The Super Smash Bros. Melee fighter lineup.
Photo courtesy of Nintendo, inc.
The Nintendo game Super Smash Bros. Melee was supposed to be a party game, “fun for the whole family,” as the kids say.
Mario sets Princess Zelda on fire. Donkey Kong smacks Pikachu so hard the little yellow rodent flies across the screen. Commercials for one version of the game feature Bugs Bunny-esque cartoon smackings, as costumed actors roll down a grassy knoll. The adorableness of Melee belies a mystery: How did a Nintendo game from 2001 become the focus of cutthroat national video game competitions?Read more »
