Destructoid is gaming news, community, videos, and sometimes love. Take the tour or jump in with Facebook:

 


According to Miyamoto, the GameCube controller was sort of a test run photo

The GameCube may have been ribbed for being dainty and blue (remember the purse comparisons?), but it was the Fisher-Price looking controller  that really seemed to polarize gamers. Admittedly, it was the least liked part of an otherwise kick-ass gaming console. Yes, the Xbox's Duke controller wasn't exactly all that attractive either, but Microsoft remedied that big problem once they got a hold of some feedback. Wish we could have said the same about Nintendo.

That generation of consoles may have been left behind for the current one, but it's still good to hear people reminisce about the past. It gives us new insight as to what they were thinking in the first place, and how those ideas played into the end product. Take for instance Miyamoto's recent comments to Famitsu about the Gamecube's controller, and how it factored into the way Nintendo developed the Wiimote:

"We made it as a culmination of everything leading up to it, but it really underwhelmed. This line of thinking doesn't give us anything else to shoot for, does it? The GameCube controller is a product of us feeling that, without this or that, people wouldn't be able to play the games we make. But then we realized that was a problem, that we were thinking based on that controller as the premise."
Having the utmost respect for Miyamoto, even I had to chuckle over that one. Building games around the controller seemed like a problem, yet they went out and developed the Wii, which is the pinnacle of that sort of thinking? It's a good thing that it worked out so well for them. Talk about turning a weakness into a strength! Guess the GameCube was just a trial run for greater things to come. That flawed way of thinking is sure making Nintendo quite a bit of money. As far as we're concerned, you can keep going down that path -- it obviously works for you.
 
[1up, Via CVG]

Continue: More wii stories





prev
next 50 comments

56 comments | showing # 1 to 50

DaedHead8's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:18
DaedHead8
I actually really like the GC controller. Except the face buttons and d-pad everything is great. It has a good feel to it, the joystick is smooth and responsive, I love the deep L and R triggers and the Z button was easy to reach. No to mention, the wavebird was the first good wireless controller that I ever used. I'll always have fond memories of that thing.
Snaileb 's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:19
Snaileb
Weakness into strength indeed.. the GC controller reminds me of a SNES controller, so I like it. It is a funny thing to say though, considering the made the Wii.

"Admittedly, it was the least liked part of an otherwise kick-ass gaming console." - No online was probably the least liked part of the GC.
Gameboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:22
Gameboi
I despise the L and R triggers. They feel so cheap to me. Kudos to the Wavebird for being wireless.
moonkid's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:22
moonkid
I'm with DanGale, its one of my favourite ever controllers. It made Timesplitters 2 even more fun.
Bob Arctor's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:24
Bob Arctor
Definitely no online sucked. The d pad and the right stick/c stick really were pretty bad. But I really like the position of the aby (or was it x?) and the feel of the l and r buttons. I thought that the gc had the best feel to it with the exception of the d pad and right stick
Gameboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:25
Gameboi
You have a point there, Snaileb, but plenty of people spend more time doing the single-player thing (like me) than online. How often do you see me on Live or PSN?

You are stuck with the controller, regardless...
BlindsideDork's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:25
BlindsideDork
I liked the controller...particularly when playing Metroid Prime.
spacecadetjoe's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:27
spacecadetjoe
I think he meant that building games around the gamecube type of traditional controller wasn't working and that led them to completely change gears
Oni's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:29
Oni
I've always viewed the GC controller as the pinnacle of controller design for the time.

Everything was where it needed to be. The buttons were only a quick thumbroll away, the stick was responsive, not too stiff but not too loose, either. Just right. There was a D-pad which was useful for some games, and the yellow stick was pretty alright, too, if underused.

It was the perfect size for my hands, too. Not too cramped, but not too large. It fit well and didn't cause cramping like the PS2 controller did.

I, too, don't understand the hatred toward Nintendo's GC controller. It's a great little thing.
Rockvillian's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:30
Rockvillian
I loved the GC controller. Even the Z button, especially if the games that used it understood the "specialness" of it, so you didn't have to reach all the time.

And the yellow c-stick and nice huge A button? The controller was fun in and of itself, since every button seemed different and unique - not completely identical, like the PS2 controller.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:33
Mxyzptlk
The GC controller was easily my favorite of that generation.
covah's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:34
covah
I liked the gamecube controller, I think the button lay out really lends itself well to the games that were on it.
JonDarkwood's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:37
JonDarkwood
Seeing a lot more love for the controller here than I expected to. Being a huge fan of the controller myself of course i'm going to agree - it's extremely comfortable to me.
JonDarkwood's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:37
JonDarkwood
Seeing a lot more love for the controller here than I expected to. Being a huge fan of the controller myself of course i'm going to agree - it's extremely comfortable to me.
GuitarAtomik's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:37
GuitarAtomik
Though I liked the ergonomic feel of it, I hated the button placement on the GC controller. It was great for certain games (like Mario, surprise!) but it was super horrible for others like fighters and whatnot. The camera stick sucked too.

Coincidentally, I hate the button placement on the Wiimote/Nunchaku as well. It just feels too random.
Snaileb 's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:38
Snaileb
The triggers broke on me all the time. Smash bros. is to blame!
Cheeburga's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:43
Cheeburga
I actually enjoyed the GC controller, worked good for melee, and i'm not playing Brawl without it.
Edarios's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:45
Edarios
worst console of the last few generations..
SanityMask's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:48
SanityMask
the L and R Trigger were easily my favourite part, providing a comfortable shelter for my fingers. It also traded the usual D-pad place for the now more used analog stick which was pretty clever really. It's design was truly ergonomic.
VWGTI's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 10:56
VWGTI
I disliked the Gamecube controller. While it was great for games made specifically for the Gamecube, anything elese was a pain in the ass.
Surf314's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 11:00
Surf314
I agree with Cheeburga. That's practically the only reason for gamecubes existence anyway. It was created so that brawl could be created.
P3T3Y's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 11:24
P3T3Y
I was intrigued the first time I saw the GCN controller on a demo kiosk. The first time was a little akward, but after handling it for years (and a copious amount of Double Dash) it seems almost like 2nd nature. The Wavebird is probably one of my favorite controllers of all time.
OrangeGoblin's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 11:26
OrangeGoblin
I love the cube controller, it fits in to your hands perfectly. If you look at it, the big A button was the start of Nintendo's current "make games accessible to all" philosophy. A lot of multiplayer games could be played with just the stick and A, and that got a lot of my non-gamer friends playing before anyone had even heard of a Wii.
Johnny_Storm's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 11:39
Johnny_Storm
The Gamecube controller wasn't bad at all in my opinion. I just wish they would make a Luigi's mansion 2 for the Wii.
BA Chieftain's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 11:43
BA Chieftain
@Blindside Dork

Stole my comment... Prime is luxurious using that controller. No other system could pull off super missiles so comfortably, and using the C and D pads for weapon/visor selection was quite brilliant.
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 11:53
king3vbo
I really like the GC controller, and its what I will be using for brawl no doubt
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 11:57
TheStripe
@Surf314 - Actually, it's the other way around. If you read the earlier post Sir Holmes made about SSB, you'll see that they knew they were having problems with GC sales and needed a hot property to bring the fanboys back, so they announce Melee.
therepublica's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 12:12
therepublica
Kick ass gaming machine? ARE YOU KIDDING ME! There were about three good games on it!
Klytus's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 12:19
Klytus
Oh No! our GC controller allowed people to almost play 3rd party games!!

But with our new Wii-mote 3rd party games will be almost impossible!
Mmuua ha ha ha!!!
Gameboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 12:28
Gameboi
@ therepublica

Are you kidding me? I can think of more than three off the top of my head:
Resident Evil 0, Remake, and 4, Eternal Darkness, Viewtiful Joe, Metroid Prime, Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine, Killer 7, Twin Snakes....
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 12:29
brainderailment
Did anyone else see what I saw in 2005?
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 12:33
Sharpless
I don't get the love for this controller. It's an utterly unnatural configuration. The button placement is terrible and it lacks a proper second analog stick. Metroid Prime should've been amazing, but the controller bogged it down, IMO.
sicPOS's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 12:38
sicPOS
GC controller is still my favorite controller. It's definitely the comfortable controller out there. The wavebird is really bulky and I don't understand why nintendo never cut down its size and made it more similar to the standard GC controller.
MissHinasaki's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 12:49
MissHinasaki
I always really loved the GC controllers. They were comfortable and it was easy to reach all the buttons (a major concern with my messed up borderline arthritic woman hands). As for the color, christ! You could just go get a different color one if you wanted. That's the lamest thing I've ever heard, being displeased by the color....

I just got a GameCube again recently and picked up one of those wireless GameStop mini-controllers and they work very well for me. And it's see-through. My favorite color. ^_^
Hexen525's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 13:09
Hexen525
I love this. A comfortable controller is getting panned...but ppl still seem to think that joke of a controller that needed 3 hands to use to it's full extent(N64 controller) is still considered top notch?
zardoz's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 13:57
zardoz
The point Miyamoto is making is that evolution is about refinement and elegance, concepts start out overly complex and crass, and he sees the Gamecube controller as the embodiment of this overly complex philosophy of design.

If designers start with this overly complex attitude as their blueprint, then there is nowhere to go, it's already overcrowded. Therefore Nintendo had to make the decision to move away from that commonly accepted blueprint.
shmelo's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 14:08
shmelo
I liked the GC controller feel, it was comfy and worked.
Crock23A's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 14:23
Crock23A
The gamecube (Wavebird) controller is my favorite controller of all time. Super Smash Bros Melee and Mario Kart Double Dash solidified that opinion.
Dyson's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 14:47
Dyson
I liked that controller :(
Orionsaint's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 14:47
Orionsaint
Funny all this negative talk about the Gamecube. It gave us the best game of last gen. Resident Evil 4
ShinSennju's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 15:36
ShinSennju
I love the GC controller, granted, the face buttons could be arranged a little better, but I prefer the placement and responsiveness of its analog stick than that of the Dual Shock, the latter its in an unnatural position and its not firm enough.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 16:05
Necros
I loved the Gamecube controller, and I still have four (two are wavebirds). The Z button should have had another one on the other side, the d-pad could have been a bit better, and the c-stick needed to be a touch bigger, but other than those small nitpicks, that was a fucking great controller.
supermetroid's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 16:13
supermetroid
I and all my friends agree that the gamecube controller, we found, is the most comfortable and well-designed controller for all consoles out there. I think it's brilliant. Often I find the Playstation 2 controller, the way it's spaced out, a bit awkward, and don't even get me started on the terrible XBox controller--fat and overwhelming with all those buttons in weird places. Luckily the 360 ones are better than that, haha.
Drift64's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 16:26
Drift64
I love my gamecube controller, the only thing that it sucks for is for fighting games. Because I hated the d-pad on it.
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 17:12
TheStripe
I particularly liked how the layout organized the controller for games that took advantage of it. Like Viewtiful Joe. On the right side of the controller, actions were sorted by priority from the inside out. The center (A Button) was the prime function in an action platformer; Jump. Ringed around the sides, X and Y were punch and kick, second priority. Outside of those, B, L and R, the superpowers.

Honestly, I hated the gamecube controller until I broke down and bought the console for V-Joe. I still find it a little small, but the layout is great, provided a game takes advantage of the prioritization of actions.
RWarrior1CO's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 18:05
RWarrior1CO
The GC controller was probably the most comfortable of all of last-gen's controllers, but it was still inferior to the competition. It had less functionality than the other controllers and the "C-Stick" was badly designed. Why couldn't they just have made it a regular analog stick so that people could comfortably use it to aim in FPS's?

The color wasn't an issue for me, although admittedly that's because I got the black version of the system...
flynsk's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 18:06
flynsk
I really liked the layout. I even bought adaptors for use with the PC.
vp360's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 18:29
vp360
i loved the gamecube controller, i thought it was the most confortmable controller of last gen.
Psywolf's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 19:10
Psywolf
my favorite controller is my wavebird

I use it with my wii vc games regularly its very comfortable
jackdoe's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/31/2008 19:44
jackdoe
Not everyone at Nintendo thinks like that. Hell, the makers of SSBB recommend the GC controller to play. That says something.
prev next 50 comments

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 

   Got news?   tips@destructoid.com   |   Dtoid Twitter

New Videos

more videos


Reviews & Previews
BioShock 2 review
Dante's Inferno review
Chime review
Hustle Kings review
iPhone Review Round-up: January review
more reviews
Dawn of War II Chaos Rising
Metro 2033
A trip to the racetracks Days of Thunder Arcade
Double the pleasure, double the fun with Darwinia+
Wizarding world in plastic Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4
more previews


- The Dtoid Army is 56752 strong -

Showing Cblogs with 3+ faps   show all

Call for entries: the Areas of my Expertise

New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide


 Originals
Jim Sterling: How Aliens are blatantly better than Predators





















More Destructoid Originals




We are Destructoid   tips@destructoid.com
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Niero
Founder, Big Boss
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Dale North
News Editor
Rey Gutierrez
Destructoid Video EIC
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Brad Nicholson
Managing Editor
Tom Fronczak Colette Bennett
Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
Conrad
Zimmerman
Chad Concelmo
Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Will Maddock Matthew Razak
Josh Tolentino
Joseph Leray
Topher Cantler Samit Sarkar
     
  Adam Dork
Daniel Lingen
Hollie Bennett
Joe Burling
Mikey Turvey






 
 
  get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
contribute a news tip
suggest a feature
be a guest editor
support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meetup+play online
seriously

about Destructoid
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap
our network

Tomopop
Japanator
Despingation?




Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006