Choosing a GameCube Controller Adapter for Nintendo Switch Especially if you’re not simply trying to just emulate an older controller, but you want to actually use older controllers. But getting your old GameCube controllers to work on modern machines? That can be tricky. Which is a small part of the reason why some people still prefer GameCube controllers to this day. More than many controllers, both before and since its release. With multiple joysticks, an unusually responsive D-Pad, and two full rows of shoulder buttons, it provides a huge number of different inputs. Few controllers are as universally loved as the original GameCube controller.