Z button
- For other uses, seeZ (disambiguation).
TheZ button refers to the rectangular gray trigger located on the back of aNintendo 64 controller, the long purple button at the top right corner of aGameCube controller, and the rectangular button on the back of theNunchuk. The Z button matches the color of the Nunchuk shell.
Overview[edit]
The functionality of the Z button has changed throughout the series. In the originalSuper Smash Bros., the Z button is used toshield. InSuper Smash Bros. Melee, shield functionality was moved to the L and R buttons, and the Z button now activates agrab. Holding the button past the grab willshield the character and pressing the button inMelee specifically can grab items in midair. If the character being played as has a tether grab, pressing Z while airborne will instead use their tethering object as an attack. InMelee, pressing Z while airborne as a character with a tether while there is an item nearby will grab the item instead of using the tether as an attack. While the GameCube controller functions identically inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, the Z button on the newly introduced Nunchuk activates shield. The functionality of both controllers are retained inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, but only the GameCube controller is retained inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. A Nintendo 64 controller was created forNintendo Switch Online subscribers, albeit being an N64 controller in design only with the internal components of aNintendo Switch Pro Controller.
InBrawl,For Wii U, andUltimate, the Z button can all be customizedControls to perform other functions. While not directly related,Nintendo Switch hardware version 10.0.0 introduced the ability to map the functionality of any button to any other button from the console options menu, further diversifying how the Z button can be used inUltimate (although the GameCube controller cannot have controls customized through Nintendo Switch)
In terms ofBrawl's programming, the Z button on the GameCube controller is considered to be both a shield button and a standardattack button at the same time. This is known because nowhere incharacter movesets does the game check to see if a grab button has been pressed - it only checks for if a shield and an attack button have been pressed simultaneously. This explains why the Z button can execute both attack-based functions (natural combo continuations,smash charging) and shield-based functions (air dodging). It is currently unconfirmed if this is the case for the other games as well.
ZL and ZR button[edit]
Starting with theWiiClassic Controller, controllers developed by Nintendo split the Z button into two different buttons, theZL button andZR button. This was done to add more buttons and give developers more freedom to make the game they want. InBrawl andFor Wii U, both buttons functioned identically to the Z button on the GameCube controller.For 3DS initially had the ZL and ZR button perform identically to the L and R button, respectively, due the game releasing before the New Nintendo 3DS introduced these buttons to the system. However,version 1.0.5 swapped the functionality so now the ZL and ZR button perform identically to the R and L button, respectively.Ultimate changed their functionality by instead activatingshield.
Gallery[edit]
Nintendo 64 controller's Z button.
Nunchuk's Z button.
