A Smashily-Smashy Smash Bros. Retrospective

By RAWKHAWK2010 - Final article of the week, I wring thee forth.

Unlike with the fourth one, I can say I'm really feeling Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I complained for years that Smash 4's myriad of assets had no actual application in terms of single-player content ('tis a similar complaint I have with Mario Kart 8), and it looks like Ultimate will be addressing that concern thoroughly.

To celebrate the game's release I thought hey, why not look back on the series from perspectives relevant to fellow staffers and my interactions with them over the years? (Sound güd? Sounds güd!)

Super Smash Bros.

Well, here's the thing about this game... None of us remotely knew each other at the time of its relevance. You may be going "duh" in response to that but most of us have known each other for so long that the years start to bleed together.

I really have nothing to say/reflect on that would relate to more than any one of us...except that one of us has likely linked the following in response to another of us saying something stupid (would be really surprised if such isn't the case):

(Yo, the music featured in the above is choice. And it's even returning in Ultimate!)

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Unlike the first one, Super Smash Bros. Melee had an opportunity to be "current" for an extended period of time (including even after the release of the following Smash). We never played it against one another, but you can bet it influenced some pre-KoopaTV creative content.

...Or the memes surrounding it did, anyway:

If not for Ludwig, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance music wouldn't have been in that first video because I wouldn't have played Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. The second video wouldn't have happened at all. Also, Ludwig wants me to bring attention to the fact that yesterday as of the publishing of this article was "Wombo Combo"'s tenth birthday.

(I wonder if its dick still hurts... 🤔)

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Super Smash Bros. Brawl probably created more shared memories among Koopa Keep/Planet Koopa/whatever multiple staffers were part of at the time than any other single video game. We had things called "Vrawls" where we used our Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Wi-Fi Corners as a form of make-do voice chat, and also abused the custom taunt system for the purpose of video advertisements. (And who can forget the Green Greens matches with Bob-Ombs, Smart Bombs, and Cracker Launchers all turned on high?!)

With Brawl, the good times with even the dudes who now hate your ass can never be taken away. Especially when you were the one kicking their's:

...And then other times were just, well, bad:

"Luddy"'s Wii freezing right after winning a match against me and two other dudes.

The volume is in mid-adjustment from Ludwig trying to silence the piercing freeze-buzzing. (And I'm gonna assume this wasn't one of those times where he repeatedly exits the match until he doesn't have to play on Green Greens, or else Karma's a Bitch!)

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

Like I said, I (ironically enough) wasn't really feeling it. Still, this is historically the KoopaTV™ Smash Brothers, and its assets were used alongside Mario Kart 8's to produce some good audiovisual content for articles even if we hardly at all played these games with each other.

It's the medium through which we recounted Ludwig and Wendy's humanitarianism back around the time of the 2017 Sierra Leone mudslides, so there's no denying that it was a really useful tool:

"Anything for the good people of Sierra Leone!"

And it was of course the origin of the character-specific "splash card" trailers and all the resulting fan-made ones done in that style:

(We still can't figure out what Pokémon's cry that is after Scyther's (it's not Scizor's) or how I even acquired it.)

(EDIT: According to Kamek, it's a Smoochum. The fuck?)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn't out at the time of writing, but it's already been the motivation for several creative efforts on my end, and obviously inspired the unusual amount of activity you've seen from me pervading the entire week. On one hand I'm really feeling it, but on the other hand I more recognize the need to go "Now it's Rawk time." while doing that little hand-wave thing because I think right now is a great opportunity to do that:

Also, this reaction log is amazing. Everyone in the circle is present for it and there's some different sub-plot going on for almost every person involved. One guy is trying to watch the Direct at work without getting caught. Another guy literally gets a flat tire as the thing is taking place! Needless to say, it's been quite the wild ride already. (No pun intended.)

With any luck Kamek and Wendy will stream this, and with Wendy making some sponduli off it since that's what she plans to do. I have faith Ludwig, Witch, and friendly neighborhood non-staffer Ryudragon will support their efforts. Meanwhile, hopefully I don't take so many damn Video Captures that when it comes to applying them to creative projects I won't even know where to begin. But hey, I think that's that the definition of a good problem to have!

EDIT: Except it turns out Video Capture isn't supported...which very much isn't a good problem to have. I can understand why it's not available in online multiplayer (people would be more focused on capturing videos than actually playing...even though that doesn't stop it from being in Splatoon 2?), but unless technical limitations are truly to blame then exempting it from single-player modes just doesn't make any sense. Oh, and screw Ultimate's replay feature. You still have to sit through the entire replay as it records itself and there's no way to fast forward or rewind to get to the parts you actually want to edit or save. (And for now there's no way to upload videos directly to social media, which for Video Capture was a piece of cake. You actually have to switch the Switch off, remove the SD card, transfer it, reinsert the SD card, and switch the Switch back on. And no one's gonna do that.)

R.I.P. me doing any vids, I guess. Still, you think that's gonna get between me and my Spirits? You think that's gonna get between ME and MYTHRA and ME and TRON BONNE after all of what I wrote? Don't even make me laugh...

December 7th is here, guys. Let's roll.


This is Rawk's sixth article in a row and his sentence-formulation juices are now drained. Expect no more articles from him, and if he's dead next week then it's because his creative liver went on a suicide mission or something.


How are the staff rolling after the weekend? Find out here, including more video capture woes!