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Hand Held Legend is a well established and quite popular company that's been around for more than a decade and focuses on controllers, upgrades and replacements for retro consoles and handhelds of all kinds, be it Nintendo's or Sega's older consoles like the NES, Game Boy or Master System, to modern systems like the Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.

A couple days ago, Hand Held Legend officially unveiled their latest project titled "GC Ultimate Controller", for which they will start a Kickstarter page on September 16th. This project aims to bring the feel of the original Gamecube controller to modern games and systems by offering a DIY solder-free kit that the user can put together on their own and also customize to their own liking, with even an app made to customize through software and recalibrate the sticks, remap buttons and more.

The project will also offer hardware customization as well, like modifying the octagonal plate for the analog stick to a rounded one, a special split D-Pad design where each button can individually be pressed to make it more accurate, two different triggers, one low profile mechanical (fully digital) and a full analog one to replicate the feel of the original Gamecube triggers too, and other options as well.

Currently, their Kickstarter page lists the following features for the GC Ultimate Controller Kit:

• 1:1 footprint with the original GameCube controller
• Support for GameCube, N64, NES, SNES
• Open source firmware and 3D models (Available on GitHub)
• Compatible with OEM triggers and buttons
• Hall effect joysticks (Gulikit TMR with stick-click buttons)
• HD Rumble (The best in its class for aftermarket controllers)
• Bluetooth support (Switch/PC/Android)
• Configuration app (Android/PC/Mac/Linux)
• RGB stick underlighting
• Split D-pad design
• Dual motion control sensors for improved gyro accuracy (Switch/Steam supported)
• Dual Z buttons
• Built-in support for mechanical triggers OR analog triggers (for all of you Melee and Sunshine enthusiasts)
• Swappable gate-plate (Octagon and Circular included)
• USB-C connectivity and recharging
• XInput support for PC/Android (1000hz input rate)
• Native Slippi support (1000hz input rate)
• Ergonomic trigger shape
• Injection Molded buttons
• 100gf tactile Z buttons

The amount of features so far is quite extensive, and the compatibility with modern systems so far cover Android, PC/Steam, Switch and more, although it is currently unknown if other bluetooth-compatible consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series will be compatible or not. Additionally, compatibility with original Gamecube, N64, SNES and NES systems via a special detachable USB Type C to Gamecube cable without the need of an adapter of any kind, with the same type of USB-C cable also being available for N64, SNES and NES systems (with only the GC and N64 ones being showcased in the video).

As for the kit itself, here's what will actually be included within each kit:

• Injection Molded Shell (Emerald Blue is the default) and peripheral parts
• Trigger bracket
• Screw and spring hardware kit
• Analog stick caps
• Button set
• Split D-pad set
• Li-Po battery
• Main PCB
• C-Stick PCB

At the moment of writing, the only base colour option offered is the Emerald Blue, but HHL mentions that if they reach a certain stretch goal, more colours will become available, with them sending a survey to backers so they can select the colour of their choice once the campaign ends.

Those interested can subscribe to be notified about the launch of the Kickstarter project, with the current number of followers sitting at around 1000 right now. The GC Ultimate Controller Kit Kickstarter starts off on September 16th, 2024.

"GC Ultimate Controller Kit" Kickstarter page
Hand Held Legend Website

 

[NyaakoXD]

No thanks, I already have Gamecube controllers.

I mean, this one in particular has Hall Effect sticks, so that means it's a lot less prone to having stick drift issues and can potentially last way longer.

 

[4d1xlaan]

I mean, this one in particular has Hall Effect sticks, so that means it's a lot less prone to having stick drift issues and can potentially last way longer.

Couldn't you put hall effect sticks in a regular controller for cheaper? idk if any exist yet

 

[NyaakoXD]

Couldn't you put hall effect sticks in a regular controller for cheaper? idk if any exist yet

There are a few designed for GC controllers, yes. PhobGCC comes to mind.

 

[Jayro]

Weird how they're giving customizable left analog and d-pad, but wont give face button customization

Then again its only a concept... They can always add face button customization before final release, if people ask for that

Yeah, I am the silent minority of people that hate hate HATE the GameCube controller. I hate every single design aspect of it.

• It's not ergonomic in the slightest.
• The small form-factor doesn't cater to adults, or people with large hands.
• The D-Pad is the same one used in the original Gameboy Advance, which is very much too small for comfort; It hurts my thumb after just a few minutes of use.
• They put the Z trigger in the worst possible place, instead of behind the left stick like on the N64.
• The (A) button is so large, it can't be reliably pressed rapidly without sticking and missing my button presses.
• The entire ABXY layout always leaves me 2nd-guessing where things are when an on-screen button prompt comes up, taking me out of the gameplay immersion.
• Sure, analog triggers are always a welcome addition, but the 360 did it best. These slider-style were trash.
• ????
• I guess the cord was nice, and the rumble was decent.

 

[ciro64]

I used gamecube controllers for a good chunk of my life and even bought recent ones for playing smash competitively and gamecube games of the box. I also experimented playing PC and retro games with them.

And I got a lot to complain about:

• The face button layout is cool and all but it just doesn't translate well to most games. (the n64 does a better job at this)
• The grip completely faces forward making your arms also have to face forward to feel comfortable.
• The format of the R and L are weird as fuck. They are shaped like an arc with elevated borders rather than a trigger and are too distant and hard to fully press.
• If you don't have small sized hands it's gonna feel uncomfortable in general
• Completely opinionated towards the analog. The D-pad is small and hard, so good luck playing retro games
• Small right stick
• No select button
• No stick buttons
• The right shoulder button is not only hard to press but also hard to reach considering the shape of R & L
• ALSO NO LEFT SHOULDER BUTTON LOL WHAT THE FUCK

They have good, mechanical analog sticks and I respect the controllers for what they are, especially considering the time they came out, but they aren't near being the best option available for most cases.

That being said, they do have their uses and I'm glad we're going to have a modernized version now.

EDIT: LOL there's another hate checklist just above me

 

[Dust2dust]

I'm with @Jayro on this, I never was a fan of the Gamecube controller. I always felt it was awkward to use. I even used an adapter to play Gamecube games with a decent controller like the DualShock 2.

 

[Lodad]

Only the left stick can have the panel removed to swap between circular and octagonal gates. It would be nice if both were swappable and sticks were easily replaceable. It would also be nice to have a button mirroring the Z button and clickable sticks so it could be a fully functional controller on more systems.

That said, both points are my personal gripes and not any attempt at knocking the product. It's good to have a market for quality GCN controllers over two decades later.

Edit: I didn't see the full features list, only watched the demo video yesterday and it didn't really go over the click sticks. The configuration app is a very cool feature aside from having to connect a phone and the controller over a USB cable. RGB is pointless on anything you use with your hands because your eyes are gonna be on the screen (like seriously, RGB anything is stupid.) Gyro is an awesome feature to include but that D-pad looks atrocious.

 

[Shape]

Yeah, I am the silent minority of people that hate hate HATE the GameCube controller. I hate every single design aspect of it.

I suspect the controller appeals to a certain type of hand-- those of a guitarist. Over time, I have SMASH'd with a LOT of players. When SMASH'ing, players who also have a mid-to-high level of guitar skill seem to prefer a selection of a Gamecube-style controller over an X-style, DualShock, Pro or any other controller. Meanwhile, players who have low skill or have never touched a guitar seem to DESPISE the cube pad.

It's just anecdotal evidence, and a small subject pool to boot.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

DMCA incoming?

As great as the GCN controller is, given the Xbox, Switch, Wii U, and third party controllers with non-symmetrical analog sticks there are plenty of options as it is.

I currently use a DualShock 4 with my PS4 as I gotten used to it, but my hands certainly feel a lot more comfortable holding a non-symmetrical controller.

Hopefully this isn't the next fad of creating more unnecessary controllers like the market's is with oversaturated handhelds that are released every few months.

It makes a lot of sense for GC games, whether emulation or playing on original hardware. Smash players are wearing out all the original controllers, and there really isn't any substitute for the GC layout in games that were designed for it. Conversely, I find the GC layout isn't the best in games that weren't designed for it, so I wouldn't use it for anything besides GC games. But for GC games, it's the best.

Post automatically merged: Aug 30, 2024

I suspect the controller appeals to a certain type of hand-- those of a guitarist. Over time, I have SMASH'd with a LOT of players. When SMASH'ing, players who also have a mid-to-high level of guitar skill seem to prefer a selection of a Gamecube-style controller over an X-style, DualShock, Pro or any other controller. Meanwhile, players who have low skill or have never touched a guitar seem to DESPISE the cube pad.

It's just anecdotal evidence, and a small subject pool to boot.

Correlation != causation. My cousin plays guitar and also uses a GC controller. But I know he uses a GC controller because he plays (or played) a lot of Melee and before that point he didn't even own a GC controller.

What is probable though, is that more skilled Smash players are more likely to use a GC controller. The majority of competitive Smash players play Melee religiously, so that's what they're most comfortable with.

 

[raging_chaos]

that D-pad looks atrocious.

Agreed, there's no way that kind of D-pad is going to be any good for fireball type moves. Precision was never a problem, its that it was too small.

 

[raxadian]

I mean, this one in particular has Hall Effect sticks, so that means it's a lot less prone to having stick drift issues and can potentially last way longer.

Is a Gamecube controller not a Nintendo Switch one.

 

[NyaakoXD]

Is a Gamecube controller not a Nintendo Switch one.

The Gamecube controller's sticks can wear out and start getting really loose or drift easily. Using Hall-Effect sticks helps to significantly mitigate these issues and potentially save money from not buying replacements often.

 

[AlexMCS]

I don't even know why people like that.
I only tolerated it for a while, when the GCN was current.
Thank god for adapters so I never have to use this thing again.

On-topic, nice idea for those that somehow like that abomination.

 

[Lodad]

Agreed, there's no way that kind of D-pad is going to be any good for fireball type moves. Precision was never a problem, its that it was too small.

Another problem with the original is its stiffness and responsiveness. It digs into your thumb and you don't have a good idea of how hard you need to press, but pressing hard enough for input can bruise your thumb in a short amount of time.

 

[Vorde]

Love the gamecube controller after hating it for most of my life.
Tbh playing Smash Bros Melee made me fall in love with it, and admire a lot of the ways the layout was designed.
With that being said there are a lot of issues with them, and the QC for them was all over the place.
PhobGCN does a great job at addressing most of these already, but more awesome controllers on the market are always a welcome addition.
I've read all the posts here, and I feel like teenage me would have agreed that the controller was bad, but after playing with one for 5000 hours or so, I don't know any other controller I'd rather use

EDIT: Will totally agree that the D-Pad is absolutely terrible. Too small for anything useful

 

[NiceMitch]

Thinking it could be $80, but if it has better build quality than a DualSense Edge / Xbox Elite controller then it's actually built to last.

I read a lot of Xbox Elite customers had to do multiple returns as it went faulty in a variety of ways, and the DualSense Edge has like a low battery or something.

Speaking of batteries, they should go with rechargeable batteries than an internal battery.

Hi I'm Mitch, I designed the controller ^^ Everything. The PCB, firmware, configuration app, shell, buttons, brackets, everything on this design has been painstakingly crafted by yours truly.

In some regards it will be closer to what you'd find from an unboxed, brand new GameCube controller. Mind you that this is a controller kit that backers will do a DIY build (I just posted a build video today on the YouTube channel ^^)

I'm familiar with the Xbox Elite controller issues, I used to work in Microsoft retail stores (LOL) and that was one of the items that would absolutely come back. Rubber grips peeling off, sticks drifting. A completely unrepairable mess.

Without kinda reverting to a design similar to the Wavebird, AA batteries would not be feasible here. I really wanted to keep the original shape, and that meant putting the battery inside. Don't get me wrong though, it's rechargeable, and user-serviceable (Just like everything else on this controller)

Pricing, right now, is an upper range of $135 (worst case scenario). Of course we're shooting for lower pricing. Volume is everything. We are utilizing existing vendor relationships that we've built over the last two years, and I'm very optimistic we'll be able to knock that down a bit.

This seems promising. Whether I back it though, depends entirely on price. With that feature list, it can't be cheap unless they cut some serious corners.


If you ask me, the GameCube style button layout makes more sense than anything on the market today. The most important button, the A button, is front and center, with the other three buttons orbiting it. I've always preferred it to the Xbox layout or even the modern Nintendo layout.

I'm a very fiscally minded person, but when it comes to the designs I make, I absolutely hate compromising on my vision or what I really want to see in the controller. The price will definitely reflect this. The other part of the cost will go into consistent maintenance and updates to the controller. It's based on a firmware backend I've developed which is also used in other controllers I've developed. Everything about this controller is meant to be quality, performance, and repairability/ownership. I definitely hopped on to the Louis Rossmann repair bandwagon, and I hope it shows in the design decisions I've made here. And schematics are available (and a lot more)

Not a huge fan of them going for "HD Rumble" vs. the nice heavy motor of the original controller. Who knows, maybe it's better than the Switch Pro Controller.

I'm not seeing whether the Analog Triggers are dual-stage or not. I'm hoping they are given they mention Sunshine, but I'd want to be sure before ordering.


Definitely will be keeping an eye on it.

There's a lot of effects that can be done. The large heavy motor was definitely out of the equation here because the space is now being used for a 1200mAh battery.

I don't know why it's so hard to effectively communicate the features and whatnot, but I can confirm that yes, the dual-stage triggers are here in their full glory. For people who don't like it, they can choose to bypass those entirely in favor of the new tactile mechanical switches. You can mix and match these parts to your liking. Even if you did go full digital, the controller allows you to remap the inputs such that one button would be a 'light' trigger press, while another would be 'heavy'. I know how important these customizations are to people and I've added those

I'm really tempted to back this one up as well, it'd be the first time ever I'd do so, but I want to wait until an official announcement on what the pricing is gonna be.
I've been eyeing over the Nyxi Wired controller for the last months, so I want to wait out and see if this Kickstarter will end up being better or worse than the Warrior for an overall modern controller with a Gamecube layout for me. If it's way over the $70 USB price tag from the Warrior, I'll end up getting the Warrior instead, but I'll wait and see how this turns out.

I was personally disappointed with the Nyxi warrior. The plastics and the over-all feel was much cheaper than I had hoped for. No proper calibration of the cardinal angles, and the A button hump feels strange. I wanted a modern GCC, but I wanted it to feel just like a GCC lol

I can tell you it will be between $100-135 based on the initial mid-to-high volume quotes I've been getting. But what you also get with that is full schematics, a thriving modding community that offers you custom buttons which would just work with this controller, repairability, support from an American company, the list goes on.

Agreed, there's no way that kind of D-pad is going to be any good for fireball type moves. Precision was never a problem, its that it was too small.

You'd be surprised. I knew the design would be controversial, but I can guarantee if you try the split dpad you won't want to go back. There's definitely an art to it, and I do think something to do with the smaller size, plus the depth of the specific button, the split dpad setup works very well and gives you back a lot of precision that is otherwise to unspecified tilting behavior. I fully stand behind the design of that specific part, and I use it on all of my personal controllers. The dpad is fully open source on github (can't link it because spam filtering lol but it's on HandHeldLegend Github)

And if you have a resin printer, definitely give it a try. (Filament prints probably will not have the correct tolerances here)

I´ve never back a kickstarter project before (mostly do to ignorance) but with this one, I make a account and subscribed to wait for the project to be avaliable to fund. i´m really hyped about this one!

Thank you, I sincerely appreciate that. I've been working my ass off on this for a long time and I hope it shows

 

[Scarlet]

I was personally disappointed with the Nyxi warrior. The plastics and the over-all feel was much cheaper than I had hoped for. No proper calibration of the cardinal angles, and the A button hump feels strange. I wanted a modern GCC, but I wanted it to feel just like a GCC lol

My lord I am completely with you. I loved the idea of the Warrior, but the microswitches didn't suit the larger feel of the controller, and the A button just went flush with the shell?? They had a lot of great ideas (swappable rings around the sticks, swappable stick caps), and the connectivity on offer really was a nice touch. It's just sat on my shelf though; it's not a controller I really feel like I want to use, which is a shame.

For what you're offering, $135 is actually a pleasant surprise for me too. I saw the feature list and my mind jumped to it being some kind of $200 bespoke kinda deal. I'm certainly on board, and I'll definitely be ordering one. Seems like a fun thing to write about when you guys eventually get to shipping them, so here's hoping it all goes well!

 

[PrincessLillie]

Hi I'm Mitch, I designed the controller ^^ Everything. The PCB, firmware, configuration app, shell, buttons, brackets, everything on this design has been painstakingly crafted by yours truly.

In some regards it will be closer to what you'd find from an unboxed, brand new GameCube controller. Mind you that this is a controller kit that backers will do a DIY build (I just posted a build video today on the YouTube channel ^^)

I'm familiar with the Xbox Elite controller issues, I used to work in Microsoft retail stores (LOL) and that was one of the items that would absolutely come back. Rubber grips peeling off, sticks drifting. A completely unrepairable mess.

Without kinda reverting to a design similar to the Wavebird, AA batteries would not be feasible here. I really wanted to keep the original shape, and that meant putting the battery inside. Don't get me wrong though, it's rechargeable, and user-serviceable (Just like everything else on this controller)

Pricing, right now, is an upper range of $135 (worst case scenario). Of course we're shooting for lower pricing. Volume is everything. We are utilizing existing vendor relationships that we've built over the last two years, and I'm very optimistic we'll be able to knock that down a bit.


I'm a very fiscally minded person, but when it comes to the designs I make, I absolutely hate compromising on my vision or what I really want to see in the controller. The price will definitely reflect this. The other part of the cost will go into consistent maintenance and updates to the controller. It's based on a firmware backend I've developed which is also used in other controllers I've developed. Everything about this controller is meant to be quality, performance, and repairability/ownership. I definitely hopped on to the Louis Rossmann repair bandwagon, and I hope it shows in the design decisions I've made here. And schematics are available (and a lot more)


There's a lot of effects that can be done. The large heavy motor was definitely out of the equation here because the space is now being used for a 1200mAh battery.

I don't know why it's so hard to effectively communicate the features and whatnot, but I can confirm that yes, the dual-stage triggers are here in their full glory. For people who don't like it, they can choose to bypass those entirely in favor of the new tactile mechanical switches. You can mix and match these parts to your liking. Even if you did go full digital, the controller allows you to remap the inputs such that one button would be a 'light' trigger press, while another would be 'heavy'. I know how important these customizations are to people and I've added those


I was personally disappointed with the Nyxi warrior. The plastics and the over-all feel was much cheaper than I had hoped for. No proper calibration of the cardinal angles, and the A button hump feels strange. I wanted a modern GCC, but I wanted it to feel just like a GCC lol

I can tell you it will be between $100-135 based on the initial mid-to-high volume quotes I've been getting. But what you also get with that is full schematics, a thriving modding community that offers you custom buttons which would just work with this controller, repairability, support from an American company, the list goes on.


You'd be surprised. I knew the design would be controversial, but I can guarantee if you try the split dpad you won't want to go back. There's definitely an art to it, and I do think something to do with the smaller size, plus the depth of the specific button, the split dpad setup works very well and gives you back a lot of precision that is otherwise to unspecified tilting behavior. I fully stand behind the design of that specific part, and I use it on all of my personal controllers. The dpad is fully open source on github (can't link it because spam filtering lol but it's on HandHeldLegend Github)

And if you have a resin printer, definitely give it a try. (Filament prints probably will not have the correct tolerances here)


Thank you, I sincerely appreciate that. I've been working my ass off on this for a long time and I hope it shows

I've just watched the video you mentioned. The controller seems significantly more repairable than I anticipated, which alleviates my price concerns significantly! I'm also quite pleased with the worst-case price you shared here, I expected it to be about as expensive as a DualSense Edge at MSRP (roughly $200 as of writing).
If I'm financially able during the funding period, I'll absolutely be backing the Kickstarter campaign, and if I don't get to back it, then I'll absolutely be buying one in the future!
Welcome to GBAtemp by the way!

 

[Marc_LFD]

Smash players are wearing out all the original controllers

I understand why they do by abusing the controllers, but they shouldn't just throw it away. At least sell it for parts on eBay so someone can salvage it.



And Nintendo... Nintendo are being a-holes by only producing a limited quantity per generation and then if you miss out, too bad.

They even made a "limited edition" of Mario 3D All-Stars on the friggin' eShop!

Nintendo isn't very consumer friendly are they...

@Bladexdsl you got an opinion about this? Always interested to read your thoughts.

 

[Bladexdsl]

you got an opinion about this? Always interested to read your thoughts.

first of all nothing beats the wavebird gamecube controller and second if people want to pay that much for a GameCube controller let the fools waste their money. also them screws on the edges of analog stick are FUGLY