Gamecube Controller Joystick Issues. Please help!

[Sir Skaro]

I've had the same controller since I started playing Smash 23 months ago. In the past 2 months I noticed that something wonky was happening to my joy stick. I can give the same directional input and sometimes the result is an angle of 180 rotation. This is at random, but frequent enough to where I could not play competitively. For example I can try to do a normal get up from the ledge and I will let go of the ledge as though I tapped away from the ledge. I can dash dance and sometimes I won't dash the other direction, instead I will dash again the same direction twice. Even my pivots turn into dashes or walks in the opposite direction I wanted to pivot. In addition I can press up in the menus and after going up initially my cursor will go back down a smidgen. Enough to pick a different option in the menus.

The weird thing is that this only happens after the controller has been being played for a while with rapid inputs on the stick. I will warm up just fine but after playing a bit my inputs will be distorted by 180 degrees. I wouldn't be concerned if it were 90 degree mix ups, because that could easily be an error on my part. But a complete invert of the perpendicular axis is not my fault. I can unplug it, let it alone for a while, and come back to it and it will be fine. But after some playing (even something as simple as practicing chain grabbing Sheik with Sheik or even ledge stalling with Sheik) it will start acting up again.

Has anyone heard of this problem? I'm going to EVO and I'd like to have my good controller to reliably use. Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Iceweasel]

Pop that sucker open (you'll need a triwing screwdriver) and remove the cap off of the analogue stick.If you see any gunk or hair in the mechanism, clean it out. That should take care of the problem.

Word of advice: Buy multiple of the triwing screwdriver. The one you'll commonly find on Amazon and other sites (red handle, dark metal shaft/head) is horrendously cheap, the metal head will show signs of wear after only a few uses if the handle doesn't break first. I was sent two and managed to open my memory card and clean my DS and 3 GC controllers before I had both break on me, and I didn't finish getting the third controller back together.


Bonus info: Controller mod
If you feel the Z-trigger offers too much resistance, pull out the button and use pliers to remove the metal tab, since the button is so easily accessible at the moment. It's best to clear this with the TO first, because every tourney I know of bans controller modifications. Granted, the reason they ban controller mods is to prevent you from shorting inputs (basically creating a hardware-based macro) as opposed to simply weakening a spring, but your TO may see it differently from mine. FYI, EVO probably either won't let you or can't be bothered to deal with you asking permission to do this. This doesn't actually affect performance all that much, it just makes hitting Z slightly faster, like how it's faster to shield in Smash 4 than in Brawl because Brawl required a fullpress instead of a Smash 4's lightpress. Just to a much lesser extent.

 

[Sir Skaro]

Thank you for the advice.

I opened the controller with a friend and dismantled everything and cleaned it thoroughly. It wasn't nearly as gross as I thought it would be. Nothing seemed to be wrong with the joy stick. Unfortunately the problem has persisted. Any other advice?

 

[Iceweasel]

Thank you for the advice.

I opened the controller with a friend and dismantled everything and cleaned it thoroughly. It wasn't nearly as gross as I thought it would be. Nothing seemed to be wrong with the joy stick. Unfortunately the problem has persisted. Any other advice?

Just to clarify, you removed the grey cap on the analogue stick mechanism, right?

That cap is not the mechanism itself. There are some potentiometers under the cap, and dead skin cells and hairs will interfere with the joystick's operation. Just pull the cap straight up, then inspect the things underneath very carefully. Anything that can block low-voltage current will interfere with its operation, which means anything you can see is bad.

If this is what you did, then I have no idea what to tell you. Is the joystick really loose? As in, how much force does it take to move it completely towards any one of the 8 directions? The mechanism might just be worn out. If it is, you can either attempt to desolder the same mechanism from a known-good controller, then perform a transplant, though I don't recommend this. The places you'll have to solder are really small and it would be way too easy to cause a short by accident, which would make your controller perform far worse than it does now. You may have to just retire it, and keep it for spare parts. If one of those caps cracks, or a spring breaks, or one of those rubber button mats just stops working in one of many ways, you'll need a part from somewhere to fix the controller if you don't want to retire that one, too.



EDIT: Are you Skaro from this Blogspot? http://skarohuntingsociety.blogspot.ie/

When's the next episode of MGGG going to be subbed? Where did you get the raws?

 

[T8TO]

Hate to be that person, but why not borrow or purchase another controller for tournament sake? Better safe than sorry, right? I've been known to get attached to certain controllers as well as hold back due to money constraints, but still. You would obviously put the new controller to good use.

I can't say too much though because I'm guilty of wanting to fix/tinker with things in hopes of handling it on my own. Who knows you might can just replace the part.

 

[Sir Skaro]

Just to clarify, you removed the grey cap on the analogue stick mechanism, right?

If this is what you did, then I have no idea what to tell you. Is the joystick really loose? As in, how much force does it take to move it completely towards any one of the 8 directions? The mechanism might just be worn out. If it is, you can either attempt to desolder the same mechanism from a known-good controller, then perform a transplant, though I don't recommend this. The places you'll have to solder are really small and it would be way too easy to cause a short by accident, which would make your controller perform far worse than it does now. You may have to just retire it, and keep it for spare parts. If one of those caps cracks, or a spring breaks, or one of those rubber button mats just stops working in one of many ways, you'll need a part from somewhere to fix the controller if you don't want to retire that one, too.



EDIT: Are you Skaro from this Blogspot? http://skarohuntingsociety.blogspot.ie/

When's the next episode of MGGG going to be subbed? Where did you get the raws?

I did remove the grey cap can lean under it. I can't remember if I did the most thorough of cleanings. I'll take another look at it and let you know. I don't think I'm up for anything as extreme as soldering. I'm an arcade manager and soldering is probably my least favorite thing in the world next to mosquitos. Sorry for the late reply, this summer has been crazy busy. I really appreciate your help.

The joystick is not notably loose. It's broken in but it's not like an N64 controller. I really don't want to have to retire this controller just yet.

I am not that Skaro. I'm sorry to disappoint you. :[

Hate to be that person, but why not borrow or purchase another controller for tournament sake? Better safe than sorry, right? I've been known to get attached to certain controllers as well as hold back due to money constraints, but still. You would obviously put the new controller to good use.

I can't say too much though because I'm guilty of wanting to fix/tinker with things in hopes of handling it on my own. Who knows you might can just replace the part.

I have a spare controller I've been breaking in for the mean time. It's a long process but not being broken is becoming it's getting to be less of an issue. It's cleaned up my tech quite a bit actually. I'm guilty of wanting to tinker with things too, haha.

 

[Iceweasel]

We still have arcades in the US? I thought they'd all gone. I wish I could pay a visit, but I live on the east coast. Good luck in the arcade business!

If the stick doesn't feel like it's been put through hell,and cleaning the mechanism didn't help, it's probably something else - Something very, very annoying and involved to fix, if it even can be fixed. The only other thing I think might possibly work is a wire transplant, but that's not exactly quick or easy, and I can tell you from experience that trying to solder two wires together is one giant PITA. If you think you did a good job cleaning, and don't feel like opening your controller again, I'd just put it in a spare part box and call it a day.