Ask anybody who had a hand in developing the original Super Smash Brothers for the N64 back in 1999, and they would have told you that they thought that the quirky brawler was destined for the bargain bin. Who knew that a game featuring a battle to the death between all of Nintendo’s famed mascots would become such a sensation? Nintendo fans, that’s who. Read more…

“Sorry about that. I’m a bit nervous so I just broke out into song,” joked Masahiro Sakurai, the designer of the Smash Bros. series, after regaling us with a few bars of the chanting trailer soundtrack. He gave an in-depth and very articulate look at the process of developing the latest installment’s character roster.

The line-up was pretty well finalized as early as 2005, with the exception of Sonic, who was added just last year. Characters were selected for their individuality, unique abilities, and balance of both the fighting and game series representation. Read more…

“No time machine? Not my problem!”

I admit it, I’m a hypocrite. I have no problem busting Nintendo’s chops on forums across the internet for banking on nostalgia these days, but I’ve got a secret rose-tinted past of my own. Like most of you, I grew up on Nintendo — watched the cartoons, ate the cereal, wore the underoos. But I feel like they’ve left a few of my favorite franchises collecting dust while Mario and Zelda get all the glory. Hit the jump for the top 5 series that I think time (and Nintendo) forgot and how they should be resurrected. Read more…