Split directional pad and share button rumored for Nintendo's NX controller

By Brad Jones August 30, 2016

nintendo nx console split directional pad news — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Nintendo NX is expected to release worldwide in March 2017, but we still know very little about what the console is set to bring to the table. There has already been plenty of speculation about its controller, and now a new report suggests that the peripheral will represent a serious break from tradition.

Sources familiar with the design of the NX have stated that its controller will use a split directional pad, according to a report from Let’s Play Video Games that follows up on rumors from earlier in August. This is unusual, as Nintendo hardware dating back to the NES has typically used a solid pad.

Indeed, it was the patent that Nintendo took out on its directional pad that prompted Sony to pursue a split design for the PlayStation controller back in the 1990s. The patent expired in 2005, meaning that other companies are now free to use a solid directional pad as they see fit.

It’s strange to see Nintendo changing its approach after sticking with a split directional pad for decades. However, this isn’t the only way that the NX controller will apparently take a leaf out of Sony’s book — the pad will also feature a share button, much like the one that’s present on the DualShock 4.

Like its PlayStation equivalent, the NX’s share button will facilitate the posting of still images and video to services like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. It will also be used to publish content to Nintendo’s proprietary Miiverse social network, and save files to an external memory device in order to transfer them to a PC.

Rumors and speculation will continue to swirl around the NX until Nintendo offers some official information, but the good news for fans is that the company is likely to deliver details sooner rather than later. It’s only a matter of months before the NX is set to launch, so it seems safe to assume that Nintendo will pull back the veil before the end of 2016.

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Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

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The September 2022 Nintendo Direct contained lots of big announcements, including the reveal that Breath of the Wild's sequel is titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and will be released on May 12, 2023. Although that, and some of the other big first-party announcements, are what people will remember most about the show, quite a few cool announcements at the show may have gone under the radar.
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GoldenEye 007's Online Mode is Nintendo Switch exclusive
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You probably noticed the announcement that Nintendo 64 classic GoldenEye 007 is coming to Nintendo Switch Online. But did you know that it's also coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass and Rare Replay? That alone is surprising, although it's understandable when one considers that GoldenEye 007 developer Rare is owned by Microsoft. But more importantly, it's shocking that the Xbox version of the game won't feature online multiplayer.
"Xbox is excited to bring GoldenEye 007 to Xbox Game Pass for the very first time - a faithful recreation of a much-loved and iconic title. While there are no plans to include online multiplayer as part of GoldenEye 007 on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox is focused on bringing this title to players in the way they fondly remember, including local multiplayer mode, allowing up to four players to take to the couch in a battle of wits and skill," an Xbox representative told Digital Trends.
Despite the fact that Xbox is typically more multiplayer-minded than Nintendo and owns the developer of the game, the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game will only have local multiplayer. So, whenever Goldeneye 007 comes to Nintendo Switch Online, give its online multiplayer a shot because that's somethingonly players on Nintendo Switch can do.
Goldeneye 007 is "coming soon" to Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse finally comes west
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While the eyes of people who don't like horror games might have glossed over when Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse popped up as the show's third announcement, it's actually very notable that this game is finally getting released in North America and Europe. Late in the first decade of this century, Nintendo saved the Fatal Frame series like it did with Bayonetta and published Mask of the Lunar Eclipse as a Wii exclusive. While the game came out in Japan, it never saw a release in North America or Europe.
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Mario Party 1, 2, and 3 are getting rereleased
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Theatrhythm Final Bar Line will get a lot of great Square Enix DLC
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Square Enix celebrated Final Fantasy's 35th anniversary by announcing Theatrhythm Final Bar Line during the Direct. This announcement alone is a bit underrated, especially when one considers that the two 3DS games in this series were fantastic and that the base game alone will feature tons of iconic music from the Final Fantasy franchise. While the base game will have 385 sonsg, Square Enix also quickly highlighted some of the DLC it will get post-launch during its segment of the Nintendo Direct.
During that rush, Square Enix highlighted that 90 additional songs are coming to Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, and they'll all be pulled from other Square Enix franchises like SaGa, Nier, Octopath Traveler, The World Ends with You, Chrono, Mana, Xenogears, and Live A Live. Considering that all of those games have fantastic music, fans of rhythm games are in for a treat once all of this DLC is out. If that somehow isn't enough music for you, Digital Deluxe Editions featuring even more Final Fantasy music are also up for pre-order.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line will be released for Nintendo Switch and PS4 on February 16, 2023.
Don't miss the full trailer for Bayonetta 3
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Bayonetta 3 got a brief shout-out during the Nintendo Direct as characters like Bayonetta, Luka, Jeanne, and Viola were given the spotlight. At the end of its segment, Nintendo said a gameplay trailer would be released on YouTube soon thereafter and wouldn't be a part of the Nintendo Direct. While you might have logged off and not given this trailer a second thought after the end of the presentation, I recommend that you go back and check the video out.
It's a lengthy gameplay overview trailer that's nearly eight minutes long and gives much-needed details on several features. We learn more about how Bayonetta can summon Infernal Demons to get a powerful edge in battle and even traverse the environments in unique ways. We also see how the new playable character Viola activates Witch Time by blocking and can also summon a giant Cheshire cat for help in a fight. We also see how players can equip an item to make combos simpler. If you weren't already excited for Bayonetta 3, this video will probably whet your appetite.
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