With the recent controversy regarding the Smash Box’s provisional ban at Genesis 4, the Smash-o-sphere has flared up with discussion on whether this new type of controller should be allowed at events. Players have extolled the virtues of the Smash Box on the hand and wrist health of players, as well as it acting as the first controller specifically made for competitive Smash, while others have warned the dangerous precedent the Smash Box sets for future controller modifications which use macros and other such shortcuts to make high level techskill easier to pull off.
Hoping to set the record straight, the Smash Box’s creator and owner of HitBox, HitBox Dustin, has released his own video which aims to clarify some of the misconceptions and worries surrounding the new controller. His first major point is tackling the fear that the Smash Box will open the floodgates for drastic controller mods which completely swap button inputs and allow for certain move macros. Dustin argues that in its current prototype state, the Smash Box is a modded controller but if it is Kickstarted and made real, it will be an official third party controller which is factory made to specific build standards without mods. Every Smash Box will be the same when it comes off the production line so, unlike the Gamecube controller, there should be no variance in the quality of Control Sticks or whether it can shield drop effectively or not.
Speaking of shield drops, Dustin points out that like the notches that many players mill into the gate around their Control Sticks, the D-Pad section of the Smash Box essentially acts like those notches but it always gives you that perfect shield drop angle, as it does not rely on the inherent inconsistency of the Gamecube controller.
The main complaint, according to Dustin, seems to be a philosophical issue that the Smash Box is a fundamentally different way to play Smash compared to what has been common for the last 15 years. This is indeed true, but when playing Smash requires using controllers which are not designed for competitive play and have major inconsistencies in terms of build quality, offering a bespoke option which caters specifically to the competitive crowd seems like a great option going forward. I personally fully support the Smash Box and would like to try it out for myself, but these discussions about controller legality are important as Smash continues to grow as an esport.
Sources: TheCrimsonBlur; HitBox Dustin