Controller

File:ControllerGC.jpg

A diagram from the Japanese website for Melee showing the control scheme for the game.

Throughout the series, players of the Super Smash Bros. series have used many controllers.

Types of controllers

Nintendo 64 controller

Main article: Nintendo 64 controller

This was the first controller to be used in Super Smash Bros. Due to the fact that only one console is compatible with the controller, the Nintendo 64 controller rarely sees use in tournaments; the resurgence of interest in the original Super Smash Bros. due to emulation also has not caused more interest in the Nintendo 64 controller, as it is difficult to find adapters for the controller to work on the PC.

GameCube controller

Main article: GameCube controller

For Melee, this was the only controller one could use.

The GameCube Controller was also be used as one of the four options of playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This option was made for people accustomed to Melee's controls. The release of Super Smash Bros. for the Virtual Console also added the ability to play the game with the Gamecube controller. In addition to a standard wired model, a wireless version was released, called the "Wavebird"; though identical in function, it did not have the rumble capabilities of the original Gamecube controller.

Gamecube controllers were discontinued in North America and PAL regions shortly after the release of the Wii; third party options, however, do exist, and secondhand Gamecube controllers are easy to come by in online stores. Some Nintendo Gamecube controllers are still produced in Japan, with newer models sporting a considerably longer cord and a white colour scheme to match the Wii's.

Within tournaments, the Gamecube controller is one of the most popular options, due to the still-popular Melee tournaments and the high amount of Melee veterans who have since moved to Brawl. Additionally, connecting Gamecube controllers to the system is considerably easier than syncing wireless controllers, such as the Wii remote.

Wii remote

Main article: Wii remote

The remote is used on its side, much like an NES controller. In Brawl tournaments, the controller is among the least common to see, due to its limited nature; up-tilt attacks, for instance, cannot be performed without doing another input which involves up on the D-pad.

Wii remote + Nunchuk

The Nunchuk is inserted into the bottom of the Wii remote for games too complex for the remote alone. Movement is assigned to the Nunchuk's control stick, while A and B button attacks are assigned to the A and B button on the remote and grabbing is performed by pressing A and B together. By default, taunts are assigned to combinations of the 1 and 2 buttons. An option exclusive to this configuration is Shake Smash, the ability to do a smash attack by flicking the Wii remote in a similar fashion to using the C-stick. This has made using a smash attack easier, as there can be times where one intends to use a tilt but instead uses a smash, and vice versa.

In steady hands, this controller boasts the advantage of reducing work for the right hand by allowing the player to jump with the C button, as well as the aforementioned Shake Smash, all making the player take their fingers off A and B a lot less.

Classic Controller

Main article: Classic Controller

Classic Controllers were initially released for the Wii's Virtual Console, though this later changed when the Wii's library began to grow; a new release of the controller, known as the Classic Controller Pro was also produced, adding "wings" to the controller to assist grip. As the controller connects to the Wii remote, it is wireless in nature.

Due to the release of Super Smash Bros. on Virtual Console, the Classic Controller and the Gamecube controller can be used to play it.

In tournaments

Within tournaments, controllers are rarely provided to players; as a result, the phrase BYOC has become common, meaning "Bring Your Own Controller". Players are responsible for their own controllers, as tournaments will not replace them.

Within the tournament scene, Gamecube controllers are the most common type to use, though other control types have seen use.

Controller compatibility chart

	SSB (Nintendo 64)	SSBM (Nintendo GameCube)	SSBB (Wii)
Nintendo 64 Controller
GameCube Controller	(VC only)
Wii Remote
Wii Remote & Nunchuk
Classic Controller	(VC only)