Random: Sakurai Wanted The GameCube Controller To Include A Scroll Wheel

This was a somewhat common want during that era especially with how annoying realtime item selection could be before things like radial menus became commonplace. Advancements in haptics have added a lot of great tactile clicky feedback to controllers and other devices

I want console gamepad with trackball, I think first person shooter will play lot better on console if the gamepad has trackball rather than just analog stick

Now this sounds like a controller that might actually be made for PC...

Not a fan of the idea tbh, d-pad is more than good enough for menu selections.

Also as someone who spends 40+ hours a week at a computer I prefer my gaming to be as distinct from PC use as possible.

Nintendo once famously patented an implementation of scroll wheel shoulder buttons.

Hard to say how far this idea went but that device in the image looks suspiciously like a Switch (or more specifically, a Switch Lite) so Nintendo was probably toying with the idea of putting scroll wheel shoulder buttons in the Switch JoyCons itself at one point.

Unlike what Sakurai says, depending on the game holding down the D-Pad or the Stick in a direction, the menu may actually scroll through the options. That's something I wish the Switch Menu did, particularly the All Software, Groups and System Settings.

In my opinion, PlayStation style controller is way much comfortable to play than GameCube style controller due to the symmetrical analog buttons position.
I mean for playing DDR, PlayStation style controller is perfect for playing DDR with my fingers.

@Olliemar28
@westman98

The Switch 2 is rumoured to have two scroll wheels.

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/nintendo-switch-2-console-scrolling-wheels-feature-leak/

Seems like something Sony would have done instead. They love using click wheels in their Clié PDAs. They may have had a patent at some point for scroll wheels that could also be pressed in to enter the selection.

Imagine aggressively scrollwheeling the Switch eShop… it would die, lol

Touch sensitive shoulder buttons with haptics would do the trick

@NatiaAdamo

"The Switch 2 is also rumoured to be a kitchen sink. Your point?"

Some might find it interesting that the feature this article is about might appear on Nintendo's next console.

1. Sakurai having the scroll wheel idea for the Game Cube controller.
2. Nintendo having a patent for two scroll wheels on a handheld console that looks rather like a Switch.
3. Rumour: A Switch 2 console might have been seen that is similar to the patent.

If the Switch 2 does indeed have the scroll wheels:

• It might be the fruit of Sakurai's initial idea.
• That Sakurai is talking about this now, so many years later, might indicate that he knows something about the Switch 2.

Sakurai, I've also had those same thoughts for years. I think a scrolling L1/R1 would be wonderful for controllers, and combo'd with analog triggers for L2/R2 would be the best for haptic feedback.

@Anti-Matter I prefer the asymetrical analog sticks. Feels more natural to me, and gives each side a different purpose.

But I guess YMMV.

@marandahir
still hoping the "switch 2" keeps the whole idea of "play how you like" since supporting multiple controllers could mean that maybe they could have a pro-controller with symmetrical ones available and one without (ditto with theoretical "joycon-2"s)

I could imagine two scroll wheels, one vertical and one horizontal that you would control using your ring fingers on the back of the controller, but that may only fit a Pro controller type layout.

There was some suggestion that Nintendo patented something during Switch development. Having wheels for shoulder buttons you can scroll and click might be an interesting idea. You could use it to quickly switch items in games.

@wiiware I think you just want a steam deck

I liked the idea of that "NX controller" having scroll wheels replacing the shoulder bumpers.
They'd obviously be "click able" but you could have used them for inventory.

Granted that's probably from me playing MGS1 as a kid

Every appliance should have a scroll wheel, every single one, no exceptions.

@BirdBoy16 I want to flush my toilet with a scroll wheel.

OMG I have been thinking about this for a while now. Replacing the L and R bumpers with scroll wheels would be so amazing for games like shooters and BG3 where your weapons and spells are on a select wheel. I can imagine how easy it would be to select a grenade type and push in the wheel to throw!

Scroll wheel triggers, whether on the GameCube or in general would be nice. It might make driving games more immersive without steering wheel peripherals, imitating zoom scope with cameras, Wheeling left and right through menus, and lastly I believe playing Arkanoid would be amazing with those.

@Samalik I had steamdeck (already sold it though, it's too big for a portable, kind of interested in the oled version), trackpad is kind of useless, like ps5 dualsense trackpad, I want physical trackball like in the old pc mouse 😃

@NTELLIGENTMAN One could definitely be used for controlling a bidet!

@Mgalens

PlayDate showed me that alternate control schemes like cranks and scrollers are a great innovation.

I'd love "Switch 2" to play up "play your way" – it's very Nintendo and what makes them different from the other companies.

And if they can provide a variant optional controller with a second screen a-la the Wii U gamepad, then that opens up the back-catalog of DS, 3DS, and Wii U titles as well for NSO in the future.

I think it's okay to require specialty controllers for certain game styles, and you could always allow the game to be controlled with alternate functions and show both screens on the TV if necessary.

I do enjoy scrolly things myself. The Steam Deck (and Steam Controller, by extension) do use a pseudo scroll wheel through their touchpads, haptic feedback included, and they are real satisfying to use.

@Anti-Matter Most genres are more comfortable with the left analog stick and the face buttons in the primary positions, and one of the few that does play better with symmetrical analog sticks, FPS games, plays much better with motion controls instead of dual analog controls, anyway.