Running barefoot across streets, catching fireflies in a jar to create a nightlight for later, and those unsettling nights when sleep is far from happening because of the late night ghost stories characterize a normal childhood. As video games became a household essential, one title demanded the same presence as any other child pastime, more simply known as Super Smash Bros. In just two days will mark the 15th anniversary of this franchise that continues to fill kids and adults alike with bliss. Super Smash Bros. (WiiU) is set to be released for the Wii U in late 2014 and in the summer for the 3DS, but branching back to the basics helps heighten the value of appreciation for Super Smash Bros. Providing a strong nostalgic aspect for gamers and trend-setting developments crucial to the industry, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64 is a mandated experience for anyone.
Family parties, everyone dreads them but always seem to happen regardless. Meeting parts of your family you never knew existed, and trying to bullshit a grin for the entire time, until you can’t handle it anymore. These last few moments at a family reunion perfectly sum up Super Smash Bros.: a forced merge of different families, but from the same kin, who can’t stand each other. Crossing classic characters from Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, and Pokemon, is the chaotic craze that addicted everyone to this sibling brawl. Pitting unlikely matches together, like Kirby vs. Samus or Donkey Kong vs. Pikachu, gave players a reason to play the friendly feud, because each character had their own abilities that allowed them to hold their own, no matter how cute the character may be.
Adding elements like scattered target practice and time challenges was a small factor in Super Smash Bros., but is constantly revisited in the sequels. Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl expanded on the library of characters capable of fighting, incorporating campaign modes, and more interactive objects to use against your opponent during a battle. These were attempts to separate the sequels from Super Smash Bros.; but, there is no reason to fix something that’s not broken, being why these mini challenges still exist, the core characters have the same distinct abilities for the most part, and the classic arenas are always an option. Super Smash Bros. put the gaming community in such a frenzy that Nintendo continues to deliver a similar product because of how much we adore it.
Coincidentally, this week isn’t just the anniversary for Super Smash Bros., but also the 25 years since the first release of the Nintendo Gameboy. What makes it funny is that after years of only being a console franchise, Super Smash Bros. is headed towards the Nintendo 3DS. Only a few days apart from their respected anniversary dates, these two are pioneering again by integrating the casual console experience of Super Smash Bros. to the handheld department. Ten years separate their release dates, and a long waited 15 years has seen the two come together for a new chapter in both of their respective catalogues.
Super Smash Bros., the melting pot of Nintendo franchises, inspired others like Sony to create a family feud between their All-Stars. It may be fighting game, but Super Smash Bros. amounted to much more of an inspiration for developers and an enthralling experience for Nintendo fans. Super Smash Bros. (WiiU) is just beyond the horizon of releases, after 15 years have past since its initial release, and continues to leave everyone speechless when mentioned. With the strides of advancement made with the Wii U, it’ll be interesting to see what factors from the original Nintendo 64 title are still being used in the first HD Smash Bros. game.