Two buttons challenge

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Sik

Sik

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I don't think this belongs to the video gaming subforum as this doesn't relate too directly to existant games themselves. Also somebody may consider this a forum game, but I guess administrators would accept it due to the high degree of challenge it can involve, so be creative please :)

Basically, let's say you have to make a game. Any game, you're free to choose, but there's a little issue through. The pad of the console you have to develop for has only two buttons, which I name L and R for convenience. No directionals, no Start, nothing, just L and R. The challenge: try to make a good set of controls for the game with this limitation. Don't care about pausing the game, OK? You can either choose a specific game or a kind of games. You're free. You also can define where do the controls work (I guess you wouldn't use the same controls in-game as in a menu).

So, well, here I start with two examples.

Generic platform game:
  • L: walk leftwards
  • R: walk rightwards
  • L + R while still: straight jump
  • Hold L, press R: jump leftwards
  • Hold R, press L: jump rightwards
  • L + R while jumping: double jump
Generic fighting game (assuming foward is rightwards, reverse controls in opposite case):
  • L: walk backwards
  • R: walk fowards
  • L + R: normal punch
  • Hold L, press R: rotating kick
  • Hold R, press L: normal kick
  • Press L, then R: jump fowards
  • Press R, then L: jump backwards
  • R while jumping: air punch
  • L while jumping: air kick
Now go and prove that hardware limitations aren't an excuse for making a good game! Do you think you are enough creative for it? :)

PS: if you're going to make the controls for a pin-ball game, say something more than just L for left flipper and R for right flipper :P
 
Those small Game And Watch sort of games that were in McDonald's Happy Meal worked with one or two buttons. Shadow going down a sloped rail is an example of the one-button games. Whenever the rail had a fail, just jump! Instead of being: "Jump in the right time!", you get "See how much you can mash the button!".
 
Let's see, a game where you can beat up Osama Bin Laden where you hit L to punch and R to kick, and a combination of these two buttons in a certain order will inflict a powerful attack upon the unlucky terrorist. A game that will see how fast you can kill Bin Laden by using only your fists and feet!
 
Ugh, man, you don't catch it. It isn't about genres that were designed specifically with two buttons in mind, I'm talking about genres where you normally need more than just two buttons, and the idea is to try to adapt it to use just those two buttons.

And the PS in the first post actually applies to absolutely anything that has just two controls. Please make something that would require more than two controls, please.
 
Well this game has very simple controls, yet somewhat confusing:

One button leads to eternal(and internal) happiness. The other blows up the world. One button is true(happiness), one button is false(blow up). Yet each have a certain statement written above it.

The following statement is false. The previous statement is true.
(BUTTON) (BUTTON)
(L) (R)

You have to decide which button(statement) is true, and which one is false. If you figure it out, press the "True" button for eternal happiness.
Which button do you press?
 
None, because a game won't give me eternal happiness (maybe except SRB2 XD).

Seriously, will you ever go and try the challenge?
 
The controller only has two buttons, but it has a motion-sensor and the ability to plug in more advanced controls to use. Thend.
 
No. Seriously, why don't you want to try it out properly? Look at the examples I've given at the beginning. Try do something like that! Oh, c'mon, I'm starting to think it was a bad idea... >_>
 
Fine.

Platformer game

On Ground
Tap L=Punch Left

Tap R=Punch Right

Hold L=Move Left

Hold R=Move Right

Tap L+R=Kick in direction your facing.

Hold L+R=Jump

Jumping
Release L+R=Cut your jump short and go into falling animation.

(If moving to the right, reverse if otherwise) Release L=Dash and then go into falling animation.

(If moving to the right, reverse if otherwise) Release R=Kick

Falling/Hurt
(Far away from ground) L+R=Jump

(Close to ground) (Only if hurt) Tap L+R=Bounce off the ground back towards the enemy and hit it.

(Close to ground) (Only if falling) Tap L+R=Do a trick. Any enemies who touch you while doing this get hurt, you get bonus points, and you get up from the ground faster.

(Close to ground) Hold L+R=High jump, and then go into helpless animation.

L=Kick to the left.

R=Kick to the right.

High Jumping
Release L+R=Cut your jump short and go into helpless animation.

(If moving to the right, reverse if otherwise) Release L=Dash and then go into helpless animation.

(If moving to the right, reverse if otherwise) Release R=Cut your jump short, kick, and then go into helpless animation.

Helpless
(Close to ground) L+R=Get up faster.
 
I had a dream once, I was somehow able to pull off fully 3D flight by manipulating energy on two points on my back. It was totally impossible, but lemme think here.

Stunt-ish flying game (Fly through rings, avoid obstacles, etc):
L or R - Rotate along your forward axis, causing moving up to shift you in a different direction.
L or R twice - Increase the speed of rotation, so to improve mobility
L + R - Rotate up
You're constantly moving forward, this is actually a bit like flying a real jet, as a turn in a jet isn't a turn, but rotating, then ascending along the new "up"
 
Maybe you could find a way to also have "Move down" so you don't need a 180 degree spin to do so. Maybe L then a split second later R goes up, and vice versa goes down.
 
SRB2 2D mode as Sonic, L would be jump/thok, R would be move right. Have fun if you get stuck, L+R = reset or spin or something. :D
 
Senku Niola said:
SRB2 2D mode as Sonic, L would be jump/thok, R would be move right. Have fun if you get stuck, L+R = reset or spin or something. :D
Click to expand...
Better way, and might be easier:
Tap L=Move left
Tap R=Move right
Tap L+R=Jump
(If facing right, use this, else reverse it) (Repeat for faster speeds) Tap L>R>L>R=Spindash
If moving, tap L>R/R>L=Spin
Double Tap L=Dash to the left
Double Tap R=Dash to the right

Character abilities:
Tails:
Continuously Tap L/R in midair=Fly/Swim

Knuckles:
Hold L/R in midair=Glide
When on a wall:
Tap L=Move down
Tap R=Move up
Tap L+R=Jump off of a wall

Also, if I say tap, you can also hold it to continue moving/jumping unless stated otherwise.
 
I have a better idea. Reverse controls if facing leftwards :P

Sonic controls
  • L: walk leftwards
  • R: walk rightwards
  • L+R on the ground: jump
  • R while jumping: thoking
  • L while running: spindash
Tails controls
  • L: walk leftwards
  • R: walk rightwards
  • L+R on the ground: jump
  • L while jumping/flying: fly leftwards
  • R while jumping/flying: fly rightwards
  • L while running: spindash
Knuckles controls
  • L: walk leftwards
  • R: walk rightwards
  • L+R on the ground: jump
  • Hold L while jumping/gliding: glide leftwards
  • Hold R while jumping/gliding: glide rightwards
  • L+R while gliding: change direction
  • L while climbing: go downwards
  • R while climbing: go upwards
  • L while running: spindash

EDIT: best typo ever XD
 
*fixed*

But yeah, I suppose I should be good at this since I got this idea like 8 or 9 years ago :P Now some basic controls for a racing game (you keep accelerating by default):
  • L: steer left
  • R: steer right
  • L+R: break
  • Hold L, then R: break while steering left
  • Hold R, then L: break while steering right
Yeah, this one is quite simple :P

EDIT: isn't it scary that even SRB2's 2D mode can fit perfectly in this scheme? :P

EDIT 2: I just noticed I forgotten the "fall off" commands for climbing while using Knuckles. OK, here I go:
  • Hold L, press R: fall off (face backwards)
  • Hold R, press L: fall off (face fowards)
 
Sik said:
EDIT 2: I just noticed I forgotten the "fall off" commands for climbing while using Knuckles. OK, here I go:
  • Hold L, press R: fall off (face backwards)
  • Hold R, press L: fall off (face fowards)
Click to expand...
Reverse if facing left, I presume?
 
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