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Reasons to Love the GameCube Controller

Reasons to Love the GameCube Controller

Nintendo has never shied away from boundary pushing designs, or just being the odd one out
amongst their peers. This fact reaches beyond just their games, as their consoles and
controllers have also taken on some interesting designs. Sometimes these designs are a hit,
while other times, not so much. The GameCube controller is the perfect example to illustrate
this point. There are things about this peculiar controller that people love and some things that
people did not care for. Here are some of the reasons people love or dislike the controller.

Pro: Pressure Sensitive Triggers

One unique aspect to the GameCube controller are the analog, pressure sensitive triggers.
While there weren’t many games that took advantage of this feature, the ones that did
highlighted exactly why they are so great. Mario titles like Super Mario Sunshine and Luigi’s
Mansion were all the more dynamic and fun thanks to this little feature.

Con: Lack of Inputs

Compared to its contemporary rivals, the original Xbox and the Playstation 2, the GameCube
controller was missing 4 full buttons. No Select button, only one shoulder button, and no
clickable thumbsticks. Certain multi-console games had to implement workarounds or button
combinations for their GameCube ports to achieve the same functionality as the other versions.
Some ports straight-up removed certain abilities because there simply were not enough buttons
to map everything to.

Pro: Forward Compatibility

Every mainline Nintendo console after the GameCube has, in some way, shape or form, been
able to utilize the controller. The Wii had full GameCube backwards compatibility, with
GameCube controller and memory card ports built right in. Many Wii games also allowed the
use of the controller. While reserved for use with Super Smash Bros, the Wii U’s adaptor
accessory allowed players to transfer their muscle memory forward to the new generation.
Using that same adaptor on the Switch, the console recognizes it as a fully-compatible USB
controller that you can at least attempt to use in any game. The only big downside is the
aforementioned lack of inputs (and, obviously, lack of gyroscope) and the wonky button
placement compared to the Switch layout.

Con: The C-Stick

While the swap from C-Buttons to the C-Stick was arguably a big upgrade from the N64
controller, the little nub was quite lacking compared to competing consoles’ controllers. Games
that required heavy use of a second stick, like FPS games, were an unwieldy and
uncomfortable experience on the GameCube. When Retro Studios developed Metroid Prime,
they flat out refused to use the C-Stick to aim at all, instead opting to create an entirely different,
lock-on control scheme.​

Pro: Comfortable Design

The GameCube controller certainly has a quirky look to it. Which is something that some people
enjoy and others don’t, but what the controller lacks in looks, it makes up for in comfort. The
curves and contours of the controller almost mold perfectly into your hand, and the handles at
the bottom make it easy to keep a sturdy grip on even for long play sessions.

These traits make the GameCube controller something totally unique. Over 20 years after its
introduction, many people still rate it as their controller of choice to play Super Smash Bros with.
Regardless of if you feel like the pros outweigh the cons of this controller or not, there is
definitely something to be said for its ingenuity.

If you are interested in getting reacquainted with this unique controller, check out our current
stock of game controllers.
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