Almost 17 years after its release, you can once again pre-order a GameCube controller. Yes, as long as Super Smash Bros. is around, the funky GameCube gamepad will always be a desired commodity and Nintendo knows it. The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-themed controller is available for pre-order now.
We found listings at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop. The controllers retail for $30 and are only available in black. Besides the Smash Bros. logo in the center of the controller, the new controller is exactly the same as the original GameCube controller. As of now, the controllers have a placeholder date of December 31, but we expect the controller to launch on December 7 alongside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
So yes, if you still have your GameCube, or if you have the Smash Bros.-themed controller from Super Smash Bros. on Wii U, you don’t need to pick up a new controller. In fact, if you played with GameCube controllers on the Wii U, you’re all set. Like the Wii U, the Switch requires a USB adapter to use GameCube controllers. Nintendo is re-releasing the adapter for $20 (also available to pre-order now), but it’s the exact same adapter that you may already own.
In fact, the Wii U adapter already works with the Switch, a neat trick discovered after system update 4.0.0 last October that hinted at the impending arrival of a Smash game with GameCube controller support on Switch. You would be surprised how many Switch games can be played with a GameCube controller right now (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Kirby Star Allies, Sonic Mania, to name a few).
To be clear, you don’t need a GameCube controller to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Both the Joy-Con controllers and the Switch Pro Controller will get you up and running just fine. However, serious Smash players have always gravitated toward the gamepad used in Super Smash Bros. Melee. The GameCube controller has been compatible with all iterations of Smash since Melee (even the 3DS version, with a mod).
Knowing how Nintendo sometimes self-creates scarcity, you may want to pre-order a controller or two if you want to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a GameCube controller at launch.
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