LiteralGrill
Smokin' Hot~
With smart phones becoming more widespread than ever before it comes as no surprise that the world of Smash has expanded to even there. Recently two apps were released on the Android platform called Frame Melee and Smash Set Helper.
Frame Melee provides general information on Super Smash Bros Melee's characters frame by frame. It also includes stat rankings alongside stage analysis. This is a great way to look up facts on the fly for commentators or players alike with convenience or study strategy before a fight.
Sometimes it's not easy explaining how stage striking, deciding port priority, or the general flow of a set to new players. It's also not always easy to keep track of things in the middle of a fight. Fortunately this app is here to help! It can walk players though an entire set in Smash 64, Melee, Brawl, Project M, and Smash 4 helping with all the complexities and has other great features as well like a hand warmers timer, set DQ timer, and rock-paper-scissors generator.
All of these apps could not have come to life without the hard work of Renard Tumbokon. An aspiring computer science major undergraduate attending Rutgers University he goes by the tag Kerblaster in the community although "some call (him) 'a free fox main' in tournaments." With the release of these apps I sat down to do a small interview with Kerblaster to delve into the world of Smash related app creation.
---
SmashCapps: What inspired you to make these apps in the first place?
Kerblaster: Smash Set Helper was the first concept I came up with. Ever since I went to my first campus 24 hour hackathon back in April of this year, I have been actively looking for new ideas to just create. If anyone, not only computer programmers, want a burst of inspiration and ideas, attend a local hackathon with an open mind, go around, talk to people, and ask questions. Smash at Rutgers University is pretty popular that people will find any excuse to play smash on campus. It just so happened that someone hosted an approved Smash Melee tournament during the hackathon event. To my dismay, a lot of people who do not frequent tournaments but still love this game do not know the standard Melee ruleset. I had to explain it to a few people a couple of times. The constant explanation did not bother me because I was a newish player not too long ago, but instead it gave me the idea of "Smash Set Helper". With all the new smashers coming into the scene, this concept I had sounded brilliant. But during that time, exams were looming so I had zero time to develop anything physically until my summer vacation. Not a day goes by where I didn't think about ideas for this one app. Through pondering, I expanded this idea to Smash 4 and then to all the smash games... The concept for "Frame Melee" didn't come up until mid-development of "Smash Set Helper" over this summer. A friend and I were talking about Smash Set Helper and how to make smash information more accessible. Our conversation lead up to how broken some hitboxes are and how safe/unsafe they are. This was the "Aha!" moment that sparked the creation of "Frame Melee." I thought of it first as a 20XX debug mode on your phone. I was so invested in this idea, that I dropped all development of "Smash Set Helper" and worked on "Frame Melee" for the next month. This is why both apps ended up being released at the same time.
SmashCapps: So what kinds of unique challenges did you face while developing these apps?
Kerblaster: Very good question. The fact I was the lone single designer, developer, tester, programmer, and bug fixer for both of these apps stressed me out. I can't believe the amount of work I put into these. Thinking back at these past few summer months if you honestly ask me now, I probably would never do that marathon development grind again. But that goes to show the sheer motivation an idea or concept can get you is astonishing. The meme, "99 little bugs in the code. 99 little bugs in the code. Take one down, patch it around. 127 little bugs in the code..." couldn't be more appropriate.
SmashCapps: So to folks out there who might also want to contribute to Smash doing something like this, what advice would you give them?
Kerblaster: First you need an idea. It can be a very random or obscure thought, it does not matter. When you have an idea no matter how obscure, bounce it around with a few of your friends. Who knows, you might end up with ideas more astounding and developed than the original. After all that exciting brainstorming, everyone gets exited for the idea to become a reality. Peer motivation is one of the best motivations out there. And motivation itself can work wonders. Out of the many competitive gaming communities I am active in, Smash is the only one that honestly lacks unique content. There are so many holes and niches open in the community for any motivated Smasher to get into. I for one saw that smash, with how old it is, isn't moving along with the times in regards to the lack of accessible smash information on mobile devices. I took the liberty to create an app that will help new players ease into the smash rulesets as well as an app that can help Melee players analyze certain matchups in the game. If there is an open opportunity, take it! And work at it until the very end. After publishing your project, you will feel this unique and satisfying relief that you only feel after truly hard work. That feeling is what I strive for everytime I create something. Shia LaBeouf says it best, "JUST DO IT!"
SmashCapps: Do you have any other upcoming programming projects of any kind folks should keep an eye out for?
Kerblaster: I do have a few ideas floating around in my brain, but at the moment and for the moment, they will stay ideas. During the past few days, I've been responding to every question I got from the /r/smashbros community as well as the r/ssbm community whether through comment or personal message. I have a whole list of bug fixes and suggestions down of what to do for the next few weeks. So for now, I'm going to concentrate on improving the two apps I published making it the best I can possibly make it. Who knows, maybe next winter or summer break, there will be something new.
SmashCapps: So if folks want to follow you and keep up with what you are doing or your work, where's the best place to find you?
Kerblaster: You can of course follow me on twitter @Kerblaster to keep updated on any of my current or future works. If anyone has any questions about starting something for the smash community, they can direct message me there, personal message my reddit account /u/kerblaster, or even email me.
SmashCapps: Is there anything else out there you want to tell folks reading this?
Kerblaster: There is a common question asked by some people I know while developing the apps that goes something like, "Why are you doing this?" Like I told them, I wouldn't be developing anything smash related if I want money. With the licensing costs and everything, I actually lost money that I am not expecting back. I didn't take a summer job like most of my friends this summer because I was really motivated to make my ideas become a reality. Like I said earlier, I was the sole developer, designer, programmer, tester, and bug fixer. This job made for five people over two apps is something that takes extreme determination to accomplish. I didn't make them for a profit, I made them because I love the smash community and I want to express it by developing something for it.
I also want to give a special mention to a couple of friends whom I bounce around ideas with; they know who they are. And lastly, I want to than YOU SmashCapps and Smashboards for all that you do for the community and for taking the time to interview me. It was certainly a pleasure!
---
Kerblaster wanted to personally thank everyone who has tried the apps he created and to those who have provided feedback. Be sure to check both apps out on the Google Play Store by searching "Frame Melee" and "Smash Set Helper" under Kerblaster.
SmashCapps hopes readers enjoyed the interview and encourages you to download them both (he already has). To keep up with all of his writing adventures be sure to follow him on Twitter.
Last edited:
