One Year of Sm4sh: General Retrospective Thread

[Deleted member]

With the final Smash Direct coming soon and us nearing the end of the year, I feel like this thread would be appropriate right now. Even if we're past October and November already (the actual anniversaries), just think about this. We've been through one year of Smash 4. One entire year. So, so much has happened. The greatest icon in all of fighting games finally being a Smash Brother (), the protagonist of one of the most acclaimed RPGs ever joining in after right out of the blue (), and the return of two beloved veterans (). And that's not to mention the returning/new stages and the plethora of Mii costumes. Looking back at the hype for this game was some of the most exciting times I had: E3, the previous Smash Directs (the 50-day extravaganza especially being awesome), the invitational tournament, seeing pics of the day on Miiverse, it was just so awesome to see what was in store for us as we neared the fall of 2014.

Aside from DLC, the competitive metagame looks very promising and I can't wait to see where it might go next. There's still a lot to discover in this game, and it'll be awesome to see what the community finds as we continue to play Smash 4. There are many characters that have potential to shake things up in Smash 4's current environment, and that'll be definitely awesome to see!

This game has done a lot for me. It got me into finally playing Smash competitively, and the roster of newcomers was almost a dream come true for me ( trailer represent, boysss). I've met some of my very best friends through this game, something I'm really thankful for as a whole. I still have ways to go, and hope to improve myself as time goes on.

So here's what I'm trying to ask, what were your most fond memories of looking toward the release of Smash 4? Where do you think this game will go in the future?

ALSO YAS, I HIT 1,000 POSTS!

 

[mario123007]

I think after the Smash broadcast and played Smash with the new content for a while. I think I might take along hiatus for Smash. Of course I will stick with Smashboards, but I might be out of competitive and gameplay discussion.

And congrats for your 1000th post. I remember I made it to 1000 post last December as well.

 

[the_muffin]

I remember almost writing off Smash 4 completely before release. Brawl left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and I wasn't really looking forward to doing that again. But then they dropped the 3DS demo and I thought it was pretty dope. Pre-ordered both versions after that. Smash 4 is also the first one where I got interested in playing competitively, basically going from 0% to 100% interest in the span of a few months.

Overall it's been incredible. The base game was great as it was, but it only got better with the balance patches, the DLC, and the healthy competitive scene that has sprung up around the game.

Speaking of, tournament play feels so much different than it did a year ago. I remember people criticizing Smash 4 for rewarding campy playstyles, but now it feels so much faster than it did before. It's nuts how drastically everything changed. Yeah, there are still a few players and characters (*cough**cough*) who bring it back down but by and large the game is much faster and has a more offensive focus than it did before.

 

[GhettoNinja]

It's been amazing to watch myself and others grow as players over this year. ryo went from a "good brawl Ike" to a top player who most wouldn't be surprised at getting top 8.Nairo manged to beat ZeRo which was last done by ESAM back at the sky invitational. Sethlon joined our smash 4 community and along with NEO and OnniHero are pushing Roy. ESAM went from a really solid brawl player to one of the top contenders in the world. meta knight jumped from a low tier to high tier all because of one kid. / we saw Doc Samus Loser's Finals at MLG. And so many other things. I can't wait to see what things happen for smash 4 next year, we're kicking it off with a bang with gensis 3

 

[leefe]

my friends and i have been hyped ever since it was announced
we all really bonded over this game and the series as a whole
the 3ds version and it's portability really made the local multiplayer experience that much better
i hope sma5h is even better

 

[Red Shirt KRT]

Finally after a full year mega man has met someone (@ScAtt77) who is starting to unlock the robot masters full potential (key word starting, because mega takes insane dedication to play).

Only another year with him until he is the new shiek lulz

 

[GhettoNinja]

Finally after a full year mega man has met someone (@ScAtt77) who is starting to unlock the robot masters full potential (key word starting, because mega takes insane dedication to play).

Only another year with him until he is the new shiek lulz

Zucco, Daiki, NinjaLink?

 

[KirbCider]

I remember being insanely hyped when I heard Sm4sh was coming and I only became more and more hyped once the trailers started to arrive. I remember the biggest one for me was Wii Fit Trainer right off the bat. Despite the games release still being months away at that time I was determined to main Wii Fit Trainer and could not wait to try her/him out. I couldn't contain such excitement.

At the same time I was already preparing myself for Sm4sh as well.

I was playing Brawl almost non-stop trying to practice and polish my skills while waiting for it's release. In fact, at one point me and a few friends decided to do a "Smash Marathon" of sorts starting with the very original Smash 64, to Melee, and then to Brawl just to appreciate how far this series had came. I also remember checking the Smash Site pretty much on a daily basis and re-watching trailers.

Eventually the release was only three or so weeks away. Just when I thought no more surprises could be left, BOOM!....

They released a Trailer for Duck Hunt. My hype levels went from steady and prepared to sky rocketing once again. I know there wasn't a lot of people that were excited about Duck Hunt (I know my IRL friend expressed his hatred for him constantly), but I was down right excited because of the sake of Nostalgia. I love retro games a lot and grew up on them so they will always have a spot in my heart. Duck Hunt was another who I was determined to main before the game even came out. Course I can't forget Pac-Man either.

Sadly enough, sometimes things don't turn out like we planned or had hoped for. I mained Wii Fit Trainer for a long while before slowly drifting away. I still use them, but not to an extent like I wished to. As for Duck Hunt as much as I tried I just made a terrible Duck Hunt. As much as I wanted to main him I was just too terrible with him. Pac-Man is the only one out of the three that stuck Main-wise.

As for where I think this Game will go in the future? I'm not entirely sure. Only time will tell I suppose.

 

[the_muffin]

I remember being insanely hyped when I heard Sm4sh was coming and I only became more and more hyped once the trailers started to arrive. I remember the biggest one for me was Wii Fit Trainer right off the bat. Despite the games release still being months away at that time I was determined to main Wii Fit Trainer and could not wait to try her/him out. I couldn't contain such excitement.

At the same time I was already preparing myself for Sm4sh as well.

I was playing Brawl almost non-stop trying to practice and polish my skills while waiting for it's release. In fact, at one point me and a few friends decided to do a "Smash Marathon" of sorts starting with the very original Smash 64, to Melee, and then to Brawl just to appreciate how far this series had came. I also remember checking the Smash Site pretty much on a daily basis and re-watching trailers.

Eventually the release was only three or so weeks away. Just when I thought no more surprises could be left, BOOM!....

They released a Trailer for Duck Hunt. My hype levels went from steady and prepared to sky rocketing once again. I know there wasn't a lot of people that were excited about Duck Hunt (I know my IRL friend expressed his hatred for him constantly), but I was down right excited because of the sake of Nostalgia. I love retro games a lot and grew up on them so they will always have a spot in my heart. Duck Hunt was another who I was determined to main before the game even came out. Course I can't forget Pac-Man either.

Sadly enough, sometimes things don't turn out like we planned or had hoped for. I mained Wii Fit Trainer for a long while before slowly drifting away. I still use them, but not to an extent like I wished to. As for Duck Hunt as much as I tried I just made a terrible Duck Hunt. As much as I wanted to main him I was just too terrible with him. Pac-Man is the only one out of the three that stuck Main-wise.

As for where I think this Game will go in the future? I'm not entirely sure. Only time will tell I suppose.

I was the same way with Megaman. I grew up playing the classic and X series and really wanted to like him. He's pretty dope as a character, but he just doesn't fit with my fighting style.

 

[MarioMeteor]

You can't begin to imagine the unadulterated hype that I felt when Rosalina was announced. Aside from her, though, I actually thought the roster in terms of newcomers was pretty bad. Still do. Anyway, I remember watching the Smash Invitational and the Open Tournament and realizing that I had to have this game. There are not words in the English language that describes how hype I was when I played the demo. I was practically bouncing off the walls just waiting for it to download. Then I got Smash Wii U for Christmas a few months later. I must've spent over hundreds of hours in both games. I spent literally every dollar I had on Smash 3DS, and I regretted nothing. I would come home from school, and the only thing on my mind wasn't food, but Smash 3DS. I really do love this game. Even if it is jank as hell.

Remember when we thought Bowser was broken?

 

[RIP|Merrick]

It's crazy to think it has almost been an entire year since my first Smash 4 tournament. I've had 25+ tournaments under my belt, and still competing.

I was super weary of the backlash Smash 4 would get coming after the competitive scene killed Brawl. I was very uncertain having been in the competitive Brawl scene since 2009 if I wanted to have a repeat of that, and worried for the games success on a competitive level. It was shaping up to be really good, and the demo I played before release Luigi had a walljump, so nothing could possibly be wrong with a game with that option.

When it released, I labbed up Luigi for the entire day. I knew how he was in previous games, and I've always been a low tier hero, so I wanted to be the best with him I could. So expect my surprise when I realized he was really really good, haha.

The game has grown to the point where I feel it is highly enjoyable to watch and play, and I'm very happy with how far we've come and where the game will go from here. And with the promise of more content down the road, the hype and fun truly have shown no signs of stopping.

Ever since our Brawl scene died and there was no more Brawl tournaments, I was hesitant of being a part of something that would suffer the same fate, and I'm happy I got into the Smash 4 scene. Now I help run what is considered the largest tournaments on our side of the state, and the new people I've met and friends I've made have made this so much more special for me.

 

[MarioMeteor]

It's crazy to think it has almost been an entire year since my first Smash 4 tournament. I've had 25+ tournaments under my belt, and still competing.

I was super weary of the backlash Smash 4 would get coming after the competitive scene killed Brawl. I was very uncertain having been in the competitive Brawl scene since 2009 if I wanted to have a repeat of that, and worried for the games success on a competitive level. It was shaping up to be really good, and the demo I played before release Luigi had a walljump, so nothing could possibly be wrong with a game with that option.

When it released, I labbed up Luigi for the entire day. I knew how he was in previous games, and I've always been a low tier hero, so I wanted to be the best with him I could. So expect my surprise when I realized he was really really good, haha.

The game has grown to the point where I feel it is highly enjoyable to watch and play, and I'm very happy with how far we've come and where the game will go from here. And with the promise of more content down the road, the hype and fun truly have shown no signs of stopping.

Ever since our Brawl scene died and there was no more Brawl tournaments, I was hesitant of being a part of something that would suffer the same fate, and I'm happy I got into the Smash 4 scene. Now I help run what is considered the largest tournaments on our side of the state, and the new people I've met and friends I've made have made this so much more special for me.

I'm still salty that Luigi can't wall jump.

 

[RIP|Merrick]

I still dream of wall jump into offstage up+b kills.

 

[MarioMeteor]

I still dream of wall jump into offstage up+b kills.

I still dream of not dying when I lose my double jump.

 

[Xandercosm]

It was really interesting to watch the meta evolve over the past year. It feels like it's come so far in such a short period. I've really enjoyed the game so far. To, me it's the most meaningful and best Smash game of all for a lot of reasons. It got me interested in competitive Smash, I feel like it perfected the Smash formula (at least more than any games previous), I've been playing it since day one of the 3DS release when Bowsercide was a thing (those were some craaazy days), and it's the first smash game to have regular updates and DLC.

It's really a special game.

 

[Dark Phazon]

I just hope they finally add a character in smash that i wanted...got 1 more chance for K.Rool come December 15th...

Things are not looking good like usual

 

[Xandercosm]

I just hope they finally add a character in smash that i wanted...got 1 more chance for K.Rool come December 15th...

Things are not looking good like usual

Remember, it's Nintendo we're talking about. K. Rool. is far and away the most requested character so obviously he won't get in. Cuz Nintendo...

I voted for him too...

 

[LunarWingCloud]

As someone that's paid attention to competitive Yu-Gi-Oh! before this, seeing Smash's competitive evolution on top of the overall changes has been pretty exciting.

Diddy, Sonic and Rosalina used to be disgustingly ever-present in the meta a year ago, Pikachu wasn't considered even close to Top 5 (at best he was considered high-mid, whereas now he's considered Top 5 very easily, Top 10 at bare minimum), Meta Knight was ridiculed as almost completely unplayable compared to his Brawl dominance, and we didn't originally intend to see nearly 5+ DLC characters like we're getting. Ryu and Cloud were some of the most unexpected additions in the history of the series, unfortunately the hype for Ryu wasn't so great due to his leak beforehand.

Now, we've got an extremely varied meta that's coming together pretty well, and the DLC has so far helped complete and already well-rounded game and made it even better. I still think the 3DS and Wii U being split up left a little to be desired on each end, but overall it's been crazy to think we've come this far, but I can't wait to see what the game will be after everything is said and done.

 

[Turrin]

It'll be interesting to see what happens once the patches end. Just because the direct coming up is the last video broadcast, that doesn't mean the patches are stopping, but once they do the metagame will develop way differently. So far the last year it seems the metagame would go one direction, then a patch would come in like a tornado and completely shift developments of the meta, only for it to start developing differently, until a new patch, ad so on. For example, once patches stop, players won't have to be afraid of their characters getting nerfed, and can therefore put in more serious work pushing their character's metagame. I don't know when it'll happen, but Sakurai did say the development team would have to disband at some point.

 

[Tino]

I remember how hyped I was when Sm4sh was first announced a few years back. I was even more hyped for the games when Rosalina was confirmed, who was my most wanted newcomer since after Brawl came out. Hard to believe it's been over a full year since the games came out and to this day, I still enjoy the **** out of them.

 

[Xandercosm]

unfortunately the hype for Ryu wasn't so great due to his leak beforehand.

For once, I wish that we could have a character release that isn't spoiled by some attention-seeking idiot.

It'll be interesting to see what happens once the patches end. Just because the direct coming up is the last video broadcast, that doesn't mean the patches are stopping, but once they do the metagame will develop way differently. So far the last year it seems the metagame would go one direction, then a patch would come in like a tornado and completely shift developments of the meta, only for it to start developing differently, until a new patch, ad so on. For example, once patches stop, players won't have to be afraid of their characters getting nerfed, and can therefore put in more serious work pushing their character's metagame. I don't know when it'll happen, but Sakurai did say the development team would have to disband at some point.

I'm totally fine with having more patches. I just hope they actually start making changes that the competitive scene asked for (since casuals don't care, as long as they don't buff Bowser's smashes, or something). Like, why has it taken this long for Sheik to be nerfed, but Luigi was nerfed ages ago. And, why do they make changes so incrementally? Every patch, it's like a couple little changes per character. I mean, is Samus EVER gonna get fixed? Will Ganondorf ALWAYS be a useless, fat, piece of junk that moves at 2mph at top speed? Will they EVER fix Ness's doubles-ruining Pk Fire? Will they EVER make multi-hit moves ACTUALLY connect? Will they ever fix ANY of the things that REALLY need to be fixed?!

These are the questions that I wish I had an answer to and that bother me to no end.

 

[Drarky]

The day I saw this video, was the day I lost all of my manliness. And it was entirely worth it.

Smash 4 comes to me as my favorite game of the franchise just because of the ammount of hype I've had not only while playing, but just by merely talking or looking at it. I'm always pumped up to play some of it just because of my favorite characters being in here.

Little Mac, Lucas, Roy, Cloud, Mewtwo, Mega Man, even seeing Ness back again (with an awesome 3DS stage I may add) made me feel extremely hyped for the game. I still get some tears with the trailers of Mega Man and Lucas.

I really love this game, and I'm really looking forward to see what's going to come next.

Sakurai and his team did it. And they did it amazingly may I add.

 

[Foxus]

Putting aside the fact I am one of Smash's biggest critics anyone will ever know (but criticize fairly and constructively, not to read my own words for pleasure) probably the two "memories" as you could call them, are when that Bowser glitch as it has become known as when during the 3DS tournament at Comic Con. Second was all the people trying to lobby that the leaks of Bowser Jr and Duck Hunt Dog were untrue. That part was truly entertaining.

With Cloud's inclusion, Sakurai just did Sony a huge favor, and a promotional opportunity for the next Final Fantasy installment. A Christmas present for Sony so-to-speak.

When all is said and done, I can say there are aspects I'm disappointed with and aspects I'm satisfied with, the latter being most important. Fox's voice I can never get enough of.

I can see there being patches done here and there, more constructive ones than others, as DLC comes to a close. I can see Wolf coming, as I think Cloud finishes off the need for newcomers at the moment being. I honestly have no idea what metagame means (until Smash 4 came out, I had no idea what hitbox meant) so I can't comment on that.

As for the future, I can only implore the idea for Smash to become more of an open sourced project, the developers working hand-in-hand with the community, a collaboration of sorts.

 

[Xandercosm]

I honestly have no idea what metagame means (until Smash 4 came out, I had no idea what hitbox meant)

A Fox main that doesn't know what "metagame" means...

 

[Foxus]

A Fox main that doesn't know what "metagame" means...

Nope, quite a shocker it must be.

 

[War Anvil]

One year? Maybe two years would be a stronger backthrow (Get it?). Remember when a lot of us were hyped for ? Good times.

DLC or no, both iterations of Smash 4 have definitely held up well in their own right. Here's to more HD/portable fun!

 

[Muskrat Catcher]

This game has honestly changed my life. It is such a well designed game and they did everything right. I can't think of another game where you can have just as much fun playing with someone picking up the game for the first time as you can playing the best player in your area.

Before Sm4sh, I owned brawl, and I literally had no idea how big smash was as a franchise. I didn't know that there were other games in the series, I didn't know that there was a competitive scene, and I had no idea that competitive play even existed. My friends and I were the most casual scrubs ever. Then Smash 4 was announced, and after a while news reached me. I got super hyped and it was half the reason I got a 3DS, the other half being pokemon. I had no plans of ever being competitive at the game, I just wanted to have a ton of fun with my friends. Slowly, after playing the game enough, I discovered the competitive scene, and found out that I was getting pretty good at the game (which was still mediocre compared to now), so I joined an online tournament, and I actually won a set against @grafcar ! After that, I strove to improve my skills to become a tournament threat, and found out that my area did have a competitive scene, and started going to real tournaments, and here I am now! A scrub turned competitive, and I absolutely love the smash community, from all games. By some stroke of luck and coincidence, I actually met Grafcar at my local tourney, which was awesome! We are both much better now! And I have met so many other friends online and in person.

Before I got into competitive sm4sh, I was looking far and wide for that one game that I could dedicate a lot of time to. I tried competitive pokémon, but I didn't like it. There were a few other games that I wanted to really get into, but there is either no support for them or they simply aren't competitive, and so they had no community. Now that I have found this competitive scene, I finally have that game that I can dedicate myself to. The one that I can play as much as I want, and never feel bad or get bored. Even though I am the best of my friends, I can still have a ton of fun with them thanks to the casual side of the game, and still strive to get even better without fearing that my friends will no longer have fun when they face me. I love this game!

 

[ToadsterOven]

Anybody here remember when Little Mac was considered too good in For Glory mode when the 3DS version first came out? XD Don't get me wrong, Little Mac has his good points like being able to quickly rack up damage plus his unique one shot K.O mechanic which hits like a truck if it properly connects, but having a piss poor recovery as well as being a light weight character that gets launched too easy holds him back from being top tier.

Anybody here remember top players and players in general whining about Diddy Kong being broken because of his down throw to up A combo yet using him anyway because money (unfortunately) talks? Remember how EVERYONE rejoiced when that damn dirty ape got nerfed following the inclusion of our first DLC character Mewtwo?

God this has been a crazy first year for smash 4. Was Brawl or Melee ever this crazy in their first year of existence post launch?

 

[Zink Imp]

One year ago, I was happy because my top 2 most wanted characters for Smash 4 were playable: Shulk and Lucina .

Now, my third top pick, Bayonetta, is joining the fray. It was worth the year-long wait.

 

[Hydde]

God this has been a crazy first year for smash 4. Was Brawl or Melee ever this crazy in their first year of existence post launch?

I think not.

Melee wasnt because even when hyped a lot because of the success of the first smash.... no onesaw what was coming until people started catching up on what could be done. It was a gradual hype unil what it is today.

Brawl was obvs hyped like never before..much more than smash4.... but after the first 3 months then the meltdown started when palyers noticed what brawl really was.

Smash4 has enjoyed a very positive first year IMO...and because of DLC and patches... the game feels like if the first year hasnt even passed with all the goodies and balance rework. I think its save to say that smash4 has enjoyed a very hyped year overall, the most hyped first year of all the 4 smashes

 

[Phenomiracle]

What a year for Smash 4.

Not many in the community were willing to give Smash 4 past a few months, to think that the excitement and tournament hype has lasted this long and with intensity is as amazing is it was unexpected. Kudos to top players for keeping tourneys interesting, kudos to everyone's hard work in ensuring Smash 4's crowd was given quality access and representation in major gaming alleys, kudos for dev support in great DLC (as overpriced as they are).

Looking forward to see the scene grow larger and larger once the Melee fanboys start jumping ship.

 

[RIP|Merrick]

Not many in the community were willing to give Smash 4 past a few months.

I always thought that outlandish claim I'd hear all over the Smash 4 videos pre release and some forums were insane. If Brawl was a competitive failure after all, then it sure lasted a long time in spite of some of the admittedly dumb crap in the game. For Smash 4 to have a competitive scene for a few months only to die out was always ridiculous to my mind, and I hope to someday salvage some of the old threads and comments regarding Smash 4's "early demise" to get a good laugh again.

So happy it's a largely accepted competitive game now in a library of Smash games.

 

[BunbUn129]

It's felt so long. Just a year ago, Bowser and Duck Hunt were considered top-tier. Just earlier this year, Diddy Kong was the dominant force of the metagame. Just until July, Meta Knight was considered unviable. Bowser and Duck Hunt are wondering what the world has come to, Diddy resents the loss of his superiority, Shiek is the best fighter, but is completely elusive as she is only a meaningful force at the very highest level, and Meta Knight has found his way back to the summit, and--perhaps--he is poised to strike and reclaim his throne. People continue to ridicule Ganondorf; but who is to say he is not scheming? Perhaps the King of Evil will finally have his victory one day.

And as of recently, shields have become much less reliable, and with more combos, the game is shaping out to be neither Melee nor Brawl, but its own game. I wonder what advanced techniques lie beneath the surface. So far, we have pivoting, and a few players, namely Void and Neo, are pushing this technique. You can't help but wonder: will we find something as ground-breaking as wavedashing?

This Smash game has done one thing better than the others: character balance. Shiek is definitely the best character, but she only sees widespread use at top-level play. She's nowhere near as dominant as 64 Pikachu, Melee Fox, and especially Brawl Meta Knight.

 

[Swampertrulz]

I'll never forget dat Hype Train.

 

[Sunshine Jesse]

It's been pretty much like I expected- a better Brawl. We didn't get some DLC characters that I really wanted (Sora ), but it's overall been a wonderful smash game so far.

I think calling it a "better Brawl" undermines how much I've enjoyed it given the connotations Brawl has, but I was cautiously optimistic about this game, and that optimism turned out to be valid.

 

[Strong-Arm]

Overall Ive enjoyed my time with smash 4, Its been a pretty hype filled game tho the end was a giant disappointing mess, its still a good game. They gave us some surprise additions that are absolutely awesome (), but also some terrible decisions were made along the way(not bringing back,).
I hope it isnt over yet and Wolf is announced as a surprise. But if not I can say that I do really like this game alot tho I have a slight bit of bitterness. Its been a wild ride. Itll be interesting to see where we go from here for sure

 

[The Slayer]

Obviously, there are disappointments at the end of the major DLC updates (FE overrep, poor single player setup, fan choices that were ideal but will never happen, me yelling at cloud, the mirror is still broken, etc), but I would be lying that it had some things going for it (huge roster, start of a more stable MU process, lot more publicity for Smash Bros series). Clearly, this is a step up from Brawl with some finer changes.

 

[VillageofFitness]

Smash is honestly the one game that makes me hype for info on the content. This euphoria has lasted a year and it's a lovely feeling.

 

[Newtonjar]

If you told me this was going to be the character roster a year ago, I would have laughed so hard in your face.