Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo Switch is already one of the most anticipated and popular games E3. Expecting heavy foot traffic, Nintendo has asked people wanting to try Smash Switch to sign up in advance while also making it clear no on-site registration will be possible.

And while many fans will enjoy the novelty of playing the new title, many more of them are coming there with a mission.

The task? To test, experiment, and report on every single possible game mechanic they can think of. These are the die-hard competitive players who, since Super Smash Bros. Melee's release in 2001, have never truly been given the spiritual successor they desire.


Routinely disappointed

Watching Super Smash Bros. Brawl release in 2008 was a bitter experience for competitively minded smashers. While the game featured an impressive single-player mode, the speed and precision of Melee were nowhere to be found. Instead, characters would trip at random and practically non-existent hit-stun across all moves made discovering reliable combo's nearly impossible.

A dull competitive scene developed around the painfully imbalanced Meta Knight, a character so broken special rules had to be put into place to restrict his movement options and stalling strategies. To Melee fans, the allure of new characters meant little when the majority of them were incapable of winning in competitive environments.

Six years later Super Smash Bros. Wii U. was released.  In what seemed like an apology to the competitive scene it often ignored, Nintendo embraced the most competitive aspects of Melee esports, including special 1v1 maps, faster characters, and hit-stun that allowed for actual combos. 

Better yet, Nintendo held the Smash Brothers Invitational tournament at E3 2014, inviting pro players, commentators, and personalities from the Brawl and Melee scene to compete for the first time with Nintendo's public blessing.  Melee still marched on and Smash Wii U became a bridge for new players to enjoy Super Smash Bros. as more than just a party game.

Make no mistake, Smash Brothers for Wii U is still not comparable to Melee as an esport. The best way to describe it is a huge improvement from Brawl that succeeded in satisfying casual players and not completely isolating the competitive scene. While a great game, if hasn’t satisfied the itch of the old competitive junkies.

Now, with E3 2018 just days away and Smash Switch creating all sorts of hype,  persevering Melee fan are, once again, crossing their fingers for the inclusion of key features that might make Smash Switch competitively thrilling.

The most crucial questions for competitive Smash fans

1. Does character momentum from running carry over into jumps?

2. Is there minimal landing lag on aerial attacks or ways to minimize landing lag through precision?

3. What are the shield regeneration rates, shield dropping speeds (slower or faster than 7 frames) and shield hit-stun amounts?

4. What does air dodging look like? Can you "Landfallspecial" aka "Wavedash"?

5. How fast can a character pivot? Is there a built-in delay or limit to repeatedly doing so?

6. How fast does a character recover from hit-stun?

7. Does using the C-stick negate aerial momentum?

8. Is there re-grab invincibility?

9. How do ledge mechanics work? Does ledge trumping still exist?

10. When do characters have invincibility frames?

^{Movement and in Super Smash Brothers Melee is unique and responsible for its esports success}

Though they may sound esoteric to the uninitiated, these questions are of utmost importance to the competitive minded Smash Brothers players. Their answers determine whether or not a player's advanced speed, character movement, and combo skills are "helpful" or "absolutely vital" when trying to win consistently.

Esports fans have been begging for a Smash Bros. game that matches the ferocity and lethality of Melee. At E3 2018, there fair chance they just may get it. After all, Nintendo will be showcasing both the Splatoon World Championship and the Super Smash Bros. Invitational at E3 this year, so clearly their stance on esports has changed.

It may finally be time to put down a 16-year-old game and dive into a new era of Smash esports.

You can watch the tournament unfold at Nintendo's YouTube channel on Tuesday, June 10: 12:00 p.m. ET, 9:00 a.m. PT.