Best place to buy Gamecube controllers?

[Vandijkel]

My Gamecube controller recently got chewed up by my dog so i'm looking for a replacement. I've heard horror stories from Ebay and Amazon so I guess I wont use those, and I don't want to blindly buy from some random site.

How do you guys buy yours?

 

[Dolla Pills]

http://smashboards.com/threads/clas...amestop-controller-vs-smash-controller.438839

If you're going the smash controller route it's $23 for a new one on Amazon

 

[Vandijkel]

http://smashboards.com/threads/clas...amestop-controller-vs-smash-controller.438839

If you're going the smash controller route it's $23 for a new one on Amazon

Oh ok, so should I just buy the new one, and figure out how to repair my current one? Even you said that their triggers are awkward. Thanks for the forum link.

 

[-ACE-]

Yeah I always put old triggers in a sm4sh controller, or just put the sm4sh controller board/cord in a different shell entirely. The latter can be appealing if you're so used to the old ones, the texture can feel awkward on sm4sh controllers. The shell even feels slightly bigger

 

[Synnett]

Depends on what you want. Personally I would highly suggest eBay, as there is more service is something happens. You just have to know how it works... I've bought several from here and everything is fine. Also, you can find the lowest prices over here.

What is broken on your controller btw?

 

[-ACE-]

True ebay is good. At one point there were NEW sm4sh controllers for $12 + $5 shipping. Each additional controller added $2 shipping, so I got 3 of them for $45... After a few people bought them the guy changed the initial shipping from $5 to $10, lol

 

[Vandijkel]

Depends on what you want. Personally I would highly suggest eBay, as there is more service is something happens. You just have to know how it works... I've bought several from here and everything is fine. Also, you can find the lowest prices over here.

What is broken on your controller btw?

My dog chewed up the analog and C-stick. Weird though, all the prices i'm finding in toronto are 30+. I guess that's what I get for buying late into the scene.

True ebay is good. At one point there were NEW sm4sh controllers for $12 + $5 shipping. Each additional controller added $2 shipping, so I got 3 of them for $45... After a few people bought them the guy changed the initial shipping from $5 to $10, lol

Damn, sucks I missed out then. I might also use your idea of replacing the shell, I have a bunch of old ones that are water damaged due to a flooding. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Synnett]

The smash controllers are still cheap tho, they are selling for ~$25. Go on eBay, write "White Gamecube Controller" on the bar, then on the top right filter to see the lowest prices. Scroll down to find an official controller and there's the cheapest one you can find.

 

[Dolla Pills]

My dog chewed up the analog and C-stick.

There are two options here I would consider.

1). If the only thing messed up are the rubber/plastic caps on the sticks (the stick boxes themselves are still good as are the buttons/triggers) then you can just buy replacement caps online and replace them. To do that you just open up the controller, remove the motherboard from the front shell (pay attention to how everything connects so you can put it back together, it's fairly simple though), then remove and replace the chewed up caps.

2. Let's say you don't want to do that because either the stick boxes are broken or you don't want to have to take apart and reassemble the whole controller. Then you'll first want to buy a new smash controller (either color is fine). Unscrew the backs of both your new controller and your old chewed up one, then lift up the backs and swap them. This way you get a brand new motherboard, stick, and buttons but with trigger springs that aren't almost twice as long as they should be.

Method one would be cheaper provided your stick boxes are good, but method two is slightly simpler and maybe you want a two tone controller or new buttons anyway.

To unscrew the back and open up the controller you will need a tri-wing screwdriver.

Edited with links to Amazon. The only product I haven't purchased at least one of myself are the replacement caps and frankly I'm not sure if they are of good quality or not. If you have other old controllers where the caps are still fine then you can use the caps from one of them.

 

[-ACE-]

Pro tip on replacing control sticks and c-sticks:

The official Nintendo ones have 4 gusset-like plastic support appendages on the inside going from the outer shell of the stick to the shaft (easiest way to tell them apart). 3rd party sticks have only 2 gussets. 3rd party sticks also weigh less, have slightly less grip, and slightly lower quality rubber. They also have a deeper well where the grooved white actual stick of the stickbox itself is inserted, so the stick gets inserted farther in. This means the stick ends up being "shorter" which can lead to the rubber that wraps wound the top of the stick hitting the shell when you snap a direction (like dash dancing quickly). As in, you won't hear the snapping sound when you go back and forth. You can avoid this by putting a very small balled up piece of paper or foil into the well of the replacement stick so that the actual grooved white stick of the stickbox doesn't go in as far. Then you'll hear and feel that nice snap when you go back and forth, as the rubber that wraps around the stick won't come in contact with the shell. 3rd party sticks don't last quite as long, but they are acceptable at a competitive level. You can also buy a lot of them cheap and they are MUCH easier to find. The 3rd c-sticks are less rounded at the top and the top rubber isn't as soft, but it's really not that bad.

 

[Vandijkel]

Thanks a lot for the advice. I think i'll just replace the sticks like you guys said, and maybe buy a new one in case it happens again.

Cheers.