The recent release of Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and its inclusion into our catalog has brought in a new wave of excitement to Ignite. We experience excited rushes when including many popular games but this time, it’s different. With releases of games like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, we see more of our typical crowd: male gamers between the ages of 17 and 25. However, when Super Smash found its way into Ignite, it brought along new and old friends of all ages and genders. I think we owe this difference to one element Super Smash Bros has over arguably most games out today: nostalgia.

When I think of gaming, one of the first games that comes to mind is Super Smash Bros. I remember being absolutely terrible at it as a kid, but always having fun! It was a game everyone enjoyed playing and watching, so it was a perfect party game. The variety of arenas and solid group of beloved characters had something for everyone. For those of us who weren’t massive gamers, characters like Pikachu and Jigglypuff satisfied our player slots while those like Link and Samus satisfied the more knowledgeable gamers. Super Smash brought the first hint of nostalgia with call backs to other games in its N64 debut and perhaps that is part of why it constantly holds a spot in our nostalgic hearts.

N64 character list. Image from gamespot.com. 

Melee and Brawl brought us more Pokémon (like Charizard and Mewtwo) and more standard game characters (like Diddy Kong and Peach), but the Wii U version has really stepped it up a notch. We go two years prior to Samus’s introduction in Metroid with the “Duck Hunt Duo” from 1984’s Duck Hunt and then come into this decade with yoga poses from the “Wii Fit Trainer”. Super Smash Bros brings the nostalgia for everyone from Generation X (they would have been in their late teens/early twenties upon the releases of Duck Hunt, Metroid, and the original Super Smash Bros) to Millennials and keeps up to date with those born after the turn of the century. We also see more female characters with each new version, which is great progress from having just one, Samus, in the original game. There is something for everyone, making it a perfect amalgam of past and present and, with the inclusion of 8 player slots, a better addition to parties than ever before!

Talking about new characters, how can we not mention amiibos?! For those of you unfamiliar with the new addition, amiibos are character figurines that you can connect with the game on any device (WiiU and 3DS). The figurines then store data from the game, which is then used to level up characters and learn new abilities. You can even transfer data from console to console, so if you play at Ignite and then at a friend’s house, your levels and abilities go with you. Then, you can play alongside your amiibo’s character or against them as practice. Not only is this great for the hardcore gamers who want to toughen up before competitions, but those of us who weren’t so great back in the day can beef up our Pikachus…without the added embarrassment of frequently losing to our friends. (There is hope for us yet!)

The first wave of amiibos!  Image from Wikipedia because I’m not in high school anymore and I CAN.

Go, leveled-up and now super powerful Pikachu! Suck it, Ness! Image from Kotaku.com.

My question now is: What are you waiting for?! We have three Wii U stations all equipped with the newest Super Smash Bros, ready for you to play! Bring your 3DS to expand beyond 4 players and grab your amiibos to keep your characters in tip-top shape.