<s>
The	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
is	O
a	O
custom	O
arcade	B-Application
controller	I-Application
designed	O
by	O
Dustin	O
Huffer	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
Hit	O
Box	O
from	O
2014	O
to	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Specifically	O
designed	O
for	O
competitive	O
play	O
of	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
Melee	I-Application
,	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
replaces	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Device
controller	I-Device
's	O
analog	B-Device
stick	I-Device
with	O
a	O
button	O
layout	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Moreover	O
,	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
may	O
have	O
various	O
health	O
benefits	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
puts	O
less	O
stress	O
on	O
the	O
hands	O
of	O
its	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
Melee	I-Application
is	O
traditionally	O
played	O
using	O
the	O
standard	O
GameCube	B-Device
controller	I-Device
,	O
which	O
features	O
an	O
analog	B-Device
stick	I-Device
with	O
an	O
octagonal	O
gate	O
that	O
allows	O
an	O
accurate	O
input	O
in	O
eight	O
directions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
players	O
would	O
hold	O
their	O
controller	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
claw	O
"	O
position	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
index	O
finger	O
in	O
tandem	O
with	O
the	O
thumb	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
move	O
the	O
analog	B-Device
stick	I-Device
more	O
precisely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
large	O
variety	O
of	O
different	O
controllers	O
are	O
also	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
Super	O
Smash	O
Bros	O
.	O
series	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
original	O
GameCube	B-Device
controller	I-Device
is	O
generally	O
considered	O
superior	O
to	O
more	O
modern	O
models	O
because	O
of	O
its	O
octagonal	O
gate	O
and	O
analog	O
buttons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dustin	O
Huffer	O
,	O
founder	O
of	O
Hit	O
Box	O
,	O
designed	O
and	O
developed	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
in	O
order	O
to	O
make	O
input	O
as	O
binary	O
as	O
possible	O
(	O
removing	O
the	O
analog	B-Device
stick	I-Device
)	O
and	O
removing	O
the	O
controller	O
's	O
inconsistencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
ESPN	O
,	O
Huffer	O
said	O
that	O
his	O
goal	O
was	O
"	O
to	O
evolve	O
competitive	O
gaming	O
hardware	O
for	O
Smash	O
,	O
"	O
claiming	O
that	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Device
controller	I-Device
created	O
a	O
"	O
physical	O
learning	O
barrier	O
preventing	O
newcomers	O
from	O
joining	O
in	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
putting	O
a	O
cap	O
on	O
many	O
players	O
 '	O
competitive	O
lifespan	O
with	O
carpal	O
tunnel	O
and	O
other	O
RSIs.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
started	O
in	O
2014	O
and	O
it	O
became	O
available	O
to	O
some	O
professional	O
players	O
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rather	O
than	O
an	O
analog	B-Device
stick	I-Device
or	O
joystick	B-Device
,	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
features	O
four	O
analog	O
direction	O
buttons	O
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
hit	O
each	O
button	O
individually	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Involved	O
usage	O
of	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
may	O
still	O
result	O
in	O
Ulnar	O
tunnel	O
syndrome	O
and	O
general	O
postural	O
concerns	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
is	O
overall	O
less	O
stressful	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
controller	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hungrybox	O
explained	O
that	O
the	O
learning	O
curve	O
for	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
is	O
very	O
steep	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
"	O
theoretically	O
could	O
make	O
someone	O
the	O
most	O
technical	O
player	O
of	O
all	O
time.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2016	O
,	O
Huffer	O
was	O
told	O
in	O
a	O
private	O
conversation	O
with	O
Genesis	O
4	O
organizers	O
that	O
the	O
controller	O
may	O
be	O
banned	O
from	O
the	O
major	O
Smash	B-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
Melee	I-Application
tournament	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tournament	O
organizers	O
were	O
worried	O
that	O
allowing	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
to	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
tournament	O
play	O
would	O
allow	O
other	O
unconventional	O
and	O
possibly	O
game-breaking	O
controllers	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Genesis	O
4-organizer	O
Sheridan	O
Zalewski	O
announced	O
later	O
that	O
month	O
that	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
was	O
allowed	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
tournament	O
,	O
noting	O
that	O
this	O
would	O
initiate	O
a	O
"	O
test	O
period	O
"	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
could	O
determine	O
whether	O
the	O
controller	O
gives	O
an	O
unfair	O
advantage	O
over	O
players	O
who	O
use	O
the	O
traditional	O
GameCube	B-Device
controller	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
document	O
includes	O
a	O
lengthy	O
section	O
imposing	O
a	O
"	O
tentative	O
ban	O
"	O
on	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
non-GameCube	O
controllers	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
,	O
stating	O
that	O
the	O
classic	O
controller	O
is	O
"	O
somewhat	O
intrinsic	O
to	O
what	O
we	O
consider	O
'	O
playing	O
Melee'''	O
and	O
the	O
skills	O
involved	O
in	O
doing	O
so.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Smash	B-Device
Box	I-Device
controller	I-Device
was	O
allowed	O
during	O
the	O
Super	O
Smash	O
Bros.	O
''	O
competition	O
at	O
Evo	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
