Q: What do all of the buttons on the free-hand-style pointer do?
A: The main controller features a D-Pad, an on/off switch and several different face buttons, three of which are dedicated solely to gameplay. Directly below the unit's D-Pad is an oversized A button. Farther down are two more buttons. In officially released screenshots, these buttons were labeled "a" and "b" respectively. However, when Nintendo president Satoru Iwata held the controller up at his Tokyo Game Show 2005 keynote speech, the buttons were clearly labeled "X" and "Y." The buttons were also labeled "X" and "Y" in Nintendo's Revolution controller promo video, which suggests that the final product is much more likely to use the letters. "The [Revolution controllers shown] are still prototypes so there may be slight changes in the final versions," says Nintendo's Llewelyn.
It should be noted that the oversize A button is used for primary action functionality. It might be used to make a character jump in a first-person shooter, for example. The X and Y buttons are more likely to be used when the controller is turned on its side in order to accommodate classics NES games.
Located in the middle of the controller are three menu-ready buttons: select, home, and start (from left to right). Nintendo has not yet explained what the home button is used for, but it is likely to bring up a Revolution's central operations page -- something akin to Xbox Live. From here, we suspect gamers will be able to manage their downloaded software or go online, among other things.
The only other thing of note on the face of the controller are the blue LED indicators, bottom, that show what controller port the unit is wirelessly using.
The underbelly of the controller features an ergonomic indent directly opposite the top's D-Pad. This area houses the B trigger, which is also considered a primary action button. This button, easily accessed by players, might be used to fire a weapon in a first-person shooter or to grasp an object in a god game.
Q: Does the Revolution's free-hand-style controller use batteries?
A: Yes, although the specifics in that regard are still being determined. We suspect that the unit will use rechargeable batteries and that a charging dock station will be made available either with the console or sold separately. Nintendo may have chosen to attach add-ons to the unit with cables instead of wirelessly in order to avoid further battery issues.
Q: Can users wield two free-hand-style controllers with Revolution games?
A: Yes. Nintendo's Revolution controller promo video shows players using two pointer controllers to execute various gameplay tasks, such as beating virtual drums.
Q: Can four players wield two free-hand-style controllers each?
A: No. Only four free-hand-style controllers can be used total, according to Nintendo. Therefore, if one person used two pointers in a multiplayer game, only two additional people could play, each with one pointer.
Q: Won't potential light gun add-ons fail to work correctly with Revolution owners who use high-definition televisions?
A: No. Revolution's sensory technology does not interface with TV scan lines, as is the standard with traditional light guns. Because of that, light gun games are entirely possible with Revolution regardless of television type.
Q: Has Nintendo revealed all the features of the Revolution controller?
A: No, we don't believe so. Certain secondary features still remain hidden. Nintendo itself may be defining these features even as it tests and reworks the controller.
