Another Nintendo Direct, another disappointment. I didn’t even bother watching the live stream, and I’m glad I didn’t: just a bunch of remakes, DLC, and a bunch of other crap we’ve seen before. No Super Smash Bros. 6.
We already knew this, of course. Masahiro Sakurai confirmed that another Smash is coming, but didn’t give details. He only works on one game at a time and has just finished his passion project, Kirby Air Riders. This means that he has started working on this long awaited fight this year.
Of course, there is reason for the Smash esports community to wait anxiously. Need this game.
Super Smash Bros. Esports Needs A New Game
I recently shared an interview with the former Call of Duty Multiplayer Creative Director Greg Reisdorf which discussed the fall of Call of Duty esports. What made the esports scene fail to get attention despite the popularity of the games?
Reisdorf believes it’s due to the annual release of Call of Duty, which reduces the game’s rigor and integrity. When esports professionals have to relearn the game over and over again, the formation is over. Inconsistency undermines any sense of prestige or elitism. It sounds chaotic.
“It always comes up in development: why are we doing this over and over again? It’s always a topic of conversation with players and within the devs because you’re repeating it,” he said at the time.
So, you might be thinking: Why do you want Smash 6?
Well, Smash is built differently. Unlike other games, the Smash scene is kept very low key, without much production or trade in other scenes. It has a thin line. No one is forced to move forward, forgetting old games along the way.
In GENESIS X3The Ultimate was included and had the largest bracket. But Melee, a game from 20 years ago, was shown along with it. Brawl and Smash 64 also had tournaments, albeit smaller ones. But that didn’t stop ardent competitors from flying out for them.
“I love playing this game,” said the top Brawl expert Christina “Chia” Korsak on Esports Insider. “It’s weird how it can still hold my attention, even more than current titles. More than all the other games. I’ll go into a Zelda game, like three hours these days. But if you sit me in front of a Brawl bracket, I’m hooked forever.”
Although the games may sound similar to casual players, there are so many differences that the games are not the same for professionals. I remember playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with Josh Brody. He is considered one of the best N64 gamers out there. I beat him in Ultimate. He spent so much time grinding Smash 64 that he was used to that controller, that movement, those frame levels…
Every Smash game has its own unique scene with its own personality, opponents, and vibes. It was always fun to see the drama going on between Ultimate and Melee scenes. The games and their players couldn’t be more different. Melee experts tend to call Ultimate because of less technicality, while Ultimate fans tend to call Melee over and over again for looks.
Smash 6 will bring Hype and new fans
When Smash 6 comes out, everyone will try it. Chia will no doubt take a break from Brawl to play it. Melee God Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma will grind on Twitch. Ultimate multiplayer will change forever. In fact, Smash 6 may even replace Ultimate depending on the game.
But the old games will continue. And Smash 6 will heat them up a lot. There will be a lot of attention on Smash when a new game comes out, which will bring in new fans and players. And that means more people checking out Melee, Brawl, and all the other games.
While Ultimate is often given top billing, the popularity of the game has allowed other tournaments to exist. Now that the Ultimate hype is dying down, Smash 6 will be the game that provides money, attention, and fans for Smash, giving other scenes tournaments to compete in. The more events that focus on Smash 6, the better, as it will also feature Melee brackets and other titles.
Let’s hope there are no characters like Steve. We need good fights again. We need good competition too. We need consistent quality players to get back on track. Smash 6 is the ultimate platform to feel as fun, powerful, and passionate as Melee. And that will make some scenes stronger.
