Tron: The Trial Version

demorobotrontronxbla
As written in 2008 · original post

Er. Terrible demo. Where do I begin?

First, I do love the original Tron video game. Great fun, brings back fond memories, and it would be something I would love to pick up and play more of.

Sadly the current XBLA version doesn't seem like it will be worth a purchase. The most damning design choice: Somehow they decided to have the right thumbstick emulate the original dial control for aiming. It simply doesn't work. I felt stupid, incompetent, and unable to direct my shots where I intended them. Why they didn't just emulate the dual stick control of Robotron, I have no idea. Yes, changing the control scheme would have meant rebalancing difficulty levels -- but honestly, they needed to do that anyhow because the current "dial" implementation is so wonky.

While it is possible that I could overcome (and maybe even enjoy) the right thumbstick as dial model, it was impossible for me to tell because the trial version was ridiculously short. Less than 5 minutes into the game it reset and prompted me to purchase the game.

Next, please.

What happened next

Not yet graded. This one is outside the open wings. The footnote and verdict come when its wing opens.

← Back to the archive