Games came so far from the choppy blocks in rudimentary games during the late 20th century. Today, video games feature stunning visuals and vibrant colors. Yet, the journey to this point was not without bumps along the road. It took some time for developers to figure out what worked for gamers. Similarly, the 2000s saw a remarkable change brought to controllers, one that remains relevant in the way we game today.

One Reddit user pointed out a review from 2000 that negatively criticized the analog stick control scheme.

Decades-old controller scheme review does not age well

Back in 2000, controllers were in their early stages of development. After all, it took a long time to get to the modern marvel that is current generation controllers. At the time, controllers had basic buttons. On the right side, it includes four buttons assigned for functions, and on the left was the D-pad. It also included triggers and bumpers, but that was the limit of the controller.

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However, when analog sticks came into the picture, they revolutionized the way games worked. These directional sticks allowed an unprecedented level of control. During this time in 2000, Alien Resurrection came out. Its control scheme made use of these analog sticks. Players could control the movement of the character with the left stick while controlling the camera with the right stick. What went on to be the most common use for the sticks today was not received well by one critic.

Oh the horror…
by u/NeoFury84 in gaming

Gamespot put out a review, indicating very clearly how they felt about the setup. In the review, they wrote, “The game’s control setup is its most terrifying element. The left analog stick moves you forward, back, and strafes right and left, while the right analog stick turns you and can be used to look up and down.”

Little did they know what they found to be a terrible setup would become commonplace today. It was a review that did not age well at all.

Fans on Reddit reminisce about dealing with various controller schemes of the early years of gaming

Following this, fans took the chance to talk about the way games experimented with new control setups with their games. In a time when controllers evolved to include new features, developers tweaked control features to find the right setup. What became a bigger problem was how to move the camera. This was a new issue, especially since with 2D games, it was never a problem. During this time, one setup saw the shoulder buttons be used as controls for the camera.

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by u/mikeumm from discussion Oh the horror…
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Even users were not fans of Alien: Resurrected’s control system. What changed the perspective on this controller scheme was when newer titles on consoles that had analog sticks came out. It suddenly made sense and the fanbase clicked with the way controllers were now set up. Using the left and right analog sticks to control movement and the camera respectively felt convenient and much easier for users.

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by u/HGLatinBoy from discussion Oh the horror…
in gaming

Similarly, keyboard players were not spared either. Initially, players used the WASD keys to move around, and the arrow keys to control the camera. Using the mouse to control the camera felt natural to gamers, especially since it allowed an unparalleled level of control over where the camera faces.

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by u/bruwin from discussion Oh the horror…
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In addition to this, Reddit users remember coming up with their own custom control scheme in order to better fit the game. One user’s unique control scheme saw him be called a cheater. It goes on to show the amount of impact controllers have on gameplay.

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by u/angry_queef_master from discussion Oh the horror…
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Moreover, it points out how the early stages of a piece of tech do not reflect its performance at a later stage. Fans found parallels with the current stage of VR gaming. What feels like a bad control setup may very well go on to be the norm in the future. It all depends on what users find comfortable and maximizes utility.

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by u/Jsc_TG from discussion Oh the horror…
in gaming

What are your thoughts on the way controllers evolved over the years? Let us know in the comments below!

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