The Games We Played is a year end round up of thoughts about games we spent time with.

By Paul @MrHarkinian) and Omar(@siegarettes)

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Paul
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There’s never a dull moment in a Smash Bros games, and that is especially the case with Smash Bros on Wii U and 3DS. Since the launch date, I could not put down my 3DS for a moment. Be it in Smash Run or in For Glory Online mode, the game provides fun and fresh content 100% of the time.

The best part about Smash Bros is that both games are virtually identical, with the Wii U version having a few more features. This is a great thing for two reasons; 1. For those of us who cannot afford a Wii U, the 3DS version is the next best thing. 2. Any sort of combos you learned in the 3DS version can be replicated on the Wii U version. Also, you have the ability to use your 3DS as a controller with Wi-Fi connectivity on the Wii U, so having your 3DS and the game with you just might come in handy.

That connectivity does not end with the game; Smash Bros brings people together. You go to a live stream of a Smash tournament and you will see people of all ages, races, and genders battling for the top position. While the idea of video games is to bring people together, you rarely see it executed as well as in Smash Bros.

I often played with and against friends. We always got a kick out of someone landing an attack just right or just screwing around and watching a character face plant on the screen.  It was always a good time, and I have to say that I’ve met some pretty cool people and made great friends thanks to this game. And that’s where Smash Bros shines the most; playing with other people. No other game that I know of can bring people of all kinds together better than Smash Bros.

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Omar
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Like Pokemon, Smash Brothers felt like something that I’d simply grown away from. I lived the hype for a while, consumed the demo repeatedly,  showed up to the midnight release of the 3DS version and yet having it in my hands felt hollow. I played it, consumed it, but I felt little ownership of it. It didn’t click like it used to.

What I needed was people. All my reservations seemed to disappear on the release of the Wii U version. A grand launch party, with family and friends coming together and playing well into the morning. Six player battles, chaos and violence. Smash Bros turned into a social event. That’s another part of its DNA it shares with Pokemon, some chemical agent that catalyzes when exposed to the right people. Smash Bros is as much a social game as Pokemon, without it Smash becomes muted.

I’m not sure how much time I’ll be spending in the future with the new Smash, but I’m glad it’s back.