"If you use two pointers, can four people still play? How will Revolution handle more conventional games? We've got the facts.

Nintendo's Revolution controller has set the videogame industry abuzz with excitement and in some cases confusion. One glance around popular community message boards proves that gamers are both blown away by the possibilities and simultaneously scratching their collective head about how the peripheral might interact with more traditional software. The device is so dramatically different from the accepted norm that we'd be surprised if readers weren't thrown for an initial double-take. But once the details about the new controller sink in, it's not difficult to see the gameplay possibilities lurking just beyond the horizon.

We've combed over all the controller details and put together a handy list of facts about the peripheral that, we believe, will help clear up any misconceptions about what it does and doesn't do. As readers will see below, the Revolution's input mechanism is thoroughly flexible and preemptively ready for any type of gameplay challenge.

Q: What exactly is so special about the Revolution controller?

A: The Revolution controller may look like a stylish television remote, but there's a lot more to the device than its glossy exterior suggests. The remote-like peripheral, which has been called the "free-hand style controller" and "pointer" by Nintendo, interacts with a sensor bar placed above, below, or near televisions. The bar contains two sensors that communicate with the controller using Bluetooth technology. The marriage transforms the pointer into a virtual wand of sorts, enabling users to move objects and characters in games simply by moving the peripheral. The sensors read the pointer's every move in real-time space. They can detect up, down, left and right motion, and also translate forward and backward depth. The controller's sensors also recognize twisting, rotating and tilting movements. In short, any motion made by arms and wrists can be translated to Revolution games.

The free-hand-style unit also comes standard with three gameplay-specific face buttons, three menu-specific buttons, a D-Pad and an underbelly trigger. In addition, the unit's bottom shell can be removed, revealing a slot for expansion peripherals. Nintendo has several add-ons planned, some of which we'll detail below. The pointer is completely wireless and features built-in force feedback. Gamers can rotate the free-hand-style unit on its side to play NES software on Revolution." [more]