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A Gamecube Controller (also known as a conch or GCC) is the most important thing to find before you can get started playing Melee. This guide is a quick primer to get one.
All Gamecube controllers are NOT created equal. Thanks to mods like UCF, we have mitigated the majority of discrepancies between individual controllers, but it's always worth noting that two seemingly identical Gamecube controllers can vary wildly in usability for competitive Melee. Tiny issues that are nearly impossible to notice for a regular gamer are magnified by 100x in Melee.
Don't let this scare you. As long as you're a smart buyer and don't buy from some guy in a shed that's selling brand new controllers for $10, any controller you find will probably be just fine for your purposes, and absolute worst case scenario, you can take your Not Good controller, give it to a modder, and almost always end up with a Pretty Good controller. Always remember, if you have any concerns, take them to the Discord and we'll try to make sure you end up with a Pretty Good one.
There are 4 ways you can get your hands on a Gamecube controller. All 4 ways have pros and cons depending on who you are, so use this as a jumping off point. One way or another, you should be able to get your hands on a decent controller in the space of a week or two.
As a new player, do not fall into the trap of thinking you need a tricked out $400 controller. You'll probably spend 2+ years learning the 'basics' of Melee, and you can do all of that on a dusty old OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer; read: original Nintendo first-party).
(One very important thing to note: 99.9% of the time, third-party controllers are absolute trash. Genuine GC controllers will have the "Nintendo Gamecube" logo on them (see left). If you're unsure if it's genuine, try to post some info in the Discord and we'll help you figure it out.)
Ask Friends/Family
The Gamecube sold 22 million units during it's lifespan. If we're being generous, that means there are likely more than 100 million Gamecube controllers floating around, and it's likely that your uncle, or your grandma, or one of the guys you go to school with have one laying around. Even if it's old and dusty, as long as it works when you plug it in, you can always have one of the local controller modders give it some TLC and you're good to go!
Price: Usually Free
eBay/Craigslist/FB Marketplace
Ol' reliable. There are obvious cons to this; you won't know the quality until you get it, you might have to meet some guy at a CVS to get it, and there are hundreds of options, but ultimately, this is still a fast and easy way to get a working controller. I prefer eBay due to their strong buyer protections, but you might snag a deal on CL or FB.
Make sure to read the description, and make sure it says 'Nintendo Gamecube' on the front. Try to buy from someone who will tell you how good the stick feels (if it's loose or tight). There are a dozen models, so try to stick to the OGs or Smash 4/Ultimate versions (see below)
Price: $30-70
Modders
Melee has a gigantic community of controller modders who exist solely to give players the best controllers they can buy. Some of them are boutique, $300+ controllers that are fully modified for competitive play, or just look really nice, or both.
A lot of modders also just have controllers that are Pretty Good, with light mods; these are for people with less skin in the game or smaller pockets.
Being new to the community, your best bet to find one of these is to ask in the Michigan Melee Discord. We have a few talented modders who can work with you, or who can point you in the right direction to purchase one.
Price: $100-300
Buy an Ultimate OEM on Amazon
One of the mysteries of Smash is where all of these Ultimate controllers are coming from. It's unlikely that Nintendo is still manufacturing them, but somehow, this Amazon listing stays alive, occasionally changing in price and availability, for new and old players alike to buy a brand new OEM controller.
As of posting this, it's $70 for one. This is a little steep, but it's probably still the cheapest you'll be able to snag a brand new in box OEM. Sometimes it dips down to $30-50, which is more reasonable.
Ult controllers are great starter controllers and you'll be able to do 95% of what's needed to get good. Can't go wrong.
Price: $30-50, up to $100
What's With All of the Different Versions of GC Controllers?
What's With All of the Different Versions of GC Controllers?
There's about 30 variations of the standard, wired Gamecube controller that you can come across in your journeys, but there are really only 7 of them that are common enough to be worth purchasing for a new player.
Indigo (or Purple)
Platinum (or Silver)
Black
Ultimate
Smash 4 Black
Smash 4 White
JP White
These are almost all a little bit different, with some being more rare and sought after than others, but as long as you stay inside of your budget and don't buy a lemon, all of these will serve you well as a new player. There's an incredible rabbit-hole to travel into as far as what makes each one more or less desirable than another, but don't concern yourself with that; your priority is to get a decent controller within your own financial restrictions.
The first 4 controllers in that list will be your best options. They can all be bought used for ~$30, and the Ultimate controller can go for as low as that in brand new condition. The following 3 are much less common, and while some players prefer them over the others (I love JP Whites, personally), they tend to be harder to find and are often more expensive for a similar quality controller.
I Want To Concern Myself With The Rabbit-Hole
I Want To Concern Myself With The Rabbit-Hole
Okay fine, nerd. You're in good company. There's one primary reason why one controller version would be more desirable than another, and that's the STICKBOX. There are three versions of stickboxes for Gamecube controllers: T1, T2, and T3. T3 is universally preferred for two reasons:
It's the most recent revision, and is generally much more reliable than the previous two generations.
T1 and T2 stickboxes must be installed by soldering them into the controller motherboard. T3 stickboxes only require a screwdriver to remove and replace.
The original three Gamecube controllers have either T1 or T2 stickboxes, but the other four most common controllers (Ultimate, Smash 4 Black and White, JP White) all come from the factory with T3 stickboxes, making them more desirable.
Don't get it twisted though - the original controllers are still perfectly serviceable for most players who are starting out. As long as the stick is in good shape, all 3 stickbox types are fine.
There are dozens of other small variations between each controller, which have been painstakingly documented by The GCC Library, but the stickboxes are the only appreciable difference for the overwhelming majority of players, beginner or veteran. You can learn more about these differences here.
What the Heck is a Rectangle?
What the Heck is a Rectangle?
Okay, so this is the Melee communities new hot thing to fight about. Box style controllers (or rectangles) are digital controllers, more similar to an arcade stick that you'd use to play something like Street Fighter or Tekken, but they only have buttons on them. The primary reason for wanting to use one of these is hand-pain related issues - Melee is a very intensive game, and Gamecube controllers aren't very ergonomic. They give some advantages in-game, but also have disadvantages due to not having a traditional analog stick.
There is very little reason to start off with these controllers for a slew of reasons - cost, availability, tournament legality, and the brutal learning curve, to name a few. You should think extremely hard if you want to start with one of these controllers, and most players will implore you to just buy a Gamecube controller. I'll link the most common options here if you want to learn more.
What the Heck is a Goomwave/Phob?
What the Heck is a Goomwave/Phob?
Goomwaves and Phobs are fully third-party alternatives to OEM Gamecube controllers, and are significantly more powerful controllers than them as well. They're both very advanced pieces of tech, and using them requires a great deal of technical know-how, or failing that, a great deal of money and time paying somebody else to troubleshoot problems for you. The benefit to these is that you will end up with an extremely good controller - if you have the resources mentioned before.
Goomwaves are made by a very select few modders and cost upwards of $400. Created by Goomy, they are made with a custom motherboard that allows custom firmware to 'fix' issues with OEM controllers. They are incredibly difficult to come by - you basically have to know a guy or be a top player to get your hands on one. Goomwaves, for lack of a better term, 'cheat' for you, by recognizing attempts at doing a certain input and trying to 'fix' it for you, which has called their legality into question, but they are ultimately incredibly strong controllers.
Phobs are the newer option for a third-party controller. Created by Phobos, they are more readily available and cheaper, and most Melee scenes have a modder or two who can make one for you. A Phob will run you about $200, depending on the mods you want. Unlike the Goomwave, Phobs simply aim to be the best possible OEM controller, which usually just means 'they have a really good analog stick'. Phobs allow you to fully calibrate the analog stick to your liking, and uses magnets for the analog stick instead of a mechanical 'gear' system like regular controllers. A Phob requires a 'donor' controller, and it must be a newer controller with a T3 stickbox, so you also have to factor in an additional $30-70 to acquire one of these.
There's a ton of other reasons why these controllers are superior to OEM controllers, but as mentioned previously, don't worry about trying to secure either of these as a new player. They are incredible pieces of technology and are a testament to the passion of the Melee community, but if you aren't making top 8s and threatening to win your locals, there's little reason to spend 10x as much money on one of these instead of a decent OEM.
Did you get your controller? Are you an overachiever and you just want to keep reading even though you don't have one? Well, it's time to learn how to play.
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