look down to see which one it was.