"I'm really feeling it!"
After years and years of waiting, with multiple imitators releasing and rumors swirling since E3 2011, the next Smash Bros. game is finally here. The series is known for a hyper-dedicated fanbase, a perfectionist creator, and more Nintendo nostalgia than any single diehard could ever truly absorb. But what exactly is it about Smash Bros. that has made so many devote countless hours to it?
7. Hearing "the fans" chant your name
There you are, playing as Pikachu in the middle of a heated four player throwdown. It's the Corneria stage and everyone is battling on the Star Fox team's ship, vying for the top spot. You grab Pokeball that just appeared, summon Snorlax, and send everyone off the stage. All of a sudden you hear an audible chant of "Pikachu! Pikachu!" And at that moment, all is right with the world.
6. Making a perfectly timed reflect block
For all the importance of brawling and melee in the series, just as much strategy goes into long-distance play. Whether you're zapping folks across the stage with Fox or burning them with Mario's fireballs, a well-rounded player knows how to use projectiles to chip away at an enemy. And it's the most well-rounded of players of players that can consistently fling that dangerous projectile right back into a smug jerk's grill.
5. Diving deep into video game history
The Smash Bros. series has seen so many imitators and clones, but they're all missing a certain something. The obvious answer is "Nintendo characters," though the reasoning goes a little deeper than that. The Smash franchise showers so much affection on the medium of video games that playing them is akin to a jaunt through a virtual museum, making you a gaming scholar as you play.
4. Knocking everyone else off the stage and then taunting
Smash Bros. hardly invented taunts in fighting games, but it does a great job in supplying players with the means to playfully annoy their competitors. Whether it's Sonics "You're too slow," Captain Falcons "Show me your moves," or (my new favorite) Shulk's "I'm really feeling it," taunts allow you to express what a cocky badass you are. However, you're open to getting hit if you do it non-stop, so it's better to pick your moments. In case you don't know, that specific moment is right after you knock everyone else off of the screen.
3. The rush of excitement of a new character reveal
Every fall sees the annual entry in Call of Assassin's: Madden--if you love those franchises, you're rarely left waiting all that long for the next one. Nintendo handles Smash Bros. a bit differently. Melee came out in 2001, Brawl in 2008, and now 3DS/Wii U in 2014. Thats a lot of waiting for its ravenous audience. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it also turns every little piece of info on the sequel into a hype-filled event. If you want a character added to the game, you hope against hope they'll be in the next reveal video, or else you may be waiting until 2020 for your next chance.
2. The sound of a Home-run Bat smash (and all the other great sound effects)
Back in the day, when my friends and I played Melee, we excluded many items from matches for fear that they caused imbalanced contests. But, despite it being arguably overpowered, the instant-KO machine of the Home-run Bat was always welcome in our battles. Looking back, the biggest reward wasnt clubbing someone off the stage with the bat--it was the metallic DING! sound effect that let you know it hit its mark. Without that satisfying bit of sound design, the item wouldnt be half as fun.
1. Seeing the winner celebrate (so long as youre the winner)
Smash Bros. brings to life the lengthy arguments gamers have always have of one fictional character being better than another. You think Mario would annihilate Pikachu, or that Kirby should destroy Donkey Kong? You can battle it out in-game with a friend and settle the score. And if everything goes according to plan, the win screen isnt just showing some mascot posing after a victory. Its the moment proving your favorite character to be number one, and theyre celebrating with you.
