Did they settle it in Smash?
Fighting game tournaments have always been very specific as to what is and isn’t allowed as a controller, depending on the game. Keeping everyone on an even playing field is a big aspect of showcasing the skill and talent of the different competitors in the game itself, rather than their skill with a controller alone. This goes double for Super Smash Bros. Melee, which has more or less been GameCube controller-exclusive at tournaments, despite the relative age and unusual shape of the controllers compared to its contemporaries. The tournament Genesis 4, however, has decided to take a chance on the SmashBox, a controller based more on a Street Fighter Fight Stick than it is any Nintendo controller.
Kotaku’s Cecilia D’Anatasio talked with both the creator of the controller, Dustin Huffer, and the Genesis 4 organizers about the controller’s validity and legality in the Melee scene. Dustin insists that the controller is just like any other GameCube controller, except without the joysticks (and, well, the fact that it’s a box). While Genesis 4 was wary at first, they decided to give the box a chance, though there are still worries of illegal/unapproved mods to the controller that could give players an unfair advantage. More details can be found in D’Anatasio’s article and on the SmashBox website.
The controller will make its big-time debut at Genesis 4 in San Jose, CA from January 20th-January 22nd 2017.