Shell

The outer plastic housing of a GameCube controller is known as the shell.

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The shell of a GameCube controller consists of two injection-molded ABS halves, commonly referred to as the front shell and the back shell, fastened together by six tri-point screws. The front shell has openings for the face buttons and analog sticks, while the back shell has openings for each of the triggers. The Z button slots between the two halves in an opening formed by matching contours in the edges of each half. The shell is responsible for securely housing the motherboard.

Variants

Nintendo has produced about two dozen different shell designs since the release of the GameCube in 2001:

  • Indigo
  • Black
  • Spice Orange
  • Indigo + Clear
  • Panasonic SH-TGC10
  • Platinum
  • Emerald Blue
  • Crystal White
  • Symphonic Green
  • Hanshin Tigers
  • Gundam Char
  • Club Nintendo
  • Starlight Gold
  • Mario
  • Clear
  • Luigi
  • Resident Evil 4
  • Wario
  • Pearl White
  • White
  • Smash 4 Black
  • Smash 4 White
  • Smash Ultimate

All shells share an identical shape and size, though tolerances have shifted very subtly over the years. Because of this, shell halves from different controller generations sometimes don’t fit together completely flush, and you might feel a sharp lip along the seam line when holding the assembled controller.

Most OEM shells are uncoated and the color is simply the color of the plastic. However, some shells (notably Platinum, Pearl White and Crystal White) are painted, which gives them a slightly more matte feel. Unfortunately, the paint is not protected by clear coat or any other protectant, so it tends to wear off easily with normal use.

Smash Ultimate shells are the most recent design produced, and have a slightly more textured surface than past shells.

Common issues & repairs

Shells often accumulate wear and tear from use, and there’s typically not much that can be done about scratches, scuffs, dents or other damage. Some light marks on non-painted shells can be removed with a magic eraser, though this can change the surface texture. Shells with a worn finish are often considered good candidates for painting.

Over-tightening screws can easily lead to screw posts breaking off the top shell. Sometimes these can be superglued back into place, though durability takes a big hit, so the problem is often ignored or the shell is replaced.

Replacements

OEM shells can only be obtained from other GCCs, but there are a number of third party options of varying quality that are compatible with OEM internals and shell halves.

  • So-called “Ali shells” are very inexpensive on AliExpress. These are also called “Controller Chaos” or “CC” shells because the injection molds used to make them are believed to be from Controller Chaos — the early ones sold on AliExpress had the Controller Chaos logo molded into the shell, though this is no longer present. The look and feel of these shells is low quality, and they sometimes have fit issues with buttons and triggers that require trimming.
  • eXtremeRate sells GCC shells in various colors and finishes. These are moderate quality and may have fit issues with some buttons and triggers.
  • Foxpad Customs sells OEM-compatible clear shells with various tints. These are high quality but sometimes have minor fit issues with resin buttons and triggers, particularly the Z button.

Resources