Min Min, the latestSuper Smash Bros. UltimateDLCcharacter, has made quite a splash since she joined the fighting game’s roster. But game designer Masahiro Sakurai recently revealed that players almost got a completely different version of the character.
Min Min is one of the most unique characters inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Most characters have a button for normal attacks and a button for special attacks, the A and B buttons respectively. However, with Min Min, the normal attack button control’s her left ARM while the special attack button, with some exceptions, controls her right ARM. From a player perspective, it often feels like Min Min has two sets of normal attacks, and no special attacks.
RELATED:Nintendo Sending Out Real-Life Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Invitation Letters
However, in her original conception, Min Min was going to have no special attacks at all, according to a translation by Robert Sephazon on Twitter. Sakurai felt that removing the special attack would make playing with Min Min feel closer to theexperience of playingARMS. To understand what a break with convention this would have been, every single character has had special attacks going back to the very firstSmashgame.
Sakurai quickly scrapped these plans. While working withcharacters from other games, it’s important to try and keep the feeling of those games. However, Sakurai said that Smash"doesn’t necessarily have to follow the original games 100%" instead, it’s more important that they ensure “the characteristics and uniqueness of the original game shine in the new project.” In other words, a character doesn’t have to play exactly like how they play in their game, as long asSmashcaptures that characters vibe.
This approach to game design makes a lot of sense, and has allowed for the broad approach to character inclusion that has come to represent theSmashseries. For example, players don’t need to attach aNES Zapper to playDuck Hunt. Instead, the character feels connected to the NES game, while still handling like aSmashfighter.
By giving Min Min pseudo-special moves instead of removing them entirely, Saukrai created a fun and unique character, that feels true to bothSmashandARMS. And while she isn’t likely todominate the competitiveSmashscene, she’s certainly a welcome inclusion to the series.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis available now for the Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Second Fighter Pass Is Likely Its Last DLC
