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A Perspective on Smash Bros. Ultimate: A long time veteran, and a fan...like you!

Scoliosis Jones

Kept you waiting, huh?
Writing Team
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
9,582
Location
Buffalo, New York
NNID
ScoliosisxJones
3DS FC
1762-3194-1826
Good evening to those of you on the east coast! I've had some time to digest what we've seen recently, and I'm finally ready to share my thoughts. I know that, quite often, my comments in other threads are liked for the content and what not. I am flattered that people appreciate what I have to say. With that in mind, I hope that you take some time today to read about what I'm thinking. I love this game, and I love the community. Thank you in advance for reading. It's been a long time since I last made or maintained a thread, so hopefully this lives up to the hype.

This is going to be a long read. I will give you a MASSIVE amount of credit for reading through all of it.
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Well, we’ve finally gotten our first looks at Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! The latest title in the entry of our favorite series has come with some rather amazing announcements. To say that it has already met expectations is an understatement. Veterans from the entire series have made a glorious return, which I would say very few expected. While I myself didn’t want or expect cuts, by no means did I think we would see the return of characters like Young Link, Pichu, or Pokemon Trainer!

This past Tuesday afternoon was an experience I thought I’d never feel. Having been a longtime veteran player of this series, this past Tuesday almost made me cry. I first played Super Smash Bros. 64 when I was in kindergarten...I remember writing about Super Smash Bros. 64 in my journal at school, and getting in trouble for writing about it all the time. I started drawing pictures of it instead. I was told to stop doing that as well.

There were hundreds if not thousands of hours put into Super Smash Bros. Melee. I remember that I got so good among my small group of peers at the time (at this point I was in elementary if not Middle School) that my older brother stopped playing the game with me because he got sick of losing. At this point in my life I didn’t have a whole lot of friends who I could play with. That didn’t mean much though, because I loved all the characters in Smash enough that I could have fun playing as any of them for an extended period of time, even if it was by myself. Prior to Melee coming out, I remember going onto the website and trying to enter the “Smash Sweeps” to win a copy. That never worked out, unfortunately.

I wasn’t well versed with the internet until roughly 8th grade and my Freshman year of high school. This is mainly why I didn’t realize that Pokemon Diamond was a thing, but was also why I hadn’t seen the initial reveal of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I checked out the characters on the website and was amazed by the graphics at the time. I saw an especially peculiar character who I knew simply wasn’t Nintendo, but I thought it was interesting that this “Snake” was in Super Smash Bros. It gave me hope for my most wanted character, Sonic the Hedgehog. At the time, aside from Melee, one of my most played games was Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, and the hype of that fabled matchup of Mario vs. Sonic was on my mind. I remember checking the Super Smash Bros. Dojo!! every single morning before I went to school. I remember the days when a character was revealed, like when I saw Pokemon Trainer and was pumped that I could play Charizard.

Then there was the fabled morning. I woke up, getting worried that my most wanted would never get into the game. I had been checking every day across the internet for some convincing leaks or images of Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It simply had to happen if they were going to take this random mercenary character from a series I’d never played. I got up, turned on my moms laptop, and went to the Dojo!! To say I was ecstatic was a complete understatement, through and through. When I got to school, I immediately started talking to my best friend about it, and as it turned out over time, I met more people who were totally into the same things I was. Smash was something that brought me closer to other people. Those people are still very close friends of mine today, and we still play Smash regularly.

Another aspect of Smash that more or less changed my outlook on things, is the fact that I played games I never thought I would before. Because of Snake, I had a desire to try the Metal Gear Solid series. I hunted for months to find Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for the Gamecube, and sure enough I found it at Gamestop. I ran right over and snagged it. Metal Gear, as a series, is now one of my favorites.

This sentiment continued through the rest of the roster. Crazily enough, I had never played The Legend of Zelda until a friend of mine at the time convinced me to play Ocarina of Time. I might have played it earlier in my life if it weren’t for the fact that I was terrified by the enemies when my brother and another friend played it. That is now, also, one of my favorite series. I also played Super Metroid and Metroid Prime for the first time because of Brawl. Additionally, Fire Emblem has become one of my favorites as well simply because of the characters and what not. If you haven’t played Path of Radiance or Radiant Dawn, I highly recommend them. They’re great!

More or less, I’ve played a number of games from a number of series because of Smash. The only characters whose games I haven’t played are Marth, Roy, and Lucas. I’ve played at least a game in every other series.

I didn’t join the broader Smash community until some time before Wii U launched. This was the first time my own ideas for Smash would be presented to other people who loved the series. I started out by reading what other people said, posting my own ideas, and eventually downloading the Roster Maker. This was a new and frankly pretty cool experience for me. To be honest, this was a large portion of the my life. I posted on Smashboards a lot. My girlfriend, who I had only recently been dating for a few months, was awestruck by my love of the game. Obviously, she wanted me to get away from the computer and do other things, but at the time I was too attached to the hype. Or maybe there isn’t a way to truly be too attached! It’s my favorite series after all. I’m not sure how I had enough time to be involved as much as I was considering I was in college. I even became a moderator at one point!

While speculating, I made friends who I still play games with today. It isn’t just limited to Smash. We’ve become quite good friends at that, and it’s all because of our common interest, which is pretty cool. Smash has been something that has frankly never divided me from other people, but has only brought us together. I believe Smash inherently has that ability.

Now, it’s 2018. I have finished college. I’ll have been with my girlfriend for 5 years in July. I’m officially a high school English teacher, and am looking for a home of my own. This is all happening with an announcement of a brand new entry into my favorite series of all time. The last few months of been total agony, between the wait and the vast amount of stress of my line of work. I harbored a fear that my latest main, Cloud, would meet the same fate as my previous main from Brawl, Snake. I began playing far more Smash than I had been recently.

Then, there was Tuesday.

I sat in a classroom at school because we’re at the point where regents exams are conducted. We have to grade them, so I had to be ready to go in this other room. I didn’t have to do anything but be there for that particular part of the day, so I had my laptop. The Direct started. The stress seeped in. My heart was pounding. But then, it happened. Something I hoped for, spoke out in favor of, even against naysayers who thought I was crazy, happened.

No cuts. Everybody comes back. Even Snake. My long lost main.

As I told others, I was so inexplicably happy, I couldn’t truly feel much of anything. To be honest, I almost cried. To see Snake, a character I never dreamed I would see again, making a return in such a fashion was a dream come true. To be fair though, I was more excited about something else.

I was excited...to be wrong.

If I had my way, or the way I thought about Super Smash Bros. as a series, about a week ago there would be a good amount of characters currently on the roster that wouldn’t be there. There were a few things I predicted would not happen, yet here we are. I couldn’t be happier. Characters I never played or didn’t really miss all that much, like Young Link, Pichu, Squirtle and Ivysaur, were back in the game after all this time. I wasn’t rooting for them. I couldn’t be happier they were back!

Not only did I find that all characters were back, but that Sakurai added a loving touch to almost every character, whether it be a subtle reference to something from their home series like Ridley’s ability to be hurt more significantly while charging his fireballs, was a really great tidbit that makes it obvious: Sakurai loves this game and the characters within it.

Currently, I am already satisfied with the outcome of E3 2018 and Smash Bros. Ultimate. The title makes me have a feeling that, if nothing else, this might actually be Sakurai’s last game in the series as the lead director. Given the title of “Ultimate” it doesn’t suggest anything other than “This is the best”. Not only has Sakurai brought back every Smash Fighter in existence, and added three fan requests in the form of Ridley, Inkling, and the notorious Daisy, but it seems as if almost every stage in Smash history will be finding a way back in this game. I myself requested Snake in my Smash Ballot vote, and still cannot believe this game is real. My request was fulfilled.

Back to the original point of the previous paragraph...I’ve already been blown away by what we have in this game currently. Fans requests have been answered. Their favorite characters from previous games are in. The highly requested changes to Ganondorf, Zelda, Link, and other characters who had much needed changes, and not to mention the seemingly laser-pointed focus on more advanced or competitive play. Clearly, in a lot of ways, this game is based on Smash 4. Based on all the changes to the individual characters and the physics, it’s clear the goal was to make this more competitively viable. I love it.
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Onto my next section. I have been a part of the Smash Bros. fanbase and speculation community for a long time. I have played Smash Bros. since I was a wee 5 year old, and have played and grown over time. My interests have changed, my abilities have changed, and so has my outlook.

I, like many other people I’m sure, have always liked talking about potential character options for Smash Bros. games. It’s mostly why I joined the online community. It’s one of the most fun aspects of the community, and I’ve learned quite a bit about a lot of characters/series because of it.

However, it’s also one of the most toxic parts of the Smash community.

Leading up to this reveal, there was a vast amount of hatred toward particular fanbases and from what I’ve read or heard over the last few days there’s been just as much if not more than usual. This is right after a Smash game in which the following was revealed:
  • Playable Ridley
  • Playable Inklings
  • All previous Smash Bros fighters return
  • Almost 90 stages across the series are in Smash Ultimate
  • Final Smashes are streamlined to move more quickly
  • The game has been changed for a more competitive feel, but is literally altered based on what style you wish to play
  • According to Sakurai, thousands of changes are made. This includes long-awaited (and heavily requested) changes to the Zelda cast
  • Omega AND Battlefield versions of EVERY SINGLE STAGE
Yet, there are still complaints. Most of these complaints resort to the following.
  • Ridley looks stupid
  • My character of choice didn’t get in/My character of choice didn’t get revealed yet
  • Wow! More 3rd parties? I hated Snake.
  • They’re not adding more newcomers this time? Who cares about changes to veterans!?
  • If I wanted to play as those characters, I’d go play that game.
  • Why are they caving to the competitive crowd? They’re the minority anyway!

This is ridiculous.

To those of you who are complaining, think about what it is that you’re complaining about. You’re complaining about things that upset you, yes. Maybe you don’t agree with what Sakurai has done with this game. There’s a few things here to dissect though.

First of all, Sakurai pleased more fans by bringing back all characters than you may think. I can say that, as somebody who missed his main and was unable to play as him in the current roster for roughly 10 years, I’m ecstatic. While I didn’t care much for the setup of Pokemon Trainer in Brawl, I think the Trainer looks incredibly improved in this game and am quite pleased with it. This Smash game, by bringing back all veterans, is for all fans of the series to enjoy their favorite characters.

If you’re upset that your character of choice was not added or has not yet been announced. I have news for you, and this is coming from somebody who really would love to see Rex & Pyra. You, yes you, are the one responsible for setting yourself up for disappointment. The plan for this game, from the start, was to bring back all vets. That comes from Sakurai himself. Your character of choice was not rejected because of Young Link. They were not rejected because of Pichu. They were not rejected, because they may not have even been planned.

The problem is that, because Smash is based on the characters, obviously diehard fans are going to make their voices heard, and that’s good. That’s what the ballot was for. This game, thus far, has shown an effort to make our favorites better and more viable to play hard. It’s a good thing for this game, and this series, to have a healthy lifespan. A healthy lifespan can come from not only new content over time, but a competitive scene. It isn’t as if a great roster and well balanced roster cannot coexist.

What I simply cannot understand, is the vitriol that this fanbase spews everywhere. I understand that there are likely plenty of fans out there who post on websites like Smashboards, but I cannot understand the anger and rude nature of it all. I am completely satisfied by a roster of 65, with most of my wants completely vanquished. Are there characters I would still like? Of course, there are several. Am I going to flame the Ridley fanbase or Daisy fanbase because I may not get Rex & Pyra? Of course not, because i’m reasonable and realize that’s not how it works.

If you wonder why the Smash fanbase is notorious on the internet, it’s because of behavior like that.

People, we all love this game. We love this series. We love the characters, and more than anything we love gaming. What we’ve been handed is, essentially, the equivalent of Avengers: Infinity War. There are so many incredible characters in this game, and this has never happened before. For all we know, this may never happen again. Realize just how awesome this is, and celebrate it. This isn’t just about Nintendo...it’s a celebration of gaming, gaming icons, and the thing we probably all love most: GAMING!!!

There are always things we’ll all want, and you should absolutely want it if it means that much to you. But simply put: The behavior that some are exuding is not going to change the roster, it is not going to magically add your most wanted character. What some are doing, is acting like imbeciles, placing and directing their anger at people who otherwise do not deserve it. We are, and should be, better than that. On an individual level, and as a community.

However, to be better than that, it would probably require people to play the game and learn more about how it plays. It can be telling when particular fans talk about particular characters or ideas, and it become clear they don’t regularly play the game or are just shouting out what they want. Surely, share what you want, but don’t be rude if somebody doesn’t necessarily like the idea.

I have been wrong on many things this time when it came to the roster. I’m glad that my wish was granted, and there were no cuts. I’m glad that previous cuts have all come back. Despite me not caring much for their initial inclusions (or cared that they were cut), I’m very happy for the fanbases of Daisy, Pokemon Trainer, Young Link, Wolf and Pichu. The Snake fanbase has a very special place in my heart, as their effort in the Smash Ballot is likely what brought him back (not to mention my awesome Twitter account for Snake!!!).

Appreciate what we’ve been given. This is truly a gift. Smash Bros is a part of Nintendo history itself, and this is an all-out attempt to celebrate history, as well as make it. It's alright to be wrong about something you care so much about. Let yourself enjoy it for it is.

Be a part of that history.
 
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MysticKnives

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
811
Yeah, the feeling of being apart of this franchise since it's beginnings in 99 is great.
 
D

Deleted member

Guest
jwillenn jwillenn Hey there, I remember seeing you on GameFAQs.

Excellent topic as always. If this was the final Smash, I would be content with the roster and stage. Here's to hoping we hear more out of game play modes soon because I can't wait to see what we have in store.

That makes me wonder, where will Smash go from here? Sakurai is notorious to say that he makes each Smash game as if it is the last and this time, I think it really is Sakurai's last game. Also it is worth noting the franchise's existence owes is existence partly to Iwata who pulled the string for Sakurai to direct every game except this one. For this one, I'm inclined to believe it started as a port but then became a new game as it kept being pushed back and Sakurai saw new opportunities to expand his vision.

Regardless, I hope that we as the fans can continue to be a part of Nintendo's vision for the future of Smash Bros. I hope to see the franchise expand into multimedia like they are doing with other franchises.
 

CaptainAmerica

Smash Master
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
3,089
Location
New York
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TomOfHyrule
Beautifully put. I am very happy that your favorites also returned. 'Ultimate' will certainly live up to its namesake.

I was too scared to even watch the direct since I knew nothing I wanted was possible. Squirtle was such a great character and I loved the transformations, but all I heard on these boards was how everyone was improved by tossing one of my favorite characters. Plus my most wanted characters amounted to two major villains from western-focused series that hadn't gotten much yet, and a western third-party on his last legs. Needless to say, I was expecting disappointment.

And then I saw my tinyturtle in the trailer, along with the rest of his team.

I never really played Snake (honestly, I thought he didn't fit in Brawl at the time) but I cheered when he came back in the trailer since he seemed so unlikely. The best news imaginable was that all the vets were back, and looking at the sheer number of stages is astounding.

I'm beyond excited for the next Smash, and it's because of the vets. I wanted Ridley as my #1, but it's Squirtle that kept me so excited I couldn't sleep that night. I could complain about some design bits I don't like, or that my already-unlikely-most-wanted are not in, or whatever, but I'm choosing to be very happy getting more revealed than I could ever have imagined.

I hope you get to enjoy Smash as much as it seems. And I'm certain that Sakurai still has a few tricks up his sleeve to further improve on perfection.
 

Tollhouse

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
482
Location
Wii-Fit Studio
Loved your story of getting into the game and I can relate to it. It was because of Brawl that I found out about Metal Gear too and that series is now one of my all time favorites. Seeing Snake return really put me in high spirits. Just seeing everyone back including melee characters I haven't played as since I was a teenager was just so emotional for me. I couldn't be happier.

I'm a little shocked at how there are some people who didn't like the fact that everyone came back (and new and improved). I mean you can't please everyone but it's for the best that everyone's mains stay in smash. No one can feel down about their beloved character not being included. How people cannot appreciate that is baffling to me. But each their own. I was devastated that Mewtwo wasn't in brawl and I was going to be heart broken if Wii-Fit didn't return for Ultimate. Now myself and everyone else has peace in mind.

One thing though I've noticed is that a lot of people are already disappointed with Sakurai mentioning that he hopes we don't expect too many newcomers. There are still more characters coming, guys. He hasn't given us a number of them or told us who else is getting in. There's really no use getting worked up over something like that. How many characters equal "not too many newcomers?" Whatever realistic amount of newcomers you think there will be, given Sakurai's streak, he'll probably surpass your expectations further. The guy's gone above and beyond already. We have everyone back and more stages than we know what to do with.
 
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