'Super Smash Bros. Melee' is starting to outgrow its controllers

For more than 16 years, the competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee scene has held strong. The GameCube controllers used to play Melee, however, aren't holding up nearly as well as the competitive scene is.

In an extensive report published Tuesday, Kotaku outlined the current state of GameCube controllers — as the years drag on, optimal controllers are becoming increasingly rare. With no stand-out alternative to the standard-issue GameCube controller, the competitive Melee scene is finding itself in a desperate spot.

There are two moves performed regularly by top-level Melee players that require extremely precise inputs: the back-dash and the shield drop. Even if players perform the joystick-flicking moves perfectly, not every GameCube controller reacts the same way, so players seek out specific controllers that read those moves well. Read more...