- Joined
- Jul 3, 2021
In the age of PS4, Xbox, Steam, and Switch Pro controllers, the Gamecube controllers sits forgotten. Used only for Super Smash Bros. and the Gamecube itself, I’m going to stick up for this underrated design.
First of all, the biggest criticism of the Gamecube controller is that it doesn’t map well to a DualShock controller. And while that’s, that’s not really the controller’s fault. That’s Nintendo’s fault for not dominating the console market and getting third-party developers to develop cross-platform games with the Gamecube in mind. Cross-platform support for the Gamecube was generally an afterthought and so were the controls for games ported to Gamecube, but that’s not because the controller was bad. When the Gamecube was being designed, cross-platform games were still pretty rare, so making a controller that lines up well with the DualShock wasn’t a priority. Even the Xbox, which came much later, had an incompatible controller layout, though at least supported the same number of buttons.
The SFC face button layout is good, but not particularly ergonomic. The X button (Diamond) is not so easily reachable with the thumb, assuming B (Cross) is the primary button. Otherwise if the primary button is A (Circle), like for many RPGs, Y becomes difficult to reach quickly.
On the Gamecube, the thumb rests on A for all games, and every other face button is almost the same distance from A. The only legitimate complaint is that B is a bit small, but it adds to the effect that each button has a unique shape.
The build quality is impressive and the triggers are better than the PS3’s triggers. The only complaint I can make about analog controls is the somewhat spacious deadzone on the sticks. The octogates may also be a point of contention, but it depends on the particular game. I personally like the octogates.
The D-Pad is small but not unusable. At the time, games that used the D-Pad for movement were thought to be becoming obsolete and the D-Pad was relegated to utility functions. So I understand why the D-Pad was so small. If it was just a bit larger, like the size of the Wii’s D-Pad, I think it would have been more usable without being too bulky. The position of the D-Pad is better for non-shooter 3D games, while the D-Pad above is better for 2D games and shooters (but really mouse and keyboard is superior). There is no winning here: the best option is to have two different controllers.
There were a few industry trends that I think put the Gamecube controller in a bad light:
1. The fall of 3D platformers and Action Adventure games
2. The further rise of FPSs
3. The comeback of 2D games
While Nintendo probably should have saw #2 coming, there was little chance they could have predicted 1 and almost no chance they could have predicted 2.
First of all, the biggest criticism of the Gamecube controller is that it doesn’t map well to a DualShock controller. And while that’s, that’s not really the controller’s fault. That’s Nintendo’s fault for not dominating the console market and getting third-party developers to develop cross-platform games with the Gamecube in mind. Cross-platform support for the Gamecube was generally an afterthought and so were the controls for games ported to Gamecube, but that’s not because the controller was bad. When the Gamecube was being designed, cross-platform games were still pretty rare, so making a controller that lines up well with the DualShock wasn’t a priority. Even the Xbox, which came much later, had an incompatible controller layout, though at least supported the same number of buttons.
The SFC face button layout is good, but not particularly ergonomic. The X button (Diamond) is not so easily reachable with the thumb, assuming B (Cross) is the primary button. Otherwise if the primary button is A (Circle), like for many RPGs, Y becomes difficult to reach quickly.
On the Gamecube, the thumb rests on A for all games, and every other face button is almost the same distance from A. The only legitimate complaint is that B is a bit small, but it adds to the effect that each button has a unique shape.
The build quality is impressive and the triggers are better than the PS3’s triggers. The only complaint I can make about analog controls is the somewhat spacious deadzone on the sticks. The octogates may also be a point of contention, but it depends on the particular game. I personally like the octogates.
The D-Pad is small but not unusable. At the time, games that used the D-Pad for movement were thought to be becoming obsolete and the D-Pad was relegated to utility functions. So I understand why the D-Pad was so small. If it was just a bit larger, like the size of the Wii’s D-Pad, I think it would have been more usable without being too bulky. The position of the D-Pad is better for non-shooter 3D games, while the D-Pad above is better for 2D games and shooters (but really mouse and keyboard is superior). There is no winning here: the best option is to have two different controllers.
There were a few industry trends that I think put the Gamecube controller in a bad light:
1. The fall of 3D platformers and Action Adventure games
2. The further rise of FPSs
3. The comeback of 2D games
While Nintendo probably should have saw #2 coming, there was little chance they could have predicted 1 and almost no chance they could have predicted 2.
