Editing Controller

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, Xbox, 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 bound as a Hori.

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 suffer from 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 "[[Nintendo 64 controller#LodgeNet controller|LodgeNet]]," a hotel exclusive controller. Members have even made alternative stick materials such as the "steel stick."

For ''[[Super Smash Bros. 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 ''Ultimate'', with a similar design as the ''Smash Wii U'' controller, save for an outlined ''Smash'' logo design replacing the ''Smash 4'' design.

The GameCube controller can also be used as one of the four options of playing ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', via the Wii's built-in GameCube ports. The release of ''Super Smash Bros.'' for [[Virtual Console]] also added the ability to play the game with the GameCube controller, with the controls even slightly updated to make the controller manipulate the game more similarly to ''Melee''.

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 if the rumble USB cable is not plugged in. Third-party and community-made alternatives are also available, with popular examples being the Mayflash GameCube Adapter and the Lossless Adapter.

 

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.

The Nintendo 3DS is a handheld console, and as such, its controller is a built-in part of its design. By necessity, it is effectively the only usable controller for {{for3ds}}. Its button layout is similar to the Classic Controller, except it only has two shoulder buttons and lacks a second analog stick. The later Nintendo 3DS XL did not make any changes to the 3DS's button layout.

A later hardware revision of the console, the New Nintendo 3DS, added a small, secondary analog nub to the console on its right side, to the upper-left of the face buttons, as well as two new shoulder buttons; while such functionality is available for the standard 3DS via the {{s|wikipedia|Circle Pad Pro}} accessory, ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' cannot support the accessory due to technical limitations involving how the Nintendo 3DS runs ''Smash 4''. The New Nintendo 3DS also comes with built-in compatibility {{s|wikipedia|Near Field Communication}}, allowing for players to use [[amiibo]] with the console without any other accessories.

The Nintendo 3DS can be used as a controller for {{forwiiu}} as part of the compatibility between the two versions, and the controls are kept identical if the 3DS is used to control the Wii U version. In addition to its use as a controller, linking the two games together can allow players to potentially transfer [[Character customization|customized characters]] between the two consoles; this was especially important when [[Official Custom Moveset Project|custom movesets were legal in tournaments]], with all console setups requiring at least one 3DS master console that had all available legal movesets.

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 when they are allowed, 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 ''for Nintendo 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.

The Wii U Pro Controller is a heavily condensed version of the Wii U GamePad, featuring a similar layout, but lacking its touchscreen, camera, and similar features. Wireless in nature, the controller can be directly connected to the console, potentially removing the need to constantly sync controllers to the Wii U console.

In ''Ultimate'', they can be used in one of three ways.

They can be used vertically, with two controllers acting as one, which has a total of two analog sticks and 18 buttons (four directional buttons, A, B, X, Y, L, R, ZL, ZR, plus, minus, screenshot, home, SL and SR). Generally, when playing in this configuration, the Joy-Con grip is used, which allows the controllers to function almost exactly like a traditional controller, although SL and SR are never used in horizontal mode.

They can also be used sideways, with one Joy-Con per person. This allows for more players to play (which is required for 8 player matches as each joy-con counts as one controller even when two are used as a pair while a Nintendo Switch supports up to 8 connected at once) but limits the number of buttons available to the player, which generally disfavors this kind of play. In this configuration, 10 buttons (left/B, up/Y, right/X, down/A, L/R, ZL/ZR, screenshot/home, +/-, SL and SR) and one analog stick are available for use, although L and ZL or R and ZR are rarely used in horizontal mode)

Finally, they can be used with both Joy-Con attached to the console in portable mode, which offers a very similar play style to playing vertically.

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller features similar 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 Pro Controller is frequently seen in competitive ''Ultimate'', with many top players such as {{Sm|Zackray}} and {{Sm|Abadango}} using it in tournaments. It is often more accessible than the GameCube controller, which are historically difficult to acquire new outside of Japan or expensive.

 

===Arcade controller===

[[File:Smashboxmodern.png|thumb|The Smash Box controller.]]

{{main|Keyboard}}

Although a rare sight at tournaments, the use of keyboards is not completely unheard of; a particularly well-known event in the tournament {{Trn|Zenith 2013}} featured {{Sm|SuPeRbOoMfAn}} using a keyboard against {{Sm|Sensei}} in the grand finals for ''Smash 64'', and a number of ''Smash 64'' players are devoted

{{Main|Controller modification}}

==Controller latency==

The general understanding is that every version of a particular controller model has the exact same latency. However, this is not always true. Aside from defective controllers that simply do not work as intended, errors during production could lead to two identical looking controllers having different amounts of latency. This is especially true among third party controllers, as there is no guarantee they went through the same type and amount of testing officially licensed controllers have gone through. While the difference does technically affect gameplay, the difference is usually so miniscule that it often goes unnoticed. Modifications like the [[Universal Controller Fix]] and others like it exist to mitigate these minor discrepancies for those who desire perfectly optimized controllers.

==In competitive play==

As controllers are required to play the game, they are also required to use during a [[tournament]]. First-party and third-party controllers officially licensed by Nintendo are typically allowed, as they are often high quality and have the same build for an equal and fair experience. Unofficial third-party controllers and modded controllers are usually allowed, but those which include elements that provide an unfair advantage are banned in most tournaments. Bannable offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:

*Turbo buttons or other mechanics that can press a button in quick successsion for the player, as they can provide an unfair advantage in regards to [[button mashing]] and other techniques.

*Controllers that interfere with the game itself, such as proprietary software built in that can hack the game in real time.

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. Regardless, many players refuse to use such third-party controllers, owing to their poorer build quality compared to official controllers from Nintendo.

Wireless controllers generally have their own set of rules when it comes to tournaments. Wireless controllers were historically 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 may 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 time waiting for players to sync wireless controllers to consoles. ''Ultimate'' tournaments typically do not have any restrictions on the use of wireless controllers owing to the popularity of the official Pro Controller.

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, an acronym for "'''B'''ring '''Y'''our '''O'''wn '''C'''ontroller". 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.

| [[Nintendo 64 controller]]||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{n}} ||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}<ref group="c" name="NSO">Only the Nintendo 64 controller for Switch that was exclusively sold to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.</ref>

| [[GameCube controller]]||{{y}}<ref group="c" name="VC">Only through [[Virtual Console]].</ref>||{{y}}||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{y}}<ref group="c" name="Adap">Requires a GameCube controller adapater</ref>||{{y}}<ref group="c" name="Adap"/>

| [[Wii Remote]]||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}

| Wii Remote & [[Nunchuk]]||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}

| [[Classic Controller]]||{{y}}<ref group="c" name="VC"/>||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}||{{y}}||{{n}}

| Single [[Joy-Con]]||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}

| Double Joy-Con||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{n}}||{{y}}

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

 

*Masahiro Sakurai stated in a [[YouTube]] video that he has repeatedly suggesting designers implement a scroll wheel into a controller, as he believes that to be the ideal method of menu navigation. He specifically mentioned to proposing a scroll wheel replace the [[L button]] or [[R button]] on a GameCube controller.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_3ZnSiwlnc I Want to Choose Fast! <nowiki>[UI]</nowiki>]</ref>