Switch 2 GameCube Controller 'Early Purchase' Goes Live Next Week (North America)

"there's a limit of one purchase per Nintendo account."

Well shoot. There goes my chance for a back up.

Will probably try to order one since we are not getting Wind Waker HD or Twilight Princess HD for the Switch or Switch 2 in the forseeable future.

God, the d-pad looks so tiny, it gets me every time I see the controller in someone's hands

WAVEBIRD 2025 !!!

I was kind of split if I wanted to try this or a Pro Controller but since this is the much cheaper option it's probably what I'll go with.

I'm happy with my Hori GameCube Switch controller for now. I like how they just mirrored the GCN's Z and R to get ZL and L, plus it's the colour my controller was, black. I'll eventually get the GCN Switch 2 controller, but it will feel like I'm playing with my sister's controller.

I assume you can use a OG GameCube controller with the Smash Ultimate adapter to play the GCN NSO games, so the legacy folks shouldn’t need this one?

Just the most overrated controller ever made. It's the N64 controller with a good PR guy.

Hopefully I will get an invite. It’s the last thing for me to buy for launch!

Is the early access the same as the one they've put in place for their Switch 2 preorders?

I'm glad I ordered mine already but I was looking to get 2, so sucks that I was limited to only one. I think they'll open it up later since I got 2 N64 controllers back in the day

I was lucky enough to get an invite to the UK preorder and they had a limit of 2 GameCube controllers so I have 2 winging their way to me next month!

I never bothered getting a second official N64 controller for my original switch as the Retrobit version of the old Hori N64 controller and the retro fighters ones suited my purposes well enough. Hopefully we see a bunch of 3rd party GameCube ones with analogue triggers too. I have a few of the PowerA GameCube controllers but they aren’t the same without the analogue triggers…

@-wc- D-pad is trash, c-stick is a woeful excuse for a second stick, z-button is cramp inducing, lack of triggers is limiting, and the face button layout is terrible. Not lining up 2 buttons with the angle of the thumb is one of the dumbest things Nintendo has done with semi-regularity. There's a reason the 4 button SNES layout is still the industry standard. And the giant A WIN button is made for people who can only button mash.

@Scarmucci I still have an OG Wavebird! I love that controller.

@Maulbert I agree completely

In my defense, though, I have large, bony hands. The smaller Japanese-style controllers of that era give me unbearable discomfort and cramps after only brief periods of use. It's a big reason why I don't play Gamecube (or PS2) games so much in my older years.

By contrast, I actually find the N64 controller pretty comfortable! But both the Dualshock and Gamecube designs are hard for me to wrap my hands around. Literally. Also a big reason why I never kept up with Sony consoles, and also struggled with the DS and 3DS.

In saying that, I have found the Switch Pro Controller to be an absolute joy to use! It's my favorite modern controller, hands down - no pun intended

Is there an adaptor that allows an og gamecube controller to work on the switch? Probably a dumb question…

@hitmanfan47 I sold my platinum GC, my wavebird and my GameBoy adapter on ebay decades ago, sad to say.

@-wc- I think that's kind of why I don't vibe with it - it's really at its best when used with Gamecube games in mind. Anything else(sans Smash Bros.) is hit or miss otherwise. That, and then there's the inexcusable lack of a Select button.

@ear_wig Not a dumb question. You just need a GameCube controller adapter. Your switch will recognize it as a usb controller.

@Ryu_Niiyama
Ditto.

I will do my best to get one but to be honest the Launch Lineup of GameCube games isn't spectacular. hopefully they release at a steady pace

@Thwomp_Stomper That’s exactly what I’m planning to use. I don’t have any of the NSO controllers, 8BitDo has served me fine, though I may break down and get an N64 one.

To this day, the GC Controller is still my all time favorite

@Beeeell love the GameCube controller for smash bros. I got the NES and N64 NSO controllers and they are great! I recommend the N64 controller if you use the app a lot. It feels a lot better playing ocarina of time with one.

Anyone know if this is the same invite for Switch 2 preorder or is this a separate invitation? If so, how exactly do we request interest?

If invited I'll definitely grab one Wireless Gamecube Controller or try like everyone else on the 13th yay for FOMO.. but should be great way to play the Gamecube Classics

Definitely not as needed as the N64 controller. Though they were smart to release this alongside fzero which is probably the only game on the system that sort of requires the overrated analog triggers.
And I mean again, it is more expensive than the last one and again I don't really see how they can justify such a difference in price. Compared to the pro 2 you're paying a bit more but at least get a fully featured controller that's going to be compatible with everything.

Plus remember that the NS2 version of the retro apps let you remap everything game by game. I mean I get that this controller is nice and fzero and smash and blah blah but as far as I am concerned and at this price it's a pass. Or at least much later down the road if ever.

@Beeeell
Honestly, so far the only game that requires a n64 controller on the app is Jet Force Gemini. It's one hell of a game though especially now that nso save states really help with the one issue that it has and later down the line on the NS2 version of the app, the rewind feature is going to completely erase that one issue.

Other than this game though, of course the 64 controller has this very particular form factor that is going to make it the most "necessary" nso controller out of the bunch, but honestly it's mainly for comfort and there are always some workarounds that work fine by changing the controls on the system level. I will say if you are a fan of say Turok or Perfect Dark and want to play Perfect Dark at high difficulty levels or against skilled players, you're going to feel that the game has been fine tuned around the 64 stick and indeed feels more accurate and comfortable on the original controller.

@Maulbert I agree with all of your points, my god do I love it though!

@Maulbert lack of triggers?

Not that I neccesarily need it, but these analogue triggers will be sweet for my PC, as long as the controller is compatible with it (I hope so!).

@pizzagroom is the Hori controller detected by the switch as a gamecube controller or as a pro controller ? Are the trigger pressure sensitive ?

@Thwomp_Stomper Awesome, thanks! Next big question is will it work on Switch 2?! 🤔

@PikaPhantom That seems to be the case. The timeframe lines up too, since those purchase invitations are supposed to go out on the 8th as well.

I am tapped out in funds and have to save to pay for my Switch 2 preorders.

This is definitely a controller for the hardcore of fans. As tempting as it is, I'm not sure I need it. I have plenty of perfectly good original corded GameCube controllers, and the Wii U adapter, so I'll probably save my money.

With it being limited to purchase directly from Nintendo, requiring an active NSO membership, and limited to 1 per account, I don't see it getting too difficult to get later.

@Maulbert Hecky naw, mate. The layout of the buttons makes it the perfect RPG controller for me. And the little C stick can be great for the camera in said genre.

Good to know. I pulled up the page last week, and thought I had missed the window.

@Jeyl
Give it a few months, a year at most, and you should be able to buy a backup eventually. I'm pretty sure they said the same with some of the other controllers initially. They're just wanting to make sure enough people can get them at launch and aren't scalping them.

@Jeyl I think is at the beginning of the sale. First the invites, then NSO subscribers, after that is for anyone.

I’m sorry if I missed this detail but how do you get an invite? Did I have to register for that interest in switch 2 lottery thingy a while back?
Just not clear where they’re pulling names from… I do want one of these pretty badly so if I can double my chances of getting one, I want to go that route!

@betterman Maybe not an entirely accurate term in the case of the Gamecube controller, but generally, controllers have 2 sets of shoulders buttons: bumpers on top, triggers on bottom. I was complaining about it having only one set of shoulder buttons, because no, I don't count the worthless z button.

@xj220_afiles the Switch sees the Hori controller as a generic Bluetooth controller. It works for the hand -feel, plus the D-pad is bigger, and the extra buttons are on the face, and not the top, basically what I would expect a modern controller to do.

I WAS excited to get this. But $65?!

This garbage controller design refuses to die.

Anyone know or have a techy sense of if this controller would work with the 8Bitdo GCN bluetooth receiver?

If I could use this on the go with S2 and at home with the OG Cube, that'd be awesome.

@mlt definitely tried button mapping and it never felt quite right; I have JFG on my purple N64 and never finished it because of the difficulty spike at that point, so definitely will try since NS2 is putting rewind on N64 - which I didn’t know.c that’s awesome!

@Beeeell
Yep. This is going to solve a couple issues with that system game library.

@Lism_Doolan Do you know if the GameCube controller sold out in NA? I haven’t received the email invite. Now (May 13th) it is listed as being available on June 5th.

And the steering wheels still say “Invite Required”. I expected everything to be be open for pre-order to NSO members after May 12th. Guess I am missing something. Thanks. 🙂

EDIT: I was able to but the NSO GameCube controller later in the day! 😊 The steering wheel, though, is still invite only.

Dang, sold out!

@GuySloth Check it again. I was able to secure a pre-order this morning.

@KayFiOS thanks! I was able to secure a pre-order just now.

@GuySloth NICE 👍🏻