Runeworks Gaming
Revue Series
Issue 1.1: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Welcome all gaming enthusiasts to what will hopefully be the first of many articles containing brief, personally inspired evals of various games written with the intent of procuring interest, providing insight, maybe even provoking some dialogue! And what better subject to set the standard with than Nintendo’s Intellectual Property extravaganza: Super Smash Bros?
Long story short, the prospect of making a game in which characters from multiple franchises break away from their canon universes and interact with each other was initially, from what one could imagine, a bit of a gag idea. Even the finalized name was somewhat reminiscent of a joke, unlikely overthought or planned to take itself seriously beyond changing one word from Nintendo’s eponymous trademark Mario games. And like any crossover, the gimmick was to appeal to fans of each franchise involved for what was probably, at the time, most anticipated to be a passing trend. Instead, in the years following the enormous commercial success of the original in ‘96, the conglomeration of franchises has become its own individual staple, seeing a total of 5 installments across Nintendo’s systems to date (6, if considering the Wii U and 3DS versions separately). The 2018 latest has the nerve to call itself “Ultimate,” and due to its near-complete incorporation of content from every previous title, it’s not too hard to understand why.
There is a smorgasbord of different areas and aspects to address about this game — presumably more than one might find healthy trying to digest after one sitting — so be aware that we’ll only be digging into the basic appetizers here for now.
At the risk of stating too much of what anyone interested in this article almost definitely already knows, Super Smash Bros. is of the fighting variety of genres in video games. That is, unlike many other games that showcase some sort of fighting, the genre is usually categorized in its demonstration of a competitive, often aggressively-portrayed struggle to force an opposing player’s character or an artificial intelligence into a situation that they, in turn, resist in kind. If you’re unfamiliar with this style, but you can picture Super Mario or Link from the Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong or PAC-Man with homage to the arcade-veteran demographic, or Sonic the Hedgehog to the surprise of many witnesses of the earliest console wars (we’ll get back to that another time), then imagine these, or any of now over 70 other popular characters throughout gaming history pitted in any selection of over a hundred combative arenas, using their fists and weaponry in attempts to make each other explode dramatically off-screen before regenerating in classic cartoon fashion with relatively stoic expressions on their defeated faces, then you can visualize the blueprint for Super Smash Bros… *inhales* Depending on the experience of who’s reading, that description can either sound like an over-simplification or a vast stream-of-conscious scrap heap of esoteric mumble-jargon, but those are both completely legitimate, understandable points of view.
A significant congruence to what we mean to accomplish with Runeworks is found in the spirit of embracing ideas, no matter how outlandish or absurd. The willingness to be incorporative is in the very essence of what has turned something beginning with a fun little concept between developers into the monolith of artistic fanfare it has grown into. To watch quintessential icons of gaming media, those that have been rising in fame for half a century, openly share the spotlight with up-and-coming creations from within our own generation holds meaning to the creative community that cannot be overstated. We, whom recount pastimes with kindred strangers we meet in climbing frequency, build camaraderie and friendships because of, and discover the motivation to see our goals through in spite of how ridiculous they might have once appeared to be, have the opportunity to carry on the joy that our childhood favorites gave to us. It’s the welcoming nature of collaboration, the likes of which is presented in a project like ‘Smash,’ that encourages an evolution to exist in the heart of entertainment and support the ambitious in search of recognition.
Suffice it to say, we have barely scratched the surface of many specifics hinted at above, but we will assuredly be referring back to them all in time. In the articles to follow, this particular series offers a countless variety of directions to look outward from, not exclusively limited to import and speculation. Character rundowns, modes and storylines, playability and game mechanics, trophies and spirits, soundtracks and remixes, changes between new and old, and potentially useful tips are all just to name a few things we plan to cover in regards to the Super Smash Bros. round.
Until then, we hope you’ll stick with us and enjoy more entries of the Revue Series as well as other content from Runeworks Gaming. You can check us out on our official Medium page, as well as on Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook by following the links below, and please share your thoughts!
