Good controllers for people with small hands?

[ParadOxymoron]

I have very small hands, so I ordered a controller called the Pro Mini 2. http://www.amazon.com/Gamecube-Pro-Mini-2-Controller/dp/B0000ABFVA

However, while it worked well at first, this controller has started tilting down slightly. It's gotten untenable, to the point where sometimes I can't even down-throw. Egg-throwing as Yoshi and teleporting precisely as Mewtwo are also much harder.

Are there any suggestions for a good controller with particularly small dimensions that a) is allowed at tournaments b) works well and c) doesn't light up when you plug it into the console?

Or perhaps another way to phrase the question: Is there any viable controller alternative besides the official white one, or is that one unequivocally the best?

 

[Exodo]

gamecube controller

 

[Celestis]

Game Cube controller. That thing you show there looks big.

 

[chaosscizzors]

when i was a kid i had a madcatz micro controller for the gamecube. it was extremely comfortable in my hands but of course the buttons and such began to wear down rather quickly. however if you're savvy i'd imagine that you could simply replace many of the pieces with higher quality ones, perhaps even the official gamecube controller's parts. it's not terribly difficult to do. the only real challenge would be the main circuit board potentially not fitting the smaller controller chassis. that's not very hard to manage either tho if you know how to work a soldering iron. you could solder official gamecube controller pieces to the off brand board.

just some food for thought. personally i'd love to have a quality controller with the madcatz micro's housing. the buttons and sticks were so close to one another that performing tech was significantly easier.

 

[ECHOnce]

A) Many Smash tournaments universally ban all controllers besides 1st party GameCube Controllers (GCCs).

By 1st party, I mean GCCs that were made by from the original producer - Nintendo - and not a 3rd party controller like those of GameStop, MadCatz, and others. So no, unfortunately, there aren't any GCCs made at a smaller size that are tournament viable, since 1st party GCCs only come in one size.
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B) In all of my 10 or so years of playing Smash, I've never heard of a controller that works as reliably and lasts as long as the 1st party GCC.

3rd party GCCs have generally earned the reputation for wearing down and breaking much more easily (like in your case with your control stick), or for having awkward feeling buttons. Generally, 1st party GCCs don't start breaking down until years of use; even at the top levels of Smash play, where players with certain mains (e.g. Melee Captain Falcon) that require constant, intensive use of a particular few buttons (in this case control stick), it can last for at least several months to a year before breaking. If those guys were using 3rd party controllers, I guarantee you, they'd break in mere weeks, if even that long.​

C) 1st party GCCs don't have any lights (e.g. LED lights that require batteries) by default.

Wavebirds (1st party wireless GCCs) are the only exception, which light up to show you that they're on, but all types of wireless controllers are usually banned from tournaments anyhow, due to a plethora of issues they present that could simply be avoided by using battery-less wired controllers.

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Also, just to clarify, the 1st party GCCs come in several colors. The most common and easily obtainable 1st party GCCs today are White, Jet (black), Indigo, Platinum (metallic gray), and Spice (orange). White GCCs are by no means the only "official" controller, but having been the only 1st party GCC to be produced using a more recently developed/upgraded model, they have a much longer cord, and are generally sturdier with longer-lasting buttons. Both are considered to be good changes, but many dislike the cord's cumbersome length (myself included), and the buttons are often stiffer than average. That is, due to their sturdier buttons, new White GCC buttons always feel noticeably stiff until "broken in" over the first few days/week after unboxing them. Even then, they're very slightly stiffer than regular GCCs, but that can easily be adjusted to, and seems to be a reasonable trade-off for a longer-lasting controller.

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(There are other rarer 1st party GCC colors, too, but those can be absurdly hard to find and often considered expensive collector's items. If you're curious, you can check them out here. I'm sure some can be obtained more easily than others, or you might into a stranger or friend and realize they have one you can make a bargain for, so if one catches your eye, go for it aha.)

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Good luck finding a new controller that works for you! (:

 

[mimgrim]

Since when are wireless controllers and 3rd party GCCs actually banned from tourneys????? This is the first time I am hearing about it lol.

 

[cise]

Oh god, I had one of these controllers before. They're awful.

When you're playing a game like smash you're gonna be roughing it out and I can tell you the left trigger snapped and the c-stick was torn off. Not to mention that turbo button would turn on in the most random of times and affect your shield.

 

[Zujx]

Since when are wireless controllers and 3rd party GCCs actually banned from tourneys????? This is the first time I am hearing about it lol.

I don't hear alot about 3rd party getting banned but they usually have to be approved

Wireless I hear getting banned because they are more unreliable depends on where you smash at

 

[standardtoaster]

I've never seen anyone's controller be banned at a tournament so far. The official gamecube controller should probably work well for you, @ ParadOxymoron

 

[ECHOnce]

Oh, my b. Thought I read that from somewhere. Official GCCs are still the safest route tho

 

[SuperNova!]

My brother used to have a MadCat controller that was much smaller than the normal GCC. That might be a good option for you, although they can be hard to find.

 

[ParadOxymoron]

I'm best friends with an electrical engineering major, so I might trick out my controller a bit (for example, switch the X and R inputs) but it sounds like the official white Gamecube controller is my best bet. Although splicing the official parts onto a MadCats controller sounds awesome, too.

Thanks so much for your help, everybody!

 

[Babali Boon]

Also, I have that controller the Pro Mini 2 and it's actually bigger than the official Gamecube controller (fatter). Nothing "Mini" about it.

Mine also started doing those down tilting, or "phantom down inputs" as I referred to it as. I bought an official 1st party and it works perfect.

 

[ECHOnce]

I'm best friends with an electrical engineering major, so I might trick out my controller a bit (for example, switch the X and R inputs) but it sounds like the official white Gamecube controller is my best bet. Although splicing the official parts onto a MadCats controller sounds awesome, too.

Thanks so much for your help, everybody!

Sounds bueno. But concerning major changes to how button inputs are read on the controller, I wouldn't suggest that if you plan to bring it to tournies. IK I was wrong on the whole a banning of 3rd party GCCs earlier, but I know for a fact that "controller enhancement" generally isn't allowed, since it could potentially give the player an advantage and be considered cheating. Hence the controller inspections that were mentioned earlier, in the case that your controller appears to be anything out of the ordinary.

Hopefully, the adjustment to a bigger controller won't be too difficult; so long as you don't think about it and focus on the game, I bet your muscle memory/comfort/whatever the term is that I'm looking for will adapt.

 

[Babali Boon]

They're literally the same. I put my Mini Pro 2 on top of my Gamecube controller and the layout is identical. The Mini Pro 2 is actually thicker than the real deal.