Just to add some life to this section of the forum. This is an English essay that I wrote for class (the prompt was to write a free-structured essay). Ironically, this was my first "A" paper all year. Note that this was before Brawl was released.
Smashing is my favorite hobby. There’s just a simple, primal satisfaction from landing a fiery punch of death that is heralded by a voice that screams “Falcon… PUNCH!!,” or analyzing an opponent’s movements to the point where you can anticipate their next move and brutally punish them for it, preferably ending their life (or stock, as true Smashers say). Oh, and you can’t forget getting off that beautifully placed tipper that makes your opponent cringe (Marth’s forward smash attack), that cheap shinespike (killing at low damage with an attack called “shine”) that makes your opponent groan and call johns (a Smasher’s excuse for why they lost), or getting that wonderfully, utterly satisfying, electrifying knee from Captain Falcon (CF) – that thud that results from the move connecting is a sound that Smashers who use CF sleep to. That being said, the “Smashing” I do is not the destruction of objects – it involves a sort of destruction, but nothing real – it is a game called “Super Smash Bros.: Melee,” also known as “SSBM” for short, or, as the Japanese call it, “Suma Bura,” or, as Smashers say, “Smash.” What seems like a comical, free-for-all brawl for victory becomes a competitive, Darwinian fight for survival in the upper echelons of Smash gameplay.
The strange part about Smash is that it does not belong to any of the traditional branches of games – it is not a puzzle game (although it does require analysis), a shooting game (although it does require aiming), and it doesn’t even resemble a traditional fighting game (although this branch is the one it represents most). Smash is a new type of fighting game – one where you attempt to knock opponents off the stage and kill them off to the side, over the top, or down into a bottomless pit. (It’s like sumo wrestling in that regard, only much, much cooler.) The more powerful the attack and the more damage you have acquired, the farther you are knocked back and the more likely you are to die. When you are knocked out, you have to make it back to the stage, normally utilizing your jump (it’s a game; why can’t you jump in midair?) and your third jump (known to Smashers as “up+B”). Anyone who plays Smash casually knows these concepts; taking them one step further, however, is what separates them from becoming Smashers.
To be a Smasher means that you know the moves of every character (26, to be exact), the basics to using each character (how to kill with them, for example), the best way to recover with each character, and the universal techniques and how to do them. It certainly is a lengthy list, and it certainly is not easy completing the list. But this is where the beauty of the game is revealed in all its glory – it is incredibly deep, enjoyable both at the casual and competitive (yes, competitive – that’s another aspect of a Smasher) level. Knowing how to wavedash (sliding along the ground), tech (bouncing off surfaces), or edgehog (grabbing edges so that your opponent can’t grab it – yes, it does seem like a dirty little trick, but it’s perfectly legitimate, considering the game gives you points for it) doesn’t make you good, nor does it make the game fun – it’s playing with your friends, up to three others at once, that makes the game so enjoyable. When playing in a four-player free-for-all, the insane chaos of the moment and the crazy things that happen makes Smash ridiculously fun. One second, you’ve just sent your best friend flying off the screen with no chance of getting back – the next and you’ve just been sent flying off yourself, killed by your other friend, who was waiting for an opening. There are just some crazy things that can happen in free-for-all; the most chaotic thing to do is to sneak around and spam (to use repeatedly) killing moves like “the slap” (Sheik’s forward aerial attack) or “the knee” (a CF specialty). The hearts of Smashers, however, don’t take joy in indiscriminately killing people while they aren’t looking – they take joy in other modes of play, such as 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2 (friendly fire on, I should say).
It’s only in 1 vs. 1 where you can fairly determine skill – you could be good, but in 4-player free-for-all, you could get knee’d by a CF user in the back (and have to listen to their laugher as you get punted across the screen covered with electricity), gimped (killed in a cheap manner) while edgeguarding someone, or run into a fiery punch of death because you were too distracted with someone else (and again listen to their laughter while you sit there and sulk at your own stupidity). It’s only in 1 vs. 1 where you can see just how much difference there is in skill between you and your opponent, and, with replay videos, how you can improve. Improvement and growth is a huge part of Smashers, especially at tournament level (yes, there are tournaments for Smash). Professional Smashers (aka pros) have taken the game to a whole new level (which is why they win), and to watch two pros do battle is intense – each one of their moves is calculated and in preparation for their next. It’s like a real-time game of chess, each player analyzing the other player so that they can find openings to kill them. Pros from all around the nation travel to tournaments to play people and get even better – and these tournaments for Smash are huge, lasting several days long. Super Champ Combo, for example, lasted for two days and had 201 entrants in the Singles tournament; although it was hosted in California, there were people from the East coast that showed up as well – 1st and 2nd place, in fact, went to Mew2King and PC Chris, respectively, both from the East Coast. (Currently, there’s geographic domination by the East Coast – Mew2King and PC Chris are just too good.) Another tournament called OC3, hosted in California, boasted international competition, with players from Japan, the United Sates, and Europe, coming to a total of 228 players. The tournament itself lasted an entire weekend, and things such as rides from the airport, lodging, and food all had to be arranged online.
Smash isn’t all about the competition, winning/losing, making money from tournament winnings, etc; it’s about the sense of community among players. Smashers have been described to be like an extended family to each other, something that other gaming communities have failed to do. Sean, a player from Arizona, found himself stranded in Denver, CO, on his way to a tournament, when a blizzard struck and closed the airport. Being “a Smasher however, you have connections all over the U.S,” so he called a fellow Smasher named Kenny, who picked him up from the airport and let him stay in his home, providing him with home-cooked meals and a bed for three days – even though they had never gotten to know each other that well, only from tournaments and online chats. There are countless anecdotes of the experiences and bonding that the Smash community has gone through – after OC3, for example, all of the players went to a nearby IHOP, sharing stories and just having a good time with everyone. At the result threads for Smashboards, the largest forum for Super Smash Bros (with 77,556 members), there are countless shout-outs in which players share the experiences they had as well as talk about the new people that they met. In fact, the Smash community is so close that Chen, one of the staff of Evolution, noted someone’s claim that, “footage of Smash players involved more handshakes and hugs more than any other game.” From the tournaments that I’ve been too, I can verify that this close bond actually exists – Smashers hang out together, swapping stories and reliving the good times that they’ve had in tournaments. However, there are some accounts of bad times – faulty managers, late tournaments, but that’s where another part of the Smash community shines – it’s mature, never complaining and always willing to make things run smoothly. At Evo 2007, there was one time when pools and brackets had to be decided with a best-of-1 battle because of a lack of time. What did the Smashers do? They were mature about it, dealt with it, and just “played through it… cheering their game on…they were enjoying it too much themselves to care” if non-Smashers were watching the games as well.
I too have had great times with Smash – while I rarely go to tournaments, I play Smash actively with my friends once I get the chance. During the summer, we made plans almost every weekend to get together for Smash – we would just call each other with the message, “Smashfest at my house this weekend?” and we’d be off, Smashing the entire time. We’ve done other stuff outside of Smash as well though – we’ve gone out to lunch together, had dinner together, and have partied together outside of the Smash atmosphere. Our bonds have been formed by and our differences pushed away by Smash; I owe this game for that, and it is a debt I will never be able to repay. I know this bond will last – it’s lasting right now, even though I don’t have classes with any of them, nor do I see them every day. I also know that this bond will last even throughout our college years, even if we go to separate colleges. Why? Because we are all Smashers, bound together by our love for the game and our friendship.
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Subject: On Smashers 
Mon May 05, 2008 10:57 pm
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