When I think back to when I was playing N64 smash at 3 years old with my 16 year old cousins, I never would've thought this game would impact my life in a huge way.
Super Smash Brothers has taught me one thing in life. It shows you the wins and the losses, the cries and defeat, and the winning and pride after beating your rival out or that one friend you always struggled against. Smash has impacted my life in ways I truly could not explain. I can't really tell you in how I truly feel that Nintendo characters in a fighting game changed WHO I WAS as a person, it's crazy isn't it.
Playing the game I was any ordinary rookie on the scene. I had the items, I played on all the stages, and I even faught out the level 1 CPUs when doing it. I used to get destroyed by my cousins when playing the N64 version. Sure I was three, but I can still remember getting so frustrated when my cousin Justin, (who happened to be one of my all time rivals) played Ness, obliterating me with the home run bat and ending the game. Or the countless laughs as we hoped to win each time as all 4 of us battled for victory, nailing each other's stocks off until there was only one character standing on the stage saying "GAME!" Well, that's where my career began. You can say smash runs in my genes, as my cousins were very good, I managed to fill their spot to this day since they tapped out of the retro world. Growing up my life was pure hell, I dealt with kids who tormented my suicidal thoughts everyday. But for me, the only thing that saved me was my bestfriends to this day and smash. I had a group growing up, and although we are getting older and it's hard for us to see each other, we all agree we are still the "fam" to this day, and we still trash talk each other as we hold important values and earnings in every smash game. Without these idiots in my life, I would not be here and I wouldn't of lived to see my advancement in super smash bros. Let me tell you about these four kids that came into my life, it's important for you to know since it's the reason I thrive to be the best player there is.
When Brawl came out, it was everything to me. It was the only game I played. Back then it was in 2008, and I had no idea of the crazy mysteries melee held, so brawl was my competitive smash game. Considering its 2016, I know brawl isn't (obviously) as competitive as melee, but it's still so valuable to me. I loved every character in that game; but it seems one character stood out from the rest, one character that defined and defines who I was and am to this day and will forever be my main no matter what. Lucario. By the time I was 9 I idolized this character, I played him everyday and he was my go to if I ever had a silly match with my cousin. I spent 8 years playing him to this day, and yet no one has ever seen me go all out when playing him. I truly think I am unbeatable with the character, but I am so stuck up that no one sees how I play considering no one deserves it. Hey, that's me I can't help it. But anyways, besides my cousins when I was three I always played by myself. Until my one bestfriend, who is my brother to this day told me something ridiculous to me. His name is Mike, and although all the time I annoy him saying "one more match" smash was the game that made us bestfriends. He gave me a call one night, asking what I was doing. I told him, hey I'm playing smash. I told him how I was unbeatable and how no one could stop me. The items I used were dangerous too.. Wait wait wait. Huh? Did you read that right? Items? Well yeah? Items right? It seemed as though I was playing the game wrong you can say, or I didn't have the knowledge to grasp that items are the BS way of winning. Mike had told me you fight with no items. Which was pure bullshit to me, but after two hours of arguing over who was right, I gave it to him and well, Mike was damn right on his facts.
Mike came over next weekend for a match. This was easy though. Mikes a scrub, there was no way he would take it. So I knew I was going to win. I scrolled on lucario, clicked on him while Mike clicked on toon link. Wow. Lame. As we agree to fight on the one and only final destination with that badass theme in the background, something SEEMED different. I couldn't beat him. He immediately took the first two games off me while I sat in frustration. Since it was first to three I had to think of something to do. But nothing was working. The damn kid was up 2-0 nailing me even in the 3rd game as well. There was something about his play style; I couldn't put my finger on it until I saw what he was doing. His character was switching back and forth, and by the 3rd game he repeatedly did it, avoided all my attacks and defeated me. I was beyond mad but mad at myself, don't hate the player hate the game. You know, crazy as this sounds, I am unbelievable happy now that Mike beated me, because it showed me I wasn't the best. It showed me I needed to WORK harder to achieve my goals. That helped me out in smash and in life. I found out Mike was doing a strategy called pivoting, yes ok we get it it's a noob tactic and if you see it these day and ages you get bashed for it. Well, pivoting was THE SHIT. So much that we spammed it every second and thought we we're pros. The next weekend Mike came over and well, I shut him down. Kicking this kids ass in brawl was MY territory, you don't come on my turf and expect to win no more. He will tell you himself, if Mike didn't beat me the first time, I would not be who I am today and I wouldn't of started my competitive edge in smash in general.
