Okay, so I can’t speak for everyone, but most gamers I’ve encountered love to get a good game of Super Smash Bros. going. It’s the perfect party game: everyone picks their favorite character and battles it out, hopefully with more laughs than ruined friendships.
Many Smash players, though, prefer to play with the items off. They think items ruin the game and remove any semblance of skill involved. My perspective on it is a little different. I appreciate the “For Glory” style and how it tests true Smash prowess. When it comes to a casual night with friends, though, Smash is at its best when characters and objects are flying around as much as possible.
Items, of course, aid in the chaotic process. While I certainly encourage playing with all items on, there are a few types of items in particular that you might want to look for. Using these as your battle boosters will ensure that your smashing is up to par — even if you had to use a little help along the way.
Helping Items
These are items that you can use to summon characters, who will help you by attacking your rivals. There are few things that shake up the game, like putting a temporary ally on your side. And some can do damage to many opponents at once.
Perhaps the most famous example is the Poké Ball, which contains a Pokémon with a unique ability. You might find an Abomasnow to freeze people or a Staryu to trap them in a line of rapid-fire attacks. Snorlax is my personal favorite: there’s nothing like watching the big lug squash whoever happens to be in his way. My only other advice is to hope you don’t get Goldeen.
Of course, the Master Ball serves a similar function, except that it summons legendaries, often the very best Pokémon available. If you really want things to get crazy quickly, put these on high and let Mew, Kyogre, and company take over the battle.
Those acquainted with recent editions of Smash will know that they can call upon more than just Pokémon. That is where the highly coveted Assist Trophy comes into play. These were introduced in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and are perhaps even more unpredictable than Poké Balls. They can do everything from flip the stage over to block your field of vision. Might make the game harder to play, but results in plenty of “What the?!” moments.
Exploding Items
Yeah. Explosions are cool. And they’re certainly cool in Smash, where they can net you a nice few kills. The series features several types of bombs, and even a box, all of which have been designed to blow the unlucky victim to smithereens (or at least off the stage).
Some bombs, such as Bob-ombs, explode on contact. Other bombs latch onto either the ground or even a competitor, and additional contact or time results in their activation. When you want to nail a few foes at once, you can’t go wrong with the Smart Bomb, which triggers a huge, expanding explosion, or the X Bomb, which shoots fire in, well, an X.
Then you have the Blast Box, not a bomb by name, but not an item to kick around too much if you plan on surviving.
Rest assured — if it explodes, it will explode on you (and your friends) at some point. I’d say be careful with them, but that would defeat the purpose of this article. So I’ll instead advise that you use bombs as carelessly as possible and hope you come out on the other side.
Bonus: Cucco
This particular fella is only available in the Wii U and 3DS editions of Smash, but man, he is so worth it. Cucco is a chicken-like animal who minds his own business, walking across the stage without doing much to disrupt things. How is that chaotic, you ask? Try disrupting him and see what happens.
If you decide you want to pick up Cucco and throw him at an enemy, it will summon a whole herd of Cuccos to ruthlessly batter that enemy. They come fast and furious, so this is one of the best items to use if you want to really ruin someone’s day.
Of course, there’s a fine line between hitting A to pick up a Cucco and to kick one, depending on your positioning. If you do the latter, they come after you. So yeah, don’t do that. Unless you like being attacked by a herd of angry chickens. I’m not here to judge.
There are many other items that can cause real damage to your opponents. But if you stick to the ones I’ve laid out, you are guaranteed to have the Smash game of your life. Not in terms of masterful skill, but in terms of having crazy things happen left and right.
None of these are quite ideal for tournament play, but for a fun night with your crew? Bring out the chickens.
Images: Super Smash Bros. Official Website
Published: Jun 19, 2016 05:04 am