Recreating Hitbox's Smashbox on Dolphin / Optimized Keyboard Layout

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Disclaimers:

I did not create the AutoHotkey Script. That was created by /u/squible on reddit. You can read his post here and view his GitHub page here. The rest of the guide and notes is my original content, synthesized from various websites and instructions in order to create a streamlined & easy to follow installation process.

The instructions contained within this guide were used on a Windows 10 computer. This method will not work on non-Windows machines; however it may be achievable through other means.

This guide includes an explanation of what a Smashbox is for those out of the loop. If you just want instructions, scroll down to the "Make-Your-Own-Smashbox Guide" section. Screenshots of each step are included.

Whether or not you think the Smashbox should be banned or legalized, the information within this guide is easy to understand and follow. If more people can experience first hand what playing with a system like the Smashbox feels like, we will see less speculation on what ifs when discussing the Smashbox's legality and practicality. Right now only 6 Smashboxes are available, and only a select few people are able to learn first hand how the Smashbox interacts with the game; however, this guide will give everyone with dolphin and a keyboard a chance to educate themselves and make informed decisions when forming opinions on the Smashbox's place.

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What is a Smashbox?

Smashbox is a third-party controller GameCube controller for Super Smash Bros. that is currently in development by Hitbox Dustin. Hitbox Arcade is a company that has been prevalent in the FGC community for years now. Hitbox specializes in creating arcade style "fight-sticks" without the actual stick through an overhaul of the controller layout.

Here is the introductory teaser video of the Smashbox released July 7, 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM-NKXS1m2I

Here is an image of the current alpha build of the controller: Image

Why is this being created?

The GameCube Controller, which I will refer to as GCC, is far from being the perfect human-game interface device in terms of precision, consistency, and ergonomics. Due to the analog nature of the control stick and variances during the controller manufacturing process, every single mass produced GCC is slightly different straight out of the box. This variance has led to the rise of players outsourcing controllers to have them custom tuned and modified so that precision, consistency, and accuracy of the controller is ensured.

Here is a list of some of the various issues/problems with mass-produced and uncorrected GCCs and their use:

In his video on the legality of the Smashbox, Hitbox Dustin says that with the Smashbox he aims to solve these problems with the GCC through the implementation of a new controller layout that is both an innovative alternative to current smashers and a familiar alternative to current FGC members who have used fight sticks for years and are looking to venture into the Melee community.

How can I get one?

Hitbox Dustin's announcement has sparked lots of conversation within the smash community as many people have become very interested in the potential of this controller. The current existing models of the smash box are alpha-prototypes that Dustin has made as a working proof of concept. Only 6 exist right now, and are being used by professional smash community members, most notably Gravy, to test it and evaluate its effectiveness and viability.

Hitbox Dustin has stated that his goal is to get enough support from the community so that he can confidently do a Kickstarter program and mass produce the Smashbox for the average person to buy. Sadly, this is a long way away, with the earliest consumer models most likely not being released until late 2017 (my assumption); however, it is possible to recreate the Smashbox at home for no cost to you using Dolphin Emulator and your keyboard.

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Make-Your-Own-Smashbox Guide

What you will need:

It is possible to recreate a Smashbox on your keyboard for no cost using the following:

Windows 7/8/8.1/10 This has been tested on and works on Windows 10. I can not guarantee it will work with other versions. Keyboard with at least 6-key N-key rollover Click this if you don't know what N-key rollover is Dolphin Emulator This guide uses the Faster Melee build of Dolphin (Ishiiruka v4.3)

Installation & Setup:

Congratulations, you've finished the installation process.

How to Run your Smashbox:

Now that everything is set up, all you have to do is run it!

Run AutoHotkey. It should be in your programs on your Windows Start Menu To make things easier you can set up AHK to run at computer startup The smashbox wont turn on until you activate the specific script so AHK can be on at all times Open Dolphin Emulator Run the "smashbox-gui.ahk" script by double clicking it. This is the file from Step 14b in the installation section Once this is run, the keyboard keys bound to the Smashbox will be turned into virtual controller inputs Start playing Melee on your Smashbox keyboard! NOTE: If you want to take a break from the Smashbox temporarily or need to type something, hit the "Pause/Break" key on your keyboard. This will Suspend the script so that it is temporarily disabled so you can use your keyboard normally. To Resume the script, hit the "Pause/Break" key again If you are on a 60% / 10-key-less / laptop keyboard and don't have a "Pause / Break" key, right click on the AutoHotkey icon in your system tray and click the "Suspend Hotkeys" option. This is exactly the same as the "Pause / Break" shortcut. Pic

Controls:

Below is an image of the default control scheme that is reflected onto the Smashbox format.

If you wish to change the controls, follow the instructions below:

Double-click the "smashbox-gui.ahk" script to start it Located either in your system tray or taskbar, right click on the "AutoHotkey" Icon Click "Edit Controls" Pic This will bring up a menu so that you can easily rebind the buttons to be more ergonomic, depending on your keyboard Pic Change controls to your liking

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General Notes:

Tournament Legality:

The following does not necessarily represent my view or opinions. I am simply stating facts that I have gathered from various sources. More information about the various arguments will be added and edited in as I get more free time.

Is it Legal?

The Smashbox is currently a hot-topic debate in the community, and currently there is no universal decision on whether it is legal or not. Because the Smashbox is a 3rd-party controller that draws design philosophies from FGC fight-sticks and Hitbox's no stick/all-button design, it must use modifier buttons for the directional input buttons so that more angles and "tilted" inputs can be achieved. These modifier buttons act like shift keys so that when the player presses a combination of the modifier keys with the directional input keys, a single specific angle is input. The analog to digital input conversion used in the Smashbox's design along with the difference in difficulty in pressing buttons in the new layout compared to moving a joystick has caused the community to be split on their opinions of the Smashbox's legalization or prohibition. The Smashbox's tournament legality currently depends on what each individual TO decides to allow. If you want to know if it is legal at an event you are attending, contact your TO.

Creator's Response to debate of Tournament Legality

In his recent video response to the debate titled "#freethehitbox," Hitbox Dustin explains how the current design was decided upon and draws the analogy that the directional modifiers are simply a button version of the analog gate controller modifications provided by controller modders such as Kadano. He emphasizes that the controller does not have any macros as the Smashbox respects the 1 button press = 1 action/output philosophy. His stance is that the decision regarding the legality of the Smashbox has no influence on the legality of controller mods because the Smashbox is a controller that you'd buy in a store, not a mod. Hitbox Dustin's video is linked above in the paragraph and below along with all other videos that discuss the Smashbox.

Smashbox and Changing Melee's Difficulty

Although the Smashbox does not have any macros , many people see the directional button modifiers as an unfair advantage because it arbitrarily changes the physical barrier to the game. The current "physical barrier to play" is a precedent set by the universal use of vanilla 1st-party GCCs to play Melee's since the game's release. Opponents to the Smashbox's legalization cite that changing the difficulty of important actions/tech such as SDI, shield drops, pivot smashes, dash backs/smash turns, and etc. fundamentally change the difficulty of the game, giving unfair advantages to those who own Hitbox's newest controller. This reasoning is basis for some people's argument that only vanilla GCCs should be allowed because limiting input to GCCs would force a standard of accessibility to the game that offers no advantage to specific players due to choice of input method.

The FGC, Smash 64, Brawl, Project M, and Smash 4 on Controllers

In the FGC, several input methods are widely accepted and tournament legal across the entire realm of traditional fighting games. Retro gamepads such as the all-digital PlayStation 1 controller see usage and tournament wins just like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 1 controllers that ship with the consoles of the newest fighting games. he FGC allows not only the controllers that were used for previous versions of their fighting games but also 3rd-party input devices that span a wide number of shapes, sizes, and input types. Examples of these include Fightsticks, Arcade Pads, Fightstick/Gamepad Hybrids, and even various Hitboxes 1, 2. Each of these input devices have had users that win tournaments from the smallest of locals and online play to the world-renowned Evolution Tournament Series

The FGC is not alone in the adoption of a variety of controller types. The Smash 64 community has had to deal with controller controversy and change since the end of 1st Party N64 controller production. Similar to the problem Melee is facing now, the analog stick of the N64 controller is the root of several problems. Over time as the analog stick and bowl of the N64 controllers experienced use, the apparatus would slowly wear itself away, eventually becoming useless when directional inputs would completely failed to register. The poor stick lifespan after consistent use plagued pro smashers and casual retro gamers alike, causing eBay prices for replacement 1st-party sticks & bowls to soar in price and scarcity, companies to sell inferior replica replacements on Amazon, and even a Kickstarter for a company to sell 1 to 1 replicas of the 1st-party apparatus. Although all of these attempts to save first party controllers sprung up, several threads of people complaining still appeared because even the Kickstarter replacements didn't fix the inherent problem of the controller. In today's 64 community and tournaments, controllers of all type are accepted and used, from keyboards, to Xbox controllers using adapters, and third party controllers combining GCC sticks with N64 buttons made by Hori. Even though all of these controllers are used, the 64 scene has not seen a massive overhaul in rankings, and 1st-party N64 controller users still outperform other controller users in terms of technical skill such as SDI in a game where SDI is even more critical due to lack of mechanics such as wall techs. Even right now the number 1 SSB64 player, SuPeRbOmMfAn, uses a first party controller himself.



Whether or not you think the Smashbox should be banned or legalized, the information within this guide is easy to understand and follow. I think that if more people can experience first hand what playing with a system like the Smashbox feels like, we will see less speculation on what ifs. Right now only 6 Smashboxes are available, but this guide will give everyone with dolphin and a keyboard a chance.

Discussion Resources:

The following aggregation of community driven discussion on the topic of the Smashbox is non-discriminatory. I will not exclude or include an article or discussion piece based on the level of player or community figurehead. Any pieces I find will be linked here and the creator of the topic will be noted. I will not post tweets or screenshots of Twitter unless the tweet itself contains a link to a discussion piece.

Videos

Reddit Threads

Web & News Articles

Formal Decisions

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