The List

Before the unification of several different gaming entities, Smash was a low-key get-together comprising of twelve representatives from the Nintendo universe. The idea was engendered by the mysterious but benevolent Master Hand, who decided to knock down the borders between Nintendo's different worlds by calling the Original Twelve together to test their skills, first against one another, and finally against him. He left time for fun and games, too, quickly establishing several lounges, a spa, lodging for the fighters, a Training Room and goodness knows what else. Thanks to the giant glove's efforts, deep friendships had sprung up among the twelve in no time.

It started off something like this. On April 26, 1999, the Original Twelve entered the halls of the Smash Mansion for the first time. Master Hand quickly situated them in a spacious room known as the Reception Area for an initial bonding period and to introduce himself and explain how the tournament would be organized. After introductions, Master assigned the Smashers to their own bedrooms and declared the rest of the day a "leisure day".

The next morning, everyone woke up at around 7a.m. and sat in the cafeteria to eat breakfast. After breakfast, Master summoned everyone to the Assembly Hall to announce that the tournament's first matches had been arranged. Those and future matches would be tacked onto a corkboard in the Main Hall. After everyone got a good look at their schedule for the day, they retreated to the lounge for some last minute decompression. The fighters headed off to meet their opponents at 9a.m. sharp.

Master Hand was extremely pleased at what he saw that day, and the days after. Not only the bonds forged, but the tenacity displayed on the battlefield. Organizing this was a shot in the dark, and it appeared to have paid off.

Yet a few weeks later, the dynamic of the tournament would be shifted. And it all began with a piece of paper…

…the tier list.

Master Hand brought his giant palm down on his alarm clock and groggily floated out of bed. He went straight to the shower, doused himself with cold water and then took a four-minute shower before drying off, attending to his toilette and then fixing himself a hearty meal of scrambled eggs, bacon and French toast. Once he was full, he sounded the breakfast call for the Smashers and retreated to his office.

He sat at his desk, booted up his computer and signed in to his dial-up Internet service. As soon as he clicked on his e-mail account:

"You've got mail!"

And important mail, no less. The e-mail was from Mr. Sakurai, the tournament's financier. After receiving glowing reports from Master, he had decided to increase the funds to help cover the Smashers' expenses. But that wasn't what his email was about.

A team of well-seasoned gamers, led by Mr. Sakurai, had composed a tier list to serve as a springboard for competitive play. Master wasn't wild about the tier list—he was certain that it would instill more hostile competition among his fighters, and he didn't want that. But then again, Sakurai was keeping the dough flowing in, and he knew what was best for Smash. So why complain?

Master looked the document over for a minute or so. Then, he clicked "Print".

Low whining and humming filled the air as the printer slowly inched the piece of paper from its mouth. Master's fingers hovered outside its cavernous maw as the machine worked its magic. And with one last hum, it expelled the warm paper, Master grasping it and holding it up where he could see.

"Very nice," he murmured.

He began the leisurely journey from his office to the Main Hall, allowing the tier list to dangle from his fingers. To get to the Main Hall, he first had to traverse the Housing Area, where the twelve bedrooms were located. Doors opened slightly, curious pairs of eyes peeping out at the powerful entity and the paper he had in his fingers. Master Hand knew they were watching, but he paid them no mind. He'd let them discover what he was holding on their own.

Out of one door peeped Nintendo's unofficial spokesperson and Smash's all-around fighter, Mario "Jumpman" Mario. He entered the workforce as a carpenter on the lookout for a certain hairy ape and switched from construction sites to sewers, sinks and toilets after two years. Another two years went by before he ventured into a fantasyland, becoming enraptured by its beautiful, fair-haired and gentle ruler and helping her fight off a hulking reptile of an enemy. Once peace was restored, Mario instantly became a champion of sports, dabbled in medicine and even refereed a boxing match. With his red getup, Mario was as iconic as iconic would get.

Out of another door peeped the King of the Jungle, DK. This grinning ape wearing a tie was currently on good terms with Mario. The cease-fire was initiated shortly before Mario launched his plumbing career, with DK deciding to change his ways and his former trainer agreeing to have him sent back home to his family. DK helped defeat King K. Rool and his band of thieves before settling in the aforementioned fantasy wonderland, soon becoming a staple in the many kart races and sporting events it hosted. He enjoyed eating bananas, playing his bongos and expanding—well, you get the idea.

Out of a third door peeped the Hero of Time, Link. The wielder of the Master Sword was an expert ocarina player and was quickly recognized on the battlefield by his high-pitched cry of "Hyaaaah!" He bore the Triforce of Courage and rode into adventures astride his loyal horse, Epona. His tiny faerie, Navi, was always by his side ("Hey, listen!"). Link was still a boy, but he showed remarkable strength and bravery. Hyrule should be counting its blessings.

Out of a fourth door peeped the helmeted visage of Samus Aran, space warrior. Her life hadn't been an easy one. She was born on a colony of Planet Zebes which was later attacked by space pirates. Her parents had met their bloody end at the hands of the pirates' leader, Ridley. The orphaned girl was adopted and trained in combat by the people known as the Chozo, the creators of the Varia suit she wore during all of her adventures. Samus took on Mother Brain and the deadly Metroid race before squaring off against Ridley and defeating him multiple times. Perched on her shoulder was a baby Metroid she decided to raise as her own.

Out of a fifth door poked the head of Yoshi, the lovable green dinosaur. According to legend, Yoshi and his brethren raised Mario when he was a tiny baby, before he settled in Brooklyn, New York. Yoshi wore brown sneakers and used his sticky tongue to grab opponents. The opponent would be swallowed and laid as a spotted egg from which they could eventually escape. Yoshi maintained his role as Mario's helpful buddy, giving him rides in his quests since 1991. By himself, Yoshi saved the Happy Tree from being chopped down.

Out of a sixth door puffed the rotund, rosaceous body of the cute but capable Star Warrior, Kirby. He was considered premature by Star Warrior terms, since the starship he slept in went into Warp Mode before he was fully developed. That starship crash-landed in Dreamland, located on the planet Popstar. Despite his big eyes, stubby arms and overall naïve worldview, Kirby used his powerful Copy Abilities to defeat fearsome monsters. In Smash, he gained prominence by inhaling foes and copying their standard special moves, gaining an adorable hat for each fighter he imitated.

Out of a seventh door flicked the ears of Fox McCloud, leader of a mercenary team known as Star Fox. He'd solemnly affirmed to protect the Lylat System until his dying breath, and though he could be a bit cocky and snobbish, he'd upheld that vow. He overcame personal tragedy, the death of his father, James, to triumph over Andross. Fox became a staple in Smash by way of his quick, martial-arts style attacks, his Blaster, his Reflector and his Firefox.

Out of an eighth door peeped Pikachu, Electric-type Mouse Pokémon with his lightning bolt-shaped tail and his red cheeks, where his electricity was stored. He was the poster boy of these pocket monsters, which had tournaments of their own, conducted by trainers who caught, taught and nurtured them. In Smash, Pikachu's electricity gave him quite the competitive edge over the other fighters, and with his Quick Attack, he could vault to safety at any moment. After a long day, the fighters wanted nothing more than to curl up with Pikachu and a good book.

After meeting their gazes, Master Hand passed by four rooms with their doors tightly shut. These were the rooms of the Formidable Four, four secret fighters simply bursting with anticipation over unveiling their battling prowess. You'll hear about them later.

Now arriving at his destination, Master Hand stuck the tier list onto the bulletin board, right next to the day's matchups. He stood back and nodded admiringly at his work. Then, he turned around and floated back the same way he'd come, the peering eyes now retreating back into the doors. He had no way of knowing he'd just set an exciting day into motion.

While Master was putting up the tier list, one fighter had observed his actions intently. This fighter now emerged from his hiding spot and crept over to the list on catlike feet.

It was none other than Mario, Mr. Video Game Himself, and he was itching to see his position before the area became swamped by a frenzied crowd.

Little did he know that he'd get way more than he bargained for…