Controller came in AWFUL condition. It was packaged in just an extremely thin layer of bubble wrap (pictured is the ONLY packaging it had) and the stickbox is completely ruined. Additionally the plug is clearly rusty and the controller is overall super beat up. Very very disappointed that I waited for this thing. Its outrageous to advertise a controller as 'tight stick' and send it in such poor condition. Absolutely terrible.

Check for T2 or T3 motherboard for easier repairability

DISCLAIMER: might be a lil misinformed but i'm trying my best As a Melee player, this controller will do you just as well as any other used official GameCube controller. Eventually, like all GameCube controllers, the potentiometers will experience PODE the longer you play with them. Used controllers may not have as much snapback as brand new controllers, so you might not get the misinputs you would get from snapback albeit with less consistent pivots. You play long enough, you might consider getting Noble/Panasonic potentiometer replacements/snapback modules, though if you're just getting into Melee, you won't need to shell out all that dough to learn the game and be good. You'll find that Emerald Blue controllers will come with either a T2 or T3 motherboard. T3 ... MoreDISCLAIMER: might be a lil misinformed but i'm trying my best As a Melee player, this controller will do you just as well as any other used official GameCube controller. Eventually, like all GameCube controllers, the potentiometers will experience PODE the longer you play with them. Used controllers may not have as much snapback as brand new controllers, so you might not get the misinputs you would get from snapback albeit with less consistent pivots. You play long enough, you might consider getting Noble/Panasonic potentiometer replacements/snapback modules, though if you're just getting into Melee, you won't need to shell out all that dough to learn the game and be good. You'll find that Emerald Blue controllers will come with either a T2 or T3 motherboard. T3 motherboards have screw-in stickboxes as opposed to being soldered on with T2 motherboards, which make it easier for you to disassemble stickboxes, replace the spring inside the stickbox, replace it with another T3 stickbox, etc. To check if the Emerald Blue controller is T3, check/ask for pictures of the back of the shell or of the controller motherboard. T3 Emerald Blues have a stamp on the back that reads CE (CE dot). T3 stickboxes have white plastic housings compared to T2 stickboxes which are metallic and gray.Some Emerald Blues like mine come with a metal piece in the trigger. It isn't guaranteed. I don't have a strong opinion about the metal piece, some like it, it doesn't make too much of a difference for me. Colored GameCube controllers will yellow when exposed to UV light (sun). This controller turns from a bright blue to a dark green, and if you like the discolored color like I do, you may find suntanned Emerald Blues when searching 'discolored', 'emerald green', etc. If you want more info. I suggest you visit gccontrollerlibrary dot com. TLDR: check pictures, ask for pics if you don't see what you're looking for, just like any official gamecube controller

Great but not perfect

I ordered this controller as well as an Orange Spice controller. Both were cleaned up very well however the A button on both controllers had very bad recoil. It was obvious the A buttons were not refurbished with new rubber. I was suprised when my 20 year old beat up controller had better recoil on the A button than these DKOldies ones. Other than that issue, every other button and joystick worked great and felt new. Except for the Z Button on the Orange Spice controller which has some response issues unless I press it harder than usual.All in all still a pretty good purchase. I'm not sure if I will order another DKOldies one again but I'm not sure familiar with how other shops controllers are

It was cool.

Id like to break my review in 3 parts, shipping, appearance and function. The shipping is horrible i really wished you guys choose someone else to ship with i dont know if fedex is cheaper but for a customer to pay an extra 12 dollars for shipping for 2-4 days shipping and get it on the seventh day due to FedEx's policy where they only ship 5 days a week causing many packages to he delayed really messes with customer and seller relations. I wasn't particularly bothered by it because i had 2 other gamecube controllers, was just a nuisance to pay extra to get bad service from fedex. Then secondly the appearance of the controller it was decent i had to clean it a bit there was dust and build up in crevices and what not again this doesnt bug me i actually enjoyed making ... MoreId like to break my review in 3 parts, shipping, appearance and function. The shipping is horrible i really wished you guys choose someone else to ship with i dont know if fedex is cheaper but for a customer to pay an extra 12 dollars for shipping for 2-4 days shipping and get it on the seventh day due to FedEx's policy where they only ship 5 days a week causing many packages to he delayed really messes with customer and seller relations. I wasn't particularly bothered by it because i had 2 other gamecube controllers, was just a nuisance to pay extra to get bad service from fedex. Then secondly the appearance of the controller it was decent i had to clean it a bit there was dust and build up in crevices and what not again this doesnt bug me i actually enjoyed making it clean and look brand new. ( the inside was disgusting though). Then lastly the function of it for this i had two huge issues the analog stick was loose and the z button was odd because it felt like no other z button on a gamecube controller. It was really hard to press and delayed my reaction time. For the loose analog stick it gave me the opportunity to learn how to solder so i took out the stick box and replaced it with a fresh tight one so it felt really good. So overall this was a good experience. 4/5

Overall best for the price, a couple gripes

Shorthand, this is unsurprisingly the best quality controller available for $30; feels almost identical to the 2001 GC controller. Don't get 3rd party trash while these are around, period. Gushing over a 17-year-old controller seems pointless, so everything I don't mention in gripes feels fine to perfect. I recommend it and you should get this if you're looking for a cheap controller for Smash.That covered, now for criticisms - pretty stiff left stick. Not bad or uncomfortable, just feels different than my original (and especially the Switch Pro's silky smooth sticks), like I have to be more, maybe 'too' deliberate. It'll probably get better with break-in but could bother some people. The stiffness might help with snapback long-term, who knows.Now the only thing ... MoreShorthand, this is unsurprisingly the best quality controller available for $30; feels almost identical to the 2001 GC controller. Don't get 3rd party trash while these are around, period. Gushing over a 17-year-old controller seems pointless, so everything I don't mention in gripes feels fine to perfect. I recommend it and you should get this if you're looking for a cheap controller for Smash.That covered, now for criticisms - pretty stiff left stick. Not bad or uncomfortable, just feels different than my original (and especially the Switch Pro's silky smooth sticks), like I have to be more, maybe 'too' deliberate. It'll probably get better with break-in but could bother some people. The stiffness might help with snapback long-term, who knows.Now the only thing I can say needs fixing is the Z button. It's just too stiff and mushy, feels worse out of the box than even my most abused GC controller. It's not inconsistent, it just needs to be mashed down. If you're not used to manhandling Z you're gonna miss grabs for awhile. Hope they fix that cause it's kinda irritating and feels cheap.Overall it's the best you're gonna get for $30 despite the muscle memory quirks. Beats spending $90-140 for Smash 4 controllers or gambling on trashy knockoffs and 3rd parties, easy.

Perfect replacement for a Classic controller.

In the decade + since the GameCube's release, many companies stepped up to offer their products for take on the controller. This is especially warranted as the GameCube's controller remains one of the most comfortable and intuitive ever released and each game in the Smash Bros. series to date (Switch version not released as of this writing) made use of this controller an option. For some time now, third party controllers were the only means of obtaining replacements. Unfortunately, replacements were often needed as one of the GameCube controllers flaws was that its joystick, when overused, began to weaken, or was automatically centered at an angle on startup. This did have a built-in workaround, but remained a constant annoyance and continued use and strain would ... MoreIn the decade + since the GameCube's release, many companies stepped up to offer their products for take on the controller. This is especially warranted as the GameCube's controller remains one of the most comfortable and intuitive ever released and each game in the Smash Bros. series to date (Switch version not released as of this writing) made use of this controller an option. For some time now, third party controllers were the only means of obtaining replacements. Unfortunately, replacements were often needed as one of the GameCube controllers flaws was that its joystick, when overused, began to weaken, or was automatically centered at an angle on startup. This did have a built-in workaround, but remained a constant annoyance and continued use and strain would eventually make it unfeasible unless you were tech-prone enough to replace it yourself. Thus, the third party controllers were almost essential to feed the demand for such controllers for Smash and other games on Wii and Wii U that supported it. However, in some ways many third party controllers were not quite up to the full range of tasks demanded by these systems. I personally used two such controllers from different companies and the weakness in their design was mainly in the use of the directional pad, which was all but required for certain games, especially RPGs played using the system's GameBoy Player. The directional pad was often imprecise, and must have been built with a different feel as I often found my characters walking off in the wrong direction. Nintendo released this new controller along with its 4th entry in the Smash Bros. series to sate the demands of its strong fanbase and, although an adaptor is required to use it with the system, this new release of the controller was very well received. It shares the same design specifications as its original, meaning that each part of it is fully capable of supporting all the proper functions. Just try to be gentle with the joystick or you may find yourself replacing it after a few years of use (or less).

Product Review

Since the release of Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, the biggest question for the community has resoundingly been, how are you going to play? There are a wide variety of options to choose from, however, I believe that the real choice is between Nintendo’s Pro Controller, the GameCube controller, and using Joycons attached with the provided hilt. It’s important to preface that I’m a competitive player who plays against other players online on a regular basis. On occasion, I even save the footage of matches to learn and improve from my mistakes. That being said, I intend to present information for both competitive and casual players alike. Approximately one month ago, I purchased this exact model of the official Nintendo GameCube controller after being frustrated with ... MoreSince the release of Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, the biggest question for the community has resoundingly been, how are you going to play? There are a wide variety of options to choose from, however, I believe that the real choice is between Nintendo’s Pro Controller, the GameCube controller, and using Joycons attached with the provided hilt. It’s important to preface that I’m a competitive player who plays against other players online on a regular basis. On occasion, I even save the footage of matches to learn and improve from my mistakes. That being said, I intend to present information for both competitive and casual players alike. Approximately one month ago, I purchased this exact model of the official Nintendo GameCube controller after being frustrated with my results while using a combination of the Pro Controller and a PDP controller (third-party controller). I’ll be evaluating the official Nintendo GameCube controller option by quality, price, and performance.In terms of quality, most controller options provide the player for what they pay for. The PDP controller that I previously mentioned is a near perfect substitute to the official GameCube controller. The buttons are positioned in the exact locations, all except for the inclusion of an additional Z button above the left bumper. Players who have grown alongside of the Super Smash Brothers series and used the official GameCube controller might find this addition to be uncomfortable. I would argue that if you don’t happen to fit into those categories then you would thoroughly enjoy that alternative. The GameCube controller provides a sense of classic continuity that is challenging to replicate for third-party companies. The controller itself provides an elastic feel to its joysticks. The buttons on the GameCube controller are slick to touch and allow for the user to short hop seamlessly.Price is a difficult variable to gouge. As I stated previously, players usually receive what they pay for quality-wise. The standard price of a USB wired, third-party controller hovers consistently around the $24.99 price mark. In comparison, the GameCube controller is slightly more expensive, coming in at $29.99. However, it’s important to consider that for the controller to be usable, an adapter needs to be purchased as well. I purchased a Nyko adapter for only an additional $14.99. Keep in mind though, this fifteen-dollar purchase will allow your Nintendo Switch to use up to four GameCube controllers while playing. Other alternatives such as the official Nintendo Pro Controller, which happen to be wireless, are all around the $60 to $80 area for pricing.The Nintendo Pro Controller was initially the most appealing option for me as a player. Ever since I’d first played Super Smash Bros. Melee, I’d dreamed about playing the game with a wireless controller. Sadly, I came to realize that there was a noticeable amount of input lag while playing this way. Alongside of this competitive disadvantage, I found that it was more of a challenge to use an angled attack while using the Pro Controller option. This was simply due to the circular shape of the outward shell of the controller around the joysticks. The GameCube design has an octagon shape surrounding its joysticks. This allows for the user to land specific attacks in an extremely consistent manner. Personally, when considering the price to quality ratio for each of these options, the GameCube controller is the unprecedented victor. Simply put, if you are a player that is looking for the most technical and authentic feeling Super Smash Bros. experience, you can’t go wrong with purchasing this controller.

Still dirty, barely works

Hi, my name is Jack. I recently ordered this black GameCube controller from DKoldie's, along with some other things. When I ordered from here, I was thinking I was going to be getting a well cleaned and working controller, and I was sad to find out that was not the case. I had really high hopes from ordering from DKoldie's, I watch their videos on YouTube every day, I always thought they were the best retro gaming online store there is. The controller itself looks okay, but it has a bunch of old dirt inside the lining, where the two shells meet. The thumb stick also is dirty, and there is some dirt in the A, B, Y, X, buttons. The buttons themself are very hard to press down, the rubber contacts should have been replaced. and I didn't get it as cosmetically flawed. ... MoreHi, my name is Jack. I recently ordered this black GameCube controller from DKoldie's, along with some other things. When I ordered from here, I was thinking I was going to be getting a well cleaned and working controller, and I was sad to find out that was not the case. I had really high hopes from ordering from DKoldie's, I watch their videos on YouTube every day, I always thought they were the best retro gaming online store there is. The controller itself looks okay, but it has a bunch of old dirt inside the lining, where the two shells meet. The thumb stick also is dirty, and there is some dirt in the A, B, Y, X, buttons. The buttons themself are very hard to press down, the rubber contacts should have been replaced. and I didn't get it as cosmetically flawed. As a retro nerd, and restorer, I find this to be very badly done and lazy, the controller has just seemed to be whipped down and shipped away. I spent $50 on this, and I was expecting a well cleaned well working controller. I am very disappointed in what I have received.

The color of this controller is flooding me with nostalgia.

While opening the controller was a tedious pain to go through, along with the awful-smelling plastic (I'd recommend using a pair of scissors). Even though I'm not fond of the actual color itself, it does feel nostalgic to using a platinum GameCube Controller again after having two of them that had the skin of the control sticks peeled off a long time ago, (seriously it hurts) it's still nice to use a freshly made brand-new 22 year old controller. Wow the GameCube is 22 years old.

Very exelent condition and great

Very exelent condition and great service! This really takes me back to the good old days when this GameCube system came out and the controller worked Flawlessly and again Exelent condition and function, worth every penny! Would definitely come back to this store and buy more items in the near future, very satisfied customer. This gets a 5 out of 5 star Golden review from me, I would definitely recommend others to come check out the store and find what you need for your nostalgia needs!