Smash Bros. Brawl Tutorial Videos
Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 12:08PM I made this series of ten short tutorial videos for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. They appear on the official Nintendo Channel accessible through your Wii, on Nintendo's website, and below from YouTube. Nintendo asked me to explain the game to new players in a way that shows them there is more going on than they might think. Remember, these videos are for new players, not for tournament champions and they're intended to help the Smash scene grow.
Smash Bros. sells well in the US and in Japan, but struggles more in Europe. It sells more in both the US and Japan, while the perception in Eurpose is that it's "that kids game with the Mario Kart characters." A strange and ironic statement considering that the "Mario Kart characters" aren't even originally from Mario Kart, but that game sells well in Europe so it's a point of reference for many. Maybe my videos and the reputation of my name will help increase the scene in Europe. (Note to anrgy commenters: this information is from Nintendo, not from me. The idea that my name as an expert on competitive games might help in this situation is from Nintendo, not from me, and that's why they contacted me.)
Special thanks to David "Scamp" Cantrell and Cedric "Ceirnian" Qualls for gameplay advice, Rich "FMJaguar" DeLauder for editing and secretly keeping sirlin.net working, and Mike "Bocci" Boccieri for his technical wizardry with video capture.
As more of the videos become available on youtube, I'll post them all below. If you're interested in these videos, you might try that new "share article" link below, for digg or one of those new-fangled link-swapping sites.
--Sirlin
Part 1: The Two Games
Part 2: Attack Types
Part 3: Evasion and Throws
Part 4: Movement
Part 5: KOs
Part 6: The Edge
Part 7: Controlling Space
Part 8: Super Armor and Auto-Cancels
Part 9: Items
Part 10: Tournament Finals Match
Sirlin
Part 5 is now up!
Sirlin
Part 6 is now up!
Sirlin
Part 7 is up!
Sirlin
Parts 8 and 9 now available.
Reader Comments (174)
Sorry, Sirlin, I couldn't quite hear what you were saying on Part 6 @ 1:36
"If you see your character flashing, that's when you're blahblah-nerable"
I'm sure that characters are invulnerable while flashing, but I thought I'd check just in case it's different in this case.
Never knew about the option to press away from the stage to let go; I always just did fast fall. Now my Pikachu Thunder From Edge strategy is not so risky anymore. Thanks! :)
~Z
Thanks for the props Sirlin! :-)
"
First, in an "Akuma is legal" tournament some 12-14 year old kid wouldn't win. An Akuma player would almost certainly win, but the best player would still win anyway. Just... using Akuma. Is it your assertion that, if items were allowed, the worst player instead of the best would win? Isn't that ridiculous? I mean, i realize this whole thread is all hyperbole all the time... but...
"
The reason that was brought up was because, in items play, the 14 year old did win. In evo. Versus Ken.
Doesn't seem like much of a hyperbole now, does it?
"
I've seen some footage of tournaments run with items on. It certainly doesn't look like the worst player wins there. It looks like the best player wins. Sure, it gets a little swingy... but so what? Or is it your assertion that the winner will be determined completely at random, purely by the RNG giving one player or the other an item which then wins the match?
"
Not really, the anti-items crowd is pointing out that having items on pushes both players in a 1v1 match towards 50% victory rate. It allows players who have considerably less skill to win far more often then they deserve, and since tournaments are composed of a number of matches where it only takes a few losses to knock out a player, that push towards 50% becomes quite significant.
Items in general give massive advantages in terms of spacing control, damage potential, and killing potential. Many times, they are critical points, gift-wrapped for your character. The problem with this is that randomness determines who is most able to take advantage of this, not skill. Sure, skill can overcome this, but we should be defaulting to a gameplay format that separates based on skill as much as is possible, not one that attempts to blur skill levels as much as possible.
"
Or what? That a "real player" would refuse to use items, even if they were turned on, just on principle? Is that why some 12-14 year old kid would win--because said kid didn't have enough "honor" to not use items?
"
Of course not. If they're available, any real player would use them.
The 14 year old kid can still win (like at Evo) by an item spawning in a lucky position, or a stock loss obtained by an explosive spawning into my hitbox.
It happens all the time with items games, my little brother who I 3 stock in every non-items game I play with him occasionally wins items games. Sometimes enough times in a row to win a set. That just SHOULDN'T happen.
As for the general assertion that items were not given a fair shake in Brawl, that's not true actually. One of the hottest community topics prior to release was whether we should pick a gameplay format that includes items for tournament play. Then we actually got the game, and we tested it. While items weren't as bad as in melee because of the ability to turn off explosive containers, they change did not remove the crucial factors that made us choose to not use items. They still considerably moved both players in a match towards 50% win rates. As such, we decided as a community to use the same format as with melee.
...ya guys tested it. For a couple days, then shrugged, then wiped them from existence. Its predecessor got YEARS of testing before it was finally decided there were aspects of the items too detrimental to competitive play that could not be combatted without total removal. Even IF items remained as they were from the transition, the simple fact that the key reason for the problem stopped existing in Brawl should have made it a point to go back to square one. Instead, it was a patronized gloss over with no intent on actually exploring the game for what it is. A knee-jerk reaction is exactly what it was, in fear of anything random.
Sirlin, the vids are great. Dun let these guys nitpick at single statement or bash you for your opinions. Fact is, when someone goes against the hivemind, the sheep-coated trolls come out in full force, denouncing whatever you may be proposing. Too many will never think for themselves, just regurgitate what they've been told and lash out in fear against something different, as if their world will come crashing down otherwise. Those that are a little more level-headed can appreciate what you've done, though.
In the KO section: Not all spikes are meteor smashes. =)
@ cyntalan, items weren't officially banned till late march/early april. Several well respected members in the backroom had copies of the japanese game in january. they held items on tournament, tested for a while, but the problem was still there. a good two months of testing, could they have done more? probably, but don' say it was a knee jerk reaction made in a day or two
@ winter. sometimes the better player did lose. watch the ken vs cpu matches, and the sk92 vs darwin. at the start of the match, ken and sk would go up 50-60% or even a stock really quick, but once an item spawned it evened it out. The best player didn't even make the finals. SK is ranked 3rd in the west coast, behind only dsf and futile (who didn't show out of protest of the ruleset), he regularly beats pretty much the entire state of nevada (reno and vegas are both fairly active, and the state has the second most ranked players on the WC pr after california). he wasn't even in the finals.
i'd rather not turn the comment box into a debate hall, but cpu never placed well in any sbr ruleset tournament. when you take out the items, he can no longer keep up, basically, what i'm trying to say is this, while the some of our top players can still do well under the items on ruleset, the guy who won cannot do well without the items. it elevated a random to be on par with the cream of the crop. which should not happen. if someone well known one it, we might not be having the argument, but it waas a complete random from pretty much out of nowhere.
I can go into it a lot more, but i'd rather continue the argument outside of a blog
"
...ya guys tested it. For a couple days, then shrugged, then wiped them from existence. Its predecessor got YEARS of testing before it was finally decided there were aspects of the items too detrimental to competitive play that could not be combatted without total removal. Even IF items remained as they were from the transition, the simple fact that the key reason for the problem stopped existing in Brawl should have made it a point to go back to square one. Instead, it was a patronized gloss over with no intent on actually exploring the game for what it is. A knee-jerk reaction is exactly what it was, in fear of anything random.
"
Firstly, you're asking the wrong question.
When you're dealing with any individual items being on or off, or items as a whole being on or off, you're dealing with a forced choice. It's a set of categorical gameplay decisions, in the same way that neutral guard on or off is a categorical gameplay decision in other fighting games.
Because we are forced to make a choice and remove all the other options from competative play, the question isn't, "why remove items", the question is, "what advantages, if any, does competitive play with items have over competitive play without items". We ask that for every potential choice there, and ultimately pick the one with the most positives.
But who knows, at some point in the future we might recognize that some other format is better. Damage ratio 1.1 possibly, maybe metal, maybe low gravity. Who knows, those are all valid possible formats that simple have not had enough testing to decide if they are ultimately better formats then the current standard. Only time will tell what the final ruleset is for brawl.
But now ask yourself, why did we take so little time to test?
The reasoning is simple, we already knew what to look for. Brawl and Melee may be different games, but they share certain fundamental attributes. Because of this, we can easily identify the aspects that made items broken (both in core gameplay design and the items themselves) and if enough of these are shared by Brawl, then they maintain their broken status. There's no reason to ignore melee experience if the issue at hand is defined by characteristics shared by both games. And realistically, if we had been a better community back when melee first came out, we probably would've recognized this issue far earlier.
I'll also add that items are not out of testing. We have community projects that are continuing to test items to this day. We also have a sanctioned Items Play format called "ISP". However none of the data turned up by this project has ever suggested that the ruling on items was incorrect, even the project leader admits that the primary competitive standard should be items-less, at least as of this point.
Finally, what's wrong with getting rid of randomness. Randomness means that it becomes more and more akin to a game of chance instead of a game of skill, is there any reason to make the game like that on purpose? The entire point is, after all, for victory to be dependent on the player who best uses every tournament-legal option to win, not the one who randomly draws the ace.
Just as a note, I find it rather annoying that you group me in with the trolls. I frequent the site period and I came here initially to look up some things in Play to Win. I appreciate what Sirlin is trying to do, and while I certainly disagree with him on items, in general, he has my utmost respect.
These videos are perfect! I have a bunch of friends who don't know about DI, move decay, options on the ledge and what-not. These videos will demonstrate them excellently.
On a side note, I wonder why some people take such great offense to you and your videos...
Why do they take offense? It's Smash. If there's any game where even it's own community can't get along with itself, it's Smash Bros.
Of course, a lot of it is that it's a fighting game without an arcade standard and a billion options to play with. Without a definite 'right' way to play, everyone decides their way is the right way, regardless of how needlessly restrictive or absurdly broken it turns out in execution. These options are why the Smash games have such massive popularity and, in Melee's case, incredible endurance, but are also why everyone becomes loopy nutjobs about trying to create an actual competitive scene out of it.
I think there's enough room out there anymore for there to be multiple competitive scenes for the game, even if Smash takes so long to run that they couldn't share a spot at an event not centered around Smash- there's enough people on either side of the fence (And more then plenty willing to give it a go either way, regardless of personal preference) It'd probably even work out well, too, if everyone wasn't so quick to pop up and go 'you're doing it wrong' to each other.
Feh. Maybe Smash is just best left to our living rooms and college dorms.
"
Why do they take offense? It's Smash. If there's any game where even it's own community can't get along with itself, it's Smash Bros.
"
Hey, we have spirited debates, but generally everyone except the scrubs play nice, the same as every other fighting game community.
I mean the guys who constantly shout "cheap" as the scrubs btw, the majority of them just "happen" to be evangelical items players... hmmm I wonder why?
"
Of course, a lot of it is that it's a fighting game without an arcade standard and a billion options to play with. Without a definite 'right' way to play, everyone decides their way is the right way, regardless of how needlessly restrictive or absurdly broken it turns out in execution. These options are why the Smash games have such massive popularity and, in Melee's case, incredible endurance, but are also why everyone becomes loopy nutjobs about trying to create an actual competitive scene out of it.
"
You're correct, that issue is quite a common issue with Smash. However, we as a community, developed a standard that is usable which is the standard among the vast majority of competitive smash players, and we're constantly testing out other standards.
You see, because we don't have an arcade standard, we have the option of picking a tailored standard based on what is the least broken in practice. Sure, it takes us longer, but it gets a better result overall.
Really, the question is not, "why go competitive", it's "why not"? Smash is deep enough to be a competitive game, especially Melee (granted, L-canceling is stupid, why not halve landing lag for all moves?), so why not try to develop a standard that work?
"
I think there's enough room out there anymore for there to be multiple competitive scenes for the game, even if Smash takes so long to run that they couldn't share a spot at an event not centered around Smash- there's enough people on either side of the fence (And more then plenty willing to give it a go either way, regardless of personal preference) It'd probably even work out well, too, if everyone wasn't so quick to pop up and go 'you're doing it wrong' to each other.
"
Probably, if another major scene would develop. Really, the community is supportive of players coming up with their own formats and leaving rules decisions up to the individual TO. Heck, a lot of NY TO have a completely different stage-ban list then the rest of the community. A lot of midwest states run MK-banned tournaments.
Really, the problem is more that most players interested in gaming competitively don't like items play. Because it tends to be a great deal more arbitrary then non-items play.
Granted, debates pop up every now and then, but the Items Standard Play format is generally supported by the community, and it has a tournament following, albeit limited. It has a great deal more to do with the attractiveness of the format then anything else.
"
Feh. Maybe Smash is just best left to our living rooms and college dorms.
"
A viable competitive game, and you don't want a competitive community? Realistically, why?
"A viable competitive game, and you don't want a competitive community? Realistically, why?"
It's really quite simple. Not only can no one come to an agreement, some sides don't even want to agree to disagree. A lack of harmony within the community is only gonna kill the game, when it comes down to it.
Yeah, you said it. Items are for scrubs. They're SUPPOSED to give bad players an advantage to make the game FUN even for them.
If you want to be competitive, go ahead. Just don't complain about settings you don't even use.
Video # 7= another excellent and thought-provoking video. Not only do you help us to understand the intricacies of Smash, but the reflection you prompt causes us to garner a better understanding of fighting games in general.
Thank you.
I showed my gf video #7 last night as she never, ever chases opponents off stage. Very useful stuff!
As for the whole items on / off debate - why bring it here? I've been playing SSB since launch day 9 years ago but I've never been involved in the Smash community. After reading these comments, I don't think I ever will. Surely you can just have your cake and eat it? Opinions by their very nature are neither right nor wrong, so there has to be an embedded sense of understanding that other people's opinions will invariably differ from your own. There's nothing wrong with that. Even if you did feel strongly enough about your opinion to blurt it through a megaphone into the ears of the naysayers, there's no need for it to spill over onto every website that even mentions Smash Bros. It all began with that first commenter who said "Why didn't you mention items?", and the crap has snowballed from there. Let's stop (Yes, I have an opinion. No, I'm not saying it here).
Thanks again for these excellent videos. The fights at my house have gotten a lot closer and a lot more technical since watching these videos, as my friends and relatives are finally beginning to "smash like a pro". Good job!
melee >>> brawl
analogous to sf2 or 3s or alpha etc. >>> street fighter EX with randomass tripping for no reason at all
it's really sad, brawl could've been a much better fighting game; it would be my dream come true to see some collaborative effort between top melee players (mew2king, sephirothken, dashizwiz, chudat, isai...) and sirlin to do a remake of melee similar to sf2hd remix
if that ever happens, i really might giz on myself...for a week straight
Good stuff Sirlin. Also guys...wtf. Why talk about this crap here? And most of the SRK heads don't even play with items off so why are you sweating this? lol. Just relax and play the game how you want to. As Locke said there is no standard and the game has a ton of options.
So just play however you want and live and let live.
"In Smash Brothers, block stun is shorter than in most other fighting games"
Only in brawl. Smash 64's block stun was insane (good players would usually be able to break your shield if they hit it once, without you being able to do anything), and Melee's block stun was decently long, like normal fighting games. It's one of the reasons I prefer those games.
Really nice job on the videos though, even if I don't like brawl that much and already knew everything in the videos. They kinda make me sad though, all those relatively unknown techniques I have known are now common knowledge...
It wasn't the fact that block stun was very long. It was the fact that Z-cancelling eliminated all land lag from aerials so you could ridiculous pressure sequences on your opponent's shield.
Block stun was still long in Smash 64 though, I agree.
Spanish smasher here!
Greaat work doing this videos, but I am ashamed of being a smasher, looking at some individuals around here. But AdumbroDeus really nailed it. He said exactly the common thoughts of the Smash scene.
Anyway, great job, Sirlin, making those videos. I hope they accomplish its goal and they expand the Smash scene, especially here in Europe. (Spain has got a very little one, and it is deeply split: the argument between Melee players and Brawl players will never cease)
Good videos, despite that I knew most of it, as I'm into the smash scene. I'm surprised Nintendo asked you to do this, TBH. I imagined them more like casual players, quite pro-items and anti-competitive. Yet you did a good series of videos demonstrating the basics of competitive play. (Yes, I know there's an items video yet to be released..)
To join the discussion, I've met some more pleasant scrubs and casuals, who don't spout the usual TR4Q and everything you do is cheap stuff. However most of them are stereotypical and do. Yet they normally call competitive players jerks or talk about how every competitive player has told them to use a higher tier character. There are a couple like that, but they are the exception, not the rule.