Super Smash Bros. is heralded as one of the greatest gaming crossovers to bless over two decades of unapologetic fan service and unimaginable possibilities. I consider myself an avid fan of the prolific franchise, though mostly through casual play. I have never been invested in the larger-than-life competitive scene that begun from the second installment, but I am incredibly burdened with pointless knowledge in relation to the series. My exposure with the iconic Nintendo crossover began with that aforementioned second entry, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and I continued to follow the series with each new bit of information that was churned through the glorious depths of the internet. It is because of this franchise that I became a fan of many of the individual series represented, and by the time we reach the latest entry, I find many of my personal favorites miraculously making their way in. Watching a series that began as a simple meet-up of some of the most iconic Nintendo characters (plus some obscure ones) turn into this celebration of everything “gaming” has been both daunting and spectacular. Unlike my previous trips down memory lane, I wanted to chronicle my history with the series as a whole, given that the series is so much smaller than something like Zelda or Sonic. By the end of this, I think I’ll be able to perfectly summarize why this is the most monumental game series around, and one of my personal favorites.
Super Smash Bros. Meleeeee
As a child growing up in the early “Naughties”, I was left to decide between three major consoles. No-one wanted the original Xbox and everyone and their mothers owned the much loved PS2. I was far more interested in the often-considered “family-friendly” GameCube. Come my seventh birthday, the system arrived with a title packed within it, of course I am referring to the game in the header there, and little Conor was so…confused at what he was looking at. Most of my experiences with gaming at the time was mostly through second-hand experience with games from friends and family, but I did briefly own a PS1. I saw Mario and Pikachu on the box, which certainly garnered my attention, but then there were all these faces plastered around the box-art that I had no clue about. Venturing into this unfamiliar territory (minus Mario and Pokemon), I embarked into the adventure mode and chose Bowser, only to get frustrated when I got the Zelda dungeon segment due to the Koopa King’s terrible mobility. After going to school that day, I returned by playing the classic mode with Mario instead. The strange platform-fighting genre mesh was so foreign to me, I only played the likes of Street Fighter as my go-to fighting experience, but I was instantly taken by just how distinct everything felt.
There was so much more to Melee than what your average fighter would provide, actually giving focus to single-player content with its varied modes and numbers of unlockables. Playing through the classic mode for the first time had me surprised at every turn with how many extra nuances there were, from the race-to-the-finish segment to the target test was unique to each character and then getting to the final boss in Master Hand. Then, fighting against an alternate version of Mario in Dr. Mario, realizing that all those question marks that adorned the bottom of the roster select was indicative of unlockable characters. I lost that match, but jumped right back into the mode with Link, who I was never able to piece together as the same hero from my brief experience with Link’s Awakening. Now I was fighting Jigglypuff and became genuinely excited at the appearance of that stupid pink piece of cotton candy because I just loved Pokemon so much (possibly the only time I can utter that sentence in my life.) I spent hours upon hours each day just pouring every moment of free time into this. I gravitated towards Luigi and Falco as my main fighters, but I was much more content with playing every fighter extensively. I remember all the playground rumors about the existence of Mewtwo and the infamous Mr. Game & Watch. It was only after I scoured the early days of the internet through the use of Gamefaqs that I learnt how to unlock the two. I recall leaving my Gamecube on overnight so I could unlock Mewtwo, and then swiftly realized I didn’t care for his moveset. I remeber finally getting to see this two-dimensional Game & Watch and became set on making him my main character (I still use him today.)
It was through this game that I became acquainted with not only the unfamiliar characters, but also several franchises I had never heard of before. The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and EarthBound/ Mother became franchises close to my heart and it encouraged me to pursue many other games like the brilliance of Star Fox 64 or the childhood nostalgia of Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. The collectible trophies added to this encyclopedic knowledge that I garnered for each series. Even the franchises I rarely ever invest in, I could probably tell you about many of the games’ lore and characters. I often look towards Melee as the reason for why I have remained attached to both Nintendo and the games that surround their library. I could never understand the way fans turned the game into the very thing it was trying not to be (a competitive game) but I could always view it as an introductory gateway into the realm of Nintendo that I am persistently attached to (even when the company makes terrible decisions.)
I could briefly talk about my experience with the original Nintendo 64 game, but it is rather underwhelming. I recall looking through the trophies in Melee’s gallery and being confused about why some trophies mentioned Melee’s name in full, but left the subtitle out of others. It was later that I found myself delving into the long history of Nintendo that I discovered that there was an earlier title. Back in my shameless pirating days, in which I scoured the internet for every emulator I could find, it gave me the opportunity to play the wide line-up of fantastic N64 games. The original Smash Bros. was a brief experience, where I mostly just exploited the cheats and mods that allowed me to play as boss characters like Master Hand. It was certainly intriguing to go back to this game, and I’ve played it several times more, but I most often look at this one as just a simple beta to a much bigger game that was right around the corner.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The gap between Smash games was an integral period of my life in which I became far more aware of the history that surrounded Nintendo’s lifespan. Discovering emulation allowed me to play title from Nintendo’s long library of systems, so when it came to E3 of 2006, I was far more educated on the franchises that swooped over the iconic event. Imagine the surprise that came from the reveal of the next major entry in the series. Super Smash Bros. Brawl would open with the main quartet of gaming icons, Mario, Pikachu, Link and Kirby, appearing in their Melee models and transforming into the more muted and “realistic” aesthetic that many games of the time were adopting. My newfound love of Metroid gave me that excitement of seeing Samus emerge from her power suit in now iconic zero suit, seeing Meta Knight from the Kirby series appear was exciting for a kid that adored Nightmare in Dream Land, and fascination with the boisterous Wario had me excited for the dawning reality that we were getting something truly special. The trailer ended with the appearance of the first guest character, Solid Snake from the Metal Gear franchise, and I had no clue who this character was. My young pre-teen mind could not fathom the idea that Nintendo would allow third-party characters into their major crossover, but upon learning this, it had me hopeful for a certain spiky, blue rodent.
The anticipation for Brawl was like entering a pocket dimension of a society full of impatient fans and non-stop speculation. Keeping a watchful eye on the Brawl Dojo site that had daily updates (minus weekends) for even the smallest morsel of information only served to provide me with excitable ammo for my indifferent classmates and friends. Character reveals were always the highlights, and I remember envisioning how certain characters would work if they ever made their way in. I recall trying to think about how a Pokemon Trainer would work (I was deeply into Pokemon during this time) and was shocked to see them add one in, though not fully playable himself. I remember desperately wanting the Wind Waker incarnation of Link to replace the younger version from Melee, and right at the end of the games build-up, we got just that. But there one character who I desperately wanted in, that good ol’ hedgehog with the stifling career. I recall waking up one morning and getting ready for school, I checked the Smash Dojo and my jaw dropped as the trailer for Sonic hit the site. The pure unbridled excitement that came from that moment is still vivid in my mind as two of my favorite childhood franchises were combining. Third-party inclusions would only get more outlandish from this point on, but for a small moment in time, we had Snake and Sonic as the unique exceptions.
I pleasantly reminisce my thirteenth birthday, as it was both the instance of getting Brawl and a PS3 (more than a little spoilt.) Finishing up school for the day, I spent that entire night combing through all that the game had to offer. I stayed up late playing through a majority of the Subspace Emissary story mode and unlocking as many characters as I could. Blissfully unaware of how toxic the Smash community had turned towards this game, I was stuck in a world I hadn’t quite experienced, even with my nostalgic investment into Melee. Everything about this game was so much grander than its two predecessors, being packed with more modes and collectibles. The endless amount of music that was filled into the game, remixed or otherwise, has been a rather consistent draw for me with each subsequent entry. I was so much more familiar with the franchises represented that I could revel in every little bit of fan-service, especially with how much adoration went into the guest characters. Me and my friends would share in our experiences with the game daily and would become a consistent go-to game whenever we would hang out, this remained like this until the next Smash game came out. I am not exaggerating.
Brawl has garnered a reputation within the competitive scene as being the worst entry in the series. A lot of this stems from its higher focus on casual appeal after the creator of the series, Masahiro Sakurai, was disappointed in how Melee became the fighting game he tried hard to avoid making. The game is significantly slower than the other titles and implemented a tripping mechanic that was entirely random. As I am adamantly more towards the casual scene, these aspects rarely ever bothered me. I still love many of the elements that this game introduced, and the nostalgic experience I have playing with friends is something that can never be replicated. Brawl was also a perfect title for a system that was decorated with brilliant titles from the Mario Galaxy games to Metroid Prime 3 to Twilight Princess and many other great titles. Brawl may easily be my favorite game on said system. On a more extended note, this game also introduced me to the Metal Gear franchise, a series that has become amongst my favorite of all time, with MGS3 being one of my all time favorites. If it weren’t for Snake’s bizarre inclusion, I never would have invested much time into the franchise. But as great as Brawl was, it was the subsequent titles that really solidified my obsession with this fantastic franchise.
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS & Wii U
Again, we find ourselves with a rather lengthy gap between these two Smash games, and I am in a different point in my life. Now going through college, much of my focus had navigated towards movies instead of games, but I still dabbled in games quite regularly. Regardless of my gaming status, I was excitingly anticipating the next major Smash title, that was offhandedly announced during the Wii U’s reveal. We learnt there that the latest entry would be a multi-platform release for both the Wii U and 3DS, and that excitement for a portable Smash title was stronger than ever. It’s easy to forget how much of a novelty that prospect was, but people were genuinely excited for it (too bad that excitement didn’t last.) When the first reveal trailer hit, we were met with the unsurprising Animal Crossing Villager, followed by the highly-anticipated guest appearance of icon Mega Man, and then concluding with the most “what-the-hell” addition of the Wii Fit Trainer. My own personal mixture of indifference to second-hand excitement to absolute hysterics created a whirlwind of excitement as future character additions would be comprised of these three emotional states. Like a repeating of history, I would check the Smash website daily just so I could learn about every little nook and cranny that made its way in.
Being in college meant I was surrounded by people that were just as large of geeks as I was meant that I could share in the excitement both in and out of education. Fiercely debating which characters would get in, and which characters we personally wanted is exactly what makes just the build-up to a Smash game so fun. Learning that Bandai-Namco were the lead developers had me hopeful for Pac-Man, and then we got that exact reveal, with the pizza-shaped icon standing alongside Mario, Sonic and Mega Man making for a monument in gaming history. Even personal picks like Punch-Out’s Little Mac or the sheer audacity of the Duck Hunt dog getting added just fueled the untapped excitement. Learning that there wouldn’t be a story mode for this entry was disappointing, but I was quickly realizing that it was really only the characters that I was caring about. An avid Smash fan could never forget the infamous ESRB leak, that revealed all the final details of the 3DS version, spoiling fan anticipations like Xenoblade’s Shulk. Leaks were the prominent driving force (and annoyance) that Smash fans clawed for at every waking moment. Admittedly, I do enjoy indulging in supposed leaks from time to time, but I do try to stay away from the more eligible ones.
By the time the 3DS version had released, I was out of college and into the working world. Even as a young adult, that childlike wonder never really subsided and I recall purchasing it during my lunch break. I spent much of that evening time playing through the game and unlocking each character in quick succession. The game was certainly rather breezy in comparison to previous entries, but I finally had a portable version of Smash could take up my bus rides to work, and that didn’t stop me from trying to complete all the challenges. The Wii U version came to me later on, due to the fact that I hadn’t purchased the system until a later date. Buying the game alongside said system, my first instinct was to rush immediately to the music section and adorn myself in musical bliss, the game also happened to be really fun as well. While I felt that the overall game felt better than Brawl, it was lacking in many of the amazing single-player modes that made that game so great. I tend to enjoy the single-player content in Smash over other fighting games because it’s treated with just as much love as everything else, but this game felt a little bare.
The increasing hype continued, however, when the prospect of DLC was introduced, marking the return of fan-favorite Mewtwo. It was great to see some returning favorites, but it was the newcomers which blew the minds of overly-attached fans. Being a Street Fighter fan, Ryu being added was a moment of amazement, even though he was leaked just a day prior to the reveal. Final Fantasy’s Cloud wasn’t one I personally wanted, but I was flabbergasted at such a “dream choice” making its way in. Bayonetta was one picked for the fans, but it wasn’t for me, that didn’t take away from how gratifying it felt to have Sakurai listening to us directly. Smash Bros. DLC has always been one of the most exciting and invigorating parts of Smash speculation, and it would only continue to grown in insane prospect. Despite the lacking in Smash 4’s overall content, it would still remain me and my friend’s go-to game for whenever we met up. But Smash 4 was only a minor precursor to something truly ultimate (I’m sorry.)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
No more is there a fitting title than “Ultimate.” Not remotely anticipating any kind of new Smash game in 2018, there was much shock when the game was given a reveal during a Nintendo Direct. Accompanying the reveal of Splatoon’s Inkling, we were quite literally left in the dark over what the title of this next entry would be, and whether it was a port or a brand new title. Regardless, a new cycle of hype began as speculation ran amok. In no time at all we were presented with a game that brought back every returning character, even the likes of the seemingly impossible Cloud or the forgotten Snake, and fan requested newcomers in the form of Metroid’s Ridley (a personal favorite for myself as well) and Mario’s Daisy were announced. Accompanying the appearance of over one-hundred stages, this game promised to be something truly brilliant. I would hardly hesitate to call this one of the most important games of the modern age, bringing not only a celebration of the series, but gaming as a whole. More fan-favorites like Donkey Kong’s King K. Rool and even the addition of Castlevania guest characters in Simon and Richter made this a labor of love, as if to reward the fans for sticking with the series.
Ultimate marks one of the only games I have willingly pre-ordered. I tend to wait for certain games to exist for a while so I can get a feel of the general reception, and for the price to drop, but with this game, I couldn’t simply sit back and wait. I bought a Switch and pre-ordered the game, just for the sake of owning it. Rushing home to play it after a long work day was like an instance of history repeating itself, writing this has made me realize how uniform I’ve been with each entry. The similarities even boil down to consistently playing each game for weeks without any other title intruding. Ultimate was brimming with so much content (though still lacking in a few single-player modes), and became, yet again, the mainstay of my casual gaming time. The excitement of seeing all the additional content, even from franchises I had little care for, was endlessly fun. Reveling in the fact that I could have that fan-based excitement for the Metal Gear content I lacked for Brawl, or the copious amounts of Street Fighter II love that hearkened back to my earliest gaming memories.
Currently, we are coming to the end of the DLC line-up, and possibly our final character for the series, but when comparing how this range of DLC fighters has compared to the previous title’s, I can’t help but feel that this one managed to unintentionally tap into my specific preferences, or gave me a doorway into titles I scarcely glanced over. Persona 5’s Joker led me to giving the game a try, and it became one of my most treasured game experiences, dragging me out of a rut in my life. Banjo-Kazooie and other titles made by developer, Rare, were huge in my pre-teen years and the duo became one of my most requested characters after Ridley. I would watch their reveal trailer repeatedly with more joy than I can think of compared to other reveals, even Sonic. The Dragon Quest hero encouraged me to buy Dragon Quest XI and I garnered a painstaking on-again-off-again relationship (I swear I’ll complete it in the next ten years.) Final Fantasy’s Sephiroth was such a shock that it inspired me to complete Final Fantasy VII and it’s remake. As a fan of fighting games, Fatal Fury’s Terry was a nice way to represent the genre I desired more representation of, despite my lack of interest in said series. And to expand on this, the most recent character is Tekken’s Kazuya; a game series that I have greatly admired since its crossover with my personal series in Street Fighter.
It’s easy to see how much this series has influenced my preferences from just that last paragraph alone. For every franchise I am indifferent towards (Fire Emblem and Xenoblade say hello), there’s just so much that speaks to me personally that I just accept whatever the development team throws at me. To watch this series evolve from this minor Nintendo crossover with only twelve characters into this massive gaming celebration with nearly one-hundred is daunting and amazing at the same time. Masahiro Sakurai is fondly thought of within the community as something of a gaming god for what he has managed to do, and while I can never go that far (there are other people that work on these games), he certainly deserves a huge amount of praise. What has also become increasingly apparent is how each game (since Melee) has come into my life at different points, due to there wider gaps. I went from a young obsessive kid to an awkwardly shy teenager to a overly pessimistic college student to a terribly awkward working adult to a passion-driven working adult, and Smash seems to be a consistent framing device for these parts. I don’t really know what’s next for the series after this string of DLC ends, but I will likely follow it wherever it goes. All this sentiment for a game that let’s Spehiroth stab Pichu right it’s dumb face while Minecraft’s Steve eats his meat.
Side note: Where were you when Minecraft Steve was revealed for Smash? I sat on my break at work as the smile from my face faded away into a modest frown.
Written by C. Johnson.