Controller: Difference between revisions

This was the first controller to be used in ''[[Super Smash Bros]]'' and is one of two official controllers along with the Japan-only release, the Hori Mini Pad; or Hori for short. Compatible with the Nintendo 64, these two controllers see the most use in tournaments in ''Smash 64'' with the original controller being more common. This is partially due to preference and also since Horis tend to be expensive as they need to be imported. Many players however also use a variety of other types of controllers such as Gamecube, X-Box, and even [[keyboard play|keyboard]].  The scene is in general open to any alternative as long as the controller has no macros and only as many buttons as a Hori compared to.

These alternatives, however, are not common in certain countries with top scenes like Japan where alternative controllers were banned as part of their ruleset and Peru. Due to its infamous analog stick, many players find it uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. Also, as they break down under stress and range issues due to overuse, multiple players in the community have created alternative for range such as the "{{sm|Derek}} Stick" and by making hybrids with alternative sticks such as the aforementioned Gamecube or "Lodge Net," a hotel exclusive controller. Members have even made alternative stick materials such as the "steel stick."

For ''[[Melee]]'', this was the only controller one could use, barring the use of esoteric adapters for other controllers. In addition to its standard, wired model, a wireless version of the controller, the Wavebird, was also released; though identical in function, it does not have the [[rumble]] capabilities due to battery life concerns. A later revision, produced in white and sporting a three-meter cord instead of a two-meter, was also released by Nintendo in April 2008 for Japanese players, and it is mostly associated with Japanese players such as {{Sm|Otori}}. While difficult to procure in Western territories, some players have imported the controller and used it in tournaments, such as {{Sm|Nairo}}. A similar controller was also later released in North America for the launch of ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''; this version featured a black color scheme, a three-meter cord, and a stylized [[Super Smash Bros. logo|''Super Smash Bros.'' logo]] silkscreened onto it. New controllers were made again for ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', with a similar design as the ''Smash Wii U'' controller, save for an outlined ''Smash'' logo design replacing the ''Smash 4'' design.

While the Wii U and Nintendo Switch do not feature dedicated ports for the controllers, an adapter that plugs into two of the Wii U or Switch's various [[wikipedia:Universal Serial Bus|USB]] ports is produced by Nintendo, allowing for up to four controllers to be plugged in. As the Wii U features four USB ports, this allows for a maximum of eight GameCube controllers to be used for ''Smash 4''. The Nintendo Switch Dock has three USB ports, but two adapters can still be used. Cheaper third-party options that are functionally identical to the USB adapter are also available. A number of even cheaper options are also available, as adapters that plug directly into the Wii Remote instead of the console, though most of these adapters cause the game to read the GameCube Controllers as Classic Controllers instead.

Within tournaments for ''Brawl'', ''Project M'', ''Smash Wii U'', and ''Ultimate'', the GameCube controller is by far the most popular option, due to the still-strong tournament scene of ''Melee'' and most players having the opinion of the GameCube controller being the best controller for ''Smash''. Additionally, GameCube controllers do not have battery issues and they are considerably easier to connect to a [[Wii]], as they do not require devoted processes for syncing them to different consoles. The Wavebird, however, is generally banned at large events; the controller allows for only sixteen potential channels between it and its dongle, and a large number of such controllers being used at once can potentially lead to interference issues between different players at different setups. In addition, players could set their controller to the same channel as another player on purpose, to interfere with other players.

Despite being almost functionally identical to a GameCube controller with an added shoulder button, the Classic Controller is not often used in tournaments. Besides most players simply already having a GameCube controller or preferring the design of the GameCube controller, such as in regards to the placement of the left analog stick, this can be attributed to the Classic Controller having potential connectivity and interference issues that come with wireless controllers, and that the Classic Controller effectively requires the player to bring along batteries and a Wii Remote. The Classic Controller has also been reported to be less durable than the official GameCube controllers, thus requiring players to have to spend more money to obtain replacement controllers as to continue playing. Despite these flaws, a small number of players chiefly use the Classic Controller in tournaments, such as {{Sm|Vermanubis}}.

It is a given that the 3DS is used as a controller in 3DS tournaments. However, within Wii U tournaments, the use of the Nintendo 3DS as a controller is often banned, due to logistics and time issues involved with having to constantly sync and re-sync them to the Wii U. Even without this limitation, the 3DS is notorious for its input lag when linked to a Wii U for gameplay. However, on its own, it has surprisingly little input lag with ''[[Super Smash Bros. for 3DS]]'', experiencing lows of 51.66ms (3.1 frames) and highs of 74.16ms (4.3 frames), being a frame faster than how the Wii U handles a GameCube controller for ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTPY9DWJ6Zo Latency video]</ref>.

The Wii U Gamepad is fully compatible with ''Smash 4''. In most cases, the touchscreen on the device will show the same video as that of the console itself. Furthermore, the game's [[Stage Builder]] supports the creation of custom platforms via drawing them on the touchscreen. If the GamePad is not used to play an actual match, then [[damage percent]]ages of players are displayed on the unit; tapping the screen in this mode changes it to show the actual match in progress. The game also supports Off-TV Play, allowing players to potentially play the game without the need of an external television set. The controller's microphone can also be used in [[With Friends]] to talk with other players while waiting for matches to start.

*Only one GamePad can be synced to and used on a Wii U console, so if two or more players wishing to use the GamePad were to play a match, there would be no fair way to resolve who would get to use the GamePad in their match.

*Syncing a new GamePad has a myriad of complications: if a GamePad is already synced to the console, its connection to the console would have to be physically severed, either by moving it far enough away or draining its battery. Additionally, the game would have to be closed and reopened, adding more time before a match can actually start.

They can be used vertically, with two controllers acting as one, which has a total of two analog sticks and 16 buttons. Generally, when playing in this configuration, the Joy-Con grip is used, which allows the controllers to function almost exactly like a traditional controller.

They can also be used sideways, with one Joy-Con per person. This allows for more players with fewer controllers, but limits the number of buttons available to the player, which generally disfavors this kind of play. In this configuration, 11 buttons and one analog stick are available for use.

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller features the same layout of the Joy-Con Controllers when used in the vertical configuration, but in a similar form factor as the Wii U Pro Controller.

The controller is preferred by most over the Joy-Con Controllers as most players find it more comfortable to use, and many find the larger control sticks to be more precise. Some players prefer the Pro Controller over the GameCube controller due to the extra shoulder button and more traditional controller design, while other's prefer the GameCube controller for the notches around the control sticks, and the muscle memory built from using it in other smash games.

The Pro Controller is frequently seen in competitive ''[[Ultimate]]'', with many top players such as {{Sm|Zackray}} and {{Sm|Abadango}} using it in tournaments.

[[File:Smash Box.jpg|thumb|The Smash Box controller.]]

{{main|Keyboard play}}

[[File:ModifiedController.jpg|thumb|A modified GameCube controller; the left analog stick has been replaced with one from a Nunchuk, and the bottom shell has been replaced with that of a black controller.]]

Within the tournament scene, the use of modified controllers (sometimes called "Frankentrollers" after [[wikipedia:Frankenstein's Monster|the famous literary character]]) became a small, niche trend. Exact modifications can be separated into two categories: cosmetic, and functional.

 

 

Functional mods involve physically altering aspects of the controller, as to improve its function. Common functional mods include changing either the analog sticks, triggers, or the individual buttons. For the analog sticks, common mods focus on replacing worn-down sticks; while most players generally replace analog sticks with those from identical models, combining two different controllers is not an uncommon practice, and those from non-Nintendo controllers, such as {{iw|wikipedia|DualShock}} controllers, can be featured. In addition, ''Brawl'', ''Project M'', ''Smash Wii U'', and ''Ultimate'' players can choose to remove the springs from the L and R due to the games not recognizing light button presses; ''Melee'' players also sometimes alter the length of the springs, as to allow for less resistance to press down the triggers. Finally, other mods involve completely severing the [[rumble]] from the controller, thus decreasing controller weight and preventing the need to constantly have to switch rumble off.

==In [[tournament play]]==

Within tournaments, controllers are rarely provided to players, and players are expected to bring their own controller; as such, the phrase '''BYOC''' is commonly found in tournament rulesets, meaning "Bring Your Own Controller". Players are responsible for their own controllers, as tournaments typically will not replace them or compensate players who lose them. Players with wireless controllers are also responsible for any issues that may arise from them, including issues with battery life or interference, and tournament organizers are not obligated to assist players of these controllers should issues end up influencing a match. Some tournaments are known to provide emergency replacement controllers in case a player experiences a catastrophic error with their controller, but these are few and far between. If a player is unable to use their controller for any reason and are unable to acquire a replacement in a timely manner, they are deemed unfit to play and are considered forfeit.

Within the ''Brawl'', ''Project M'', and ''Smash 4'' tournament scenes, GameCube controllers are ubiquitous, though a few players are dedicated to using other, niche controllers, such as the Wiichuk or Classic Controller.

Wireless controllers generally have their own set of rules when it comes to tournaments. All wireless controllers are generally required to have their batteries removed whenever the owner is not playing a match, as they can interfere with other controllers that are trying to sync to consoles, where [[port priority]] can be important. Players who do not comply with this can be disqualified. Owing to the issues with wireless controllers, particularly large tournaments may have a total blanket ban on all wireless controllers; in addition to the interference issues, some TOs may simply not want to waste any time waiting for players to sync wireless controllers to consoles.

Unofficial, third-party controllers are usually allowed, but those which include turbo or macro buttons are banned, as they can provide an unfair advantage in regards to [[button mashing]] and other techniques. Regardless, many players refuse to use such third-party controllers, owing to their poorer build quality compared to official controllers from Nintendo.

The decision of whether or not modified controllers should be banned or not is up to the discretion of the tournament organizer, though a ban does not necessarily have to be black-and-white, with differing mods potentially requiring different regulations. Large tournaments, however, may issue a blanket ban on all modified controllers, as to avoid logistics issues of whether or not to allow specific controllers.

| [[Nintendo 64 Controller]]||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{n}} ||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}

| [[GameCube controller]]||{{y}}<ref name="VC">Virtual Console only</ref>||{{y}}||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{y}}<ref name="adapter">Requires adapter</ref>||{{y}}<ref name="adapter">Requires adapter</ref>

| [[Wii Remote]]<ref name="sideways">Oriented sideways</ref>||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}

| Wii Remote & [[Nunchuk]]<ref name="vertical">Oriented vertically</ref>||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}

| [[Classic Controller]]||{{y}}<ref name="VC">Virtual Console only</ref>||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}

| Single [[Joy-Con]]<ref name="sideways"/>||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}

| Double Joy-Con<ref name="vertical"/>||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}

| [[Nintendo Switch Pro Controller|Switch Pro Controller]]||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}

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