Gamecube Controller Thread. (Learning and Customizing)

[Hazmat]

So a ton of melee and smash players in general have had issues with controllers in this day and age. Theres also the issue regarding customization! Gamecube controllers dont have as many parts openly for sale and the gap between third party controllers and the original ones is massive! I would like to compile a list of some facts about finding good controllers, restoring them or even customizing them! This information is extremely scattered and should be more accessible to newer members of the smash community who are looking to have a unique controller or even just a responsive one!

First off, I want to warn you to not buy a 3rd party controller for smash. However, the new white game cube controller and the black smash one are both responsive and made by Nintendo!

One of the tips I can give is that if you are having issues with an older controller, try repairing it yourself or purchase a brand new 30 dollar controller and put the new controller in the older shell if you like the older look.

The biggest problem I see around revolves around the analog stick on the controller. Certain vendors sell these and they are incredibly easy to install. However alot of these cannot compare the quality of the original sticks. I would suggest using a stick from an extra nunchuck (I have had success with generic ones that sell for like 3-5 dollars of amazon) Ps3 sticks and xbox sticks also work alongside the wii classic controllers sticks. You can purchase ps3 and xbox sticks of amazon for rather cheap in whatever color you want! However you might have to sand a bit of the edges off! I have no confirmation if ps4 or xbox one sticks will work.

When customizing your controller past the analogue sticks, I would recommend simply mixing up existing shells so the color does not fade. If you are set on getting a new custom color make sure to paint it by starting with a primer and moving on to a color and plenty of clear coat. Buttons seem to be unreliable when holding this paint!

(Any other tips or suggestions on controllers would be of great help to anyone trying to learn about controllers. Also any questions are welcome!)

 

[Massive]

Nunchuck sticks work pretty well (and are durable), but are slightly taller than the regular ones.
It can really throw some people off.

 

[Hazmat]

True however it is a good fix and I utilized it for my backup controller I use for giggles! I think a ps3 stick might offer a similar feel. I'll be doing it soon

 

[fatman667]

True however it is a good fix and I utilized it for my backup controller I use for giggles! I think a ps3 stick might offer a similar feel. I'll be doing it soon

The shaft on the PS3 joystick is a lot thinner, making the joystick feel like there's a lot more room to move. This could be good or bad depending on the player.

 

[Hazmat]

The shaft on the PS3 joystick is a lot thinner, making the joystick feel like there's a lot more room to move. This could be good or bad depending on the player.

Did you have to sand the stick or did it fit right into the controller ? Personally I like alot of movement

 

[JipC]

Yeah, sucks that finding parts is kinda hard, and even if you get some broken controller on ebay the parts in it could be just as crappy and worn down as what you already have. I want to refurbish some of my extra ones, even after cleaning them the buttons feel loose and hard to press. I think I just need new rubber that goes under the buttons