Nintendo Switch Gamecube Smash Bros Controllers Coming From HORI

Super Smash Bros Ultimate is shaping up to be the Nintendo Switch game of 2018, and one of the most exciting things about the game is that it will support GameCube controllers. Among many Super Smash Bros veterans, the GameCube controller is the preferred control method, due in part to the fact that Super Smash Bros Melee is the most popular game in the series for competitive play. The GameCube controller's popularity has been so enduring that Nintendo already revived it once for Super Smash Bros for Wii U, and it's now bringing that compatibility forward to the Switch as well.

While Nintendo has already announced an official GameCube controller for the Switch, HORI wants to get in on the action as well. Today the company announced three new Gamecube controllers via Twitter, and they're each themed around a different Nintendo franchise. There's a red translucent one with Mario branding, a black one with the Hylian Crest from The Legend of Zelda, and a yellow one sporting an undoubtedly familiar electric mouse.

HORI, as many Switch owners are likely already aware, is Nintendo's official accessory maker for the Switch, so to see it announce a lineup of GameCube controllers comes as little surprise. A happy benefit to HORI's partnership with Nintendo is that the layout of these controllers is essentially same as the ones that come straight from Nintendo, so there's no real worry about wasting your money on a poorly-made third-party controller.

In fact, these HORI controllers might even have one advantage over Nintendo's, as they connect through USB. With Nintendo's controller, you'll need to pick up a GameCube USB adapter in addition to the controller itself, so if you don't have already one, going with HORI's controller could save you some cash. The trade-off, of course, is that a USB controller won't work with the GameCube, whereas Nintendo's controller does.

In any case, these controllers are priced at ¥2,980, which means they're a few dollars cheaper than what Nintendo is offering. For the moment, these have only been announced for Japan, with no word on whether or not they'll launch in other regions. It's fairly likely we'll see these come Stateside before long, but if they don't, you could always import one from Japan.