Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
Middle school was an awkward phase of my life, one that coincided with Nintendo falling out of vogue with my classmates. While I did begin broadening my horizons beyond the Big N, I still loved the GameCube, their shiny new console. And my fondness for Nintendo’s franchises never wavered, even if a few of the generation’s outings let me down (I unfairly saw Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire as a repudiation of Gold & Silver’s scale).
My retrospectives cover games with transcendent hype cycles; they won’t—and, really, can’t—become a regular feature. But discussing a hype cycle I recall fondly will make for an instructive counterpoint to Sonic 4’s overwhelmingly tone-deaf one. (Image: Nintendo)
My friends jumped ship to the PlayStation and nascent Xbox ecosystems, platforms home to “mature” software. Many of them incessantly made juvenile “jokes” at Nintendo’s expense, too. Nevertheless, a constant concession arose even amongst their harshest critics: Super Smash Bros. Melee was darn good, the “one good GameCube game” to some and one of our multiplayer staples. Melee was also a substantial leap from its humble Nintendo 64 predecessor, boasting a wealth of new content and ideas, and proudly rests among the GameCube’s most popular, successful titles.
A sequel was inevitable. How do you follow Melee up, though? Obviously with more characters, more stages, more everything. That’s what Super Smash Bros. Brawl ultimately did. But it also offered something more, something that went beyond the game itself: the Smash Bros. Dojo!! In series visionary Masahiro Sakurai’s own words, he “created the Dojo with the intention of offering breaking news-type updates prior to the release of the game.” Continuing, Sakurai says he organized “the site so it could be used as a database of” Brawl’s features even after launch. It’s available in multiple languages; Nate Bihldorff and the Nintendo Treehouse team tirelessly translated each post. Nothing of the sort had been attempted before, and certainly not with such aplomb.
He succeeded on both fronts, though the former one—direct communication with us, the fans—was novel and thrilling. Through the Dojo, you could also sense the reverence Sakurai has for the medium. (Image: Nintendo)
By this point, I was in high school and the consensus on Nintendo had turned around; the Nintendo DS and Wii, their latest systems, were massive hits. Some of us got together at lunch to play Mario games, Metroid Prime Hunters, or Pokémon Diamond & Pearl; that’d be inconceivable a few years earlier (a number of my peers still championed the other platforms for their “mature” games, but each hardware manufacturer was generally appreciated for their strengths). And so, so many of us were excited for Brawl. If the first Super Smash Bros. was a weird but charming experiment and Melee its refinement, it was Brawl that firmly cemented Smash as an undying Nintendo pillar. Since it’s celebrating its anniversary today, let’s reminisce about it…
Pre-Dojo
Our first tease of a third Super Smash Bros. came during E3 2005. Back when the Wii was still publicly known by its codename, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata claimed a Melee sequel would grace the Revolution. That bold proclamation came as a surprise to Masahiro Sakurai, who met with Iwata shortly thereafter and promptly joined the project as its director. Development formally began in October of that year within an office Nintendo established for the game. Although we didn’t yet know it, preliminary work on Brawl was primarily handled by Game Arts. Other studios also worked on the game, including Nintendo cohorts Paon and Monolith Soft (the latter of whom later became a full-blown Nintendo subsidiary).
Nintendo’s E3 presentation the following year did not feature Smash. For some reason, its unveiling was relegated to an event reserved for journalists. But the trailer quickly hit the web, spurring an explosive reaction. Industry icons Mario, Link, Kirby, and Pikachu jump onto the scene and showcase Brawl’s grittier, more muted aesthetic! In Link’s case, that also entailed a redesign based on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the anticipated Wii launch title. A bombastic theme by Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu captured the gravitas! And the newcomers were great! Meta Knight, the popular Kirby rival! Pit, my ideal retro pick! Zero Suit Samus, another Metroid rep (albeit one tied to a transformation gimmick)! Wario, one of my all-time favorite characters! And… Solid Snake, a shocking, “rule-breaking” intruder from Konami’s Metal Gear series! Plenty of debates raged online concerning his legitimacy within the Nintendo-centric crossover, but his inclusion was more than validated by time, I’d say.
What details the trailer couldn’t delve into were explored through Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s website, the rudimentary Smash Bros. Dojo!! At the forefront was, of course, Masahiro Sakurai, a name I only vaguely recognized from the previous Smash games’ credits sequences. But with this venture, he asserted himself a game designer whose career I’d always monitor closely. Every page on this silly site had new information; a forward by the man himself discussed Brawl’s development. Color me hyped!
After seeing his peers get visible makeovers, Kirby smiles and gets excited for his… only to wind up looking near indistinguishable from his Melee self. It’s cute. (Image: Nintendo)
Things quieted down afterwards, at least in terms of official media. A second trailer capped off the year, offering a better look at the cast and a handful of heretofore unseen stages. It closed by confirming Fox’s return—and that he, too, scored a redesign based on his latest game, Star Fox Command. Altogether, a solid second look at Brawl. There was also a poll on the Japanese website not unlike the Smash 2 poll and Fighter Ballot, which was neat. And Metal Gear auteur Hideo Kojima got to try Brawl and left impressed.
Brawl discourse never died down, however. One rumor, that Sakurai claimed there’d be no clones amongst the roster, spread so quickly and so thoroughly that many believed it—including me, admittedly (trying to track down the quote later on and finding it never had any credibility taught me a valuable lesson). Another unfounded claim caught people’s attention, too: supposedly, Sakurai said he was cutting the Ice Climbers, Mr. Game & Watch, and Young Link in favor of Bowser Jr., Ridley, and a Wind Waker-style Link. The web was a wild west of lies.
Coincidentally, all three of those characters did eventually join the battle. It took Bowser Jr. until Brawl’s Wii U and Nintendo 3DS sequels and Ridley until Ultimate, however. (Image: Nintendo)
Then, one innocuous day the following May, the Smash Bros. Dojo!! was redesigned with a timer: something big was coming. People took notice; some fans stayed up overnight to watch the news, whatever it was, break…
Smash Bros. Dojo!!
At last… the Smash Bros. Dojo!! was live! And it was barren!
But the first post was strong, listing nearly every musician working on Brawl (Jun Senoue of Sonic the Hedgehog fame and Nintendo maestro Hirokazu Tanaka were added later). Sakurai even offered a taste through a remix of Melee’s iconic menu theme. We also got rundowns of Brawl’s basic rules and take on Battlefield. The rest of May’s posts covered series stalwarts Mario and Link, a look at newcomer Pit, the Final Smash finishers, two new items, and another new mechanic. Each post came with a handful of screenshots, too! Altogether, a solid mix of old and new information.
A user on Nintendo’s now-defunct forums speculated that Brawl might boast at least eighteen franchises based on how the site organized their emblems. That prospect was exciting, especially since this speculation was rooted in something tangible. (Image: Nintendo)
More than anything, though, it was the promise of the Dojo—Sakurai sharing information every weekday—that was stirring. Wondering what new nugget would greet me each morning was a treat, ensuring Brawl would remain at the forefront of my brain until release. This was long before social media platforms ruled cyberspace, but every gaming-centric forum had a thread discussing the Dojo. I lurked several; debates on which characters “deserved” to join the battle, which “leaks” were legit, and how valid competitive Smash was ran rampant (some things never change, I suppose). If you had a passing interest in this medium, Brawl talk was inescapable.
Not every update warranted our anticipation. Some, like a notorious one the following month, were written for the benefit of new players, not devotees. Which is, despite all the complaining I saw, reasonable. Thankfully, June was a fine month for Smash veterans, too. A gorgeous Ocarina of Time melody, Wario’s unveiling, and deeper looks at our new Star Fox and Yoshi arenas were personal highlights. Delfino Plaza was our first new stage reveal, and emphasizing Super Mario Sunshine’s hub as a tourist attraction was clever, even accounting for my distaste of that game.
A wealth of websites began producing content inspired by the Dojo. The poorly-archived Smash Bros. MOJO!! parody blog was a popular one. (Image: Nintendo)
Zelda’s introduction was also big. Up until this point, every character update covered someone hailing from a trailer; any returnee was now fair game. However, Zelda’s post made no mention of her transformation, Sheik—who, mind, was not in Twilight Princess, the game the Zelda crew was aesthetically drawing from—inspiring many debates concerning the ninja’s future. Since Melee’s website previously posted them separately, plenty of people, myself included, remained hopeful that Sheik would return. But this mystery would remain unresolved for a surprisingly long time.
July began by unveiling the Assist Trophy, a Poké Ball-esque item that became another Smash staple. Big, beloved brawlers Bowser and Donkey Kong were back. The former’s Final Smash was mutating into Melee boss Giga Bowser. The latter debuted at E3 alongside confirmation of Brawl’s release date, December 7, and a short trailer I must’ve watched on loop for hours. Bridge of Eldin and Rumble Falls were unsurprising inclusions; Twilight Princess and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat were their series’ latest mainline outings, after all. The fact that Donkey Kong would die if he used his Final Smash on his own arena bugged me, though. Animal Crossing scored a stage and item, spurring speculation on whether a fighter was coming (one wasn’t; Sakurai didn’t believe a fighter suited the non-violent series, a position he re-evaluated for sequels). Another new mechanic, the Footstool Jump, would let us recreate Luigi’s amusing entrance in Melee’s “Adventure Mode.” And a new adventure was teased through the cryptic “This World…” post; it strikingly even forsaked the usual white background for a black one.
Still, one fear lingered in the back of my mind: roster cuts. Bringing back every fighter is a tall order (one I admittedly did not fully appreciate at the time), and one of my favorites was Dr. Mario. Losing him wouldn’t be a dealbreaker, though, and surely every unique combatant would return, right…? (Image: Nintendo)
Again, August was strong. Really strong! Fire Emblem exploded onto the scene with Ike—our first newcomer reveal since Brawl’s reveal, importantly—and Castle Siege. Then we got a formal look at “The Subspace Emissary,” a platformer / beat ‘em up that’d let the Nintendo cast interact with each other. We got two more glimpses of it, too. Tether recoveries and gliding expanded what Smash’s midair duels could entail. Two of the new items seemed interesting (I honestly forgot the Smoke Ball existed until I stumbled upon its post), as did the new collectible. I knew WarioWare, Inc. would be one of the first stages I visited.
And our other newcomers were Diddy Kong and Pokémon Trainer! Most figured the former’s inclusion was a given, though it was still a delightful relief for Donkey Kong diehards following his exclusion from Jungle Beat (a mistranslation infamously claimed Country’s iconography was omitted from Jungle Beat because the team believed it wasn’t “fresh enough,” frustrating franchise fans—myself included). Meanwhile, the latter would swap between Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard, the iconic Kanto starters! Charizard even set a new, wonderful precedent: characters who were formerly assist summons can be promoted to the roster. Altogether, July and August magnified my hype tenfold.
If you squint, these clouds barely resemble Bowser, Ganondorf, and Ridley, so they’re in! Fans’ desire to see foreshadowing that doesn’t exist was (and is) a problem with Smash speculation. (Image: Nintendo)
Which left September feeling a little lacking. Snake and Meta Knight got their token updates, as did the returning Ice Climbers; these posts were welcome but not exciting (though the Climbers’ Ultimate comeback was; nobody expected them to get cut from Smash’s 3DS and Wii U iterations). Piplup was a fine addition to the Poké Ball pool, even if I lamented the loss of Marill. Mr. Resetti was hilarious, and fan-favorite Fire Emblem lord Lyn was at least getting some shine. The glimpses we got of “Subspace” seemed neat. Online play and My Music, both of which became franchise staples, were September’s highlights alongside Pokémon Stadium 2, a cameo-filled sequel stage to one of Melee’s best. Still, one update actively disappointed me: F.L.U.D.D. is a complicated, situational, and ultimately weak water gun incongruous with Mario’s otherwise straightforward moveset (Brawl’s sequels buffed it, at least). Really, though, September was simply the calm before a storm…
Mother 3 frontman Lucas was finally entering the fray alongside a stage, but some people were concerned he would replace Smash mainstay Ness, anxieties a post next month only aggravated. Many were also upset seeing Punch-Out!! protagonist Little Mac relegated to the Assist roster. And Brawl’s delay, of course, left people crestfallen. But do you know whose announcement coincided with the delay? Sonic the Hedgehog, the SEGA icon himself! A trailer rocking Sonic’s adored “Live and Learn” theme even celebrated the event (Snake scored his own trailer the previous month; what became standard for all newcomers in Brawl’s sequels was an honor it only granted guests). Sonic overshadowed October, understandably so—everybody seemed exhilarated, if not especially shocked, to see him. It didn’t matter that he recently hit the lowest point in his career. But I also loved the Kongs’ “Subspace” cinematic. King Dedede was another great newcomer, too. To my young self, Brawl felt like it would be… perfect, like there was no limit to what Sakurai could achieve.
Sonic scored a quick trailer in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U, too; he’s a big deal. Sakurai confirmed the highest amount of traffic the Dojo saw in one week was 7,150,000 users, and though he didn’t confirm when that was, I’ve always assumed it was when the hedgehog hit. (Image: Nintendo)
The cracks in that naive, romanticized thought began emerging during November, which lacked a single character reveal. There was still neat stuff: Sin & Punishment star Saki and Metal Gear rogue Gray Fox were inspired Assist picks, Star Fox’s Smart Bomb a wonderfully chaotic item, and the return of Melee’s Temple ensured it’d remain a Smash staple.
December was much the same: the Sonic content, Wario’s alternate costume, and the “Subspace” trailer reignited my excitement (although I’ve since cooled a little on Super Sonic). Starfy and Waluigi were swell Assist choices (though the Mario outcast remaining typecast in that role remains a bugbear for his supporters), and I correctly suspected the Metroid Prime stage would become a personal favorite. But the dearth of character reveals was deflating; the delay seemingly affected their previously consistent, snappy pacing.
Sakurai also took the first week of January off from posting, a well-earned break that nevertheless further tempered my excitement. (Image: Nintendo)
As Brawl’s release approached, accurate information was posted online amongst the litany of “leaks.” Joe “Serebii” Merrick implied Melee vet Mewtwo wasn’t returning. Posters on GameFAQs and Smashboards listed plenty of details as well, though they were harshly ridiculed—heck, a moderator childishly edited the latter’s post. An official trailer even accidentally confirmed Ness, Jigglypuff, and greenhorn Lucario made the cut. Since the latter two sat alongside the other Pokémon battlers with nary a trace of Mewtwo, evidence mounted that the science experiment really was left behind…
Momentum quickly began building up in January, thankfully. A one-two punch of Pikmin & Olimar and a remix of Pikmin’s map theme kickstarted the Dojo’s return. Looks at Olimar’s moves and stage soon followed. Sheik finally got her due, too, rounding off Brawl’s starting lineup (Snake and Sonic were unlockables despite their unveilings, notably). And the rest of the month was largely Sakurai rattling off the remaining features: “Multi-Man Brawl,” a Kirby Air Ride-esque challenge board, stickers’ functionality, Virtual Console demos, and the “Vault.” We finally heard a Mario remix, one set to a new, dusty take on Super Mario Bros.’ opening stage. A video of an online match was a promising (and, ultimately, unrepresentative) showcase for the mode’s stability. We also got an Iwata Asks with Sakurai, a fun interview between the two colleagues and friends.
I often saw people claim there are “no Nintendo all-stars left” when discussing Brawl’s sequels. While I don’t agree, it really did fill most of Melee’s glaring holes. (Image: Nintendo)
January winded down by listing which songs would be available from the get-go. The last two days of the month appropriately detailed the game’s namesake mode, “Brawl,” and introductory cinematic. Brawl wouldn’t grace North American shores for two more months (and wouldn’t hit Europe and Australia for three more), but this was it—you could tell it was almost out, that soon everything within it would become public knowledge. After years of eagerly anticipating a Melee sequel, I honestly didn’t know how to process such finality…
Post-Dojo
Okay, the title for this section is a misnomer. In the last update of January, Sakurai explained that he was going to maintain his posting schedule for two more months. However, he warned us that he would start covering Brawl’s hidden content. Some of his posts were galleries of snapshots submitted by fans, one of which even came after the “final” update. Heck, he even posted one last time to highlight the world records for two of the game’s modes. Sakurai’s a guy who values his audience!
Updates like Crates and Barrels, Three Different Taunts, and On-Screen Appearances suggested Brawl would be very polished. The latter also marked the return of a charming touch from the original Smash. (Image: Nintendo)
To be clear, I kept checking the Dojo every weekday. Sakurai’s copy is engaging! But things were different. Visiting the blog and seeing content we already knew about was strange, even dispiriting; the Dojo was no longer essential. Nor could it be, since within a week or two, videos showcased all of Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s content: its secret fighters, stages, and everything concerning “The Subspace Emissary.”
There was blowback. Many grieved the characters who didn’t make the roster. People lambasted Toon Link and Wolf, newcomers who betrayed Sakurai’s “no clones” promise that he never even made. Ganondorf’s moveset still channeled Captain Falcon, upsetting some of his fans. Many unfairly directed their ire for Mewtwo’s omission at Lucario. Some people wanted more Fire Emblem characters, a hilarious request in the wake of Brawl’s sequels.
Early footage of Wolf was extremely unflattering to him by focusing on stuff he did pilfer from Fox. Thankfully, he boasts a fun, feral style unique to him—and I’m happy he made it. (Image: Nintendo)
I suspect some of the blowback came about because Sakurai front-loaded most of Brawl‘s newcomer reveals. Most of Melee’s fresh faces were secret characters, so imaginations probably ran wild concerning how many Brawl was hiding—at least mine did. Counting Pokémon Trainer’s party as one fighter, there were “only” ten more fighters in Brawl than Melee, which felt underwhelming. It didn’t really register to me that six of Melee’s were clones, or that Sakurai took great pains to differentiate everyone in Brawl.
Admittedly, I spent a month or so feeling disillusioned. Now my focus wasn’t on everything Brawl had, but what it didn’t. Where were Dixie Kong and King K. Rool, my other Donkey Kong reps? Why did Ridley “only” appear for a couple of boss fights—not even one, but two distinct duels—and not as a fighter? Why did the legendary Mewtwo draw the short end of the stick? As it turns out, Dixie, Mewtwo, and presumably even Dr. Mario were planned at one point in development. Learning that years later was validating, and the Genetic Pokémon’s comeback in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U (which, by extension, confirmed they were getting downloadable content) remains a highlight even in a series with exciting hype cycles.
In the Metroid games, Zero Suit Samus is less offensively capable than when she’s donning her Power Suit. Brawl tried emulating this, while its sequels largely lost sight of it. (Image: Nintendo)
It’s embarrassing to think back on. But, hey, I was younger and less attuned to how much work goes into these games. Prior to Brawl’s reveal, my most wanted newcomers for Smash 3 were Diddy Kong, Wario, Captain Olimar, Red (I had no idea how he’d function, but still), and Sonic (I didn’t expect a non-Nintendo character, but still). We got all five, plus my favorite retro character, plus Pokémon Trainer’s squad consisted of my favorites in their respective family trees (Wartortle’s since supplanted Squirtle), plus a wealth of other great stuff. Once I got and spent time with Brawl, Wolf even became my favorite fighter! Losing a favorite or two stings, another lesson Brawl taught me; I don’t begrudge myself for being upset over Mewtwo and, to a lesser extent, Dr. Mario. Still… how on Earth was I ever disappointed with Brawl‘s lineup?
Though criticism isn’t inherently bad—I’ve unabashedly torn into a few games before—a lot of the complaining I’ve since seen concerning Sakurai’s roster choices frustrates me. Making Smash Bros. is tough! Choices have to be made; sacrifices are necessary to introduce new blood, and every individual fan has their own criteria for who “deserves a slot” and how Smash should play. Yes, it’s okay to feel sullen if your favorite didn’t make the roster! But offbeat characters like Wii Fit Trainer and Mr. Game & Watch have a place in Smash, as do young upstarts like Shulk and “free desserts” like Lucina. People I know whined about all of their inclusions, never willing to humor the logic behind them.
Smash influences other studios; I believe Donkey Kong Country Returns incorporating Diddy’s Donkey Kong 64 gear is at least a partial response to Brawl. Heck, Smash influences Sakurai himself; Dark Pit’s a clear nod to Pit’s “fallen angel” costume. (Image: Nintendo)
Admittedly, Brawl isn’t my favorite Smash. Though I am by no means a competitive player, its slower movement is just, well, too slow for my liking. The tripping mechanic sucks and cost me a high stakes “Boss Battle” run. I’ve soured somewhat on Brawl‘s muted aesthetic over time, even if I still believe it made sense for the game. And, cutscenes aside, “The Subspace Emissary” is rather boring and its lack of established Nintendo settings bizarre. But Brawl is still a fun, well-made game, one I spent hundreds of hours on. I doubt I’m alone, too—a litany of fan animations and tributes to the game can be found across the web.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U took a different approach for their hype cycle. Every newcomer got a CG trailer, and while Sakurai still shared information directly with us, it was primarily through Nintendo Direct presentations (though he did post daily snapshots via Miiverse, often confirming returning veterans). Their hype cycle and Ultimate’s were still engaging, topics we might tackle in the future. But they didn’t—and, in fairness, couldn’t—capture what made the Dojo special: daily Smash content, discussions, and the excitement and wonder they bring when you’re a kid. It was undoubtedly a laborious undertaking, one Sakurai did for us.
Thank you, Sakurai.
For what faults the game has, Brawl and its hype cycle were a formative, electrifying part of my high school routine. I’ll always appreciate that. (Image: Nintendo)
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