Hey, happy 6th anniversary to NAIR! (August 1st, when this drops, surely) Here's the rundown of changes:
Controller Updates
Native gamecube controller support has been added!
This requires installing a driver using zadig. This is the same setup process required to make gamecube controllers work with Dolphin emulator, or Rivals of Aether 2, so if you have gamecube controller working in those games you're already set. Otherwise, here's the instructions: Dolphin Gamecube Controller Setup, Windows
A new controller config menu has been made specifically for gamecube controllers
IMO this is the new best way to play the game, on controller
Added support for Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
Joysticks' diagonals have been boosted, allowing them to hit perfect diagonal airdodges that were previously only accessible to dpads & keyboards (oops)
Controller config save location has been moved from the Windows registry to a normal file on your computer. Same folder as game mode save files
Added new sprites to the controller select screen for several new controllers
PS5 Dualsense, Stadia controller, joycon, etc
Cross Platform Multiplayer with the Android release
The Android build is coming soon, but this patch will allow you to play with Android users once it drops.
New icons have been added to multiplayer lobbies to indicate what version of the game you're playing from (Itch, Steam, Android).
Several features that are only accessible in the Android version, such as touch screen controls
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where spectators wouldn't see the proper colors in online matches
Fixed the issue with airdodging on joysticks, mentioned earlier
Other
Removed the "5 year anniversary" subtitle from the main menu
Known Issues
The lossless gamecube adapter, or any other gamecube adapter-like device that polls at ~1000hz, may cause freezing or crashes if unplugged while the game is running. This is due to the controller polling so quickly that a packet is received after the disconnect
So if you boot up the game right now, you'll notice it says "5.1.0 Preview". This is simply in case anything needs to change last minute for the Android release, but for PC users this should be pretty much exactly what the final version looks like.
Otherwise, NAIR will be at Supernova 2025 next week! Come say hi if you're attending that event.
See you soon,
Teridax