For a long time, the Nintendo hit video game "Super Smash Bros", has made quite the impact on my college life. I’ve been to local tournaments, kept up with every bit of news on downloadable content, not to mention the insatiable hobby of collecting amiibos (a toy line from Nintendo themselves made to promote their games).
All aboard the hype train!
But, the biggest impact on me has been the “fan” base of the franchise. If you didn’t noticed, I put “fan” in quotations and for a reason. Many of the "Smash Bros" “fans” I come across these days don’t play the latest version of the game nor do they play any of the other official games of the series.
Instead, they choose to play a modded version of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", simply dubbed “Project M.”
If you’ve been living under a rock as a "Smash Bros" gamer, I’ll bring you up to speed on what is exactly going on. About seven years after the release of "Super Smash Bros. Melee," Nintendo released another installment of "Smash Bros" with the sub-title "Brawl." Many of the fans despised this game for it being a “slower” version of Smash Bros and how much better "Melee" was in regards to speed, and how "Melee" will always be the best for tournaments.
In other words, it was either playing "Melee" with four lives, using Fox, no items, on Final Destination only or no "Smash Bros" at all. No matter how much content or how equally fun it was, "Brawl" never lived up to the outrageously high standards of the "Smash Bros" fan base.
Eventually, a team of "Smash Bros" fans got together and decided to start toying around with "Brawl." They made gameplay faster like "Brawl," they put in characters from "Melee" who didn’t make it into "Brawl," they made their own stages. Almost anything that was "Melee" had to infect "Brawl."
Soon, they released this “mod” to the public under the name “Project M.”
It's purple because it's a disease. Red wasn't chosen because nobody likes to look at infections.
This mod was out for six years until the whole team disbanded and pulled the download from their page along with everything else that used to be on their web page. All that resides is a note from the modders thanking their supporters.
In the six years this mod was in development, it was under some fire by the most faithful fans of the real deal, including myself.
I’m actually in favor of mods… but ONLY when they aren’t messing with the whole game itself. I use mods on games like "Don't Starve," but it’s only meaningless stuff like fan-made character models based on other games. (Where else am I going to play a survival horror as Foxy from "Five Nights at Freddy's?") However, like I said, it’s only because that character mod isn’t messing with the game as a whole. I’m using a piece of content a fan made, but I’m still playing the official game.
“Project M” is on the opposite end of this spectrum. When I played “Project M”, I felt violated. I felt like I was betraying a game that gave me so much enjoyment. It was as if I deliberately gave a loved one a fatal disease like ebola. It took "Brawl" and forced it into being something it’s not, like Shia Labeouf in society.
And yet, there are all of these people who claim they are “fans” of Smash Bros but don’t play any of the official games.
My issue with Project M is that it’s like a metaphorical middle finger to Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai. The modders took something that he worked hard on and decided it wasn’t good enough. I’m sure that wasn’t a kay factor in the modders making Project M, but in this case, it seems like a matter of ungratefulness. It’s a way the fans can say to Sakurai, " Brawl sucked. So, I’m just going to download this other version that’s way better than yours because the few frame differences are a big deal to me.”
To the modders themselves, I understand you guys have come a long way. I’m sure you worked pretty hard and I applaud you for teaching yourselves a little bit of animation and game design. I respect you guys for following your own rules in order to give the most respect to Nintendo.
As for the “fans,” the behavior is appalling and disgusting. Never have I felt more betrayed by a community I thought to be a part of. I’ll leave you guys this question…
Assuming in a decade or two, when we get another "Smash Bros," will you finally leave Project M and appreciate the hard work of a game developer like a true fan or will you just keep whining about how “'Melee' was the best" and refuse to move on? Honestly, it’s like watching an overly attached person still thinking their ex will come back.
