Community Debate: Best Cycling Game Control

What’s the best way to simulate riding a bicycle in-game?

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Before Mark handed over the Golden Key Of Kotakutude (™) to me*, he told me to ” feel free to mess around and do whatever the hell you like” and to come up with “new ideas, crazy shit”. He also told me I could write as much about Bubble Bobble as I liked, and I’d like the jury to note that I held back and showed restraint in this regard.

But here’s an experimental idea, that just might work, thanks to the strength of the Kotaku community. Or it could, you know, die completely flat. If so, blame me. I can take it.

Anyway, the other day a friend of mine was extolling long and deep about the Tour De France. I’m not much of a sports watcher, but I couldn’t recall an actual Tour De France game to speak of.

It turns out I was somewhat ignorant in this regard. There have been games with the official licence, as well as a number of enthusiast games that cover the topic. But having thought about it, I started thinking about game design mechanics as they relate to cycling in games.

It strikes me that cycling isn’t an easy thing to represent well in game form. Motorbikes, sure — you push a button and go, but cycling is a different kind of motion and endurance spectacle, whether you’re going for strict mechanical accuracy or just wacky physics fun.

And that’s when I thought that it might be a good (and even interesting) thing to plumb the depths of Kotaku Community Knowledge, and discuss game mechanics. In this case, what the best method for representing cycling in a game should be.

It doesn’t have to be a cycling game per se; just the way you reckon you’d have the most fun with a cycling game part of a game.

To throw out a few feeder ideas, there’s the way that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas handled cycling. Or Matt Hoffman Pro BMX. Going back old-school, there’s California games. Is a steady tap-tap-tap the best, or should it be on sticks, or somehow mouse controlled? Could motion controls work well for cycling motions, or is that an idea that’s doomed to exhaust?

The rules of debate are simple: Be civil to each other, cite examples where possible and remember that people are entitled to different opinions.

*Before you ask, no, the key doesn’t contain chocolate.


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