As any keen Super Smash Bros. player will probably tell you, finding your preferred controller setup is half the battle when it comes to mastering the game. Some will tell you that the Pro Controller is the way to go, while others say that the GameCube controller simply can't be beat; others prefer to go for a more arcade-style approach.
That's where the Smash Stick comes in. This new product from Alt Lab Controllers has been designed with the Super Smash Bros. series in mind. Featuring an analogue joystick, the controller is said to give you more control than a standard digital joystick and reduces strain on your hands for a more comfortable gaming experience.
It's been in development for around six years, with a small team of dedicated folks doing all of the R&D necessary to make it happen. It'll be compatible with the N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, PC, and PlayStation 3, and a crowdfunding campaign will be going live in June for anyone interested. You can see how it works with Super Smash Bros. Melee in the video below.
While Smash is the main focus, it can also be used with your other favourite games. Here's the Smash Stick being used to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
What do you think? Do you like the look of the Smash Stick's design? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments below and keep up to date with the project here.
Comments 34
Would be interested if price is right. Hard pass if over $150.
Looks cool in concept, a neat alternative for sure but I can't imagine it'd be adopted by many.
@ReWane $249USD according to the FAQ on the website.
Why, I do believe the proper term is a "baseball bat".
Or in the case of Smash Bros, the "Home-Run Bat".
Can’t be right, this isn’t a picture of a GameCube controller
It's a lot of money for a stick designed around one game, I'll stick to my digital arcade sticks which have much broader use
Eww, no way would I play Smash with such a hideously outdated device. Fight sticks are prehistoric.
I find using a big arcade style stick like that less comfortable than using a thumb-stick. And the button layout is much less ergonomic than a standard controller.
I'm not sure who this is supposed to appeal to.
@mesome713 yeah... outdated... sureeeee...
Nah pass for me.
Unfortunately, I have always preferred regular gamepads to these types of controllers as I have never been really comfortable playing fighting games in arcades as I am unable to do combos and all as I would on a home console so this is not for me. What I would really like for smash though, is a gamepad that can allow me combine buttons - specifically the two jump buttons (to short-hop).
"while others say"
That's an odd way to spell "while the entire competitive Smash scene says".
I had to get myself an arcade stick to play Street Fighter, since it was designed as an arcade game and controls awkwardly with a regular controller. But Smash was designed for a controller first and foremost, and it works fine with one, so I don't really see the appeal for this stick.
Weird. Not only is Smash designed for gamepads, but you'd have to make a hard transition to a new controller after developing so much muscle memory. Good thing it's compatible with more than just Smash.
I never have understood the love for arcade stick peripherals. I've never been a man to favor traditional arcade controls over console controllers for the same or similar games. So with that being the case and the price they're asking, this is hard pass for me.
I love arcade sticks and own half a dozen of them, so normally a product like this would really appeal to me, but that button layout is a totally nonsensical fustercluck o_O
No right-stick for directional smashes? Hard pass.
I be interested only if this was WiFi connect to Switch if wired I will pass since that would require it to be Docked. So they should make it wireless to Switch without dongle as such and be truly Wireless connect. That would make it worth spending the ~240usd cost. Otherwise it's a waste of my money. Also if they go KS they should give a discount for buying two like the second would cost 1/2 or less for getting two controllers. I see it has wired connections so when will these stick become wireless? This is a waste if the cable is far to short or not long enough when couch on Big Screen TV. That to me would more or less kill anything fun.
It is possible to put in opposite directional inputs by pressing multiple buttons. This is a no-no. If a controller allows inputs that are not available on stock controllers, it will be declared illegal by any local tournament holders I know, and should be illegal worldwide.
I play mortal Kombat 4 on PC the same way. So much easier to just have a keyboard like setup for fighting games.
@Alztru I just want a dedicated smash button and turn off the "smash via control stick" option. In other words, make the controls more like Rivals of aether.
@tendonerd my only problem with arcade sticks is the joy stick. Pulling off qcf or dpunch motions are very hard for me on an arcade stick but easy as butter on a normal controller.
@DevlinMandrake Yeah I enjoy using an arcade stick on occasion but mainly just for classic arcade games to get that real arcade feel. When it comes to fighting games I usually prefer using a controller.
Why the random PlayStation 3 support lol
@carlos82 while the joystick and button layout are primarily designed for Smash, it's compatible with fighting games too. They have a video where it's used with Tekken. So if someone played multiple fighting games, they could use the one controller.
@Dr_Corndog Smash was designed for gamepads, but because of how it all plays, those controllers DESTROY your hands if you're playing hard or competitively. Sakurai straight up wrecked his own hands during development of one of the earlier Smash games. And there are some Smash pros who are developing really bad carpal tunnel because of the GCN controller. Arcade sticks give more relief to your hands and joints and it's far less likely you will develop any medical issues. Look at all the FGC players in their 40s who play just fine on stick while some 20-something Smash players are already developing really bad hand/wrist complications. But I mean, if you just play casually, it might not be as much of an issue.
@Floof_Cat The stick doesn't have multiple directional input methods. The directional buttons are for the C-stick/Right thumb stick. They also have a button remap program, but they are restricting it to prevent illegal tech. They've already gotten approval from a bunch of big TOs, so the stick will be legal just like Smashbox.
@Genki-JAM yeah but I much prefer digital inputs for fighting games, I don't see myself switching to an analogue stick for such games
@mesome713 You're probably the type of person who wouldn't play a game made before 2010 unless Nintendo spoonfeeds it to you.
Yeah ngl it would be really strange to play Smash Bros with a joystick but whatever floats your boat I guess
@carlos82 Preference doesn't matter, though. Analog vs digital is completely irrelevant for other fighting games.
It is only significant in games with subtle directional inputs like Smash Bros or Rivals of Aether. Every other fighting game would register your inputs normally because it has no use for the analog input. This is why there are no analog fightsticks. It's not necessary the way it is in Smash. Without analog, you can't do tilts and can't walk--two vital movement and attack options in Smash.
Basically, the difference between analog and digital is that with Digital, when you press a direction like "Left," Smash reads that as "fully in the left position;" while with Analog, pressing left slightly will tell the game "slightly tilted left."
The convenience of having this stick be usable with multiple games is that it has all the tools needed for multiple types of games. The analog and button layout is good for Smash, and the button layout also puts the 8 home buttons in the same position as a fightstick. Plus, the stick can hold up to 3 input profiles and you use a PC program to tell it what those buttons should be, so you can toggle it if you're switching games/consoles.
@HammerKirby I do like to be spoon feed
I’d love to try this out on smash. I had thought about sometime ago the snk arcade stick but it’s a little high.
@Genki-JAM True. I remember reading about that years ago, actually. I wonder if it's worse for Melee players since techs like wavedashing are so demanding, or if they're simply the first to get it since they've been playing longest.
@Dr_Corndog It is, in fact, a LOT worse for Melee players because of how fast the game is and the movement for the tech on a GCN controller. Apparently one of the developers for the Smash Stick has really bad carpal tunnel (don't know how related to Smash the condition is) and couldn't play Melee competitively anymore, but with the Smash Stick he can play just fine again. Apparently that was part of what spurred the development of this stick.
I prefer gamecube or pro controller. This controller isn't really my thing, but at least it's better than sideways joycon *shudders
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