Editorial: What is the superior Smash Bros game?

What is the superior Smash Bros game?

          Ah, now there’s a topic that sparks debate! Despite only having 4 installments, Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series has sparked debate over which installment is the best: the original on N64, GameCube’s Melee, Wii’s Brawl, or Smash 4 for Wii U?

          Oftentimes when this question comes up, the 4 combatants are cut down to 2: Melee and Smash 4. While influential, the original game doesn’t exactly hold up against its more refined sequels, and although Brawl has a lot of great exclusive features, the heavy random elements prevented it from surviving in the eSports scene. Personally, I think all 4 games are fantastic in their own right, but for the sake of this article, I’ll mostly focus on comparing Melee to Smash 4.

          To an outsider, it’s a no brainer which game is better. Smash 4 has more characters and stages, it’s the only game in HD, and it supports up to 8 players. Why would anyone prefer the game with half the content?

          The answer is surprisingly easy. In terms of controls, Melee is still the most advanced of the games, with several complicated move strings and exploits that professional Smashers use to fly around the stage at near supersonic speeds. Those who claim Melee is the best game in the series say so because on a purely strategic level, Melee is the much more refined of the two, taking much more professional skill and hand-eye-coordination to master.

          But that, to me, is what truly sets the two apart. There’s ultimately no real winner here, because people prefer the two games for entirely different reasons. Smash 4 is such a hit because it is the perfect example of a game you can sit down and have a good time with. Gather a few friends, choose your character, play with items on or off, the works. And while Melee can be enjoyed the same way (I myself played the game for years with no knowledge of wavedashing or L-cancelling), Smash 4 is the true king of the casual party because of the significantly more content it has over Melee. I’m sure there are those who’d argue with me over that, but at least with me that example has rung true.

          But again going back to the competitive scene, while there are Smash 4 tournaments just the same as there are Melee tournaments, the Melee tournaments are the ones that get hugely publicized for the same reasons I mentioned earlier: anyone can pick up and play Smash 4 and learn it, but it takes a professional to truly master the ins and outs of Melee.

          Ultimately, both games are superior to the other in their own way. In terms of the competitive scene, Smash 4 cannot compare to Melee, but in terms of just having fun with friends, I prefer Smash 4 over its older sibling. Both games also excel at what the other does best, but neither can catch up to the other one.

          But this is where the other big question comes in: considering Masahiro Sakurai and the other developers currently working on the Smash series want the games to be accessible to all players regardless of skill, it’s likely Melee will continue to rule the roost when it comes to competitive Smash for a lot longer. So, at least for hardcore Smashers, Melee will never fade into obscurity. But the same cannot be said for Smash 4. Eventually, regardless of how long it takes, Smash 5 will come along, and at that point, will Smash 4 be able to keep up?

          We’ve all heard the rumour that Smash Bros on the Nintendo Switch will just be an updated version of Smash 4, and Smash 4 will be the base game from now on. But considering Nintendo themselves haven’t said anything on the matter yet, I’ll just ignore that for now. After every Smash game, Sakurai continues to say that each of them will be his last one. He wanted Melee to be the final game, until he made Brawl, and for a while Brawl was to be the last one, but then Smash 4 came along, and we’re seeing it happen again with the Switch on the horizon. Smash 4 is only 2 years old, but people are already looking to what the future will hold for Smash. That doesn’t bode well for Smash 4.

          In terms of liveliness, Smash 4 won’t be long for this world once Smash 5 comes along. I know I haven’t touched Brawl since Smash 4 came out, and in terms of the casual scene it’s been almost a decade since Melee was relevant. When Smash 5 eventually comes along (and believe me, it will), Smash 4 will become obsolete, while Melee will likely continue to be the go-to for professionals should Smash 5 continue to choose to appeal to the casual crowd over the more niche crowd.

          So does that mean Melee is the superior Smash game? Well, in terms of timelessness, yeah. Living in a time when many games get replaced by their sequels as soon as the new one comes out (especially in the shooter market), Melee has continued to survive against all odds 15 years after its release. And although Smash 4 is my personal preference over the two, there’s no denying that it won't last, should the next game one-up it.

          In the end, though, it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re having fun. Both games are hugely enjoyable, because at their cores they’re both Smash Bros games. Whether you love Melee’s fast-paced strategic gameplay, Smash 4’s flashy graphics and huge content, or you prefer the original game or Brawl, there’s always a good time to be had when playing Smash.

Song of the Week

          I think every gamer has heard the opening theme from Smash Bros Melee at least once, but you may have missed the live orchestral version from the Smashing…Live! CD. Included as a freebie in Nintendo Power, Smashing…Live! included classic tracks from Melee such as Jungle Japes and Fountain of Dreams performed live by an orchestra. My personal favourite is their take on the classic Opening theme, which is music to the ears of any longtime Smash fan.