Smash Reflections: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

(Part 1 can be found here.)

(Part 2 can be found here.)

At E3 2005, Nintendo announced their latest console. Dubbed “The Nintendo Revolution”, the console featured wireless controllers and an interface that focused on interactive gameplay. Several titles were announced as possibilities, but key amongst them was a Smash Bros. game. This news surprised Masahiro Sakurai, who wasn’t kept in-the-loop about this, but he went to work on the game shortly afterward. The one condition Sakurai had was that this next entry would be his baby, with him having complete control over the finished project. Nintendo granted him that request, but due to Sakurai’s ambitions, the game, later dubbed Super Smash Bros. Brawl, kept getting delayed, until it released in early-2008 for the Wii.

Despite this, the game received immense hype. This was further compounded by The Smash Bros. Dojo, a site that frequently provided updates on the game’s progress. I remember sitting at my computer every day after school, clicking on the site and checking to see the latest development. Whether it was a character introduction, a stage announcement, or even a sound clip, Super Smash Bros. Brawl would be the biggest and most-epic Smash Bros. game in history! There was no way it’d disappoint, right?

Confession time: my thoughts on Super Smash Bros. Brawl have come full-circle in the years since its release. Initially, I was pumped, thinking it’d be the best game ever. As the hype faded, however, disappointment kicked in, and I started to notice, or over-notice, its flaws. It was only once I realized how toxic the gaming community’s reactions were toward it that I started appreciating it more, and it became a favourite again. Even now, 10 years later, I still have immense respect for the game.

The most-obvious upgrade was the visuals. Super Smash Bros. Melee was a clear improvement over the original game’s low-polygon count, but this game really upped the ante. Everything looked crisp and detailed, with an attention to detail normally found in modern-Final Fantasy. Additionally, the game also had a gritty, lived-in feel, with many of the characters looking somewhat edgy. It was unique to the franchise at the time, and it still is now.

Perhaps the best showcase of the visual enhancement was its opening cinematic. If Super Smash Bros. felt like a stage play and Super Smash Bros. Melee a short film, then Super Smash Bros. Brawl was the equivalent of going to the opera. Not only was the opening cinematic, but it had full-on orchestrations and a choir singing in Latin. Some might even call it excessive, given how this was a fighting game and not a grand epic. Then again, when you have Nobuo Uematsu composing, you have to let him do what he does best:

The intro feels like a Final Fantasy game, no? (Courtesy of Alfonso’s ALT.)

The story-heavy feel of this opening linked to the game’s newest feature, a fleshed-out, single-player campaign dubbed “The Subspace Emissary”. This was quite unique to the franchise at the time, feeling like the Adventure Mode from Super Smash Bros. Melee that Sakurai had wanted for years. Here, however, he had full reign to do as he wished, and The Subspace Emissary was its own beast. I know fans are divided on it, especially since it unlocks all of the characters without having to earn them, but I liked it.

On the subject of divisive, Super Smash Bros. Brawl slowed down the fighting mechanics quite a bit. Whereas Super Smash Bros. Melee played fast and slippery, Super Smash Bros. Brawl played slow and floaty. The game was clearly designed with casual gamers in mind, and-between that and “tripping”-that polarized competitive gamers. It polarized them to the point where a modified version of the game, dubbed Project M, was created to “fix” everything.

This is where I started drifting away from hardcore gamers. I’d grown up on the Smash Bros. games, having played the original when I was 9, but I was never a “pro”. I was decent with Kirby, but Kirby’s not exactly the best fighter. The fact that I stood a chance against a pro in Super Smash Bros. Brawl made me feel a lot better, but it also got me into many pointless fights whenever I opened my mouth. 6 years before GamerGate took off, I was experiencing doses of gaming toxicity in the numerous debates I was having over the quality of Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s game mechanics.

It wasn’t all bad, though! For one, online functionality was finally an option. Sure, it was laggy, slow and had a tendency to disconnect without warning, but it allowed for me to test out my endurance with strangers. Or friends, as I became “Brawl buddies” with someone in my Grade 12 English class. The online was flawed, and future games would only improve on it, but it was a step in the right direction.

Speaking of “steps in the right direction”, Super Smash Bros. Brawl also introduced a custom stage maker. This allowed me, within reason, to create new stages to fight in, and I took full advantage. Unfortunately, my ability to build stages was embarrassing, and the end-results were archaic and lacklustre. But at least my best creation, a level consisting entirely of springs, was fun in an annoying kind of way!

As a final kudos, Super Smash Bros. Brawl introduced two staples that’d become mainstays in future entries. The first was the option of using Gamecube controllers instead of Wiimotes. This was great because the latter didn’t feel as natural as the former for a game like this. It also extended the half-life of my Gamecube controllers long after the Gamecube was discontinued, a plus considering how expensive they are online these days. And it helped to remind me of the franchise’s humbler origins.

The second was the game’s introduction of specialty items. These included the Final Smash, the Dragoon (which came in 3 pieces) and the Assist Trophy. The items allowed for varied gameplay, as they were all about racing to get to them first. Were they sometimes cheap? Maybe, but they were also lots of fun.

It’s tough figuring out if Super Smash Bros. Brawl is overrated, or really that good. People have been arguing this for 10 years, with passionate fans on both sides. Personally, though, I happen to love it. It’s not perfect, but neither was Super Smash Bros. Melee. And if people really love that entry, then why can’t I love this one?

Of course, there’s also the sequel, but, as always, that’s for next time…

Super Fan Bros.

To take a page from Chris Stuckmann, “I grew up on the Smash Bros. games”. I was 9 when Super Smash Bros. came out, and I played it at my cousin’s house regularly. I remember being blown away when I first saw Super Smash Bros. Melee in action, and I remember waiting for new updates on Super Smash Bros. Brawl at The Smash Dojo. And while I’ve only had a WiiU for about a year, my short time with Super Smash Bros. WiiU was enough to make me happy. In short, Smash Bros. is a big deal, and I’m anticipating what Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has in-store. How could I not?

I’m a little concerned, however, by the game’s developer mindset. Masahiro Sakurai, bless him, has announced that he wants to “make a Smash Bros. game for everyone”, and I respect his ambitions. At the same time, I can’t help wondering if he’s overreaching. Especially since “everyone” seems like code for “competitive gamers”, and they’re not the kinds of people who’d be interested anyway. But let’s back up and give some context.

The Smash Bros. games have a reputation amongst gamers. There’s a hierarchy in how the games are generally ranked, with Super Smash Bros. Melee being way up at the top. It’s been this way since 2001, and nothing’s changed. I get it: Super Smash Bros. Melee was a game-changer for the franchise. It expanded the roster, added various modes, upped the difficulty curve, introduced a competitive feature for tournaments and even tweaked the controls to make the gameplay more hardcore. There’s a lot more I can say here, but I’ll save my rants for another time.

Regardless, Super Smash Bros. Melee was a big deal, and nothing can top its legacy. Which is why no future Smash Bros. entry has been able to: it’s not possible to “out-perfect perfection”, no matter how hard you try. You can have the best of everything, even a more-polished end-product, but if the immediate wow-factor’s not replicated…

Which is why I’m concerned that Sakurai is overreaching. Not only in how expansive this new entry is, but also in how he wants to make everyone happy: casual fans demand easily-accessible gameplay? It has it. Hardcore fans insist challenge? It has it too. Old-school gamers request call-backs to old franchises? People wish to choose between a standard Adventure Mode and Subspace Emissary? To quote Oprah Winfrey: “You get a car, and you get a car…”

That’s no exaggeration: for one, the game has over 100 stages to use. And many of those are returning stages from previous entries. Also, every fighter in the franchise, including a few that were DLC, is now playable. That originally added up to 65 fighters, and more have been coming since. So yeah, everyone gets a car!

However, I’m worried that Sakurai’s extending an olive branch to people who don’t want it. Or, rather, who don’t care to want it. Tourney gamers are extremely picky about what they do and don’t play, and they’re not subtle about it. All you need to do is go online for their opinions.

This is the frustration in trying to appeal to people who, quite simply, can’t be appealed to. Try all you want, but if it’s not Super Smash Bros. Melee, it’s not worth their time. Believe me, I’ve gotten into enough fights back when Super Smash Bros. Brawl was still new to know where they stand, and that was 10 years ago! Based on recent accounts, they haven’t changed much either.

I’m also worried because Nintendo’s tried the “everyone will enjoy this” approach before. Remember The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword? Remember how it was marketed as “the everyman’s Zelda game” following the lukewarm response to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess? Remember how it was going to revolutionize Zelda games as we knew it? And remember how the game came out, and people were even more lukewarm to it than its predecessor?

The “everyone” approach doesn’t work for a simple reason: because you can’t appease everyone. Nor should you try to, as it’s a waste of time and resources. Besides, if there’s one lesson I’ve learned from past experience, it’s that not everyone’s going to be satisfied with your work. You shouldn’t attempt to be all-encompassing, but rather make something unique. Because people will respect that more than if you try pandering to their sensibilities. Trust me, it happens a lot more often than people would want to admit.

Maybe I’m jumping the gun too soon here. Maybe Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will stick the landing and make everyone happy. And maybe it’ll pay off and not be wasted effort, who knows? I’m only hoping that, in the end, Nintendo recognizes their nigh-impossible gamble here, and that they stop trying to placate to a group of people who, at the end of the day, simply don’t care what they do.

Smash Reflections: Sm4sh

(Part 1 can be found here.)

(Part 2 can be found here.)

(Part 3 can be found here.)

How do you follow-up on a successful third-entry in a franchise that constantly expands on its predecessors? This was the challenge Masahiro Sakurai faced when designing a successor to Super Smash Bros. Brawl; after all, each of the respective entries kept taking the end-result to unique places. There was little else to do at this point that hadn’t been done, but the clock was ticking and people were getting antsy. So Sakurai went forward and started development on a sequel worthy of the Smash Bros. name anyway. And he did so by making two radical decisions.

The first was Sakurai teaming up with Namco Bandai as co-developers. In the past, Sakurai had taken inspiration from Namco’s arcade games, particularly 1995’s The Outfoxies, for his gameplay mechanics in Super Smash Bros. So it figured that, in an ironic full-circle, Sakurai was now approaching Namco Bandai for help, incorporating arcade-like sensibilities into the gameplay. An interesting choice, to say the least.

The other decision was less-dramatic, but equally as interesting: multi-platform appeal. Nintendo was no stranger to console/handheld game interactions, but this marked the first time a Smash Bros. game would be available on both of Nintendo’s next-generation offerings: Sm4sh, as the game would be nicknamed, would have a slightly watered-down 3DS version in late-2014, followed by a more expanded companion game for the WiiU a few weeks later. And the two games would have cross-play, making it necessary to own both in order to unlock everything. It was the Pokémon games approach in Smash Bros. form, essentially.

Sm4sh remains the most-interesting of the Smash Bros. games personally. It’s the most-recent entry in the franchise, so it, naturally, has the least amount of nostalgia tied to it. I didn’t even buy it right away, waiting until I owned a WiiU in late-2016. I also don’t own a 3DS, hence my memories reside almost-exclusively with Super Smash Bros. WiiU. So if my reflections this time feel rushed and short, blame that.

My first exposure to Sm4sh was a series of commercials that played before movies in 2014. Cineplex was known for partnering with Nintendo Canada, and these ads were easily their most-bizarre. The premise was simple: two parties would bicker over something trivial, be it who does the dishes, take-out or sit-in, or even who gets the last remaining spot on the bus. The resolution to these disputes would be to whip out their 3DSes and “settle it in Smash!”. The screen would then show a competitive fight that’d last several seconds, before ending with a winner. Rinse-and-repeat:

One such a commercial. Cute, no? (Courtesy of GameNewsOfficial.)

Of course, the WiiU version had its own commercials, but the 3DS’s versions are the ones that stick out more. Ironic, considering I’d, like I said, end up buying the WiiU port. And it was worth it, with Super Smash Bros. WiiU being my favourite WiiU game next to the long-awaited Pikmin 3. People who know me know I’m a sucker for Mario games, so to hear that come from my mouth? It’s surprising. But it’s true: this really is my favourite WiiU game.

The most-notable quirk of Super Smash Bros. WiiU is how arcade-like it is. I mean this in both its interface and its game mechanics, with characters hitting the screen on occasion instead of simply falling to their doom or flying off into the distance. Even the more streamlined gameplay modes feel arcade-y, and I credit the Namco Bandai influence. And with due cause, as that was probably the best option to contrast the hardened, gritty feel of the game’s predecessor.

The online mode was also vastly-improved. As much of a novelty as it was in 2008, Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s online was hot garbage. It routinely disconnected and lagged, which was unacceptable even when juxtaposed with the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Super Smash Bros. WiiU, while not perfect, was a drastic improvement, thanks in-part to the console utilizing Wi-Fi functionality. It also streamlined the game’s co-op options, making them more user-friendly.

I also like how the game included an even greater roster. Prior games kept upping the available characters, but this one allowed for well-over 50 fighters (including downloadable ones and the custom Mii fighters.) Additionally, the game allowed for Amiibo, weird collectibles that could be bought separately for in-game usage, which was a nice touch. And, true to what Super Smash Bros. Brawl had started, the game’s roster upped the third-party inclusions, with Pac-Man and Mega Man (and later Bayonetta, via DLC) joining Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog. I’m not fond of how many of these characters are unlocked, but we’ll cover that later.

The game had various controller options that were also utilized efficiently. You had the Wiimotes, obviously, and the Gamecube controllers, also obviously, but now you could utilize 3DSes as controllers. Perhaps the coolest one was the WiiU gamepad, that giant tablet that doubled as a controller, as Player 1. I can’t begin to tell you how convenient that gamepad was while my family was watching TV in the rec room, or even not being distracted by my friends on the TV screen when they were present. Add in that 8-player gameplay was now possible, and you had a recipe for a full-out brawl not possible in 1999!

This wasn’t to say the game was flawless, however. Ignoring that my limited imagination still made my Custom Builder stages lame, unlocking additional fighters wasn’t all that creative this time around. It was like Sakurai and team had looked at how incredibly-easy it was to unlock fighters via The Subspace Emissary, realized that it ruined half the fun, and decided to slap on some compensatory fanservice at the last-second. Character unlocks require a certain number of matches, and they’re all variables of 10. It’s boring, predictable and incredibly-repetitive, something which pains me to say.

The stage unlockables aren’t any better. You get them by playing simple Event Matches, which are also pretty lame, and they don’t feel earned. Where’s that sense of exploration? Where’s that sense of satisfaction? Gone was the excitement of games prior.

One final complaint is that stage options were more limited when playing with 8 fighters. And some of the options were repeats of other stages on a grander scale. I fail to understand why there can’t be more stages available for 8-players, but it’s not too big a loss. Especially when you have the option to record fights and play them back later as case studies.

Regardless, Sm4sh, more-specifically Super Smash Bros. WiiU, is a lot of fun to play solo or with friends. Is it as ground-breaking as the entries that’ve preceded it? No. It doesn’t even have that great an opening theme in comparison, a fact it acknowledges by having the previous games’ themes as optional themes for the in-game menu. But could it have been anyway? The Smash Bros. franchise had already made massive strides content-wise in the past, and all this game needed was to be a solid follow-up. Here’s hoping Super Smash Bros. Ultimate remedies that in early-December, but for now…well, I’ll take what we got.

And there you have it: my Smash Bros. retrospective. It was fun taking a trip down memory lane, and I look forward to what the franchise brings next. In the meantime, we’ll have to wait for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate…

Smash Reflections: Super Smash Bros.

The year was 1998. The Nintendo 64 was struggling to compete with its direct rival, Sony’s Playstation. And HAL Laboratory’s most-famous programmer, a then 28 year-old Masahiro Sakurai, was working on a fighting game for the console. Initially, Sakurai pitched it as a Namco-style arcade fighter, dubbed Kakuto-Geemu Ryouh, only to have it rejected by the higher-ups at Nintendo. Desperate to have his idea gain traction, Sakurai reworked it from the ground-up in less than a year, added Nintendo characters and pitched it once again.

It’s no surprise that Super Smash Bros. would become a hit, as it had all the trademarks of a classic game: a simple, easy-to-use roster. Basic, well-constructed stages that are fun to revisit. 4-player capabilities, then a novelty exclusive to the N64. A story mode that doubled as a semi-tutorial for how to play the game. Unlockables that allowed for multiple play-throughs of said story mode. And, most-importantly, fun gameplay.

All of the above gave Super Smash Bros. a certain degree of Nintendo polish in spite of its bare-bones aesthetic. N64 games in general haven’t aged all that gracefully, with a few exceptions, but they pushed the limits of what the console was capable of. Super Smash Bros., even by N64-standards, was pretty low-end, such that 9 year-old me thought the game was designed using cardboard cut-outs. That it didn’t end up mattering was proof that even a cheaply-made, rushed product could be good if everyone involved in its creation cared about it.

It helped that Super Smash Bros. had an excellent ad campaign in North America. This was apparent in its wacky promo, which, to this day, is one of the best ads Nintendo’s ever put on TV:

Dat Pikachu, tho… (Courtesy of PSNDarKnight01.)

I could go on about why this is a great commercial, but that wouldn’t do it justice. Especially since the intro’s been covered before by me on Infinite Rainy Day. No, instead I’d like to share my experience with the game, and its sequels, in honour of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as how they’ve shaped my childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

I first discovered Super Smash Bros. at the same place I discovered most N64 games: my neighbour across the street’s house. Having kids who were quite a bit older than everyone else on the block, they usually had the coolest toys first, and that included video games. But while I’d usually be present with them when they’d play their newest N64 games, here I only had exposure to the game because I was shirking my responsibilities to the house’s owners: I was supposed to be looking after their golden retriever, but when playing with a hyperactive puppy got boring I started exploring the house for something to do. I eventually made my way upstairs to one of the bedrooms, where I noticed their N64 tucked away with a TV and an unfamiliar-looking game top-loaded in the console.

Sufficed to say, it quickly become one of my favourite N64 games.

I have many subsequent memories of Super Smash Bros. in the years to follow. For one, two of my cousins had N64s, and I’d spend many occasions playing the game with them. And two, my next-door-neighbour had the game as well, and I even got to play it at his house during his 10th birthday celebration. Super Smash Bros., while technically a fighting game, was, at its heart, the perfect party game, so it made sense that I’d routinely return to it. Even my dentist’s office had the game, which was a great way to pass the time and a frustrating experience for my mother when she had to drag me away from it.

I even developed short-hands for experiencing the game more-efficiently. Everyone had a favourite fighter, and mine was Kirby. To this day, I’ve used the pink creampuff enough to know his entire move-set by heart: B allows Kirby to inhale enemies, which could be copied with A. Down + B in midair allows Kirby to turn into a brick. A + Up repeatedly allows Kirby to float in the air. Up + B activates Kirby’s sword. Even holding Z and grabbing an enemy allows you to flip them and do immense damage. I’ve become so experienced with Kirby that, to-date, I still use him as my go-to character in every entry.

Speaking of, Super Smash Bros. succeeded because its character variety. The original game had 12 fighters, 8 from the get-go, and they were all pretty well-balanced. You could pick a favourite, familiarize yourself with their moves and become a pro in relatively-little time. The game was practically made for me because of its simplicity, and I can’t say that for other fighting franchises.

The game also allowed you to unlock special characters and stages via in-game objectives. These days, it’s easy to figure out how to 100% a game because of the internet, but back in the late-90’s/early-2000’s this wasn’t a luxury I had available to me. The limitations of the world wide web had forced me to go by word-of-mouth and trust others with how to unlock characters/stages, which made doing so surprising. I still remember figuring out how to unlock Ness and Captain Falcon, let-alone The Mushroom Kingdom stage. The joy that brought to me was priceless.

Super Smash Bros. was a crucial step in the evolution of console fighting games. Whereas most fighting games prior utilized a “deplete your opponent’s health” formula, the Smash Bros. franchise broke tradition by making the gameplay free-for-all. You didn’t deplete health, you added to percentage bars. You didn’t knock out your opponent, you knocked them off the screen. Whether it was a timer or stocks, the unique ways that the game kicked fighting game traditions in the face, even utilizing items from various Nintendo franchises, was refreshing. We take it for granted now, but this was huge in 1999!

Ultimately, the game’s ability to party-up the fighting genre has given it legs. Whether it’s a quick round with your buddies, or a drunken match of endurance, there’s no competition for the Smash Bros. games. Not that other games haven’t tried, Power Stone for the Dreamcast came close, but none have outcompeted Nintendo’s juggernaut. Like the Game Boy and the handheld market, Nintendo was king, and they’d continue to be king with its sequel on the Gamecube.

But that’s for next time…

Smash Reflections: Super Smash Bros. Melee

(Part 1 can be found here.)

With a surprise hit in the form of Super Smash Bros., Nintendo knew they’d have to follow it up for their next console. The 6th generation was well-underway by the year 2000, and Nintendo was incredibly self-conscious about their now 4 year-old N64 hardware. They needed a dazzler, and come Space World 2000 they had something ready to demo. Amongst the offerings for the then-Dolphin were a tech-demo of Link and Ganondorf duking it out, a prototype for Pikmin dubbed Super Mario 128, and an almost-completed Kirby’s Air Ride, which was originally an N64 hopeful.

But it was the announcement of a sequel to Super Smash Bros. that really got fans excited. Slated for a Christmas window the following year, the game, Super Smash Bros. Melee, was to be everything the original was, but better. Masahiro Sakurai and his team were given an enhanced budget, but only 13 months to develop. Despite the impossible, the game released mere weeks after the Dolphin, now known as the Gamecube, launched in North America in 2001. To say that it was the biggest hit of that season is an understatement, as Super Smash Bros. Melee helped keep the Gamecube alive in its troubled, 5 year run.

I first saw the game at a carpool buddy’s house in late-2001. I’d recently switched schools because of my learning disability, and with that came a new set of expectations, teachers and carpool schedules. While most of the week was typical, Friday afternoons, because of my Sabbath, were the wildcard, and I usually ended up waiting at someone’s house after school. It was there that I was introduced to new friends, the Gamecube and, of course, Super Smash Bros. Melee. It looked similar to its predecessor, but better, and I immediately became a fan.

It sounds hipster to say this, but I was a fan of Super Smash Bros. Melee in my immediate circles before everyone else. Even my cousin didn’t get the game until months later, which gave me bragging rights. I kept boasting about how good I was at the game, only to be let-down when he eventually won a single match. I put up a pretty good fight as Kirby, but I learned a valuable lesson that day.

One of the more-interesting moments was trying to convince my brothers of the game’s pronunciation. “Melee” is a French word for “battle”, but its correct pronunciation is “Mah-lay”. Or was it “May-lay”? We kept bickering until the game’s commercial set everything straight: it was “Mee-lee”, which made absolutely no sense. Regardless, I rolled with it.

Another interesting feature that I took note of was its opening cinematic. The original game had one as well, but it felt more like a stage play introduction. It was a montage of the game’s 8 initial characters, set to limited-yet-impressive music, and it felt like that. Super Smash Bros. Melee, however, was a completely different beast, with an opening that, to-date, remains my favourite:

They’re not hiding anything, are they? (Courtesy of fredfredfred.)

The best part about the opening, aside from being really well-made, is it introducing me to two characters I wasn’t already familiar with: there’s an Inuit couple? Or are they siblings? What’s the deal with them? Popo and Nana, as I came to find out, were from the NES classic Ice Climber, long-forgotten about for almost 20 years. They weren’t the only new additions, Marth and Roy helped pave way for the Fire Emblem series in North America, but they were the ones that piqued my interest the most.

Super Smash Bros. Melee expanded on everything the original had to offer: it doubled the fighting roster, had more unlockables and introduced new modes that were integral to 100% completion. Event Matches were skill-based, forcing you to complete objectives that progressively got harder, while Home Run Contest gave you something to vent your frustrations with. Then there were modes like Multi-Man Melee, which was an endurance test, All-Star Mode, where you faced-off against every fighter on three recovery hearts, and Trophy Mode, which was a machine that won you trophies. But the biggest addition to single-player was Adventure Mode, serving as a tour of the fighters’ worlds with occasional platforming segments. It’s not as advanced as future games’ story modes, and it’s a tad repetitive, but it was still lots of fun. It also compensated for the slightly-diminished Classic Mode, a returning feature from the first game.

Yet the bread-and-butter was its multiplayer component. Not only were the roster and options expanded, but there was a Tournament Mode that’s become a favourite for competitive gamers. The latter has even helped to extend the half-life of the game’s popularity post-Gamecube!

Looking back on the game, however, it’s easy to see cracks in its armour. Super Smash Bros. Melee, while fun, isn’t perfect, with numerous in-game glitches that make it easily exploitable and not as fun for a casual gamer. Wave Dashing and L-Cancelling, while neat, feel like the parkour tricks in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: great if you can figure them out, but unnecessary for a full-experience and frustrating when exploited. As someone who likes the Smash Bros. games and hated the unfair combos in the Mortal Kombat franchise, these glitches also felt like the game was mocking me.

Also, I really hate Event Match 51. It’s necessary to unlock Final Destination as a playable arena, but it feels like the game is purposely trolling me for being unable to beat Giga Bowser and his goons. I’ve used every character, even Jigglypuff and her Rest move, but I’ve given up trying, as have my brothers. I’ve so given up, in fact, that when the next game in the series was released, it tweaked the fight so much that I was disappointed when I beat it so quickly.

Super Smash Bros. Melee also has instances where it feels like it could’ve been better. Adventure Mode retreads the same formula with slight modifications for unlockable characters, and it feels like Sakurai wanted more time to expand on its potential. Classic Mode returns, but feels slightly less-special. The game also has “clones” of starting characters, and Mr. Game-and-Watch feels incomplete (his Shield, for example, doesn’t cover him fully.) And the game also has looser controls than I’d have hoped, with characters moving too fast for an inexperienced gamer to compete with a pro.

Also, side-note, the game lacks an online feature. But that’s hindsight talking.

Super Smash Bros. Melee feels the most “hardcore” of all the entries in the franchise. That’s not to say that it’s bad, quite the opposite, but it feels like it was made under a time-crunch. A lot of little features feel incomplete or wonky, and while that makes it unpredictable, it’s also aged less gracefully than its direct predecessor. Then again, part of me is saying that because the hardcore gaming scene drives me crazy, and I can’t pass up an opportunity to roast them.

In the end, a fine entry that expanded on the previous game. It’s too bad the next entry was so divisive, but that’s for next time…

Mario Party Legacies

The year’s 1998. The N64 has been out for 2 years. Nintendo, trying to capitalize on the Holiday Season, teams up with Hudson Soft, creators of the Bomberman franchise, to make a party game. Taking Nintendo’s mascot and pitting him against his pals, the two companies, with the Shigeru Miyamoto’s oversight, release Mario Party in Japan on December 18th. The game is a hit, eventually coming to North America and Europe early the following year, and spawns a sub-franchise that’s still going. The looming question, however, is “What makes it worthy of gamers’ attentions 23 years later?”

Like Super Smash Bros., I was the perfect age when this first came out. Like Super Smash Bros., I also discovered it at a friend’s house. But whereas Super Smash Bros. has stayed in the limelight because it’s the video game-equivalent of The Avengers, Mario Party always played second fiddle. It’s enjoyable, but it’s never garnered the praise of its fighting counterpart.

However, because Mario Party Superstars was recently announced for later this year, I figured that I’d discuss it anyway.

What’s Mario Party about? Well, it’s a board game that’s interspersed with mini-games. Taking inspiration from Fortune Street, another party game with sequels that never arrived here until recently, you pick a character, choose a board, set the rules (turns, number of players, if bonuses are allowed) and watch the magic. Each player then rolls a dice block to determine the order of play, is alerted of the stakes of the board and watches the chaos ensue. That’s the basic set-up.

It’d be easy to say “The rest is up to you to figure out!”, but that’d be dishonest. Because while Mario Party might be straightforward, it’s the finer details that shine through. For one, you roll a die to determine the number of spaces you can move. And two, while the objective is to collect enough Coins for a Star, the individual spaces are always unpredictable. Blue spaces, for example, give you coins, while red spaces take them away. But there are also green spaces, which range from Events (which cause something weird to happen), Duels (where you fight someone for coins), Solo Mini-Games (where you play a game alone) and the ? (which is as it suggests). There are also Bowser spaces, which mess up everything. Because the space you land on is mostly based on chance, it’s as exciting as it is suspenseful.

Additionally, you can buy special Items from the Item Shop. The trinkets are varied, but they often keep everything exciting. Some, like Mushroom Blocks, give you extra Dice to roll. Others, like Boo Bells, can summon aids to steal from other players. And then there are that items that take you to the Star’s location. They’re easily the cheapest items, yet they cost the most Coins. Items are as much a staple as the boards, and using them wisely can tip the game to your favour.

Yet the real heart of the franchise is the mini-games. Once all players have rolled their Dice and moved their allotted spaces per turn, a 4-Player/1V3/2V2 mini-game is selected based on the space each player landed on. These range from simple to infuriating, and their existence has caused plenty of chaos and frustration. More than any other franchise on a Nintendo console, nothing’s ruined more friendships than these mini-games. And that’s part of the fun.

The mix of unpredictability, frustration and intrigue is what’s kept these games going. Mario Party has had many iterations, some worse than others, as well as many themes, but the core dynamic has remained. It doesn’t matter if it introduced costumes, a Duel Mode, where you fight an opponent like the Wild West, tag-teaming, or even partners, the spirit of the franchise hasn’t left; after all, what’s better than seeing Yoshi face off against Peach, Mario and Luigi for the title of Superstar? Friendly competition!

That’s probably why I can still play these games and enjoy them like I did as a kid. Whether it’s 10 year-old me playing with some friends at a sleepover birthday party, 15 year-old me playing with my cousins at a family brunch, or 28 year-old me having a late-night tournament with old classmates at a high school reunion, Mario Party never feels old. If anything, like the Smash Bros. games, it’s as much fun to play drunk as it is sober. Bless it for that!

Still, if the Mario Party games have one advantage over the Smash Bros. games, it’s that they pick your brain as much as they test your competitive side. Are they gambling? Maybe. Is that good for children? Maybe not. Do I care? Not really, as I’d rather they play this than get wasted at a casino! Especially if it means testing their education!

Here’s to you, Mario Party! May you frustrate, and entertain, people for many more years! If you’ll excuse me, I’d going to overhype myself for Mario Party Superstars again. (You got me hooked once with the classic mini-games and maps, but can you do it again by making them still work?)

Junk Drawer: Paper, Photographs and Smashing

Since movies are cancelled, this’ll have to do!

How about the Paper Mario franchise? You know, the one where Mario’s made of paper? And does role-playing? And hasn’t had a truly great entry in 16 years? It’s almost unfair to roast this series, I’ve already done that myself, but the decline in quality over the years has been frustrating. Like, to an infuriating degree.

That’s why I’m intrigued about Paper Mario: The Origami King, which is slated to release in under a month. That’s right, we got an announcement trailer a month ago, and it’s debuting in July. Either Nintendo’s super-confident, or they want a Summer release. I’m not sure which is which, but couldn’t they have announced this earlier?

How does the game look? Good, I guess? It looks to be a return to form with modernized tweaks, striving for a turn-based mechanic with revisions to keep it from being a retread of the first two games (like updating the HP system). But the game also appears to be opting for a gimmick again. I’m concerned because excessive gimmicks ruined the franchise to begin with.

The battles have Mario line-up his enemies on a grid for maximum damage. And it’s timed. It looks cool, but seems complicated. Why time it? And why make the battles so context-specific? Having this is daunting and intimidating.

That doesn’t mean I’m not excited. The overworld and story mechanics naturally evolve the franchise’s 2D platforming and storytelling with a multi-pane, 3D approach. Considering that hybrids haven’t been tried since Super Paper Mario, a game I enjoyed, it’ll be interesting to see where it goes from here. Will it be a masterpiece like the first two entries, a middle-of-the-road venture like Super Paper Mario, or a failure like the last two entries? I’ll find out on July 17th.

Did you hear that Pokémon Snap’s getting a sequel? Yeah, that’s something I never thought would happen. It’s not like it’s been over 20 years since the original game came out on the N64, right? Right? RIGHT?!

I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. The Switch has been a console of many surprises, so a follow-up to a cult classic in Nintendo fandom was inevitable. I’m curious how the game will add to the original’s formula, though. The first game, while fun, left much to be desired with 63 Pokémon and 6 Pokémon Signs to photograph. Even by Gen 1 standards, especially on an N64 cartridge, that wasn’t a lot. My recent play-through was a little over 2 hours long, and that was only the main game!

But I digress. Disappointed as I am that we didn’t get a sequel earlier, this is great news. I actually have thoughts on how this game could work. Perhaps you touch the Switch to take photos? Maybe share the pictures online, a modernized upgrade of the Blockbuster kiosks? There’s also the possibility of multiplayer, as evidenced by the Switch’s ability to play locally and online! The possibilities are endless!

I’m definitely happy, but also sad that the release date is N/A. It’ll probably be sometime in 2021, but what gives? If Paper Mario: The Origami King has a release date crapped out with its debut trailer, then why doesn’t this game have a tentative release window? Is Nintendo concerned that it’s “not ready”? Because that doesn’t mean they can’t suggest a release, right?

I guess I can’t complain too much. I mean, the game’s still happening! Considering so many games never get sequels, that we’re getting this at all is special. 9 year-old me would be ecstatic to know that one of his favourite video games is getting a sequel in adulthood. That’s something to be cherished. Also, considering the current state of the world, another year won’t hurt.

I’ll end off with a minor announcement from Nintendo. Remember Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? That game that had 77 fighters at launch? Yeah, it keeps getting DLC updates every few months. Not that it needs it, it has enough content to last years, but the choices have been interesting. From Piranha Plant to Banjo & Kazooie, the extra characters have been as diverse as fun and exciting. That’s not say it’s always balanced, see Hero, but it’s been entertaining to speculate who’d be next.

The game’s most-recent DLC character was Min Min from ARMS. As someone who’s never played ARMS, yet has heard that it’s good, this intrigues me. I know the game’s a boxing/fighting game hybrid with characters that have long, retractable arms, but Min Min remains mysterious: was the character a requested favourite? Will the character be balanced? What’ll Min Min’s move-set be, and how can Kirby copy it?

It sounds weird to end on speculation, but that’s part of the fun of the Smash Bros. games. Simply put, a character announcement has often felt more like an event. Remember when Snake was announced for Super Smash Bros. Brawl in 2007? Or how Mega Man was confirmed for Sm4sh partway through its development? These announcements drove fans wild! And DLC leaves the options endless.

Adding Min Min to the roster means that the options have expanded again. Maybe Geno from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, a fan-favourite, will finally debut? Perhaps a character from the Custom Robo series, a personal dream of mine? Or Nintendo can yield to StarTropics fans and give us Mike Jones? You never know!

Either way, I’m happy for ARMS fans having Min Min. If only I could afford to buy these characters…

And that’s about it. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

Nintendo's Shovelware Conundrum

Of all the Nintendo consoles I own, I have the most-intimate connection with the Wii. It debuted in 2006, right smack in the middle of my teenage years, so I have vivid memories of using it. It also came out between being old enough to have to purchase each game by myself and not being old enough to actually have a job, so I often found myself saving up to purchase the console’s heftily-priced games. To-date, I have more games for my Wii than any other gaming console I own combined, which makes sense when you factor in the aforementioned.

Of course, the Wii was notorious for having a crap-ton of shovelware. Which begs the question: why did Nintendo’s most-popular console at the time have so much garbage on it?

Firstly, what’s shovelware? As the name suggests, it’s content that’s shovelled onto a video game console at the last second. It’s cheap, it’s often rushed, and it’s usually created to make a quick buck. The Wii isn’t the only console burdened by shovelware, the PS2 had more of it than I can even begin to name, but it became notorious for being the 7th Gen console with the largest quantity of it.

The Wii, therefore, became synonymous with “owning a shovelware machine”. Wii owners were expected to “deal with it”, and it got so infuriating that I, in a now-deleted ScrewAttack collaboration with a fellow g1, discussed why it bothered me in greater detail. But looking back, almost 13 years after its launch, that the Wii became synonymous with shovelware still bugs me. Why throw garbage onto the Wii? I think the answer can be boiled down to two reasons, both unavoidable.

The first has to do with the system’s popularity. Nintendo had long tried being the biggest and most-powerful console since the days of the NES, and they held that title, albeit with difficulty, come the SNES. Yet with the advent of the PS1 and its disc-based format, Nintendo found themselves in a catch-22: should they opts for discs, which were flimsy, and have fewer size restrictions, or should they stick with what was reliable, cartridges, and risk losing space? Ultimately, the N64 went with the latter. And while the console had stellar first and second-party games, as well as a clear graphical advantage, in the end Nintendo suffered immensely in the third-party division and trailed behind the PS1.

The Gamecube didn’t fare much better. The N64 might’ve not pulled in the PS1’s sales numbers, but it didn’t have much other competition. The Gamecube, however, had to compete with the PS2 and Microsoft’s Xbox console, and both knew the market far-better than they could’ve predicted. Factor in that the Gamecube lacked true online support, and that its smaller discs were harder to code for than the competition, and Nintendo quickly found themselves on life-support by the end of the Gamecube’s run. To-date, it remains one of Nintendo’s least-popular consoles, with many of its best titles, again, being first and second-party offerings.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that Nintendo opted to focus on a different demographic with the Wii: the non-gamer (or “casual gamer”). Nintendo realized there was a goldmine to be had in catering to grandpa and grandma, so they started making interactivity and exercise their focus. No longer were games about difficulty and skill, they were now about using your hands and feet. And it worked, with Nintendo pulling in a market not normally-associated with video games.

So yes, the Wii was incredibly-popular. Yet because of that, many developers figured they’d cash-in and toss their unfinished products onto the system. Party games, cheap sports games and hacky-ports were the norm for the Wii, to its detriment. Even today, it’s hard to traverse a bargain-bin in a toy store and not see several dozen Wii titles, mostly shovelware, lying there at a reduced price. Because why bother putting in effort?

This leads to the other reason, that being demographics. Remember how I said that the Wii targeted grandpa and grandma? Well, many developers figured that they were going senile, so they couldn’t differentiate between quality and garbage. Again, why try when the target audience didn’t know better? Who really cared?

These two reasons seemed to be the underlying drives behind the Wii’s shovelware. Sure, you had great titles from Nintendo, like your Zeldas, Marios, Smash Bros. and Metroids, as well as some great titles from third-party developers who actually cared, like Capcom, but for every Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaro’s Treasure and decent port of Okami, there were dozens upon dozens of mediocre-to-awful games without much care. Some of them, like The Conduit and Red Steel, were even legitimate attempts to utilize the console’s prowess that were also rushed and unfinished.

Ultimately, the Wii became known by gamers as “the baby’s bargain-bin console”, and this upset me. Because while the Wii had lots of shovelware, perhaps more than I could stomach, it also had lots of really solid games. Like I said before, I currently own more Wii games than games on any other console. I may have had to do a lot of digging to find them, but the gems existed!

Looking back now, however, it bugs me even more because of how predatory the shovelware was. Don’t have time for a good game? Want to port over something from a decade earlier and not try? Why not put it on the most-popular console? You’ll make a quick buck and dupe consumers anyway, so who cares?

I do. I care because it hurts the Wii, and I care because it crowds out legit titles. But I also care because you’re taking advantage of an audience who may not know better. And while they might not know all of the ins-and-outs like regular gamers, they’re not stupid. Treating them that way only reflects badly on you, not them!

I won’t pretend that a party game automatically qualifies as shovelware. Some of my favourite Nintendo franchises, like Smash Bros., are party games too, and they’re excellent! But the reason they work is because they’re made out of love. They’re not put together for a quick buck, which is what many shovelware games are. And isn’t that better in the long-run?

24 GameCube Lane

This week marks the 24th anniversary of the GameCube in North America. It was the first console I owned, having received it as a Bar Mitzvah gift, and I still have a soft spot for its library. It was also the first console I rented games for, and I was never the wiser. However, even with my memories of playing Super Smash Bros. Melee with my brothers, I often felt weird knowing I had a console that was unpopular, sitting at 3rd-place in the 6th Generation Console Wars. So why is the GameCube gaining popularity nowadays?

Truthfully, not everything about the GameCube has held up. Much has, like its controller, but the console’s library and hardware specs earned its poor sales when compared to the Xbox and PS2. Even with its AAA titles, several of its early successes were rushed, and it showed. It especially showed in the fighting mechanics for Super Smash Bros. Melee, as well as the in-game glitches in Super Mario Sunshine. Factor in no DVD player, or a solid online, and it’s no wonder Nintendo had to rethink everything with the Wii.

I feel bad criticizing the console. For all its flaws, the GameCube was quite intuitive. Not only was its controller an improvement over the N64’s, which was bulky and confusing, it also could fit neatly into a bag for travel. I specifically remember tucking it into a suitcase when I visited my cousin’s grandmother’s cottage one Winter, and plugging it in to their TV wasn’t difficult. The GameCube also introduced the WaveBird, a controller that let you play games without a wired plug. That was game changing.

Playing 4-player was also great. We take this for granted, but multiplayer was a bonus for a console that was family-friendly. It’s true that 4-player options already existed on the N64, but this was the first Nintendo console to pull it off without lag or frame drops. Besides, it was great for family gatherings, something I miss as an adult. That, and online play isn’t the same.

Perhaps the surge in popularity bugs me because, rational or not, it feels too-little-too-late. Where was this validation when the GameCube was struggling? Why now? And is the adoration sincere, or a form of “what’s old is new again”? These are questions that plague my mind looking back on the Nintendo console that wasn’t “cool” to own, and it stings.

Part of it could also be wishing that fondness had translated to the Wii. The Wii was a far bigger success story, even allowing backwards compatibility with the GameCube’s library. But the “uncool” nature of the GameCube was amplified, with third-party developers using it as a dumping ground. Nintendo catering to non-gamers was seen as a betrayal, which I’ve always found exclusivist. Perhaps that’s why the GameCube saw a re-evaluation, as it was the last stronghold of “true Nintendo” for many gamers. Either that, or GamerGate has poisoned the discourse.

I do think this fondness for the GameCube is too much, though. Maybe I’m reaching for sour grapes, I don’t know. Maybe this is me being jaded by the last four console generations, I also don’t know. However, it won’t leave my mind. And that’s the problem.

It's not all bad. The Switch 2 emulating the GameCube’s library via NSO is a great decision, and I respect them recognizing their 6th generation console got the shaft. It also allows me to play games I never fully-completed or tried at release, like Luigi’s Mansion or Chibi-Robo. I’m grateful Nintendo’s willing to reevaluate their “failures” and see their merits, even if only for financial reasons. Because it’s all financial anyway.

Nevertheless, the fandom now seeing the GameCube as “cool” stings. After years of being apologetic, to the point of ridicule from peers, this feel like whiplash. Have I won? And if so, why aren’t I satisfied? Has time ruined everything? Am I a bitter old man, shaking my fist at clouds and yelling? Is this me now?

I don’t want to think too hard here. Not only is it unpleasant pondering this, it’s equally as weird that the GameCube’s considered “retro”. If anything, I should be happy. But I’m not. I’m sad that it took too long to achieve justice over Nintendo’s most-maligned console prior to the Wii U.

But I digress. While late, it’s better now than never. And for all intents and purposes, the wave of nostalgia for the GameCube is something that’s warranted 24 years later. Nintendo struggled with it, slashing its price several times, and it bled money until they removed a key component from the hardware. That their biggest home console flop at the time, one they were forced to move away from, is getting its day in the Sun shows how time heals all wounds. Or most wounds. The longstanding trauma of being a diehard GameCube fan when it wasn’t cool doesn’t disappear all that quickly…

Let's Talk About Toxic Nerd Culture...

I don’t know how many of you are aware of this, but I’ve been writing for Nintendo Enthusiast since late-May of this year. It’s tough and doesn’t pay well, as most writing tends to be, but it’s been providing me with great experience. I’m not only flexing my editorial muscles, I’m learning to be succinct and adapt my style to SEO’s algorithm. But don’t take my word for it, you can find my profile here.

Unfortunately, I’ve also been reminded of the internet’s nastiness. Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter what I write. I can put out something well thought-out, but if it dares to be out-of-the-box…you know. It’s like I said in a recent Facebook post, the internet won’t hesitate to skewer me. It’s that unforgiving.

It’d be one issue if this were about me. I don’t like ableism or bigotry, but I’m an adult. I know how to laugh off slurs, I’ve been doing it for years. And none of this is new by now. But it’s not only about me. The internet, or nerds in general, are a toxic and vitriolic group of individuals.

This isn’t an original sentiment, either. Nerds being gross, bigoted and mean-spirited to outsiders was made well-known in 2014. It became public knowledge because of GamerGate, despite what its defenders may claim. But I’d argue that this goes back even further. Like Me Too and sexual impropriety, nerds being bigoted to outsiders spans decades. However, for the sake of tangibility, I’ll stick with when I first noticed this behaviour.

The year was 2008. Super Smash Bros. Brawl had recently been released. Despite strong sales and excellent reviews, a certain backlash began to circulate. Gaming nerds, who’d anticipated this game’s release, were unhappy with the final product. Yet instead of voicing their concerns maturely and thoughtfully, they acted petty and yelled down fans. I should know, I was one of those fans.

I can’t find exact quotes anymore, it’s been 11 years, but I remember the in-fighting. I remember the complaints over how Super Smash Bros. Brawl was “for babies”, as well as how The Subspace Emissary was “boring trash”. I couldn’t understand how a piece of programmable plastic could drive so many of my fellow gamers that crazy. Then again, it was already a-year-and-a-half into the Wii’s lifespan. If the reaction to the Wii’s existence was indication, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Nintendo’s E3 conference that year didn’t help. Gaming nerds were waiting for them to kill it, only to be let-down. They were expecting something, anything, to be thrown their way, but they ended up with Wii Music instead. And sure, Wii Music was probably not the best way to end a gaming exposition, but you’d think the world was ending tomorrow. Nerd culture wouldn’t let it go, something they kept reminding everyone about for a year.

This was around the time I started writing for ScrewAttack as a blogger. Initially, my stuff sucked. But while I’d improve, I noticed that the toxicity within gaming nerd culture wasn’t getting better. If anything, it was getting worse. And I, a guy with special needs, kept experiencing that first-hand.

My first real brush-up with this toxicity came with my first rant on ScrewAttack, which I remade for this blog. In it, I discussed gaming difficulty, how subjective it was, and why demanding a uniform standard was gatekeeping. Looking back, the rant was awful. But the responses I received weren’t helpful either.

The next few years would see me flirt with this issue off and on, until 2014 hit. I was in a bad space at the time, too: it was the Summer of my dad’s heart attack, Israel was at war (again) and I had undiagnosed mental health issues. But once nerd gaming’s toxic elements began merging with mainstream toxicity via GamerGate, I was done with it all. I’d long-since moved away from gaming as a hobby, but I couldn’t escape the daily attacks on “SJW culture”. It should also come as no surprise that GamerGate would become Comicsgate when games were no longer the direct target of outrage.

Which leads to now. Having come back to gaming via my position means that I’m seeing this vitriol all-over. And it’s still really bad, even if I’ve learned to not let it get to me. What’s worse is how nerds have also doubled-down with the rise of Me Too and its direct offenders, many of whom are nerds themselves. It’s as if everything has come full-circle. And I’m tired.

I don’t mean to blast nerds collectively here. I’m a nerd myself. I also think nerd culture has a valuable role in shaping art and entertainment collectively. But shaming people and using ableist language isn’t helpful. It’s reductive, and it makes us look childish.

I also think attacking those who think unconventionally, like myself, isn’t flattering. It doesn’t matter if I don’t like hard video games. It shouldn’t be an issue that I’m against time gimmicks. And it especially shouldn’t be a problem that I think newer Pokémon games lack the streamlined simplicity of older ones. You’re entitled to think differently, but ableism doesn’t help your cause.

It’s not only me, like I said. I’ve seen creators, developers and writers get attacked for expressing themselves unconventionally. I’ve seen marginalized folks be ostracized for simply demanding to be heard. I’ve seen it all, and it stinks. And it doesn’t have to be this way.

Nerd culture is in an exciting time right now. Classic books, games and comics are being adapted for the mainstream, and they’re being adapted well. They’re also getting the awards and recognition that nerds craved for decades. Even portrayals of nerds in media, like in Stranger Things, are becoming much more respectful, instead of the garbage we used to see. Being a nerd, essentially, is cool now! So why are we shutting that out?

It’s like we’re stuck in the 80’s and early-90’s with our mindsets, acting like the bubble is still super-enclosed. True, it sucked being a nerd for a long time. I remember being picked on by other kids, sometimes violently. But that was then, and many of my tormentors have long since extended olive branches. If they’ve made an effort, then why can’t I?

By not recognizing this, nerds are isolating themselves further. By continuing to live in the past, nerds are becoming hostile and toxic. And by continuing to harbour deep resentments, nerds are becoming more dangerous than their original tormentors. This isn’t healthy.

I wouldn’t be saying all this if I didn’t think we could be above pettiness. But we can. Yet we’re not. And it worries me because it’s not helping our public image. It also worries me because it’s causing irreparable harm. And is that what we really want?

My Pandemic Gaming

2020 has been a rough year. Between getting furloughed in March and being scared to enter public places, I’ve been stuck at home with little to do until recently. Fortunately, I’ve had plenty of time to relax and read, write, TV binge and game. And I’ve taken advantage of the latter during the pandemic, completing 7 video games. So what better than talking about them?

I should note two points: one, one of these is a cheat, but I’m including it anyway. And two, there’ll be light spoilers for these games. Anyway, let’s get started! 

My pandemic began with Super Mario Maker 2 in March. This game isn’t exactly new, I got it months earlier, but I’m including it because the pandemic’s when I really got into it. And get into it I did, with sessions taking hours and viewings of my levels on Twitch sending me into aggressively late nights. I’m talking “up until 4:00 in the morning” levels here.

Super Mario Maker 2 has a really simple objective: what if you got to design Mario levels? Using 5 Mario templates-Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros. Wii U and Super Mario 3D World-you can let your imagination run wild. Once your creation is finished and tested, you can upload it for strangers to play and give feedback. It sounds weird, but it’s incredible how much longevity the game has. Especially for a sequel to a Wii U game.

This is the perfect pandemic time-waster, and I’ve gone back to it frequently in the months since. A level could take up to several hours to design, beta test and correct in order to be ready, giving you lots of familiarity with its mechanics. My favourite is the Super Mario Bros. 3 template, if largely because I’m biased, as it has the best optics and takes the most-advantage of the concept. However, I’ve designed with all the modes, getting a feel for each.

But the real strength is in the online community. Ignoring how crappy Nintendo Online is, because Nintendo doesn’t get the internet, playing levels from strangers is a blast. Doubly-so watching them play my 25 levels and give feedback. And I’ve taken it to heart, enough that I was willing to up my game with each course I made. (Speaking of, I’ve yet to work with the most-recent update. I should get on that…)

If you need a break and want to play an actual game, Super Mario Maker 2 also has a Story Mode involving Princess Peach’s castle. It begins with it being completely demolished, forcing you to collect coins for building costs from NPCs. This means playing pre-set levels, some with conditions, and reaping rewards. It’s a great way to become familiarized with the mechanics, even if it’s not the meat and potatoes of the game proper. It also allows for unlockable items, which is a plus. 

It wouldn’t take long before I’d move on to something more conventional. To that end, Super Paper Mario was the path to go. The third entry in the Paper Mario sub-genre, it was also the first to deviate from tradition and go for a linear platforming approach. Not that I’m faulting it, as I quite like this game. In some ways I even love it!

The story’s standard Paper Mario fare initially, Mario uncovers 8 Pure Hearts and saves all dimensions from being torn apart, but there’s more at stake than meets the eye. Specifically, there’s a subplot about the primary companion, Tippi, and the villain, Count Bleck, that feels ripped from Romeo & Juliet. It ends on a bittersweet note, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Intelligent Systems had been cribbing notes from the Shakespeare tragedy. I still cried at the end, though.

It’s a shame I got so invested in the story, because it often dragged me away from the gameplay. Which was…fine. I mean, it’s fun, and I’m glad I played it, but given how special those first two Paper Mario games were, it feels like a step down. It’s basically, when it boils down to it, another Mario platformer. Except that, this time, it has RPG elements. Yay Nintendo!

That was mean. Super Paper Mario is still lots of fun. Whether it’s the side-scrolling levels, or the puzzles that involve flipping perspectives or using the Wiimote in unique ways, there’s lots to enjoy. The game’s even funny, retaining much of the humour that made the Paper Mario games special. I especially like how many of the puzzles can be solved by switching from 2D to 3D. Though did the flipping mechanic need a health bar that drains so quickly?

I like Super Paper Mario. Is it a great game? Not really. But it does what it sets out to, letting you traverse a platforming RPG world. Plus, you can play as Peach, Bowser and Luigi. That alone sells me on it. 

Moving on from there, I made good on an old promise and started up Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure. I’d beaten this game before many years ago, but I’d been hesitant to do it again because of its difficulty. And when I say that, I mean “chained to a walkthrough for most of it” levels of difficulty. Sufficed to say, I still got stuck constantly. So it was like playing another Zelda game, except it’s a point-and-click game.

The game follows Zack, an adventurous pirate, and Wiki, a magical monkey, as they travel with their group of rabbits. During an encounter with Captain Rose, who blasts them from the sky, the two of discover the head of Captain Barbaros. He promises them riches in exchange for finding his body parts, which have been scattered throughout four worlds. With fame on their minds, Zack and Wiki take on this naïve quest.

The game uses a repetitive formula: Zack and Wiki traverse a level, solve puzzles and collect the pieces of Captain Barbaros. The game, however, is unbelievably hard, so much so that, like I said, I was chained to a walkthrough for much of it. Even then, I died a lot. Sometimes it was funny, but others it could be frustrating to see myself make the same mistake over and over. Especially with that accordion music playing each time I died.

Fortunately, the puzzles never feel unfair. Even when they’re outlandish in concept-the animals turn into sodas that you bathe in in one level-they follow a pre-set logic that make them palatable. That’s already a leg up considering how I’ve yet to complete any other puzzle game, of which this qualifies. Yay me!

As a final note, the game looks breathtaking. It might be a 13 year-old game, but its cell-shaded aesthetic makes it look like it could’ve come out today. It feels cartoony too, with a Saturday morning vibe that compliments how silly it can be. That doesn’t mean it can’t be dark, it can be, but that contrast helps make moments of tension or seriousness palatable. Not that it matters, because Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure is really fun! It’s the only point-and-click puzzle game I’ve beaten, and it’s a shame that it never received the sequel its ending teased. (I blame the bad marketing.) 

As the Summer months creeped up, I decided to go for a Virtual Console game on my Wii. Initially, I wasn’t sure which to choose. But I wanted something short, something I could beat in an afternoon. Then I remembered that I hadn’t played Pokémon Snap in a while, and my nostalgia funny-bone began tingling. After all, with a sequel coming next year, what better time to replay it?

Pokémon Snap centres around Todd Snap, a photographer who’s commissioned by Professor Oak-yes, that Professor Oak-to photograph Pokémon in their natural habitat on a tropical island. Armed with a camera, a trolley and, later, a series of items to make the experience smoother, you’re tasked with taking pictures of all 63 Pokémon, as well as the 6 Pokémon Signs scattered in the first 6 courses. Though why it’s only 63 Pokémon, I’m unsure. Maybe if they cut down on the number of Pikachus…

Despite being breezy compared to other rail shooters, Pokémon Snap has the one element most games in the genre lack: leisure. This isn’t a game involving zombies, nor is it a survival experience. The levels of violence are actually pretty toned-down. All you do is take pictures of Pokémon. That’s it.

Surprisingly, that’s all it really needs! Considering that HAL Laboratory, developers of Super Smash Bros., made such a fun concept around photography, I’m amazed more games haven’t tried it. It’s really relaxing, too! So why not capitalize on that? Are developers that scared to make a game centred around photographs?

Either way, this game’s a breeze in the best way. The only downside? Its length. That, and it took over 2 decades to get a sequel. It’d better be worth it, or I’m suing! (Not really, but you can see my frustration.) 

As you’re no doubt aware, I participated in a novel writing course this Spring and Summer. To celebrate finishing it, I played a game I personally was excited for: Paper Mario: The Origami King. I knew it wouldn’t be on-par with the classic entries, but I was anxious to play it anyway. And was it good? Yes.

Paper Mario: The Origami King starts with Mario and Luigi being invited to The Mushroom Kingdom for an origami festival, only to discover a ghost town. The kingdom has been hijacked by King Ollie, who’s kidnapped Princess Peach, turned everyone into origami creations and has trapped the castle in streamers. It’s now up to Mario, together with Ollie’s sister Olivia, to fix everything. Along the way, they interact with various regions and inhabitants, as well as liberate Toads from origami prisons. So yeah, it’s the most-Japanese Paper Mario game ever.

That’s not necessarily “bad”. If you can get past the bizarre concept, it’s actually quite fun. It’s especially satisfying to fill in holes with loose confetti or liberate Toads from origami prisons with your hammer. It’s especially satisfying if you’re persnickety, though that can also be a curse, maybe? I don’t know, it sometimes was a chore trying to 100% clear the game. (And I never did.)

That aside, the game has a really charming aesthetic that makes it worth traversing, even if only for a little while. I like taking side-routes and seeing what I could find, making this the first non-Pokémon RPG to do that for me. It didn’t matter if it was hammering trees or breaking blocks, the game’s overworld wasn’t boring. Neither were the NPCs, who felt distinct and fascinating in their own rights. And let’s not forget that one Bob-omb’s sacrifice, shall we? I’m still traumatized over that!

If I have any complaints, it’d be the combat and grid puzzles. The former wasn’t bad, but it got repetitive and often dragged on. And the latter was infuriating, since I hate those kinds of puzzles. Neither aspect ruined the game, the former kept battles exciting, but it’s no Paper Mario or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. (It’s not even on-par with Super Paper Mario, but I won’t fault it.) 

However, if you desire a traditional, Paper Mario-like game, look no further than Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, which debuted on the Switch in the Summer of this year. I didn’t purchase to it until mid-Fall, as I was getting one of my Joycons fixed, but it’s still an absolute joy. It’s not flawless, and I’ll cover that eventually, but it fills the void left by what it’s emulating. And yes, it’s equally cute.

You play as Kabbu, a Hercules beetle, and Vi, a honey bee, as they fulfill Queen Elizant’s dreams of finding the Everlasting Sapling. You also find a moth named Leif, who joins your party after you save him. From here, you traverse the insect kingdoms in your quest to find different artifacts, as well as fight the various baddies along the way. It’s a pretty straightforward “go on a quest, travel to a new village, roam the land, fight the boss, rinse and repeat” formula, but, like the Paper Mario games, it works. It’s more repetitive, but it works.

For those unfamiliar, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling’s a storybook-style, turn-based RPG with items and puzzle platforming. The combat’s also incredibly straightforward, almost a beginner’s RPG. Even the enemy battles are foreshadowed by making them visible in the overworld, though you can avoid them if you choose. It’s an example of one franchise stealing from another one, to the point of plagiarism. However, if it worked for the first two Paper Mario entries, then it works here too.

I have some complaints, though. Ignoring how some of the features from the Paper Mario games that I don’t like, like figuring out your enemy’s HP, make a return, I don’t appreciate how underpowered your party is. It seems like the developers weren’t happy with the system in the Paper Mario games and wanted to break it, and it shows. Far too frequently, I’d be up against an overpowered enemy, yet my party’s HP wouldn’t come close to matching it. And your EXP growth’s so slow and tedious that it doesn’t make it worth it. Not since Gen 2 of Pokémon have I felt this cheated by such an unbalanced levelling system, to the point where I’d be stuck on the same boss for hours and pray they didn’t pull a fast one on me. I know some gamers weren’t thrilled by how easy the Paper Mario games were, but it doesn’t make Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling feel as newcomer-friendly.

But I digress. The game has flaws that hold it back from being 5-stars, but I still enjoyed it. Sure, some latter sections had me chained to a walkthrough, which is disappointing for a straightforward game, but that’s a minor quibble. Even then, I frequently got lost in the artistry and beauty of this game’s world. It has lots of life and personality, which is nice. That alone makes it a worthwhile recommendation. 

Finally, we arrive at a game that I can’t help but love: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. I’ve enjoyed the LEGO Star Wars games since the first one in 2005, and this could well be the best. It might even, if we’re being honest, be the best Star Wars media ever. And yes, that includes the movies, some of which have been excellent. I’ll let that speak for itself.

The game’s pretty much a LEGO-ified retelling of the first 6 movies, which are all connected via an overworld hub meant to mimic The Mos Eisley Catina. There’s not much to summarize in terms of story, other than seeing the 36 main levels retell the films through the eyes of LEGO characters. It’s not only funny to see Eidos’s renditions of these stories, but it sometimes even surpasses the films. I don’t say that lightly either, considering how the films weren’t always known for their stellar acting.

It’s worth noting that the levels incentivize you to come back in Free Play Mode to unlock everything, be it getting your Stud Meter to 100% or finding all 10 Brick Canisters. In fact, it’s actually mandatory. Some sections can only be accessed with specific characters that are either unlocked by beating other levels, or by purchasing them with Studs. It’s a persnickety player’s dream come true, and there are side-missions and objectives that extend the playtime beyond the main game. Sadly, by the time I’m done the main campaign my patience wears thin, so I lack the urge to press onwards. But that’s a personal issue.

For those willing to play with a buddy, the game becomes more enjoyable in Free Play Mode. Whether it’s the Bounty Hunter Missions that are only accessible if you purchase all of the bounty hunters, or the Bonus Missions that add a variety of new objectives, there’s enough content here to last a month. Which is great, because there’s lots of charm to these characters that make experimenting with them worth your time. That, and having them fight one-another in the overworld hub is worth a laugh or two. (I won’t tell you how to enjoy yourself, though.)

Like I said, this is easily my favourite piece of Star Wars media. It’s not without flaws-the fixed camera’s both a blessing and a curse, and it’s definitely on the easy side-but that doesn’t detract from its strengths. LEGO’s always been known for childlike wonder, and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga doesn’t disappoint. I mean, it’s LEGO tackling one of cinema’s most-enduring franchises of the last 40-odd years. What’s not to love?

That about does it for now. I’d mention my recent rounds of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with my brother, but I beat that game years ago. Regardless, have a safe and healthy New Year’s, and I’ll see you in 2021!