Watch out, GameCube controller, the Smash Box is coming to a major 。 Super Smash Bros. Melee 。tournament in January.。

Super Smash Bros. Melee。came out for the GameCube in 2001. Since then, its competitive scene has burgeoned from basements to event halls to arenas, and every single。 Melee 。pro that has competed in any major。 Melee。event over the past 15 years has used a GameCube controller.。

But now the Smash Box -- a classic fight pad-style controller made by Hit Box -- will be allowed at one of the biggest tournaments in the 。 Melee。scene, Genesis 4, one of the tournament organizers told。 Kotaku 。Wednesday.。

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The Smash Box does away with the GameCube controller's twin joysticks, triggers and unique button layout in favor of arcade-style buttons. You can see what it looks like in action below. 。

Some people fear that the Smash Box may give players an advantage over those who stick with the tried and true GameCube controller, ruining the integrity of the game.。

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The creators say that it allows players to execute perfect angles and gain full control over tilts -- something that is very difficult to master on a standard controller. As a bonus, the Smash Box is also more ergonomic than the oddly shaped GameCube controller and its pain-inducing triggers and joysticks.。

The controller isn't available at retail yet (and hasn't even hit Kickstarter) -- although Hit Box has given away a few prototypes for people to try. The people who have gotten their hands on it probably won't have an advantage at Genesis 4 because they won't be able to put in enough practice time with it to master the whole new style of playing.。 As far the Smash Box's legality at Genesis 4 goes, tournament organizer Sheridan Zalewski sees this tournament as a sort of testing ground for the controller and the future of other alternative controllers, he told。Kotaku。

Kotaku 。 .。"It’s better to give as many people as possible exposure to the controller and rules implications behind it," he said to 。

Kotaku。 , adding that tournament legality "should be allowed to develop more organically."
。Maybe the Smash Box will break。

Melee 。 completely and be outlawed forever, or maybe it won't and it'll change the competitive landscape. We'll just have to wait and see what happens when the tournament kicks off Jan. 20.
。Hit Box and Genesis did not respond to 。

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Hit Box and Genesis did not respond to。

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's requests for comment. 。

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