Im really scared i won't be able to play ultimate
— Chris Taylor (@SpookyWoobler) September 13, 2018
It was this tweet that allowed for what’s been one of the most bittersweet stories within the Smash communities this year.
21-year-old Chris Taylor (@SpookyWoobler), a bedridden cancer patient residing in Ontario, Canada, was following alongside hundreds of thousands of other Smash and Nintendo fans when the September 13th Nintendo Direct confirmed that Isabelle from Animal Crossing will be included as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Taylor started sharing his thoughts on the Direct on Twitter shortly afterwards, where he came to the startling realization that, due to his grim prognosis, he would likely not live to see the game’s release.
Taylor had been battling with osteosarcoma and its complications for over three years. He’d been keeping his Twitter followers up-to-date with his health and gave them the news on July 12th that he’d made the decision to stop pursuing treatment. He’d tried several different treatment options, including participation in two high-risk clinical trials, which proved futile. Following this decision, Taylor was given an approximate three-to-six month window of time remaining to live.
Taylor regularly expressed his love for games and their respective communities, demonstrating a great deal of excitement for Smash and Devil May Cry especially. After his thread on potentially not being able to see Ultimate’s release, a massive number of members from both communities and beyond took notice and retweeted the message en masse, hoping that someone could grant Taylor a chance to play one of his most anticipated games before it was too late. Professional Smash players and content creators such as Juan “Hungrybox” DeBeidma and Desmond “Etika” Amofah, as well as many more members of the gaming community who felt moved by Taylor’s situation, utilized their platforms to help get Taylor connected with Nintendo directly.
Hi @NintendoAmerica, thank you for that awesome Direct.
— hungrybox (@LiquidHbox) September 14, 2018
A member of the community, @SpookyWoobler, is bedridden with terminal cancer.
His wish is to play Ultimate before its too late. I know how exclusive the company is with this, but perhaps we can bring him a demo at least? https://t.co/G0CgXaopse
My heart is broken from reading this. Stay strong Chris. You have every ounce of my support, and all other member of the boyz. Will keep you in my prayers ❤️https://t.co/NroyuVGBEx
— Etika @ 999 (@Etika) September 15, 2018
Within a week of Taylor’s tweet gaining traction, Nintendo reached out to him privately and set up a time for him to enjoy the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate demo in the privacy of his bedroom, surrounded by close friends and his mother, who were also welcomed to play along. Due to the potential risk involved with broadcasting his possession of the demo, Taylor was instructed to refrain from speaking about the opportunity until after the demo had been returned. Nintendo representatives arrived at his doorstep on September 21st, and he was able to enjoy the game for a handful of hours alongside his loved ones as promised.
The Smash community following his story on Twitter was elated to hear the news, with many people publicly thanking Nintendo for listening to fans and allowing Taylor this opportunity. He later expressed his own gratitude on Twitter by sharing pictures of him and his friends playing the demo and giving a direct “thank you” to Nintendo and all of those in the community who spread the word of this issue, despite him not prompting it at all.
While victory was sweet in the eyes of the Smash community immediately after hearing of Taylor’s experience, the excitement behind it was short lived. Unfortunately, on September 24th, Chris Taylor passed away. His brother, Zach, posted this information to Reddit the following morning and graciously thanked the entirety of the Smash community and all those who had even a small part in helping of make one of Chris Taylor’s final wishes come true in the last days of his life:
“You guys made it possible for his wish to come true. I hope Chris’s memory lives on through all of us when we game. Just remember, this once, everybody got together for the most genuine man I've ever known. He just wanted to get out there and meet some people and play some games. Unfortunately, he can’t do that anymore, so let’s continue his legacy for him.”
The community continues to grieve for the loss of Chris Taylor, but they can assuredly find solace in knowing that in their brief, yet combined effort, they were able to grace one of their brothers with a joy that he thought he’d never get to see, in a time where he needed it the most.
Our condolences and thoughts go to the family and loved ones of Chris Taylor, and our thanks go to Nintendo and their truly wonderful community who took the initiative to bring a positive end to Chris’s story.
