Scaffolding Concept: Review (Joseph H)

The Super Monkey Ball series is about rolling a ball around to reach a goal. You collect bananas along the way, and there is a monkey inside the ball. The particular entry in the series I am building my controller for is Banana Mania, which is an upscale collection of the first three games in the series, the link of which is here: 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1316910/Super_Monkey_Ball_Banana_Mania/

I chose this game because: 1. it is a modernly accessible way to play the original games. And 2. I have never seen a uniquely designed controller that focuses on the physicality of the game series; this excludes the Wii remote for the title Banana Blitz, and the motion capabilities of smartphones for the mobile app release of Super Monkey Ball: Sakura Edition, which is a mix of classic levels. In both scenarios the motion control was not designed specifically for the game, but instead the games were made around the premise of the controls afforded by the hardware. Therefore, I do not believe they constitute themselves as doing what I am trying to accomplish.

I want to see if creating a spherical controller will be more intuitive than the awkward “dinner plate” feel of the smartphone, and more engaging than the joystick of the console/arcade versions of the game. I chose spherical because that better relates to the physics engine of the game series.