Gameplay Journal Entry #3
Super Smash Bros Brawl is one of my favorite Wii games, and also has one of the best mods ever as well: Project M. Project M is a modification to the game in which it not only changes the mechanics to make the game faster and more aggressive, but adds a slew of content such as new characters, stages, attacks, balancing, etc. All you have to do is download the files from your computer onto an SD card, boot up the stage builder (without ANY stages made), and the game will run an exploit that doesn’t harm the base game. The only way to revert back to the original game is to close the game or turn off the console. This mod is so popular infact, that it’s played at official gaming tournaments and the community considers it to be way better than the base game in every aspect. To quote Schleiner from “The Player’s Power to Change the Game” on page 55, which also applies to the developers of both this mod and Counter Strike, “But in exceptional cases, the modder’s accomplishments may end up eclipsing the original commerical game.”
The mod changes the mechanics by introducing exploits from Super Smash Brother Melee, an earlier installment, and makes them fleshed out mechanics. There’s many techniques and inputs like wave dashing, L-canceling, frame canceling, etc. that allow for veterans to master their tool kit while newcomers or casual players can play the game as is without them. Characters have also been balanced to be competitively viable by either being nerfed or buffed with strength, speed and other types of stat changes. For example, Kirby was a terrible character in the vanilla version of SSBB, but thanks to the mod, he has a few altered moves that are faster, hit harder and chain together more easily to the point that I could take on almost anyone without a severe disadvantage. New stages have been added and changed to compensate for the new feel of the game as well as stages that are made specifically for competitive play. These stages add extra stage elements and platforms while not being harmful to specific characters or anyone for that matter. Some stages like Mushroomy Kingdom or Norfair are not fun to play on during high paced combat, so stages like Delfino’s secret and Bowser’s Castle are there to scratch that of not having a plain field to fight on. There’s many other additions made like costume changes, easter eggs, cut content being completed, etc., but all this was made by a passionate group of fans and has been shaped by the game’s community as well as the gaming community at large.
Schleiner, Anne-Marie. “Ludic Mutation: The Player’s Power to Change the Game.” Game Modding: Cross-over Mutation and Unwelcome Gifts, 2071, pp. 36–60.
