The pros of analog stick/pad controls are allowing highly variable, intuitive 2D movement. In the same way that controlling 3D actions in more intuitive with a 3D controller, controlling 2D actions is more intuitive with a 2D analog stick. Unfortunately, because the analog stick is a more complex mechanical device more complex drawbacks emerge. While buttons are hard to break due to their small size, short movement range, and rubbery spring back mechanisms, analog sticks are somewhat fragile. The outcome we fear most when we accidentally sit on our game controllers is that we'll break the sticks. In addition to forcing the sticks out of wack, general wear and tear has a noticeable effect on analog sticks. Over time many sticks become much looser. I can't be the only gamer with a controller with drifting sticks. 

 
When designing mechanics to use analog sticks, most developers know to factor in a dead zone. Because the analog stick is so sensitive, the slightest touch can send a signal to the system. But the slightest touch is too slight. To eliminate false positives from natural stick looseness or slight motions from the player, mechanics are designed not to activate until after the player pushes the stick outside of the dead zone. Another issue that's related to how the dead zone design is when the analog stick sends an unintended signal to the system from the snap back motion the stick makes when recentering. It can be confusing to get a reaction from the game when one lets go of the control stick in the same way that a negative edge button action can be confusing (explained in part 1).

   

  

 

   

Aside from the loosening of the stick and the erosion of the thumb grips, analog stick controls are very reliable input devices. To highlight its versatility here are a few examples of games that use the stick very well.

Super Monkey Ball 1 & 2. The core gameplay of Monkey Ball consists entirely of guiding a ball through a 3D obstacle course with only the analog stick. The first two games in the console series present challenges that require an extremely high level of sensitivity from the stick and control from the player (see dexterity skills). Additionally, the party games are designed to stress analog stick dexterity over many other facets of skill.

Super Smash Brothers Series. Unlike nearly every other fighting game, Smash Bros is a 2D fighter designed around analog movement. Instead of having to double tap to dash, in Smash players can simply smash (press quickly) on the stick. In addition to dashing players can crawl, tip-toe, walk, and run. In the air players can also control their horizontal movement to a fine degree even while attacking. This allows for highly variable spacing (aiming) which is the most evident in Brawl with its increase focus on aerial battles.  

Geometry Wars Series. Some games are designed with mechanics that ignore parts of the analog stick's 2D range. In Geometry Wars (360/Wii Classic Controller), the right analog stick shoots based on the angle or direction you press. It doesn't matter how far you press in that direction, it only matters what direction. It's also important not to forget how the physicality of input devices shapes our expectations and therefore what feels right. In his article Prototyping Game Feel v.2, Steve Swink talks about the turn radius in Geometry Wars and how it was designed to match the radius and rotation speed of the Xbox 360 analog stick.


Everyday Shooter is an interesting case. I believe this shmup was originally designed for the PC using WASD controls to move around and the arrow keys to shoot. After Sony picked up the game for release on the Playstation Network, the controls were adapted to the PS3 controller. Though you can choose to use any combination of the D-pad or left stick to move and the right stick or the buttons to shoot, the mechanics remain the same. Essentially, the right stick is just a D-pad with 8 possible directions. Even if you try to aim to a finer degree, the ship will adjust the aim to fire in one of the 8 directions. 

 

Skate. Though most designers use analog sticks for movement, aiming, or camera control, the developers of Skate decided to replace the more traditional button based actions of a skating game entirely with the right analog stick. The video below explains it well. Using the 2D range of the stick, command motions could be designed in ways that reflect the motions of actual skating. I wrote about this inward innovation and others here.

 

Gamers intuitively make connections and expectations between how we manipulate the controller and the gameplay mechanics (player actions) that follow. The more the input method matches the the virtual actions the more direct the particular mechanic. In other words, we get a sense that what we do to the controller directly affects what happens in the game. Mario's JUMP is designed with much directness. Tap the button and you get a small JUMP. Tap and hold and Mario JUMPs higher. I've known gamers who thought that the NES controller could actually sense how much harder the buttons are pressed to make Mario JUMP higher. We know now that the NES buttons are digital. With only an on and off state the system cannot tell how hard you press. Still, Mario's JUMP is expertly designed so that players make that intuitive connection anyway.

Expectations are similar for the analog stick. The harder you press in a direction the more effort you exert. So if you're exerting more effort the game actions should as well. This kind of thinking works great when designing movement mechanics for characters that can tip-toe, walk, and run based on the analog stick position. However, the design of FPS aiming is much trickier. 

The bottom line is thumb based analog stick control doesn't allow the finest degree of control. Just try writing your name in cursive using a machine gun against a wall in your favorite console FPS to see what I mean. To help, most console FPSs are designed with some kind of sticky aim. Basically, the system knows, or assumes, what you're aiming at and adjusts the aim movement speeds to help you stay on target. When done well, most players don't even notice there's aim assist.

 
Super Mario Galaxy. The analog stick is a relative control device. Depending on the game state or how the character is oriented, pressing up on the stick may result in proceeding in any one of 360 directions. Designing good relativistic controls requires understanding how quality, feedback design and the other facets of mechanics design come together. Take the Mario Galaxy series. Never before has a game let players explore such a unique and 3D space that is frequently redefined by the gravitation pull of nearby objects. Even still, in space one's sense of direction is even more relative than ever. Running down the side of a planetoid is the same as running up it depending on how you look at it. A key point I must make here is "how you look at it" is largely the result of how the camera is designed. Galaxy's movement controls are built in with a wider turn radius than in Super Mario 64 and with a bit of smart-aim-assist like functionality. As long as you don't let go of the stick and let it recenter, you can push the system far enough that holding down makes Mario move up. As backward as it sounds, it feels completely natural.

 

 

To close, analog sticks work best for controlling 2D continuous actions like moving. This is why few gamers spam motions into the control stick. Unlike buttons which tend to activate non continuous, primary mechanics, spamming the stick will most likely make the on screen character shiver shake in place. So if you want to reduce spammy tendencies, go with sticks. In part 3 we'll look at touch screens and triggers.