I'm going to make a prediction... In a few months when PSO Episode I&II is released there is going to be one topic that dominates forums everywhere. Namely the keyboard controller.
First off, for those that haven't had a good look at it yet (most of the pictures I've seen are tiny, or only show it from the top) I've scanned a decent sized image of it from the back of the packaging it came in. To view it go to:
http://www.sisqua.com/jessica/keyboard_controller.jpg
So far I've met 4 English speaking players on the trial. Guess what the first comment is? No, it's not "have you tried one of the new classes", or "what do you think of the swamp level". Every time, it's "How are you getting on with the little keyboard thing". And opinions are varied.
Dimensions
This is no full size keyboard. I would say it's about 2/3rds the size of the normal PC keyboard with very little gap in between the keys themselves.
As you will see from my scan, it's also a bit of a fatboy. It's not flat like the keyboards we're used to, but is actually quite deep with a rounded base. This does however help to give it a solid feel.
Holding it
Inevitably the keyboard controller is heavier than a standard GCN controller. This means that you aren't going to be holding it in the air for very long. Resting it on your legs is pretty much the only way to use it for a prolonged period of time (it feels quite light at first, but your arms soon start to tire).
The strangest thing is the position of your hands. You're holding something that feels very much like a standard controller (the handles and button positions are identical as if they'd chopped one in half) but your hands are actually some distance apart. This feels quite odd at first and takes a bit of getting used to. My arms did start to ache a little after a few hours which doesn't normally happen with a standard controller.
On the positive side, the nice smooth edges of the handles and buttons mean that callouses and sore spots on your fingers are a lot less common than was the case with the DC controller. For some reason, my hands also seem to get less sweaty than they did with the DC pad.
In Play
I'm a pretty speedy touch-typist (about 80 words per minute on a regular keyboard) and have used this thing for about 10 hours now. I'm finding I still have trouble locating the letters I want and usually end up hitting the backspace key as often as I hit letter keys to correct numerous mistakes.
One of the things I am finding most difficult is navigating menus whilst on the run. The use of the Z button as an alternative to the start button for bringing up menus is a big bonus and helps a lot. But moving through the map whilst simultaneously navigating menus (pretty much essential at times for Time Attack Challenge Mode players) is tough. This is primarily because you have to use the main stick (on the left) for running and the secondary stick (on the right) for moving up and down menus. Coordinating your hands to control two totally independent sticks at the same time takes some learning.
Additionally to type anything like a short message requires you to completely stop, rest the keyboard on your legs and type as per normal. Don't think you're going to be able to type on the run with your fancy new controller - it just isn't practical. You'd need at least 3 or maybe 4 hands.
The other thing that is slightly odd, is the choice Sonic Team has made with regard to the shortcut buttons. Your shortcuts are the B,A and X buttons. This just doesn't feel right. They are 3 totally different buttons that weren't really designed to work in unison. I would suggest that it would have been far more sensible to use the A,X and Y buttons (the main button plus the two half buttons) as these are designed so that you can keep your thumb on the main A button and then justy slide it forward to access the other two.
Conclusion
At first sight, this device seems like a fantastic idea. As I'm slowly getting used to it, I'm beginning to appreciate the advantages of it over a separate keyboard and GCN controller. However I can't help feeling that with the larger hand size of western players (when compared to Japanese players), either SEGA is going to need to sort out a full size keyboard for US and EU release or else a third-party company is going to clean-up by providing one.
M.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mindshare on 2002-06-06 04:28 ]</font>
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