Poll of the Day > These Smash Brothers games are always beyond me.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I played the N64 game once, but I am always surprised at how much hype these games get. I don't think that the gaming community reacts to a release of this genre as rabid as any other genre.

What makes them so good?

I don't care, I understand people like them rabidly, I am not going to judge you for that. All of my friends pay these games. As a non-Nintendo gamer I just am curious why people freak out about them. I basically know it's just some party game with a bunch of characters, kinda like a Mugen where people have to knock the other players off the stage.
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Dude, I don't understand it at ALL?! I never really understood the mechanics of it all. The percentages rise, players getting blasted off the board then reappearing. Yeah, I don't get it. My kid LOVES it though. To each their own. I mean, I enjoy grinding for hours on end in Dragon Quest XI, so who am I to judge?!
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reason posted...

I enjoy grinding for hours on end in Dragon Quest XI, so who am I to judge?!

Me too xD, I have 60 hours in Dragon Quest XI and I want to do another playthrough. Maybe next year after the feels wash away.
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Did you ever play with action figures as a kid? Ever mix up their enemies? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fight Cobra Commander? The Toxic Crusader fights Skelator? Now imagine that with all the Nintendo characters.

That is why people like Smash Brothers. Plus the N64 version is the worst one anyways, literally any other version is better.
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Never did. We didn't really have the money for toys, and I got into video games at a pretty young age (8 with the NES and some Arcade games). Before that it was pretty much just the TV I guess?

I'm not attacking anyone for it, I just find it weird people are so rabid over this one game series. Remember ages ago when the DS one came out. It came out around the same time as a Pokemon game (Maybe HGSS, idk) and I was so excited to see an official PotD topic on it (Different times lol) and there wasn't one, but sure as hell there were a dozen for the smash game.

As for why I never got into it, I'm guessing it was largely because I had no "real" friends until my Senior year of High School, royally screwing my childhood (wasn't really allowed to socialize outside of school). At that point I was pretty far beyond whatever magic people had attached to Nintendo.
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I do like the games very much, but I also think they are very overhyped.
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Judgmenl posted...

What makes them so good?

Many reasons. It's basically a love letter to Nintendo fans, with a huge cast and insane attention to details, which attack moves, taunts, etc. all featuring call backs to their original games. And more recently, it's become a love letter to gaming itself, with all the 3rd party fighters in. You can play a match with 8 people at once, with none of them even using a Nintendo character. So it's a whole lot of fun, and Ultimate has a truly absurd amount of content.

In addition, it's basically THE fighting game at this point, with a huge fanbase that is dedicated to learning the intricacies of the game. The mechanics are easy to pick up, but difficult to master.

Basically has something for everyone. If you just want to goof off and see what Ganondorf vs. Bowser with Ray Guns is like, go for it. If you want to master a character and compete in tournaments, do it.
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I just don't know where else you're gonna see Solid Snake and Marth get into a simulated Pokmon fight while Link tosses Mario to his doom off the side of The Great Fox.
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People usually eat up mashup/crossover stuff. Marvel vs Capcom was big. Though sticking to DC Injustice is popular. There are flops of course but that comes from either poor pr or just not being that good of a game.

The average gamer is in his/her 30s and most of started with Nintendo.

So a video game crossover/mashup that is directed at probably the biggest demographic of gamers. Yeah it'll get hype.
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I have a very long history with Smash Bros. It's always been the go to game when hanging out with friends.

Each game represents a different era in my life. Smash 64 was played with the kid down the street when I was like 8. Melee was played with my step siblings when I was a preteen/early teenager. Brawl was the go to game in my last year of high school and throughout university. Smash 4 was played as I developed my career as a teacher. It'll be interesting to see how Ultimate leaves a legacy for me.
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Judgmenl posted...

What makes them so good?

Never played them but I did play PS All Stars and that was appealing so I can see why Smash would be fun. Not really sure why you make topics like this when you clearly have very little interest in video games. Is it because you feel left out? You do know it's ok to not like things right?
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wwinterj25 posted...

you clearly have very little interest in video games

lol. I am about to waste my entire weekend playing Path of Exile due to the new expansion hitting today.
We have done this before, heck I have linked my Steam profile, not liking console games (especially what I call generic "action" games) doesn't mean I don't like video games.
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Judgmenl posted...

doesn't mean I don't like video games.

I said "have very little interest". This implies you have some interest but not much. Not sure why you're pretending otherwise.
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wwinterj25 posted...

Judgmenl posted...

doesn't mean I don't like video games.

I said "have very little interest". This implies you have some interest but not much. Not sure why you're pretending otherwise.

Implying that liking Nintendo wankery makes you a gamer.
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KnoxKorner posted...

Implying that liking Nintendo wankery makes you a gamer.

Glad to see you can't read or understand. Try harder.
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I'd argue I have zero interest in gaming "culture".
I don't feel "the hype" that new game releases bring, and have almost no interest in new IPs and either "AAA" or "Indie" games.
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I am a massive fan but if you are not then that is nothing to feel bad or weird about.

But for me and most people I know the reasons why it creates hype is:
Its the easy to understand difficult to master that most fighters have never been able to do

The multiplayer since having up to 7 other mates play at the same time in the same room is something that has been lost in todays era

The attention to detail, if you like any of the characters, from the big to little things, there is so much flavor from their origins which will hit the nostalgia nerves

But most importantly the crossover aspect, much like the MCU craze (which I am also a sucker for despite only getting into marvel properly with the MCU), there is a kick people get out of fleshed out characters meeting other fleshed out characters from completely different universes

I just had several coworkers bring this up at work and I'm like "lolwat" to myself.
That's how huge this game is, it's ridiculous.
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Why does it matter? You won't understand it. Move on.
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It's a party game, of course it isn't going to appeal to jaded loners

Judgmenl posted...

I'd argue I have zero interest in gaming "culture".

Whatever floats your boat buddy.
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wwinterj25 posted...

Judgmenl posted...

I'd argue I have zero interest in gaming "culture".

Whatever floats your boat buddy.

Yet he's here hanging out on GameFAQs lol
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Judgmenl posted...

I'd argue I have zero interest in gaming "culture".

I think you making this topic proves otherwise.

Chewster posted...

It's a party game,

I'm glad someone is calling it the party game it is.
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I don't think people understand what I mean when I say "Gaming culture".
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Judgmenl posted...

I don't think people understand what I mean when I say "Gaming culture".

Oh? What alternate gaming culture definition are you using?
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Judgmenl posted...

I don't think people understand what I mean when I say "Gaming culture".

Hurrr durr guys I piss and moan about most games that I can't seem to enjoy but hurr durr it's you guys that don't understand, ok?
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

I'm glad someone is calling it the party game it is.

It is a competitive game too though. There are literally major competitions on it, so to say otherwise would be wrong.

But for me, and the vast majority of players, it is a party game. And I do take issue with people who bash on the "casuals". Let's just all enjoy Smash as we want to enjoy it for our preferences.

Judgmenl posted...

Never did. We didn't really have the money for toys, and I got into video games at a pretty young age (8 with the NES and some Arcade games). Before that it was pretty much just the TV I guess?

Dont have money for toys, but you can get a tv and a videogame system? That doesn't add up : / i understand if you just werent into toys.
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play 1v1 without items at the simpler maps against a RL opponent of comparable skill (especially SSBM)
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Sahuagin posted...

play 1v1 without items at the simpler maps against a RL opponent of comparable skill (especially SSBM)

Ive seen two of my friends do that. They could probably do competitions. Same as my little brother. But Id get bored quick.

For me, its as many people as we can get, changing or moving levels (or hazardous ones), and all items. That causes chaos. And thats where I have the most fun. Haha.
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I haven't really played a Smash game other than 64 or Melee but I'd assume it's fun.

Something I never understood though--for all the hype newer entries get, they never seem to trump Melee in everyone's eyes. After a few months of playing, people start complaining and revert back to Melee aside from the casual player.

What is it? Blatant nostalgia or is it really that the mechanics were just right in that entry and Nintendo has failed to emulate them or build upon them?

BlackestGarden posted...

I haven't really played a Smash game other than 64 or Melee but I'd assume it's fun.

Something I never understood though--for all the hype newer entries get, they never seem to trump Melee in everyone's eyes. After a few months of playing, people start complaining and revert back to Melee aside from the casual player.

What is it? Blatant nostalgia or is it really that the mechanics were just right in that entry and Nintendo has failed to emulate them or build upon them?

All of Melees "mechanics" competitive people talk about are actually exploits or glitches that coincidentally make for a better competitive game. Melee also had pretty bad balancing and hitboxes which was fine for a party game but pretty much ensured people only use a few good characters. So it wasn't a case of Nintendo failing to make mechanics right as it was fixing the exploits people liked. Could they have turned them into an actual mechanic? Maybe, but from what I understand Sakurai(Creator/Director) was very much against Smash being a competitive game.
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Last one I really played a lot was melee. One of my all time favorite games

Cruddy_horse posted...

All of Melees "mechanics" competitive people talk about are actually exploits or glitches that coincidentally make for a better competitive game.

I'm not sure if I ever used anything that was a "glitch". (disclaimer: not trying to say I'm a great player, I'm just a regular player who liked playing it 1v1).

for me I think it was more about the speed. the newer ones all feel sluggish, but melee was super fast. it made it so that there was always room for improvement because you always could have done things even faster if you were really good enough. the later ones never felt that way, though I didn't play them as much either.

the way the game played made it so that very very subtle changes in your timing could be used to gain or lose an advantage in split seconds. I don't think even the best of other fighting games has as precise of control over your character as you can have in SSBM.

like, something as simple as jumping. in a normal fighting game you can jump, or jump forward, or jump backward. not 100% sure but you're pretty limited in the variation there. some games, the "jump forward" will always be the same distance, and any jump will always be the same height.

in smash bros (IIRC since it's been a while) you can jump not only varied heights, but can double jump, can alter the direction of your ascent and descent, and can even alter the *speed* of your descent. you can also "dodge" while descending, pull out or throw an item in various directions, and use moves, and it all ties back into the fact that you can also change trajectory. so, you are constantly in precise control of how vulnerable you're making yourself, while trying to get in position to connect with your opponent. (and your opponent has this kind of super precise control as well...). and depending if you get hit, or what moves you choose to use, you will gain or lose maneuverability as well (and so will your opponent).

in SSBM specifically, this kind of thing was maximized and perfected. I'm not aware of any other fighting game that reaches these levels of precise control over your character.
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BlackestGarden posted...

I haven't really played a Smash game other than 64 or Melee but I'd assume it's fun.

Something I never understood though--for all the hype newer entries get, they never seem to trump Melee in everyone's eyes. After a few months of playing, people start complaining and revert back to Melee aside from the casual player.

What is it? Blatant nostalgia or is it really that the mechanics were just right in that entry and Nintendo has failed to emulate them or build upon them?

It is really only the super competitive people, us "casuals" or as I like to call it people who play the game because it is fun think every entry just improves on the game.

Plus the only reason I crap on the N64 version is because it is so bare. Only a handful of fighters, almost no game modes, and the only unlockables are 4 clone characters. The mechanics are good, the game is just kind of empty feature-wise.
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Dikitain posted...

BlackestGarden posted...

I haven't really played a Smash game other than 64 or Melee but I'd assume it's fun.

Something I never understood though--for all the hype newer entries get, they never seem to trump Melee in everyone's eyes. After a few months of playing, people start complaining and revert back to Melee aside from the casual player.

What is it? Blatant nostalgia or is it really that the mechanics were just right in that entry and Nintendo has failed to emulate them or build upon them?

It is really only the super competitive people, us "casuals" or as I like to call it people who play the game because it is fun think every entry just improves on the game.

Plus the only reason I crap on the N64 version is because it is so bare. Only a handful of fighters, almost no game modes, and the only unlockables are 4 clone characters. The mechanics are good, the game is just kind of empty feature-wise.

It was the first one. Though, who was Ness a clone of? I know Luigi was Mario, Jigglypuff was close to Kirby, I guess Falcon was Samus (maybe). But what about Ness?
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LinkPizza posted...

Dikitain posted...

BlackestGarden posted...

I haven't really played a Smash game other than 64 or Melee but I'd assume it's fun.

Something I never understood though--for all the hype newer entries get, they never seem to trump Melee in everyone's eyes. After a few months of playing, people start complaining and revert back to Melee aside from the casual player.

What is it? Blatant nostalgia or is it really that the mechanics were just right in that entry and Nintendo has failed to emulate them or build upon them?

It is really only the super competitive people, us "casuals" or as I like to call it people who play the game because it is fun think every entry just improves on the game.

Plus the only reason I crap on the N64 version is because it is so bare. Only a handful of fighters, almost no game modes, and the only unlockables are 4 clone characters. The mechanics are good, the game is just kind of empty feature-wise.

It was the first one. Though, who was Ness a clone of? I know Luigi was Mario, Jigglypuff was close to Kirby, I guess Falcon was Samus (maybe). But what about Ness?

Yoshi I believe. They weren't exact clones, but they were pretty similar strategy-wise.
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Luigi is the only clone in 64...everyone else has completely different attacks from each other. Kirby and Jigglypuff, despite similar appearances, play differently from each other.
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Dikitain posted...

Yoshi I believe. They weren't exact clones, but they were pretty similar strategy-wise.

the heck... if you think Yoshi and Ness are clones, then you've barely played these games. they are nothing alike. I don't think they have even a single move in common...

LinkPizza posted...

Though, who was Ness a clone of? I know Luigi was Mario, Jigglypuff was close to Kirby, I guess Falcon was Samus (maybe). But what about Ness?

Luigi was a maybe "clone" of Mario, but he still played pretty differently. Most of his moves did the same general thing in a very different way (different to the extent that you need to learn his attacks separately). the others are not clones of anyone. Falcon is nothing at all like Samus. Jigglypuff has a bit in common with Kirby (pink flying puffballs?), but not enough to say they're "clones".
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Judgmenl posted...

I don't feel "the hype" that new game releases bring

Judgmenl posted...

I am about to waste my entire weekend playing Path of Exile due to the new expansion hitting today.

Uh huh.

I mean, I get what you're saying. For the most part, game releases don't actively excite me that much anymore. The last game I really felt hyped for was Xenoblade X, and before that Brawl, and before that I guess Wind Waker or something. That said, I'm not going to pretend that I don't feel some degree of anticipatory excitement when something I want to play comes out, hence I had Smash pre-loaded and played it as soon as I was able to today. That's really no different from you being excited for a new league and allocating your whole weekend to enjoy it.
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They're great but overhyped as hell. Plus the toxic, ungrateful fans about whining about all the stuff Sakurai has done.
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Judgmenl posted...

Never did. We didn't really have the money for toys, and I got into video games at a pretty young age (8 with the NES and some Arcade games). Before that it was pretty much just the TV I guess?

?
toys? those are too expensive, get a NES instead...
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It's one of those safe games that everyone can say they like and pick up and play. Like your mom could play it with you if they were so inclined.

You could get a group for a bike ride but skateboarding would stretch out the group to where they couldn't really have fun together.

Its why you don't invite boiler room ted for golf, but you can for smash and you all have fun.

AllstarSniper32 posted...

Judgmenl posted...

I'd argue I have zero interest in gaming "culture".

I think you making this topic proves otherwise.

Chewster posted...

It's a party game,

I'm glad someone is calling it the party game it is.

Its a party fighter tbh
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