Ways to hold the 64 controller

[Blue Yoshi]

I've been told I hold my 64 controller wierd by many people, so I though I'd make a thread to see all the different methods people use to hold a controller. Middle and Ring finger will be called Middle, as it isn't much of a difference between the two... unless they are used for separate buttons...




STANDARD:

Right hand on right arm
Right thumb: A, B, C buttons
Right index: R button

Left hand on middle arm
Left thumb: Control stick
Left index: Z button

???: L button




Blue Yoshi:

Right hand on right arm
Right thumb: A, B, C buttons
Right index: R button
Right middle finger: Z button

Left hand above controller
Left thumb / left index (together): Control stick
Left Pinky: L-button




DMoogle's friend:

Right hand on right arm
Right thumb: A, B, C buttons
Right index: R button

Left hand on left arm
Left thumb: Control stick
Left middle finger: Z button
Left index: L-button




Tank64:

Right hand on right arm
Right thumb: A, B, C buttons
Right index: R button
Right middle finger: Z button

Left hand on left arm
Left thumb: Control stick
Left index: L-button




remedys:

Right hand on right arm
Right thumb: A, B, C buttons
Right index: R button, L button

Left hand on middle arm
Left thumb / left index: Control stick
Left middle finger: Z button




wckd:

Right hand on right arm
Right thumb : A, B
Right index : C buttons
Right middle finger : R

Left hand on middle arm
Left thumb : Control stick
Left index : Z
Left middle finger : L




One Handed:

right hand only

Thumb: Control Stick
Index: A, B, C buttons
Middle finger: R button




Post your controller holding methods... unless it's the standard method

 

[DMoogle]

That is weird, I can see how it would work just fine though. How do you anchor your left hand?. I just hold it the "Standard" way, when I taunt I quickly take my hand off the right side of the controller and tap the L button with my with all my fingers as necessary.

I have a friend who holds the left side of the controller with his left hand (as opposed to the standard of holding the middle of the controller), I *think* he uses his left middle finger for the Z button, and stretches over with just his thumb to use the control stick. He has big hands though, so I guess it works for him. Definitely doesn't seem optimal to me though.

 

[Blue Yoshi]

I have a friend who holds the left side of the controller with his left hand (as opposed to the standard of holding the middle of the controller), I *think* he uses his left middle finger for the Z button, and stretches over with just his thumb to use the control stick. He has big hands though, so I guess it works for him. Definitely doesn't seem optimal to me though.

That used to be exactly how I held my controller (but Z button with right middle finger). My hand just slowly progressed to the top of the controller... where it is now

 

[TANK64]

That's how I hold it (almost). left hand on left side
left index taunt, left thumb joystick
right index and thumb standard
right ring finger on Z

 

[Blue Yoshi]

How do you anchor your left hand?

It just lies on top of the controller. It doesn't hold on to anything. My palm lies below the D-pad, above the left arm thing. I use my thumb and my index finger (sometimes my middle as well) on my left hand on the control stick.

 

[SpongeBathBill]

Those alternate methods sound awkward as hell O_o XD

I hold standard, but when I taunt I turn my left palm up and reach under the controller and sort of grasp at the L button with all four fingers >.>

 

[Amon Amarth]

Wierd.

I hold it normallally. I just press L with my right hand.

 

[Blue Yoshi]

so far, mario's the only character who's combos hurt my hand to perform

 

[Daedatheus]

POST PICS!
Then I can make fun of your ridiculous controller-holding technique.

Seriously though. Two fingers on the joystick? Stretching your pinky to L and middle to Z?
What are you doing this for, piano lessons?

 

[DMoogle]

Related topic: how do you guys DI?

My DI definitely needs some work. I have a new smash friend who's extremely good at it, and he described some kind of way of shaking the controller with his thumb on the joystick... or something. I'll have to get details next time I see him.

 

[NixxxoN]

Blue Yoshi's is exactly the way Alancitu holds the controller and he seems to work so well for him lol. But This is possible about the size of the hands. I do it the standard way as my hands are not so big.

 

[Wenbobular]

COLBOL CLAW
That is all.

 

[TANK64]

COLBOL CLAW
That is all.

haha I know- Blue Yoshi's is how ColBol claws his left hand for melee. Two fingers definitely works for him. lol

 

[Nybb]

Holding it any other way than the standard is just awkward as hell for me. I occasionally do the right-hand claw for some other games, but that is not really neccessary for Smash64. Anybody care to explain why you would hold it strangely? I mean come on, the N64 instruction booklet even shows you how to hold the thing

 

[Blue Yoshi]

I've held the controller that way since my first game: Super Mario 64. It probably showed how to hold the controller in the booklet for that as well, but I never read it. I just held it that way since I was about 10, and never changed it.

One thing I see that it helps with is random taunt cancelling mid-match. I don't have to reach my right hand to the L-button, as I just press it. Plus, I can attack right out of it

Ok, now for some practical uses:

For me, it gives me more control over the control stick. I've got my thumb and index on opposite sides of the stick, so I have more control when dash-dancing, fast-fall Uairs, and just more control in general. I just find it easier.

Having all the important buttons on one hand also is easier for me as well. My left hand can focus simply on the control stick, and my right hand can do all the commands. It also makes the timing of things easier when all the buttons are controlled by one hand.

I'm used to this method, and won't likely stop. I'll try to get some pictures of it for you guys... or maybe a youtube vid? (If I can find a video camera of some sort...)

 

[asianaussie]

I play with Blue Yoshi's method for all N64 games...never really thought about it. Works really well for platformers not named LoZ, and okay for said LoZ.

I can see how other ways would work though...

 

[Blue Yoshi]

I use it for all games 64 games.

People use hand positions that work for them, whether it is the standard method, or a different system altogether... kindof like changing your controls in brawl (probably one of the few good new features in brawl, but then again very debatable...)

 

[DMoogle]

How is having the option of changing the controller configuration only debatably a good thing?

I SO wish I could disable the jump by pressing up on the control stick.

 

[SpongeBathBill]

Iirc QueenDVS played Melee two-fingering the control stick, and he was lord of the GameFAQs boards, so maybe you guys are onto something. >.>

 

[Blue Yoshi]

It changes from person to person, but to some people, it would be a great thing to have different controls.

Also, thinking about it, seeing as I don't use the L-button in melee (all R), I might go to two-fingering the control stick there... and in brawl as well

I myself have changed my control settings a bit in melee... but I think they are tourney legal. I'll have to ask Evan (aka Meta), our major tournament host, to see if he'll accept it. Basically, as I plug in my controller, I press 'R' down about half way. That way, pressing R the entire way makes me shield completely / wavedash / air-dodge (nothing changed), but pressing it right before the 'click' makes me perfect powershield. My mains being GaW and Yoshi in melee makes this very necessary

 

[SheerMadness]

Iirc QueenDVS played Melee two-fingering the control stick, and he was lord of the GameFAQs boards, so maybe you guys are onto something. >.>

Thats not true. But he does ONLY use the joystick to jump and not x or y. Which is way more impressive IMO. He lives 100 yards from me so I know.

Anyone use just the joystick to jump like QDVS in melee?

 

[DMoogle]

Can you short hop with the control stick in Melee? I'm pretty sure you can't in SSB. I haven't played Melee since Brawl came out.

-A$

 

[SheerMadness]

You certainly can in melee because QueenDVS and Rockcrock do it.

Pritty sure you can in ssb64 too but amazingly I don't think I've ever tried.

 

[Blue Yoshi]

You can control stick short-hop in 64. Actually, you can control-stick full hop, control-stick short-hop, and control-stick everything in between. Depending on how hard / far you press up on the control stick, it sends you a certain height. I don't know anyone who uses this, but if someone were to master it, they would be able to do combos that short-hop doesn't send you high enough for and full-hop sends you too high for.

So... yeah, it does work, but in terms of practicality, not very well.

 

[TANK64]

Can you short hop with the control stick in Melee? I'm pretty sure you can't in SSB.

yea, you can tap jump in all the SSB games (short and full), and there are lots of pros have mastered it. And for pillaring/playing Falco or Fox in general (Melee)- it is a necessity to be the best.

I SO wish I could disable the jump by pressing up on the control stick.

Story of my life

I haven't played Melee since Brawl came out.

??wtf??
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Props to anyone who only uses tap jump- must be so hard.
-QDVS *****

 

[Kefit]

I'm almost certain that you cannot short hop with the stick in SSB64. The shortest hop you can get is slightly higher than a c-button short hop. If you don't believe me then pick Luigi and go underneath the left or right platform on Dreamland. A c-button short hop will not place Luigi on the platform. However, any hop done with the stick will end up with Luigi on the platform.

In this same vein, the highest jump possible with the stick is slightly higher than the highest jump possible with the c-buttons.

On the subject of the topic, I have a friend who plays all N64 games with the DMoogle controller style. I had thought he was the only one insane/stupid enough to do that.

 

[-Philip Coast Philip-]

To clarify, there're two different short hops, one with the stick and one with the buttons, but the buttons' short hop is shorter, and the stick's short hop is shorter than a full jump of course.



On-topic:

One-handed?


moar description

Not trying to derail the thread, but if you want pix... it's in the beginning of the video.

 

[-Philip Coast Philip-]

Thanks Blue Yoshi. No shielding with Z, heh. You just gotta hold R when you land, wait for your grab to finish, or press it after an attack. You can reach underneath and press Z with your ring finger though while you're on a ledge - you'll have enough time there to pull it off practically.

 

[paterack7]

I use the regular method... as I would assume most people. And when I'm playing a friend and I want to taunt (when they're dying), I just bring over my right index to push L.

 

[DMoogle]

To clarify, there're two different short hops, one with the stick and one with the buttons, but the buttons' short hop is shorter, and the stick's short hop is shorter than a full jump of course.

Two different full jumps too.

Running full jump and stationary full jump.

 

[ShoeThief]

I do the standard, I'm glad to see that most people do too. I was thinking that people used some crazy unique ways to get faster commands. I guess my fingers are just slow.

 

[L-T!]

I hold it standard, and press L with my jaw.

 

[Blue Yoshi]

I'd love to see you taunt cancel back and forth with Falcon on the Hyrule tent

 

[DMoogle]

I figured out how my friend DIs and now I'm way better at it; he holds the joystick to the right or left (depending on the direction you want to go... harder for up and down), then he kind of shakes the controller with his right hand so that the joystick slides around that semicircle. Works really really well, and it's easy to implement.

 

[Surri-Sama]

I hold standard as well...i dont use my jaw for L though...i just use my right hand to taunt..they are dead anyways...

Unless your just taunting like a jerk xD

 

[Blue Yoshi]

Unless your just taunting like a jerk xD

Yeah seriously who does this? *COUGH*

lol it's fun to randomly taunt cancel spam in the middle of a serious match

 

[Surri-Sama]

Yeah seriously who does this? *COUGH*

lol it's fun to randomly taunt cancel spam in the middle of a serious match

Haha yeah...but if you are doing that, generally you expect your foe to get the hit anyways so having your hand away doesn't really matter xP

 

[Blue Yoshi]

Check my controls on the first page. I use my left pinky to taunt, so I can always do stuff out of it. Taunt mindgames?

 

[remedys]

I hold it a little differently:

Right hand on right arm
Right thumb: A, B, C buttons
Right index: R button, L button

Left hand on middle arm
Left thumb and index: Control stick
Left middle finger: Z button

my index finger wraps around the top of the joystick for guidance(my middle fingers at the bottom). some of my friends who hold it standard complain about the gripage hurting their thumbs but this way theirs less pressure. i've been holding it this way since i got the n64.

 

[Terra~]

I dunno I go about it pretty normally, I had no idea people used so many different ways to play adequately o_o

When I really want turbo control I pull a Megaman X on the N64 controller and do this :

Right hand on right arm
Right thumb : A, B, Start lol
Right index : C buttons
Right middle finger : R

Left hand on middle arm
Left thumb : Control stick, Start lol again, depends how I feel, start isn't often important xD
Left index : Z
Left middle finger : L (I just keep my thumb around the middle arm and pass my hand under the controller to go tap/press L. When need I use my ring finger or pinky finger to hit Z whlle in this position xD)

I also go and hit L in a few ways, sometimes I'll go with a nearby object, my leg, my jaw/head things like that :3!