Q&A Controller / Button Mapping Advice Thread

[MrGame&Rock]

Just switched X to grab so I can SH + Zair with applicable characters. Still working on my Hoo Hah tho without reliable access to the C Stick

 

[AvariceX]

Has it been mentioned yet that setting c to attack allows for jab and nair using the diagonals?

This is really important and should be added to the first post. It should also be noted that diagonal's on the tilt stick give you jabs even while crouching and as long as you hold down on the analog you will buffer crouch on the first possible frame after the jab (making things like Link's jab loop trivially easy).

 

[Trunks159]

My set up is mostly default except for the X button which is Grab.

Does anyone know a work around so that my character doesn't use an attack when using Grab? I can't wrap my head around as to why when I try to pivot grab an f-tilt would come out.

The Grab and C-stick for aerials in this game are booty.. And it sucks considering that was what I did best.

U must : dash ->> grab >> pivot

I use these settings on the gamepad:
Tab jump off
a, b, y: default
x: grab
ZL and L: jump
ZR and R: shield

I dont use L, R, or Y

 

[κomıc]

U must : dash ->> grab >> pivot

I use these settings on the gamepad:
Tab jump off
a, b, y: default
x: grab
ZL and L: jump
ZR and R: shield

I dont use L, R, or Y

Yeah, I actually finally got around to figuring it out... But I do miss how it used to work in PM and Brawl. I'm using the Gamecube Controller, but the layout you've set is exactly/similar to what i use on 3DS.

 

[Trunks159]

I justgot used to it.

 

[GRogErEN24]

has anyone tried to see if springless controllers work on the 3rd party 4 port mayflash adapter?

 

[hardytack]

I've used toe gamepad, mainly because I don't have a gamecube adapter, and it feels comfortable and familiar to me. It honestly feels weird to play with anything else now.

 

[Trunks159]

I've used toe gamepad, mainly because I don't have a gamecube adapter, and it feels comfortable and familiar to me. It honestly feels weird to play with anything else now.

Same, though the pro controller feels good.

 

[Funkermonster]

On a gamecube-like controller, I like to set my R shoulder button to jump. It makes performing UpBs and Usmashes out of shield a lot easier for me so I can still do them without a need for tap jump on. Love it.

 

[danzibr]

Having used GCC, Pro Controller, GamePad, WiiMote, and WiiMote + nunchuck, I can say I prefer GCC, not only because I started on Melee, but also being able to have my thumb on A with easy access to the other buttons is nice. Like, just roll from jump to an aerial.

Also, this thread inspired me to retry T-sticking

By the way, a while ago I was big on trying to use no A, B, X, Y on the Pro Controller (just both sticks and all 4 shoulder buttons). It was neat and fun, but my muscle memory kept messing me up.

 

[PBLK Nimbus]

I personally use X as grab on my game-cube controller. It makes option selects much easier because i can use the same to spot-dodge as i do to grab if the situation gets unwieldy. That and it makes reverse grabbing much quicker IMO because the X button is activated quicker than the R L or Z.

 

[Lorska]

Anyone using the *New* 3DS as a controller for Wii U? Was disappointed last year when I found out you could use a 3DS but in smash mode only. Was wondering if they made any improvements to that with the NEW 3DS, especially since it now has Z buttons and a C stick.

 

[Locke 06]

C-Stick​

This is another one I've heard less about, but still would be nice to discuss. The C-Stick is set to smash as the default setting, although other somewhat common settings are special and attack (for tilts). It can also be set to shield, grab, and jump, though those settings are rarely seen, if ever.

Attack (Tilts [T-Sticking?? I'm coining it])​

Having your C-Stick set to attack confers notable benefits. For one, you can perform UTilts with the same ease as a smash attack, without having to turn tap jump off. You also preserve the ability to perform aerials with a stick. Performing tilts out a skid is somewhat easier. Most importantly, it greatly facilitates tilting out of perfect pivots. Without T-Sticking, this is a feat that requires incredibly dexterous and precise fingers if you want to do an advancing perfect pivot followed by a forward-facing tilt.

Additionally, T-Sticking does not suffer from the input glitches in the air that smash-sticking does, meaning you can preserve your momentum entirely as you should while doing an aerial.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

This is by no means complete, so get to asking questions and pointing out anything I've missed!

Similar to PP>tilts, C-stick allows you to easily do PP>smash attacks (PP>Dsmash or PP>Usmash are the most common) which are very hard to do.

I may be wrong, but I think smash C-stick (or smash D-pad?) is the only way to perform a forward smash while holding an item (hold the attack button and input forward smash).

Also, extra triggers on gamepad & pro controller are worth mentioning. Having a jump trigger facilitates OoS options and having an attack trigger facilitates item-forward smash. You get to keep your grab and shield triggers.

 

[Weeman]

After playing both with the Gamecube controller and the Pro controller a lot, i think the pro controller is the overall best for Smash.
It has more button mapping options and the bumper buttons are better for shielding/grabbing since they require less force to press.
Not only that but the second stick, while at first might be awkard because most people are used to having it below, it's actually better in this position, it's way closer to the buttons and allows you to use it for aerials quicker, wich becomes really useful when trying to do short hop aerials, since a lot of the time you might end up doing jump cancelled Smashes if you do them the traditional way.
The only 2 things the Gamecube controller has in it's favor are:
-The label around the C-Stick has an octagonal shape, wich becomes really relevant in this game since you can do Nairs with the C-stick now.
-Being wired, wich naturally makes it the optimal option for tournaments.

All in all i'd say that, unless you're planning to go to real tournaments really often, the Wii U pro controller is a better investment since not only is it better for Smash, but it will be relevant for other games as well.

 

[FOcast]

Attack (Tilts [T-Sticking?? I'm coining it])​

Having your C-Stick set to attack confers notable benefits. For one, you can perform UTilts with the same ease as a smash attack, without having to turn tap jump off. You also preserve the ability to perform aerials with a stick. Performing tilts out a skid is somewhat easier. Most importantly, it greatly facilitates tilting out of perfect pivots. Without T-Sticking, this is a feat that requires incredibly dexterous and precise fingers if you want to do an advancing perfect pivot followed by a forward-facing tilt.

Additionally, T-Sticking does not suffer from the input glitches in the air that smash-sticking does, meaning you can preserve your momentum entirely as you should while doing an aerial.

Has anyone else encountered glitches with T-sticking NAirs and Jabs? When playing at 1/2 or 1/4 speed in training mode, some of my ShNairs simply don't come out when input at perfectly reasonable times. Also, tapping back and forth on a diagonal should produce quick Jab inputs. It appears to do so some of the time, and other times just stop reading any input from the stick.

My best guess is that the C-Stick has some sort of restriction on inputs it can send, and this gets messed with in slower speeds in training mode.

Can anyone else confirm?

 

[HOO HAH]

Has anyone else encountered glitches with T-sticking NAirs and Jabs? When playing at 1/2 or 1/4 speed in training mode, some of my ShNairs simply don't come out when input at perfectly reasonable times. Also, tapping back and forth on a diagonal should produce quick Jab inputs. It appears to do so some of the time, and other times just stop reading any input from the stick.

My best guess is that the C-Stick has some sort of restriction on inputs it can send, and this gets messed with in slower speeds in training mode.

Can anyone else confirm?

Yes, multiple glitches in 1/4 speed have been reported in training mode. Don't worry, it won't affect your actual gameplay.

 

[Jaxas]

Has anyone else encountered glitches with T-sticking NAirs and Jabs? When playing at 1/2 or 1/4 speed in training mode, some of my ShNairs simply don't come out when input at perfectly reasonable times. Also, tapping back and forth on a diagonal should produce quick Jab inputs. It appears to do so some of the time, and other times just stop reading any input from the stick.

My best guess is that the C-Stick has some sort of restriction on inputs it can send, and this gets messed with in slower speeds in training mode.

Can anyone else confirm?

The Cstick will only send another input after it has been zeroed again.

So Left-Right-Left will not work (it'll send Left and nothing after that) but Left-Center-Right-Center-Left will send the inputs. This is also why you can't just set the Cstick to special and spin it to recover as Luigi, for example.

 

[FOcast]

Yes, multiple glitches in 1/4 speed have been reported in training mode. Don't worry, it won't affect your actual gameplay.

Except for when I want to work out combo timings in training mode. =(

The Cstick will only send another input after it has been zeroed again.

So Left-Right-Left will not work (it'll send Left and nothing after that) but Left-Center-Right-Center-Left will send the inputs. This is also why you can't just set the Cstick to special and spin it to recover as Luigi, for example.

Good to know, thanks.

 

[Shadowfury333]

The C-Stick is set to smash as the default setting, although other somewhat common settings are special and attack (for tilts). It can also be set to shield, grab, and jump, though those settings are rarely seen, if ever.

I'm the odd one out here then, my setup was with Pro Controller, using:

B: Jump
Y: Special
X: Attack
A: Shield
C-stick: Attack
R,L,ZR,ZL: Some combination of shield, grab, and jump from earlier experiments, one involving using only shoulder buttons and sticks

I listed them in that order because, running from thumb to ring finger, that's how I placed my hand. I'm more used to traditional fighters, and find fightsticks more comfortable than pads, as my fingers are strained equally. However, because the buttons are rather awkwardly close together, I got the GCC adapter, leading to:

C-Stick: Jump (thumb)
B: Special (index)
A: Attack (middle)
X: Shield (ring)
Y: Grab (middle, not rest position, used almost never as A+X works in all cases, including zair)

It's a bit annoying to not have something more button-like in the thumb position, or possibly more annoying that tap-jump is finicky with how Smash handles attack inputs, so I can't just use that and basically have a 3-button fighter, but it's also much more comfortable than the Pro Controller. On both controllers I hold the left stick between my left thumb and index. Makes tilts and walking much easier to do, makes PP a little harder.

 

[Gombi]

Hi i would like to get opinion on how to map my GCC. Right now i use

A: attack
B: special
X: grab
Y : ??? not using it ...
C-stick : attack
L: Jump
R: shield
Z: ?? i never use it ...

So basically i would like to know if there are 1 or 2 good use for Z and Y and if i should map R to jump and L to shield or it's the same thing.

thanks !

 

[Pazx]

Hi i would like to get opinion on how to map my GCC. Right now i use

A: attack
B: special
X: grab
Y : ??? not using it ...
C-stick : attack
L: Jump
R: shield
Z: ?? i never use it ...

So basically i would like to know if there are 1 or 2 good use for Z and Y and if i should map R to jump and L to shield or it's the same thing.

thanks !

If you aren't using Z or Y I suggest making Z either attack, jump or special and Y either shield or jump. As for L vs R: personal preference.

 

[HOO HAH]

Still experimenting...

 

[Gombi]

What is the most effective way to SH jump on L or R or on Z ?

 

[Jaxas]

What is the most effective way to SH jump on L or R or on Z ?

The important thing to know is that to get a short hop you have to send the "Press" input and then get the "Release" signal to send less than... 4? frames (whatever your character's jumpsquat animation frames are) later.

For L/R Triggers:
If you can very lightly press the trigger and immediately release it then you'll short hop; the difficulty comes from doing this at high speed/under pressure.

I actually ended up sticking a few extra springs into my L trigger so it goes up faster, but if you have too many then it's hard to press to where it registers.

For Z Button:
If you can train yourself to jump with Z (and grab with something else), this is the easiest because it will immediately switch between "Press" and "Release" as soon as you press or release it, without having to travel all the way back up to the top.

 

[Gombi]

The important thing to know is that to get a short hop you have to send the "Press" input and then get the "Release" signal to send less than... 4? frames (whatever your character's jumpsquat animation frames are) later.

For L/R Triggers:
If you can very lightly press the trigger and immediately release it then you'll short hop; the difficulty comes from doing this at high speed/under pressure.

I actually ended up sticking a few extra springs into my L trigger so it goes up faster, but if you have too many then it's hard to press to where it registers.

For Z Button:
If you can train yourself to jump with Z (and grab with something else), this is the easiest because it will immediately switch between "Press" and "Release" as soon as you press or release it, without having to travel all the way back up to the top.

Thanks for the answer good info. I was playing with L at the start and i get SH more easily out of it but you made me realise that, yeah i always miss the SH when the game is going fast. I tried with Z but i get it way more consistently i guess i need to train more and i was already using X for grab.

So what would you use for R instead of jump if L is shield and Z is jump it's like a dead button xD

 

[J_the_Man]

I believe this is the correct thread to post in concerning my issue:

I use a Pro Controller with the X button as my grab button. Is their a particular reason why when I try to perform pivot grabs that instead I perform pivot tilts?

 

[MuraRengan]

I've been theorycrafting about the game mechanics for awhile, and I've repeatedly thought that dashdancing and perfect pivot could be valuable tecsh if they could be performed consistently. But in practicing with a regular controller, I've found that I could only ever do either about %33 of the time, which is far from reliable. It occurred the me that the length of the control stick was making my physical input of the movements more prone to error, because it is so short that it's hard to put in the very precise movements that represent the control stick inputs. Then I had the idea that if I could lengthen the control stick, I might have more control of the very sensitive and precise movements for these techs. So I did this:

Spoiler

Very crude, I know. But, I fooled around with it for about 30 mins and once I got adjusted to the length, I started to be able to perform perfect pivots very consistently. That's amazing, considering that I had practiced it for days without this extension and I could never get more than 2 off consistently. With this thing I got 7 after 30 mins of practice. It didn't help so much with dashdancing, but I believe that if I made another one that's a bit shorter I would see that that would work as well.

I think this is an interesting concept, because if it could make it easier for people to implement perfect pivots and other precise techs more consistently, then I think we could unlock some potential in characters that was locked because the level of precision that the normal controls stick offered made some techs difficult to do consistently. Above all, I think it could make precise movement options like perfect pivot and dashdance actually feasible, which could have a huge impact.

Of course I know that controller mods have been traditionally illegal, but at the same time, Smash 4 is a new game and we're still in the process of figuring out what fits for it. I don't think this should be written off because of past policies. I'd encourage people to try to make one for themselves and experiment with it.

 

[ぱみゅ]

@ MuraRengan
I htought your topic was best suited in this thread so I moved it here

 

[Pazx]

@ MuraRengan controller mods like that are probably fine, Turbo/Macro buttons are the issue. Does it become awkward holding your thumb further away than usual? I'd imagine that would cause stress.

I believe this is the correct thread to post in concerning my issue:

I use a Pro Controller with the X button as my grab button. Is their a particular reason why when I try to perform pivot grabs that instead I perform pivot tilts?

You are likely inputting the grab too late, strange as it sounds. The window is rather tight in this game. Try inputting grab and then instantly turning around, as I think the frame window is larger than if you input the pivot before the grab. I don't think there's a functional difference (as in they're both pivot grabs) between grab->pivot and pivot->grab, but the former is easier to consistently pull off for many people and should be faster in theory.

 

[Ansou]

I just recently switched from using a Wii U Pro Controller to using a GameCube Controller. My reasons for this are:

1. I find it easier to perform Perfect Pivots with a GCC as it gives my thumb a different angle.
2. Syncing my Wii U Pro Controller every time I switch console is tiring.
3. Wii U Pro Controllers don't usually have bad latency, but it's inconsistent.

This is how I have mapped my inputs:
(A) Standard Attack
(B) Special Attack
[X] Special Attack
[Y] Special Attack
(L] Jump
[R) Shield
[Z) Grab
(o) Movement
(c) Attack
+ Taunt

The only reason that I have Specials on X and Y is so that I can get used to jumping with L. I like to use L for jumping as it makes it easier to act directly after I input a jump. Like doing aerials or Hammer Bash () to recover.

One reason that I used a Pro Controller before was that it had similar layout to a 3DS, but once I got my New 3DS and found out that I couldn't set its C-stick to Attack, I just decided to use a GCC instead anyway.

Also, am I the only person who has the middle fingers on L and R and the index finger on Z?

 

[MuraRengan]

@ MuraRengan controller mods like that are probably fine, Turbo/Macro buttons are the issue. Does it become awkward holding your thumb further away than usual? I'd imagine that would cause stress.

It feels super awkward at first. Took me forever to actually learn how to do a perfect pivot with it initially. I actually use the claw, so i can't say how it would feel for a person who holds the control stick traditionally. After a couple more hours of practice with it, I've gotten perfect pivots and dashdances very consistently with certain characters. And I can say quite confidently that this works better for me than the normal control stick. Here's a list of some characters which I think would benefit from it:

Bowser: Both perfect pivot and dashdance are incredibly easy with the stick-length mod. Dashdance could allow Bowser to perform crucial roll punishes, as dashdance can be cancelled into fsmash both in front and behind bowser very quickly and on reaction. It can also be used in approaching to fake opponents out or just make them unsure about the approach options in general.

Marth: Very similar to bowser. Dashdance and perfect pivot can be performed more consistently. Dashdance allows option coverage similar to bowser. But, perfect pivot increases Marth's control over spacing, which is incredibly valuable for landing tippers. I performed several tippered fsmashes out of perfect pivots.

Little Mac: Perfect Pivot is INCREDIBLY easy on this char, and PP into fsmash is incredibly strong since it gives him incredible control over spacing, which he desperately needs. Dashdance can also be performed pretty reliably, giving him more option coverage.

Jigglypuff: Her perfect pivot is too short to be useful, but her dashdance is incredibly reliable and useful. Dashdance could enable her to punish rolls with a rest or a fsmash, which would give her a solid ground game.

Diddy: Unfortunately (lol) Diddy has a really easy dashdance with this thing, giving him even more option coverage. His perfect pivot is rather short, and I don't think he really needs it.

Zero Suit: Both dashdance and perfect pivot were pretty easy to perform consistently. Could definitely make her reaction punish game really strong.

A lot of other chars have easy perfect pivots and dashdances, but it doesn't seem to really help them out at all. For example, Palutena's perfect pivot is probably the easiest in the game but, it's kinda laggy, and doesn't enable her to set up any kills because of it. Sheik, DK, Falcon, and Megaman are in a similar situation, the techs can be used reliably, but they don't seem to help anything other than the grab game.

I'm kind of afraid to test this further, because I'm actually a Melee player and I'm afraid getting used to this could mess up my game lol.

 

[obe]

I'm the odd one out here then, my setup was with Pro Controller, using:

B: Jump
Y: Special
X: Attack
A: Shield
C-stick: Attack
R,L,ZR,ZL: Some combination of shield, grab, and jump from earlier experiments, one involving using only shoulder buttons and sticks

This is how I started and I went away from it to something like this:

A: Special
X: Jump
Y: Attack / grab from shield
B: N/A
L/R: Grab
ZL/ZR: Shield
Stick: Smash
Tap-jump off

Honestly I just wanted to keep all my inputs near the same place... I main Mega Man / Luigi / Falcon so I never really worry about grabbing being on my ABXY setup which is neat. I am debating putting grab explicitly on B but as of now I'm not sure. lol

 

[Mienaikage]

I've opted for the following on the Wii U Pro:

(A) Standard Attack
(B) Special Attack
[X] Jump
[Y] Grab
(L] Special Attack
[R) Standard Attack
(ZL] Jump
[ZR) Shield
(o) Movement
(c) Smash
+ Taunt

It's similar to something I used in Brawl, and the theory behind it is that moving your thumb between the buttons and right stick is minimal. Main reason I stuck with Smash attacks on the right stick is because I prefer that it brings out Robin's Levin Sword. You could theoretically stop using the face buttons entirely if you wanted to.

 

[eveningninja]

Question: I know that C-Sticking aerials (with C-stick set to "Attack") has advantages because of being able to retain full control of your character's directional momentum while performing aerials in any direction, but... I've noticed that I end up doing a Nair (from diagonal input) about 50% of the time that I'm meaning to do a Uair, so lately I've just been doing my Uairs with A+AnalogStick. Is that acceptable? Or does resorting to this not allow me to maximize my combo potential? Do any of you else also have problems accidentally doing Nairs with the C-stick? Or did you just practice enough that your muscle memory is reliable to input the aerial you're meaning to?

 

[Ansou]

Question: I know that C-Sticking aerials (with C-stick set to "Attack") has advantages because of being able to retain full control of your character's directional momentum while performing aerials in any direction, but... I've noticed that I end up doing a Nair (from diagonal input) about 50% of the time that I'm meaning to do a Uair, so lately I've just been doing my Uairs with A+AnalogStick. Is that acceptable? Or does resorting to this not allow me to maximize my combo potential? Do any of you else also have problems accidentally doing Nairs with the C-stick? Or did you just practice enough that your muscle memory is reliable to input the aerial you're meaning to?

I did have this problem when I first switched over to tilt-sticking on the Pro Controller. Then when I had practised enough I started getting my inputs right. Now I have recently switched to using a GameCube Controller and have the same problem once again, but I just have to practise and get used to the position of the C-stick. Of course it is acceptable to use A+AnalogStick, but I really recommend just getting used doing it with your C-Stick instead as that will give you more control in the end.

 

[Galaxian]

I feel like lately I've been a bit wonky with my Smash attacks. If I try to do a Smash, I sometimes get a tilt. Should I set my C-Stick to Smashes so I can use them guranteed, or just get better with doing Smashes instead of tilts?

I'm currently using tilts for my c-stick, but I rarely use it.

 

[Ansou]

I feel like lately I've been a bit wonky with my Smash attacks. If I try to do a Smash, I sometimes get a tilt. Should I set my C-Stick to Smashes so I can use them guranteed, or just get better with doing Smashes instead of tilts?

I'm currently using tilts for my c-stick, but I rarely use it.

It's obviously a matter of preference, but tilt-sticking has slightly more potential imo. You get more control when doing aerials and can do tilts from perfect pivots and such. You just have to practise doing smash attacks if you want to get it to work. But then again, if you don't feel like it's worth it and don't even use the c-stick for tilts or aerials, then go ahead and set it to smash attacks.

 

[Winnnn _AKA_Walt Piffney]

Shorthopping with shoulder button?

This is a problem for me and I'm afraid the only answer is practice lol. Am I just going to have to short hop 10,000 times with the shoulder button (L) to get the muscle memory timing for it? Or is there a way to do it as easily as you do with x and y... I feel like the button is sensitive in a different way. I ask because being able to Jump with L while simultaneously spacing in any direction (control stick) and being able to do an aerial attack at the same time when you get it down really opens up your options and widens the skill gap. Retreating Fairs, Spaced Bairs / Nairs, etc... so I'm safe on shield / don't get shield grabbed or Oos. This is the smash for wii u gamecube controller btw. Are there older more durable classic controllers I should be looking into? Were idk the springs are a bit stiffer / different? I had a platinum and it broke... so mad

I main ZZS so having jump mapped to L is a double plus for me. As punishing foes with a kill option they can't avoid / block instantly when they make contact with my shield is a great punish and usually the reason I win my closer / clutch matches against better players.

 

[Spirst]

@ Winnnn _AKA_Walt Piffney I've merged your thread with the stickied controller thread.

 

[hey_there]

Shorthopping with shoulder button?

This is a problem for me and I'm afraid the only answer is practice lol. Am I just going to have to short hop 10,000 times with the shoulder button (L) to get the muscle memory timing for it? Or is there a way to do it as easily as you do with x and y... I feel like the button is sensitive in a different way. I ask because being able to Jump with L while simultaneously spacing in any direction (control stick) and being able to do an aerial attack at the same time when you get it down really opens up your options and widens the skill gap. Retreating Fairs, Spaced Bairs / Nairs, etc... so I'm safe on shield / don't get shield grabbed or Oos. This is the smash for wii u gamecube controller btw. Are there older more durable classic controllers I should be looking into? Were idk the springs are a bit stiffer / different? I had a platinum and it broke... so mad

I main ZZS so having jump mapped to L is a double plus for me. As punishing foes with a kill option they can't avoid / block instantly when they make contact with my shield is a great punish and usually the reason I win my closer / clutch matches against better players.

I also had trouble with having jump on L because I found it pretty unreliable to get short hops. I just switched over the Z button instead and it's been easier to control my jumping while still having my right thumb for the c-stick.