Entertainment inherently is always looking to push technology forward in a substantial way, but sometimes this progress forward can turn into more of a detriment than a positive, especially with video games. It’s remarkable to look at the complexity and scope of modern video games in comparison to their humble origins, and it can be difficult to determine what changes are natural as opposed to forced mechanics that come across more like tech demos.

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The video game industry has done an impressive job in sticking with the innovations that are actually beneficial to the medium and ditching the ideas that feel like unnatural fads. That being said, motion controls are one area that video games continue to experiment with, both for better and for worse.

10 Were Innovative: The First-Person Shooter Genre

Nintendo metroid-prime-1093

One of the biggest innovations for motion control mechanics in modern gaming is how it’s helped push the shooter genre forward in substantial ways. The biggest schism between those that play shooters on home consoles as opposed to PCs is the difference between mouse controls and a standard controller. Motion controls attempt to present an equalizer here with a streamlined way to take out targets. Titles like Resident Evil 4 or Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Wii represent breakthroughs in this department, but the technology has become even more seamlessly incorporated now.

9 Were Gimmicky: They Overcomplicate Simple Procedures

Glass Joe is fought in the Wii's Punch-Out

It’s important to recognize that viewers aren’t inherently against motion controls, but more so opposed to their incorporation when they don’t belong. The ability to pull off motion controls doesn’t mean that a game needs to implement them, but this can often be the ideology at play. A justified purpose for motion controls isn’t a problem, but what does become frustrating is when simple single-button commands are turned into complex motion control maneuvers for no reason. Less can often be more, and it took developers a while to grasp this concept.

8 Were Innovative: The Use Of Gyroscope Sensing

Nintendo Legend Of Zelda 3DS Gyroscope Aim

A lot of the time, when people think about motion controls, they naturally conjure images of gamers who are swinging around controllers in exaggerated ways. That being said, motion controls correspond to several different kinds of intuitive technology, including gyroscope sensing that’s become standard in smartphones and controllers.

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Gyroscope sensing presents a more subtle version of motion controls that often feels less cumbersome. The concept is incorporated in inspired ways in Nintendo handhelds like the 3DS, but it’s evolved in exciting ways, like how the Switch handles.

7 Were Gimmicky: When It Comes To Porting And Remastering For New Hardware

Nintendo Super Mario Galaxy Flight

There can sometimes be such attention placed on a video game’s immediate reception that its future gets overlooked. Video games from the height of the motion control craze proudly show off these controls, but this becomes problematic in an age where more titles receive ports and remasters. Motion control titles put so much effort into these specific play styles, which either gets removed in a remaster or just feels irrelevant in a modern context. Suddenly there’s doubt as to whether the game is being properly experienced. It’s enough of a conversation to distract from the quality of the game itself.

6 Were Innovative: Swordfighting And Combat In A Limited Capacity

Nintendo Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword Sword Fighting

Motion controls have been featured on all of the major consoles, but it’s Nintendo that really went all-in on the technology, especially with their more recent hardware. Nintendo continued to present an idealized version of the concept where players could seamlessly swordfight alongside Link in a Legend of Zelda title. It took some time for an acceptable level of immersion to present itself, but Nintendo reached an impressive rhythm by the time the Wii Motion Plus accessory hit stores. This intimate form of combat, when it works, is still one of the most attractive aspects of motion controls.

5 Were Gimmicky: They Can Be Inherently Exhausting

A woman playing Ring Fit Adventure with the Ring-Con and Leg Strap

Video games can get attacked for being a very sedentary form of entertainment, yet motion controls are directly in opposition to this and try to reform this image. This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s also not what many people come to video games to experience.

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Granted, sometimes strenuous physical activity is the point of motion controls, like in Wii Fit or Ring Fit Adventure. However, players shouldn’t have to take a break during boss fights because their arms are tired from flailing around. This exhaustion actively interrupts the experience and pulls players out of the game’s narrative.

4 Were Innovative: Adding Life To Minigame Compilations

Nintendo Mario Party 8 Wii Bowling

One of the biggest deterrents with motion controls, especially during their earliest days, is that they never felt like natural additions to the video game experience. Motion controls can bring some niche ideas to life in exciting ways, but there isn’t always an opportunity to mesh these environments. Accordingly, minigame compilations remove the need for a complex story and can focus purely on what motion controls do best. Motion controls became part and parcel of minigame showcases because it’s such a match made in heaven, but at the same time, this helped turn the Wii into an endless source of minigame shovelware.

3 Were Gimmicky: Their Mark On The Racing Genre

Nintendo Excite Truck Dock Race

It’s fascinating to see how a new concept in gaming can have a ripple effect through the many different genres of the medium. Motion controls are genuinely helpful in some limited capacities, but the racing genre is something that’s fully embraced the technology, which hasn’t always been for the best. Racing mechanics were already quite precise and entertaining before motion controls. There were already bulky steering wheel peripherals for more gung ho gamers. Motion controls have good intentions here, but they come across as more cumbersome than they should be and lacking the precision that’s necessary for racing games.

2 Were Innovative: Extra Immersion With Sports Games

Wii sports

Motion controls can often struggle to justify themselves in an action or adventure game, but the more detailed level of immersion is something that makes a lot of sense for sports titles. This advent was pushed in many players’ faces because of the breakout Wii pack-in game, Wii Sports, which showcased the power of motion controls in exactly this area. Sports titles are limited enough that they can devote their attention to controls and bring an unprecedented level of detail to the experience, even if it’s not a 1:1 translation.

1 Were Gimmicky: Time-Sensitive Precision Gestures

Nintendo Zack And Wiki Motion Controls Puzzle

The most frustrating aspect of motion controls is that they consistently advertise 1:1 immersion, which is something that in reality, took some time for technology to properly accomplish. Accordingly, there’s usually some degree of delay or feedback with motion controls, which is often antithetical to the precision gestures that need to be executed. This also has to do with elements like a lack of head-tracking at the time, which is understandable but still plays a factor. Certain tasks, like fishing, or any sort of time-specific puzzle, turns into a needlessly frustrating exercise.

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