GameCube Controller Review: Smash Bros' Favourite Pad
8/10 — Nintendo GameCube Controller
Works with: GameCube, Wii (early models), Wii U (with adapter), Nintendo Switch (with adapter)
Pros
- Comfortable, distinctive design
- Analogue triggers with a satisfying click
- Still the go-to pad for Super Smash Bros.
- Works on Wii, Wii U and Switch with adapters
Cons
- Small D-pad
- Only one Z button
- Unusual layout takes getting used to
The GameCube controller is one of Nintendo’s most distinctive pads, and two decades on, it’s still the controller of choice for many Super Smash Bros. players.
Design and features
It has a big green A button surrounded by smaller B, X and Y buttons, a yellow C-stick for camera control, and deep analogue triggers that click at the end of their travel. Rumble is built in. Its D-pad is small and its single Z button is awkward, but its shape is comfortable.
Nintendo re-released it for Wii U and Switch with Super Smash Bros. branding, and it works on early Wii consoles and, with an adapter, on Wii U and Switch.
Verdict
The GameCube controller is a classic, and still a favourite for Smash Bros. Its layout isn’t for everyone, but it’s comfortable and full of character.
