I'm a longtime genre-addict fighting gamer. Faqs, tournaments, training, road trips, etc.
I never got into "smashing" but I was introduced to the game and I was able to assess it. I just want to take a second to spread the message.
The game is often percieved to be not quite in the fighting genre. It is. Squarlely.
The misconception comes from the idea that the game is a dumbed down version of a real fighting game, tuned for kids and non-skilled, with a tradeoff in skill ceiling and balance so severe that it could hardly be considered a fighting game.
Take for instance Dead or Alive. This game was made by some people who seem to have no idea what they where doing. They basicly just threw took alot of features that casual fighting fans like and jsut hosed the game down with them, adding a good deal of slop to make sure beginners could have fun. DOA as a result makes for great low-level matches. Degrades into tedium at mid level and is literally unplayable at high level.
Smash, on the other hand was made by somebody who had such a firm grasp on good mechanics that they were able to wildly re-interpret them. The game masterfully solves low level snags like turtling and projectile abuse with elegant solutions rather than band aids (Alpha 3, I'm looking at you) and even makes room for four players and highly involved stages.
Smash solves problems fighting games have struggled with for years and it does so while retaining balance and a skill ceiling that stretches smoothly from never played a fighting game to well into mid level. I can't comment on high level as I've never seen it. To give some perspective to non-fighting gamers, when I say hi level I'm talking about pretty effin good. Better than you've likely ever encountered. Better on anything you see on XBox live or even casual games with the best in the world. So when I say "at least well into mid level" I mean you can get better at it that you will ever be able to get given the game's dismal state of competition.
Even if you never get to try the game, I just wanted to set the record straight.
I never got into "smashing" but I was introduced to the game and I was able to assess it. I just want to take a second to spread the message.
The game is often percieved to be not quite in the fighting genre. It is. Squarlely.
The misconception comes from the idea that the game is a dumbed down version of a real fighting game, tuned for kids and non-skilled, with a tradeoff in skill ceiling and balance so severe that it could hardly be considered a fighting game.
Take for instance Dead or Alive. This game was made by some people who seem to have no idea what they where doing. They basicly just threw took alot of features that casual fighting fans like and jsut hosed the game down with them, adding a good deal of slop to make sure beginners could have fun. DOA as a result makes for great low-level matches. Degrades into tedium at mid level and is literally unplayable at high level.
Smash, on the other hand was made by somebody who had such a firm grasp on good mechanics that they were able to wildly re-interpret them. The game masterfully solves low level snags like turtling and projectile abuse with elegant solutions rather than band aids (Alpha 3, I'm looking at you) and even makes room for four players and highly involved stages.
Smash solves problems fighting games have struggled with for years and it does so while retaining balance and a skill ceiling that stretches smoothly from never played a fighting game to well into mid level. I can't comment on high level as I've never seen it. To give some perspective to non-fighting gamers, when I say hi level I'm talking about pretty effin good. Better than you've likely ever encountered. Better on anything you see on XBox live or even casual games with the best in the world. So when I say "at least well into mid level" I mean you can get better at it that you will ever be able to get given the game's dismal state of competition.
Even if you never get to try the game, I just wanted to set the record straight.
