Controller Layout Modding - Your Optimal Setups?

[Alice!]

EDIT: Added [Legality] prefix as I'd like to know whether this is a generally legal mod or not before I decide to switch to it. Seems to me that it's not so much a "for advantage" thing as it is a layout preference done in lieu of in-game options for it, but yeah.

Hello Everyone!

So I've been contemplating the reality that one cannot change the button layout of gamecube controllers for melee. I've always thought that it was a shame and that, given the advanced techniques present and some of the trickier inputs required, there would be setups much more optimal than the standard for executing them. At this point, I'm currently looking into modification of a physical controller to remap the button layout. After no luck searching, I found this video of somebody who remapped X to L. I sent the person a message and am hoping to get started on my own mod soon.

Personally, the aim for my mod is the following:

A - Jump
Y - Attack
X - Shoulder button

I feel that having a big, central jump button will make a lot of the faster aerial tricks easier. Things like waveshining specifically would just be a fluid roll from B -> A -> X. Seems like a good idea to me. For Peach, the layout would be pretty similar to how I use the standard one, except I'd ground float attack by rolling from A to Y instead of Y to A like I currently do.

What say you, smashboards? If you could change your button layout to be more optimal for the way you play smash, would you change it? What would you change it to? Would such a mod be considered "tournament legal?". I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Have a lovely day,
-Alice

 

[Kadano]

At this point, I'm currently looking into modification of a physical controller to remap the button layout.

I did this once, I mapped X to R. It was really easy to do, but it didn’t feel right to me and I undid it.
It’s really easy, I never learned soldering properly, I just opened the controller, looked at how it worked and ****ed around until it worked like I intended.

But yeah, your button map seems interesting. I might try this soon, except for the X-R mapping.

 

[Alice!]

I did this once, I mapped X to R. It was really easy to do, but it didn’t feel right to me and I undid it.
It’s really easy, I never learned soldering properly, I just opened the controller, looked at how it worked and ****ed around until it worked like I intended.

But yeah, your button map seems interesting. I might try this soon, except for the X-R mapping.

Word. I mean personally I've always used Y to jump and have never even touched X for any reason, so having it as just this sort of "auxiliary button" makes sense to me. Plus its placement is nice for rolling off of A onto and such. I'll report back when I've done it! Hopefully I won't fry anything

 

[Alice!]

Just finished mapping X to R. You were right that it's a fairly simple job.

Here's the original controller.

Here's the mod. In case it's hard to see, there's just a little jumper cable going from the top of the X button to the top of those two little pins below it (which, as it turns out, are the R button pins). I severed the original lead from the top of the X button with a boxcutter type deal (to keep it from doing the old X button functions), then used a flathead screwdriver to scrape off the carbon on the top of the X button contacts so I could solder to it.

I did a little cutting of the little rubber thing that springs the buttons up in order to make it fit around the solder blob/cable a bit better. Now that I've put the controller back together it has the exact same response as all the other buttons and works perfectly! Yay!

Will do the A/Y swap some other day, as it'll probably be trickier (in terms of tiny soldering nightmares and fitting it in the case), just wanted to post an update in the meantime.

Meep!

 

[nimigoha]

How hard do you think a Z/X swap would be? I want to play Melee with Z to jump and X to grab really badly.

I have 0 skills with soldering, wiring, etc.

If I found someone who could do it would it be fairly simple if they understood rudimentary electronics?

 

[Synnett]

I think we have to discuss mods legality first lol, things are getting out of hand. I think this should not be legal at all, as it messes up with the original controls of the controller.