Smashmania: We want a story mode... but Smash doesn't need one

It’s a huge ask, we know, but the premise of a sequel or whole new adventure in the style of Super Smash Bros. Brawl‘s story mode is something that players have been wanting since the launch of Smash 4. With fun and visually-impressive cutscenes featuring the title’s diverse cast, a host of giant boss fights, and the ability to play alongside a friend, the Subspace Emissary was one of the best additions to Brawl.

Adding a strong story could sell Smash for Switch by itself, though admittedly it’d take a lot of effort on Nintendo’s part. That said, we’re just excited about the premise of a story mode where Cloud and Pac-Man can finally team up.

However, I've seen many people saying that Subspace Emissary was great and that it should come back. Although I'd like to see a story mode, here's the thing: Subspace Emissary was not flawless. If we take into account that Brawl is not exactly the best Smash in terms of mechanics and has a final level which served more as filler in a game with already had a lot of content, then we have a mere affix that was fun for a short amount of time. In a game mode where Mario and Link dodge the enemy's attacks, they messes up this social gathering with attacking hordes of enemies without strategy, crossing through generic and unimaginative levels while slowly realizing that the plot makes no sense and Tabuu, although a great methaphor of the pressure to grow up, being a more boring and generic boss that Master Hand himself.

People are glorifying Subspace Emissary simply for the cutscenes (even if that meant playing the game twice to unlock them all) and because Smash 4 didn't have it. The Subspace Emissary was big in certain aspects, like a dream coming true. But once you play it, everything falls apart: as a game, as a story and even as fanservice. It was fun while it lasted, but once you let go all that excitement and charm, it can't live up to the high. It's too entangled in its plot and too monotonous in its gameplay. The only things that kind of saves it are moments like this:

Sadly, Super Smash Bros doesn't need a story mode. And although many hated Sakurai for discarding it in the first place, just look at Smash 4: despite the rage mechanic and the overuse of Bayonettas and Clouds, is having a competitive popularity that Brawl has never had. This is hard for me to accept because I loved the Subspace Emissary, unfortunately time wasn't kind with it. In fact, I still believe there's a lot of promise behind this idea and I'd like to see another try. Smash is always criticized for having a poor 1-P mode and a story mode is a great way to start.

I don't think we'll see another Subspace Emissary, especially with a roster as big as the one in Smash 4. Something more similar to Melee's adventure mode blended with Smash 3DS's classic mode could work, if they could include elements from the franchises worlds and recognizable enemies from said worlds, along with cutscenes that would be great. And Sakurai, buddy, I love you for everything you've done with the series, but real talk this time around:

We live in the Internet era, people are going to put cutscenes on Youtube no matter what you do or say, it's inevitable and you can't let that stop you from trying to make something new all together... or at least come with a better excuse than that.