SG Choice: Favorite Items in Smash

I feel like I might be alone in the SG team in how much I love the items of Smash Bros.; they’re goofy and nuts, and I love how the series has constantly evolved them in their weirdness. I love pretty much everything about the Fan, the way the Warp Star suddenly changes how the game is played for just a few seconds, and how the Bumper actually alters the terrain. I love how the Assist Trophies and Poké Balls allow the games to be jam packed with references. I love how some of them can be from games or even series that are too obscure for most Smash fans, but in a way that feels exciting and rewarding when you recognize them instead of putting out players who don’t.

But for my money, it’s gotta be the Cracker Launcher from Brawl. It’s a giant, powerful fireworks cannon that’s barely controllable, aimable, and is so heavy that it’s hard to move. It’s such a hilariously unwieldy tool that you rush to grab the thing more for the joy of shooting fireworks at your opponents than its reliability. And in that way, I think it represents the ethos of Smash items at its best. I was just a bit sad it got cut from Smash for, to be honest.

Wolfman, you aren’t the only one of us who loves items. Items are a great way to mix things up while Smashing it with your friends — especially those who don’t take the fighting that serious. Even when I played semi-competitive with my friends during college, we’d turn on some items to make the battles more exciting and dynamic. I was going to say the Cracker Launcher, but since Wolfman stole my thunder I’ll need to go with my second choice. Mr. Saturn. Frankly, I love how he walks around the stage. I love the sound he makes when thrown at enemies. It’s a great weapon that really captures what I like about Smash — a crossover game.

Items are a fantastic addition to Super Smash Bros. when you just want to play casually and there are a lot of great choices. I want to avoid talking about Assist Trophies and Poké Balls because those are too easy a pick for best item. Same for the Smash Ball. Wolfman took the Cracker Launcher from me (is this everyone’s favourite???) as well for his pick but thankfully I have a choice I like just as much (that also got removed in Smash For) and this is the Fan.

The Fan item, based on a typical prop used in Japanese comedies, is an incredibly unsuspecting it. It may seem pointless at first as it appears to be the weakest melee weapon however, there is a good reason for this. The Fan item is not meant to be a melee weapon at all, it is a projectile. Throw the fan at your foes and when it connects watch them launch into the air suddenly. It is hilarious when your foe does not expect it and the item is super fun to juggle foes with. It is a shame it was removed but I hope it one day returns.

When it comes to items, I am most definitely a fan of the classics. When I play with items (which is to say 90% of the free for all matches I play with friends) I will always have the Home-Run Bat and Bob-ombs turned on. These items are both game changers, but they are not so overpowered that smart players can’t plan around them. Well, they can try to plan around them. Sometimes Bob-ombs just spawn en masse in front of your character while you’re charging a smash attack. Let’s be real, though; that’s all part of the fun of Smash as a party game.

I think items have a bit of an unfair stigma attached to them. Sure it’s fun to play competitively, but at its core, Smash Bros. is a party fighting game. With emphasis on the party. Items are one of the most compelling components of the game. At least in my opinion.

Where a favorite is concerned, I don’t see how any item in Smash Bros. quite compares to the Pokeball. It may be cheating a little, but it’s a chance for a ton of Pokemon character cameos. Better yet, their attacks vary so greatly that they can easily change the dynamic of an entire match.

The very nature of the Pokeball item inspires a feeling of surprise every single time you use it, you never quite know who’s going to pop out of that ball!