What is the deal with Japanese control schemes in games?

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:24 am

I have always wondered why many PC Japanese games make use of the z and x keys? I've played shmups for years now but have always wondered this.

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:51 am

I'm more interested in why they think having motion control mapped to the right hand is fun. Are they all ambidextrous?

kozo · Post by **kozo** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:00 am

z and x have been used since at least Falcom's games on the 88 series. In my experience, I like it a lot.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:28 am

the arrow keys are on the RIGHT side of the keyboard; which has the consequence of making the action hand left for those used to keyboards.

there are obvious benefits for the action keys being closer together, and most keyboards do not have conflicts on zxc.

worstplayer · Post by **worstplayer** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:39 am

So you don't have to reconfigure xpadder for every game

Or maybe it's that unlike with stick, you have to use fingers to move with keyboard, so it makes more sense to map movement to your "main" hand.
And yes, ZXC don't block, and unlike CTRL and spacebar (commonly used in euroshmups), there isnt that dreaded windows key between them

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:58 pm

MAJOR STRYKER on the PC uses X and Z, I believe. Could be wrong.

In Windows, that helps to avoid hitting the darn Start button and getting kicked from your game (of course MAJOR STRYKER is a DOS game).

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:04 pm

you know what sucks? playing those with a german keyboard!
(if you didn't know, Z and Y are swapped)

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:24 pm

No miss, no bomb, that's an order! Would be strange to have your fire button right under the number keys though.

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:42 pm

Who cares what the control scheme is? I'm pretty sure most developers expect you to use a stick or pad.

320x240 · Post by **320x240** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 9:46 am

Jockel wrote:you know what sucks? playing those with a german keyboard!
(if you didn't know, Z and Y are swapped)

Interesting. I have noticed that many emulators use A and S instead of Z and X, maybe this is part of the reason.