re: 2nd Annual PC Gamers Benchmark/E-Peen Competition *POST YOUR SCORES!*

quote:

---

I am curious, though, what games need a controller in your opinion.

---

Let me just clarify. I'm not saying any of these games are impossible to play on a keyboard. There are enough keys on a keyboard to technically accommodate nearly any experience. There are people who can play guitar with their feet. Possible doesn't mean ideal for most people or intended by the designers.

I've played 3rd person games like you mention with kb/m and a gamepad. I think they work equally well, both with pros and cons.

I'm sure MK can be played with the keyboard. I don't doubt you. That will technically work. It just doesn't seem ideal to me, and I've done it before in the past in a crunch. There are some special moves and combos in fighting games that are difficult enough to pull off in the middle of combat with a good arcade stick. I can't imagine doing them with a keyboard. I suspect some would be nigh impossible for most outside of running some sort of script bound to a key.

A side-scroller like "Super Meat Boy," "Spelunky HD," or "Mark of the Ninja" would, again, be technically possible on keyboard but seem designed for a gamepad. "Mark of the Ninja" specifically has you taking advantage of the analog stick. Push it a little to sneak, push it a little more to walk faster, etc.

Driving or flight sims accept analog input as well. Move the stick a little to the right to turn just a little. Push it all the way to turn at max speed. Unless you have an analog keyboard, you're going all or nothing every time you hit the key. Yes, it is possible to play like this, but the fact the game accepts the more gradual input, reveals the designer's intention.

TL,DR: It comes down to personal preference. Technically possible doesn't equal ideal. I can play "Marvel vs Capcom 2" with my Samba de Amigo Maracas if I want to.