Why does Nintendo use the term "Button" for the controller's R and L?

[Lumina333]

This one's a mystery to me. Surely "trigger" or "shoulder" would have been better? Maybe it's a translation issue?

[Andross89]

L & R have two modes. One is a traditional digital button.

So... it's a button.

Keeping the names is common. Sony didn't change it when it introduced pressure-sensing buttons on the PS2.

[Lumina333]

Ah yeah, when you hold R or L down all the way there's eventually a little "click." That makes sense.

[Lumina333]

Here is a place where they are called triggers - in Table 2-2 Controller Buttons on page 8 of the Revolution SDK Nintendo GameCube Controller Library:

Code: Select all

PAD_TRIGGER_Z
PAD_TRIGGER_R
PAD_TRIGGER_L