Universal Controller Fix
Universal Controller Fix, abbreviated as UCF, is a mod for Super Smash Bros. Melee produced by Dan Salvato and released on 8th August 2017, accompanied by a YouTube video detailing its usage and changes.
The mod aims to eliminate discrepancies between the performances of GameCube controllers during competitive matches, as hardware differences between GameCube controllers can cause imbalances in executing advanced techniques. Under UCF, a player with any controller can perform advanced techniques to the same level of consistency as with high-quality controller.
Overview[edit]
Universal Controller Fix alters the original Melee with two major changes:
- The dashback window is increased from one to two frames. When playing the Ice Climbers, Nana's behavior is modified to move exactly as she would in vanilla Melee, preventing any unexpected occurrences in the modded version.
- If the control stick is held against the rim, and the player's shield is angled such that a shield roll is impossible, the spot dodge threshold is decreased from -0.7 to -0.8. The lower threshold makes it so that spot dodging will not interfere as easily with shield dropping, and can be consistently performed on any controller.
History[edit]
GameCube controllers, especially models made early in the product's life, are notorious for having inconsistent build quality. What seems like the exact same controller on the surface would actually have noticeably different components and calibrations, which cannot be easily fixed. Prior to the release of Universal Controller Fix, the competitive Melee scene was suffering from a culture of shopping for GameCube controllers with the correct hardware to allow for optimal execution of advanced techniques, particularly dashback and shielddrop. Top players would have particularly high standards, with Armada notably dropping out of DreamHack Austin 2017 due to his controller not being up to par. Players and news media criticized this, boiling down Melee to a matter of "whether a controller was broken enough for play".[1] Additionally, controllers with the correct traits would command high prices, hurting not only Melee players, but GameCube collectors and players in general.
UCF was created to respond to this worrying change in culture. It was quickly implemented at various tournaments shortly after its release, including Shine 2017 and GameTyrant Expo 2017. An episode of controversy, however, occurred at Shine 2017, the first major to utilize the mod, during the losers' eighths set between ChuDat and Leffen. ChuDat initially won the set 3-2, but UCF was not activated during the set. As a result, the set was ordered to be replayed with UCF turned on, and Leffen won the rematch 3-2, knocking Chu out of the tournament. Although many players criticized the decision to replay the set, this was seen as a failure on the TOs' part for accidentally leaving UCF off, rather than a shortcoming of the mod itself.
Since its release, UCF has been modified several times for minor changes and bugfixes.[2] As of 22nd February 2018, it is currently in beta, version 0.73.
Reception[edit]
The usage of UCF in tournaments has been controversial. Some players and TOs have advocated for its usage, arguing that its implementation creates a more even playing field for all competitors. Because of the unpredictable nature of the quality of GameCube controllers, these players support UCF for eliminating discrepancies between players who have good and bad controllers. Others disagree, believing that pure vanilla Melee should be the only version of Melee played in tournaments, while citing logistics and other issues of uniformity that would complicate widespread introduction.
Reggie Fils-Aimé, in an interview with ESPN eSports, has stated that Nintendo is against the usage of UCF at tournaments as well as other modifications, and has a no-tolerance policy for modifications in its tournament environments. The Nintendo Community Tournament Guidelines have since put this stance into writing, banning any modified or pirated Nintendo products from use in tournaments.
Some players have proposed additional updates to the Universal Controller Fix, arguing it doesn't go far enough. For example, Hax$ argues that the UCF's application is inconsistent, believing that as many as 13 mechanics could be fixed in addition to its current 2, such as the Doraki wall jump and a fix to 1.0 cardinal. These have been implemented on his Melee 1.03 mod, but it hasn't seen widespread tournament usage, with other changes being seen as objectionable. PracticalTAS would respond to Hax's criticism refuting many of his claims.[3][4]
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