How to fix GoldenEye 007 control issues on Nintendo Switch [Updated]

Update (5:35 p.m. ET): As a Cuesport77 user points out on RedditNintendo offers a system-wide button reset function that can overcome most of the issues described in this piece. Going into the Switch’s system settings and swapping the left and right analog stick inputs (plus the inputs for any other buttons you want) can help provide more standard “dual stick” controls for the game.

This is not the most convenient option, as players will have to undo customizations when switching from golden eye to any other Switch game (and then back when you go back to golden eye). These customizations also do not appear to be available on any console connected to the system when in portable mode.

However, Ars regrets not realizing this option existed prior to posting the story below, which is included in its original form (with a few notable updates) below.

Original story: After 25 long years, gamers can finally have fun official ports in golden eyes 007 on platforms newer than the Nintendo 64. However, those who play the game on a Nintendo Switch are faced with a host of inconvenient and uncustomizable control schemes that suffer greatly in the transition from the N64’s “batarang” to the Switch’s Joy-Cons.

Exactly as Nader intended

Anyone who’s played a first-person shooter on console in recent decades has come to expect a basic control model that works across the genre: the left analog stick is used for lateral movement (forward, backward, or side-to-side), while the right stick is used to turn and look around. . Decades of muscle memory have trained console shooter players to anticipate that core dichotomy, and anything else feels instantly “off” after all this time.

What a lot golden eye Fans have forgotten (or may have never known) that the original N64 was one of the first titles to use this kind of left/right thumb control duality. golden eyeThe control scheme built into “1.2 Solitaire” maps the N64’s often-neglected lateral movement to the D-pad (placed under the left thumb), while turning and looking around is controlled by the system’s single analog stick (placed, in this case, under the thumb). right).

Savvy gamers know this layout feels more natural than the default “1.1 Honey”, which awkwardly mixes forward-backward movement and left-right rotation on the left stick with side-steps left-to-right and up-down looking at the C directional buttons. it was a lot golden eye Ignored by players at the time, it’s been there as an intentional (and very forward-thinking) control option for 25 years.

Certainly, many are committed golden eye No doubt the players have learned that circle fw And fast aiming using their best golden eyeCumbersome default control scheme. Still, there’s a reason later FPS’s control design is more similar golden eye1.2 Solitaire game and separating movement and turning/looking at different thumbs. After all this time, the “twin stick” split still feels like the most natural way to do first-person action on a console controller.

flip the switch

Unfortunately, golden eyeHis move to the Switch turned the old left/right thumb muscle memory on its head. Now, if you choose “1.2 Solitaire” from the Switch’s built-in control options, the right Use the stick for lateral movement (stand here for the directional C buttons) ends while the left The stick is used to look around (you can also use the directional buttons on the left Joy-Con to move, but without the turn/look controls on the right stick, this isn’t a very useful option).

Some players are already changing their FPS controls to this kind of “southpaw” control scheme and would feel right at home with the “inverted” switch controls here. But the vast majority of gamers likely feel like they’re playing in a mirror, and have to relearn control instincts that have been burned on their thumbs for decades.

Nintendo offers no game-level or emulator-level customization options to reconfigure these controls to better match their expectations [Update: There are system-level customization options, though; see above]. Compare that to the Xbox version of golden eyewhich was also released today as part of Rare re or an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

On Xbox, the game defaults to a new control scheme designed specifically for the Xbox console, with the left stick controlling movement and the right stick controlling rotation/appearance. Furthermore, the Xbox version allows full customization of any game function to any button or orientation on the controller.

We have talked before About how the Switch’s N64 emulation leaves a lot to be desired in the control interface. Note that there are no customization options specifically controlled in golden eyeIt is, however, an FPS that relies heavily on being able to move and aim intuitively.

Partial solution

Probably the best solution to the switch-based control problem is to choose one of Official Switch Nintendo 64 consoles Nintendo offers for sale on its website. But that’s not a practical option for many since $50 consoles sell out almost constantly these days (not to mention they’re useless when playing in handheld mode).

After a full morning of fiddling and experimenting, I’ve found my best solution golden eye Switch problems were the heart of the Joy-Cons, counterintuitively. By holding my right Joy-Con in my left hand and vice versa, golden eyeFinally, the control scheme in “1.2 Solitaire” came close to the “natural” feeling of left stick movement and right stick turning/gazing that I was looking for.

This controller “solution” has some obvious problems – the Joy-Cons were clearly not designed to be held that way. Even with the standard, round Wrist strap attachments When suspended, the Joy-Cons don’t fit comfortably in the wrong hands.

Everything feels out of place with the Joy-Cons mixed in too, from the analog sticks (which are now arranged with the left stick “low” and the right stick “high” in the hand) to the shoulder buttons (which now require awkward reach, too long to press) on Face buttons (which now require you to press the A and B buttons with the “wrong” thumb). This solution also doesn’t work when you’re running the Switch in portable mode, obviously.

However, it is the best option that I have been able to come up with golden eye On the Switch I feel like I’m expected to feel it. Which is a shame, because Nintendo could easily fix that with some kind of reset option for their Switch N64 emulator. [Update: Or including easier switching options for the system-level control customization mentioned above]. As it is, although the only version of golden eyes 007 With online play is also one of the worst control options available.