Gamecube Controller Adapters

[7ak]

(Note to any mods: Can someone please make (or if approved, I will make one) an OFFICIAL controller discussion thread? It really does not belong buried amongst HDTV, recording, game disc error issues in the technical thread.)

If you don't want to read my whole lovely rant below what I'm looking for is:

1. Reports of actual SSBM player experience using non-GCN controllers for Melee, specifically PS2 and to a lesser extent Classic Controller/Pro, and Xbox in that order.

2. Given actual experience with the adapter, L and R trigger response, able to lightshield or not, right stick response as C-stick substitute, comfort of button layout.

3. The brand/model of the adapter.

I've googled and most reviews for adapters are written by non-smash and non-melee players so they really aren't helpful, i.e. "Werks gr8 4 Mario Sunshine".

Rant and story below:

Let me start off by saying that I love the Gamecube controller as it seems Melee was designed specifically for it. But...anyone who plays Melee more seriously and for a longer period of time will inevitably come up against controller issues of one kind or another. Personally, I've had the most problems with the stick and the triggers which both seem prone to wear and, yes I am being serious, humidity changes. The weird thing is that the slightest change in the stick or triggers completely changes my playing style which really irritates me.

I've noticed that brand new Gamecube controllers are becoming increasingly scarce, and old ones aren't particularly easy to repair. I've opened up a couple of them and if you aren't careful, it's easy to mess up reassembly and be left with slightly loose connections or worse. Maybe for those more skilled in such repairs it is a non-issue but for me it's just not worth it to A) find a brand new stick and box, or triggers and B) actually install them.

So now I've been on a long quest to find the best alternative controller for Melee. Unfortunately it looks like the Xbox360 and PS3 controllers are too new for anyone to bother making an adapter for the over 10 year old GCN. That leaves the original Xbox, PS1, PS2, and Wii Classic Controller/Pro controllers as alternatives.

Of course I turned to the Classic Controller/Pro first, being good old official Nintendo products. After about 1 minute of research however, I learned that neither one works out of the box with a Gamecube and the Pro version has non-analog triggers while the original Classic has a cord protruding from the bottom and no grips. I've never used either controller so they may be adequate but it doesn't look like a great bet.

It is absolutely maddening that Nintendo would make a "Classic" controller and even a "Pro" version that can't be used to play Gamecube games.........that is just astonishing to me on several levels. I might have forgiven it with the original Classic but given the opportunity to make a "Pro" revision and not address the potential for it to be a durable next-gen Gamecube controller is unbelievable. Especially given how fond Nintendo is of repackaging and reselling the same game over and over...(Ocarina of Time 3DS???) I'd think they'd be especially reliant on legacy GCN games for Wii U.

So, now I'm left with the PS2 and Xbox as alternatives. For me the Xbox controller is good for shooters and was probably optimized for Halo play which it excels at, but for Melee it is a bit clunky. I've used it for SSB64 which it is also good for but Melee is more demanding.

Now I've about decided that I'll attempt to use a PS2 controller and adapter and see how suitable it is as a GCN controller. In most of the adapter reviews I've read, it seems many controllers have trouble replicating the analog GCN triggers which isn't a huge issue for Melee players that prefer worn/removed springs. I'm somewhere on the fence about it, as I usually lightshield L-cancel only because my triggers are not too terribly worn. I'd actually prefer to fullshield everything so I can powershield more often. I was also wondering about the C-stick as the right stick on the PS2 but it looks like it would not be that hard to get used to.

I found an old thread discussing using the PS2 controller on Gamecube and patoons was very generous in testing it out:

i totally forgot i promised to test the PS2 controller for this, a user PMd me about it so i decided to test it out, but he asked for melee, so i tested melee and brawl.

melee :
dash dancing was fine. no problems there. i was able to do light shielding. just gotta press L/R2 lightly. not as easy as gc L/R, but its possible to do it. not hard at all. R3 functions just as well as the Cstick. L1 and R1 work as grab, so its like an extra grab button. its a fine substitute for the gc pad.

clicking the analog sticks did nothing in either game. overall not horrible. quite comparable to gamecube controller. if you got used to it you could probably be just as good with a ps2 controller. moreso in melee it felt closer to gc controller

Sounds pretty encouraging. Now I'm wondering, it seems not all adapters are created equal and I was a little shocked that patoons was able to lightshield with his adapter. So, now I'd like to ask if anyone out there has PS2 > GCN adapters, what is your experience with them in Melee and what is the actual brand?

Wow...did you read this whole rant? Congrats.

 

[Haxxy]

I highly doubt you'll have any luck with analog shoulder buttons, so it's probably not worth looking. I think in general, you're going to have just as hard a time finding good replacements for any controller. Anything that converts to GCN is as old as the GCN itself, so it seems rather pointless. You'd also have the same problems with the controller wearing out; it's inevitable no matter what controller you use. If you want, you can remove the shoulder button springs from the GCN controller altogether, removing the squish and also the lightshield.

The Classic Controller doesn't plug into a Gamecube because Nintendo had to choose one or the other, and Wiimote was the obvious choice. However, this is irrelevant to the Wii U which will likely feature downloadable GCN games and have no support for GCN controllers. So, you'll probably be using the Classic Controller to play GCN games on Wii U.

 

[LLDL]

To start, I have ps2, n64, wii classic controller and snes to gamecube adapters. All of them have no light shielding support, and all of them have noticeable input delay.

 

[7ak]

To start, I have ps2, n64, wii classic controller and snes to gamecube adapters. All of them have no light shielding support, and all of them have noticeable input delay.

I probably should've taken your word for it...got a new PS2 controller and an adapter and boy does it blow for Melee. It's acceptable as a VC controller or non-technical GCN games but useless for Melee. Not even going to bother trying a Classic Controller/Pro adapter.

I'll be looking into analog stick replacement and treatment now. If I can get a Wii Nunchuk stick or something like that in an old GCN controller, it might be worth it.

 

[Hydro_Smasher]

The gamecube controller is in my oppinion the only way to play competitive smash and enjoy it.

I have the crappy logitech dual action PC game pad, I tried using it to play ssbm in dolphin, the analog sticks are so stiff and aligned to a grid it makes precision impossible, the triggers dont always work, and the cord is so bad it often disconnects because its so cheap.

 

[Terry]

I have 6 GC controllers and will never use anything else. I bought a tri wing so I could fix my controllers when they get worn out.