Julia Bohm's review of Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Date last edited: 05-30-2024 at 05:12PM
Rating: Everyone 10+
Review:
Title: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Developer/Publisher: Sora Ltd., Masahiro Sakurai, BANDAI NAMCO Studios, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
Genre: fighting, multiplayer or single player game
ESRB rating: everyone 10+
Your rating on a 5 star scale: 5 out of 5 stars
Primary audience: everyone 10+
Year of release: 2018
Platform: Nintendo Switch
“Super Smash Bros Ultimate” is a game for Nintendo Switch that is all about fighting to win; it is a game of skill but most importantly it is very fun and has amazing music and characters! This game is packed with exhilarating action, adventure, and many different characters and locations to fight in to choose from! “Super Smash Bros Ultimate” was developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who was the same company and director who also made “Super Smash Bros” for the Nintendo 3Ds and the Wii U. This game is great for finding an exciting way to engage with family or friends through the media, and having a creative way to see God through the scenes and victories of this game.
First Media Key: Balance
Balance is key to any video game because we “need a little bit of everything, more of what’s good for us than what’s bad for us,” (Gan, pg 27). We can either play with ourselves, because relaxation and taking a few breaks is important for our health, or play with friends and family but doing it in a way that is fun and competitive. Temperance “provides balance in the use of created goods,” (Gan, pg 31). Through this virtue, we can moderate ourselves and our emotions when we win a fight or lose so that we do not get too angry or prideful, because sometimes, video games get us riled up!
Second Media Key: Attitude Awareness
This media key “keeps us on our guard, helping us to maintain a critical perspective about the messages,” (Gan, pg 37). This key can help us to see what the message of this game is; the message is quite subtle, but I feel that it is about the importance of bringing people together. Fighting games are real fun, especially for boys, so it is nice to see friends or even parents play this game with their kids, so that they understand the overall and subtle message of family and community. The virtue of prudence can help in this because it can “discern our true good in every circumstance,” (Gan, pg 47). Prudence can help us to not get too caught up in the atmosphere of the game, but just have fun, get creative, and enjoy the fighters, places, and music with yourself or others to really get into it and to thank God even for the enjoyment we feel playing.
Third Media Key: Dignity of the Human Person
Although these characters are not real and do not have real feelings, the third media key can be hidden in this game because when you win a fight, the other character is in the corner of the screen cheering for you; this can “reflect, uphold, and enhance human dignity,” (Gan, pg 52). I feel that this can be a good way to portray this media key in this scene because the other player is not angry, but is saying ‘great job, I am proud of you for using your skills’. Justice helps us because it is “the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor,” (Gan, pg 62); it helps us to be thankful for the help of others and to help them in return through the little message that the characters gave us.
Fourth Media Key: Truth-filled
Even a video game can have truth; “reveal truth about God, man, and the world,” (Gan, pg 75), that is what is important even when playing video games. We are called to evangelize through any media we use and share with others. For example, one of the fighting stages is located in Gaur Plain, a beautiful landscape where it is day and night when you play, you play on nice grassy hills that depict great outdoor nature and scenery. This can be time for telling others that even God’s creation can be shown here in this place! The virtue of fortitude can help us evangelize in this way, it “ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good,” (Gan, pg 79).
Fifth Media Key: Inspiring
“Is it a sign, pointing the way to God?” (Gan, pg 84); this media key helps us to see the signs of God through “Super Smash Bros Ultimate”. The signs of God can simply be in the beauty of the music, how the characters were created and how they move around, or even in the outward signs that we show by cheering on other players or having fun with family and friends. The virtue of hope inspires us to “desire the kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness,” (Gan, pg 95); we can make our goal Heaven by evangelizing through this video game by being a good friend or cheering and building up a family member’s confidence in a simple game with them.
Sixth Media Key: Skillfully Developed
This game calls for creativity and the right message, and it delivered just that; people “expect interactivity” (Gan, pg 106), and this game brought about an opportunity to work together and to build each other up by encouraging words. This game can help us to navigate how we can have fun with each other and talk about some tricks on how to win and get better, but it also helps us to encourage each other that we can beat that guy or use that move and practice getting better. Through faith, “man freely commits his entire self to God,” (Gan, pg 110); this can also mean in little ways to like encouraging others and building each other up for the Kingdom of God by asking ourselves how we can evangelize through us playing this game together, and asking for the virtue of fortitude to do just that.
Seventh Media Key: Motivated by and Relevant to Experience
This game shows what “media is supposed to do: create a sensory experience–an experience that appeals to our senses–in order to move our emotions, shape our thoughts, and inspire us to action,” (Gan, pg 117). It can inspire us to be creative, set our emotions to excitement and encouragement when playing with others, and send our hearts into the action of evangelizing with the setting of the game. Charity helps us to be “generous..” filled with “friendship and communion,” (Gan, pg 128); playing multiplayer in the game is a great way to practice charity in this small way, to give others a chance to have a turn, to encourage others who are playing, and create an atmosphere of hospitality and joy for others.
“Super Smash Bros Ultimate” is a great game for others to play or to play for ourselves. It brings about a sense of community, excitement, and greatly appeals to the senses in regards to the great music and locations and the customized fighters and special fighting styles that show in such a unique way for each one. This game brings about evangelization through the importance of generosity, community, and bringing each other up as children of God, relaxing and having a fun time together and rejoicing in God even in a video game.
Seven Keys:
Balanced:
Attitude:
Personal:
Truth-filled:
Inspired:
Skillfully Made:
Experienced:
Overall Rating: 35/35
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