by Finn, Grade 7
The fighting game genre is very popular, especially in esports. From Street Fighter to Tekken, there’s probably a fighting game for you or at least characters you’re interested in. But, out of the fighting game genre, a giant emerged as a genre defining breakout into the platform fighter world. And that’s Super Smash Brothers. Whether it’s a party game or for the ever growing competitive scene, Smash Bros. is a game for you. But why is it like this? Why does it have such wide appeal? And what is the “magic” behind this beloved game? Well, that’s why I’m here, to show the magic of Super Smash Brothers.
So let’s go back to the Nintendo 64 and let’s recall the creation of Smash from what I remember. Masahiro Sakurai has recently come up with an idea for a fighting game more unique than others. It involves taking and giving damage which increases knockback, and if you get knocked back far enough, you’ll reach “the blast zone”, removing one of your lives. During the creation, basic untextured human-like characters were used, but he suggested using Nintendo characters like Mario instead. Nintendo then turned down that idea, so Sakurai came back a little later, and accepted the idea this time, causing the idea to go into full development. And then, on January 21, 1999, Super Smash Bros. released to great success, future leading to development of a sequel and eventually a full franchise. Oh yeah, Sakurai also made Kirby.
So now we’re in the modern day, we’re on the 5th installment of the series, Ultimate, and things have never been better. The gameplay is smooth, DLC and patches are rolling out, and the community is thriving even after a few bumps in the road during 2020. And since the original games, things have gotten crazy. We now have over 70 characters, third party characters like Snake from Metal Gear Solid and Sonic were added to Smash, and more crazy crossovers are to come in this game. Some of the magic in Smash comes from the hope of your favorite character coming into Smash, and for me my wishes were heard. Inkling was the first character revealed in Ultimate’s build up, and Steve came in a few months ago with an impactful trailer that has no doubt made gaming history and is still stuck in my head.
But the characters are only half of the fun, as we haven’t talked about the gameplay. Smash has somehow managed to fill the needs of two different styles of gameplay: A party game and a competitive fighting game. Playing Smash as a party game is how Sakurai intended the game to be played, with different items, stage hazards, and each character’s unique movesets affecting the match in one way or another, and it’s a crazy amount of fun, even for someone like me who prefers the other way to play. You could have Ganondorf getting swarmed by bees while Pit is off in a corner using a flag to get an extra stock or point while Pikachu and Snake are fighting it out off stage, and it’s so chaotic yet there’s still some balance in it, and that’s what makes it fun.
Now the other side is the competitive side. Turning off items and stage hazards leads you with a fighting game that would be worth $60 on its own, and it is for some people. A whole community has grown out of this style of playing with 3-5 stocks, 7-10 minutes, and a select amount of stages throughout all of the games, with each one having a mini community just on their own. But, easily the most two popular games are Ultimate and Melee. Yes, even after almost 20 years, Melee is still one of the most popular fighting games. Something about the precision and interesting matchups keeps competitors and viewers coming back for more Melee, with full esports organizations signing players to represent them in just one game. And then we have Ultimate, for the people who want a more competitive modern Smash with a little more fleshed out gameplay and constant developer support. Ultimate is also doing good, but Melee is just a tiny bit more popular for competitive play, but that’s not to say Ultimate is boring and no one watches it. Ultimate is interesting, with a wide variety of characters that can and have won sets or full tournaments and people come back for more of it like Melee. So, if you are looking for a more competitive game, Smash still has something to offer.
Smash Bros. is like a sandbox. With ridiculous amounts of customization, characters, and even stages, it’s easier than ever to find your playstyle, whether if your interest is in an old, competitive game or a newer one to pull out at parties when we have those again. Smash Bros. has magic other fighting or even party games have yet to match, with the only one coming close being Mario Party, so I doubt it is going anywhere anytime soon. So please, try Smash if you haven’t already, it’s a unique experience that has a little something for everyone.