Celeste may have been my GOTY if I hadn't bought it on Switch

[House_Of_Lightning]

Why GOTY?

It's gorgeous and there are lots of really neat spins it applies to the genre that made it more enjoyable for me compared to something like Super Meat Boy. I enjoyed the ability to take different paths, the overall story was good, gorgeous graphics, great gameplay.

But my one problem is that I bought the game on the Switch.

Why is that a problem?

From looking at a few things online I've seen a reoccurring theme: diagonal jumps are already sensitive in the game as is. This coupled with the Switch's less than great analog nubs to begin with.

I'd say at least a good 1/3rd of my in game deaths are due to me whiffing a diagonal jump. And since the end game starts to require many of these types of jumps and in rapid succession the last few hours of the game really started to drag for me. Especially the final boss as it is a repetitive battle to begin with.

Since there is no dpad either, I had no alternative!


edit

To clarify, this is JoyCons only, no other controller/no Pro controller. Handheld mode only.

 

[Vinc]

I thought the diagonal jumps were only hard with the dpad on the pro controller? Didn't know it was more difficult on the stick. That sucks! Maybe I should avoid the Switch version.

 

[Imran]

I used the analog sticks through the whole game and never had the diagonal whiffing problem you're describing. Are your joycons borked?

 

[spam musubi]

Agreed, the game is great, and a pain to play on the Switch. The Joycon d-pad is terrible. The joycon analog is pretty lackluster and gives me hand cramps over prolonged Celeste sessions. Never went in for the $70 pro controller because of the d-pad issues. There's just no good solution to playing a precise platformer on the system unless you use an adapter and plug in a proper controller like a DS4.

 

[Platy]

https://amazon.com/Magic-NS-Wireless-Xbox360-Controller-Adapter-Mayflash/dp/B079B5KHWQ

Buy this. Then play Celeste on a PS4 or Xbox One controller

 

[LuigiMario]

Get a different controller for your switch? I played this game primarily in handheld mode using the dpad joycon buttons and thought it was fine. Not ideal, but not a detriment to my enjoyment.

 

[ghibli99]

I used the analog sticks through the whole game and never had the diagonal whiffing problem you're describing. Are your joycons borked?

Click to shrink...

Same here. Haven't done the c-sides, but b-sides have all been fine. Using analogs here. Can't imagine playing this game with the joycon "d-pad".

 

[Xavi]

Disagreed. Played docked with the pro Controller using the analogs and undocked with the joycons and had a blast. It's my GOTY so far, too.

 

[Deleted member 1413]

It works perfectly fine with the joy con.
Beat it and loved it on Switch.

 

[House_Of_Lightning]

Get a different controller for your switch? I played this game primarily in handheld mode using the dpad joycon buttons and thought it was fine. Not ideal, but not a detriment to my enjoyment.

Click to shrink...

I certainly still enjoyed the game very much and beat it and a few b-sides.

But "not ideal" controls in a game that is very very precise was very noticeable.

All I could think of was "I wish I had a Gamecube controller with the notch in the directions."

 

[Niceguydan8]

Why GOTY?

It's gorgeous and there are lots of really neat spins it applies to the genre that made it more enjoyable for me compared to something like Super Meat Boy. I enjoyed the ability to take different paths, the overall story was good, gorgeous graphics, great gameplay.

But my one problem is that I bought the game on the Switch.

Why is that a problem?

From looking at a few things online I've seen a reoccurring theme: diagonal jumps are already sensitive in the game as is. This coupled with the Switch's less than great analog nubs to begin with.

I'd say at least a good 1/3rd of my in game deaths are due to me whiffing a diagonal jump. And since the end game starts to require many of these types of jumps and in rapid succession the last few hours of the game really started to drag for me. Especially the final boss as it is a repetitive battle to begin with.

Since there is no dpad either, I had no alternative!

Click to shrink...

Have you tried it on another controller? If not, how do you know that what the Switch has is the problem?

 

[WestEgg]

Cleared all C-side levels without a control issue on Switch. The game seems designed to use control sticks rather than the D pad.

 

[Courage]

Yeah I had a similar issue with diagonals, ended up using the analog stick on the Pro controller.

 

[ned_ballad]

I played through the entire story mode and most of the B sides on the Switch without any issue. Used the joystick on the pro controller.

 

[Hybris]

I don't get why people try to use the stick in this game. Even though the joycon "dpad" and pro controller dpad are not ideal, it's still way more accurate than using a stick. And that is true for any of the controller options. The only thing I used the stick for was feather controls because it actually has more than 8 possible directions for movement. It's a lot easier to flub an analog input vs digital input, that's just the nature of the control types.

 

[House_Of_Lightning]

Have you tried it on another controller? If not, how do you know that what the Switch has is the problem?

Click to shrink...

It's 100% possible that it is the game itself, as I've read that the diagonal jumps are touchy in general. I blamed the Switch though as it's analog nubs have a short "throw" to them and feel less precise than, say, my Xbox One Pro.

 

[Enforcer]

I had to stop playing because of the diagonal jump issue brought on by the Switch dpad.

Maybe I will pick it up again someday.

 

[Niceguydan8]

It's 100% possible that it is the game itself, as I've read that the diagonal jumps are touchy in general. I blamed the Switch though as it's analog nubs have a short "throw" to them and feel less precise than, say, my Xbox One Pro.

Click to shrink...

Right, but I'm just saying the point of your post would make more sense if you had tried it on another controller/device (even the Switch Pro controller would have been a good contrast)

 

[yumayuma]

Still waiting for the physical version.

 

[Pirateluigi]

Over the course of several thousand deaths, I had about a dozen that I'd attribute to a missed input. It's noticeable when it happens, but for me it wasn't game breaking in the least.

 

[Instro]

I had some issues with messing up the directional input when it came to diagonals, mostly in the post game. Unfortunately since the Switch has no functional d-pads, you are left with the analog which is fine for the most part, but can get you into trouble at times depending on the particular section you are working on. Still my current GotY though.

 

[Fireblend]

I 100%'d it on Switch and had no issues with the controller. Not that I didn't die a lot, I did, but I recognize all of them were my own fault, not the controller. I did use my Pro controller though. 99% dpad (I used the sticks for the feather sections)

I agree with part of the OP though, it would've been my GotY, if I hadn't also played Hollow Knight this year.

 

[Jiggy]

I had the same problem, would often fuck up the dashes thanks to the analog stick.

I really wish the joy con had a half decent dpad.

 

[Deleted member 6949]

My pro controller's dpad is trash, so I just won't bother getting any game that uses one.

 

[transience]

I played this game 100% handheld on switch and switched to the d-pad by about world 3.

definitely my GOTY but yeah that's an objective flaw to the design of that system.

 

[Dphex]

bought it on PS4 and i am glad i did, can´t imagine playing this with the Switch´s "Dpad"

 

[Mysterio79]

Celeste is a lot of peoples GOTY and most people bought it on Switch

Controlled like a dream for me *shrug*

 

[closer]

I have it on pc and it's my current goty

 

[banter]

I've been playing with the d-pad on my pro controller and the not-so-d-pad of my joycons and never had diagonal issues. I think people are misrepresenting hardware issues as issues in the game.

 

[Deleted member 2791]

eh never had an issue like most people, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much on another platform

 

[Deleted member 42484]

https://amazon.com/Magic-NS-Wireless-Xbox360-Controller-Adapter-Mayflash/dp/B079B5KHWQ

Buy this. Then play Celeste on a PS4 or Xbox One controller

Click to shrink...

If I use this with a PS4 controller does the gyro work? Like aiming in Splatoon/BoTW ?

 

[Platy]

If I use this with a PS4 controller does the gyro work? Like aiming in Splatoon/BoTW ?

Click to shrink...

yup
It also supports ps3, xbox 360, wiimote with classic controller and more .... and also works on the pc for everything AND the switch controllers.

But I think only the ps4 controller has gyro?

 

[hydro94530]

I just finished all the C sides and 100%'d the game on nothing but handheld mode. I loved the D-Pad on the joy cons for this and in fact, I couldn't even pass it all on anything else (I tried). I guess I'm weird lol. Love this fucking game too!

 

[BDubsLegend]

This has been something I've worried about on the switch. Yeah Doom, Wolfenstein , Hollow Knight and Celeste are on Switch and are portable, but how does it feel to control games like those with joy con? I remember trying to play shovel Knight on the 3ds and it was a nightmare controls wise for how precise you need to be. And if you buy the pro controller why not just play on a regular console where the polygonal games run better?

 

[OnionPowder]

yup
It also supports ps3, xbox 360, wiimote with classic controller and more .... and also works on the pc for everything AND the switch controllers.

But I think only the ps4 controller has gyro?

Click to shrink...

PS3 also has Gyro

never forget Warhawk E3 2006

 

[Weegian]

Yeah, I ran into the occasional issue with diagonal input as well. I beat the game though and loved it.

 

[lactatingduck]

Played it almost entirely in portable mode and loved it. It's a GOTY contender for sure but this sounds like a case of the "get guds" OP.

 

[Servbot24]

I had the exact same experience OP, which was quite infuriating at times. But it's still my GOTY and top 20 all time for me.

 

[janusff]

Yeah I always wondered how folks played this without a dpad.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

I used an SFC30 controller from 8Bitdo and had a great time.

If you need to play in portable mode, Hori has a left joy con with a d-pad releasing sometime in the near future.

 

[Kalor]

I never had any problems with the diagonal jumps. I messed up a couple but the sticks were fine for the most part.

 

[ghostcrew]

I played through it on Switch and it's easiest one of my games of the year. I didn't really have any problems with diagonals with joycons or (using the stick) on a Pro Controller. I kinda felt like it controlled like a dream. Celeste is utterly fantastic!

 

[Lord Brady]

Same for me, but not because of the controls. It's because Hollow Knight came out and is light years better.

 

[EliVilla]

This has been something I've worried about on the switch. Yeah Doom, Wolfenstein , Hollow Knight and Celeste are on Switch and are portable, but how does it feel to control games like those with joy con? I remember trying to play shovel Knight on the 3ds and it was a nightmare controls wise for how precise you need to be. And if you buy the pro controller why not just play on a regular console where the polygonal games run better?

Click to shrink...

They play fine I've beaten Celeste and have like 20 hours in Hollow Knight almost exclusively in handheld mode. Some people are just more sensitive than others to these kind of things.

 

[Invisible Avatar]

I'm glad other people had this problem too, it felt like I had forgoten how to use a controller because I dashed in the wrong direction so often. I had more success with the pro controller.
It's not just Celeste, I'm having similar issues with Joy Cons in Octopath Traveler (but much less often).

 

[Schlomo]

I've played everything including B and C Sides with the Switch Pro Controller d-pad and didn't have any big issues. I had a few wrong diagonal inputs every once in a while, but I'm not sure if it would have been any better on any other controller.

I only played handheld a few times, and then I definitely preferred the directional buttons to the analogue stick. It's not like they're unusable for 2D platformers.

 

[LuckyLinus]

I played through it on analog as well and it was really noticeable, I still wouldnt play it on anything else because handheld is a big deal. Hopefully the next iteration of joycons can address the D-pad.

 

[SinCityAssassin]

Can't say I really relate cause I found myself playing it just fine, but I can see your troubles, you ever plug in a third party option while docked? Or maybe even the Gamecube controller to see if that worked?

 

[Fingerthing]

One hundred percent agree with you OP. It DOES get easier to pull off, but it's never an issue that goes away on the joy-cons. The stick on the Pro is the only way to be certain.

 

[Phabh]

Celeste is my GOTY and I played it on Switch. Sure some diagonals are hard to pull off but it's more because the game is hard and unforgiving in its later levels than anything else.