By Alayna P.
Super Smash Bros. is an undoubtedly popular game, among competitive and casual players alike. From the moment I first started playing it, I was struck by the fact that competitive players don't play it the way the game is advertised, or the way it is initially set up. The game has a myriad of items, and widly varied stages where anything can happen - yet for competitions, they throw that all away, and play on always the same stage, and take away all those fun items that make the game so exciting. So I wondered: why? My answer seems to come in the form of "it makes it more fair". But does it really? Or does it just take away all the fun?
Most of the fun and excitement of Super Smash Bros. comes from the relative chaos of it. Things are happening here, there, and everywhere, ever changing, ever engaging, ever keeping you on your toes. This is traded in for the supposed fairness of one-on-one fighting with no items, and no stage hazards or obstacles. It is thought that by having items and interesting stages, skill is swapped for random luck. But wouldn't it also be more fair to have everyone play as the same character? Then it would be purest skill and nothing but. So where is the line really drawn? Where should it be drawn? I think it is very possible to have fun and remain competitive, and I will explain just how.