Smash Box controller

The SmashBox controller is a custom arcade controller designed by Dustin Hoffer and developed by Hit Box. Specifically designed for comepetitive play of Super Smash Bros. Melee, the SmashBox controller replaces the GameCube controller's analog stick with a button layout. This controller may allow more precise and rapid input, though it has a steeper learning curve than the traditional controller. Moreover, the SmashBox controller may have various health benefits, as it puts less stress on the hands of its user. There is currently no consensus as to whether this controller should be allowed during tournament play, though it was allowed at Genesis 4 in January 2016 as part of a "test period".

Background and development

The GameCube controller analog stick.

Super Smash Bros. Melee is traditionally played using the standard GameCube controller, which features a analog stick with an octogonal gate that allows an accurate input in eight directions. However, as the high-level Super Smash Bros. community has developed over time, professional players need to perform with extreme levels of precision. Some players would hold their controller in a "claw" position, using the index finger in tandem with the thumb, in order to move the analog stick more precisely. As Imad Khan of ESPN described the situation: "As competitive matches can have players hitting six inputs per second, accidental slipping of the thumb stick can mean a win or loss." A large variety of different controllers are also compatible with the Super Smash Bros. series, but the original GameCube controller is generally considered superior to more modern models because of its octogonal gate and analog buttons. This has resulted in scarcity of the original model.

Dustin Hoffer, employee of Hit Box, designed and developed the SmashBox controller in order to make input as binary as possible (removing the analog stick) and removing the controller's inconsistencies. In an interview with ESPN, Hoffer said that his goal was "to evolve competitive gaming hardware for Smash," claiming that the GameCube controller created a "physical learning barrier preventing newcomers from joining in as well as putting a cap on many players' competitive lifespan with carpal tunnel and other RSIs." Development of the SmashBox controller started in 2014 and it became available to some professional players in 2016. Hoffer told Kotaku in December 2016 that he was planning to launch a Kickstarter campaign for the controller, but its legal status in tournament play slowed down his plans.

Characteristics

Rather than a analog stick or joystick, the SmashBox controller features four analog direction buttons, allowing players to hit each button individually. This layout and the controller's flat surface allows each individual finger access to any button, eliminating the need for rapid and precise thumb movements. Involved usage of the SmashBox controller may still result in Ulnar tunnel syndrome and general postural concerns, but it is overall less stressful than the original controller. Hungrybox explained that the learning curve for the SmashBox controller is very steep, but it "theoretically could make someone the most technical player of all time." The binary input method could also be of use for tool-assisted superplays. The SmashBox controller can't do anything a traditional controller isn't also capable of, however, as it simply maps each input on a different type of button.</ref>

Tournament legality

Discussion arose among the professional Super Smash Bros. community as to whether the new controller should be considered legal for tournament use. In December 2016, Hoffer was told in a private conversation with Genesis 4 organizers that the controller may be banned from the major Smash Bros. Melee tournament. After Hoffer explained the situation to professional player Dustin "Gravy" White, the topic caught fire on social media. Hoffer himself described the potential ban as "definitely unfair." Tournament organizers were worried that allowing the SmashBox controller to be used in tournament play would allow other unconventional and possibly game-breaking controllers to be used as well. Genesis 4-organizer Sheridan Zalewski announced later that month that the SmashBox controller was allowed to be used in the tournament, noting that this would initiate a "test period" in which players could determine whether the controller gives an unfair advantage over players who use the traditional GameCube controller.

External links

• Official website