Super Smash Bros - Fighter Origins: Part 1

We all know about the brawling fest of Nintendo’s that is Super Smash Bros. What the majority of us don’t know is the origins of the more obscure characters, or even the pasts of the more popular characters. And trust me, they had some pretty darn weird pasts...

This is the first part of 3 articles, and this article covers the origins of fighters who starred in at least two games of the series; basically, the veteran fighters.

Well then, here’s a list of Super Smash Bros. characters and their origins!

·         Mario

First Appearance: Donkey Kong

Yes, the famous mascot of Nintendo somehow appeared in an entirely different game to the games we see today. Apparently, Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong plays the same role as Bowser; the bad guy basically. And Mario was called Jumpman. A humble beginning, for a gaming celebrity.

... Oh god, Peach looks really ... Well, it could be taken badly, just saying...

·         Link

First Appearance: Legend of Zelda

It’s kinda weird that a game is named after the damsel in distress, and not named after the little oddball in a green outfit who’s busy saving her. Zelda’s probably thankful for that. The very first game is your basic Zelda game. You have to save Zelda, who despite being a mage herself, can’t seem to defend herself, and kill Ganon in a really cool way. Typical Zelda formula.

·         Samus

First Appearance: Metroid

Back in the day of Metroid, we didn’t know Samus was a girl. Well, those of us who don't actually pay attention anyway. And now, we just realised that Samus looks like she’s wearing a fish bowl over her head in the first Metroid. Obviously, her suit’s undergone quite a few changes.

·         Pikachu

First Appearance: Pokemon Red/Blue

Even as a bundle of random pixels, Pikachu was still undeniably cute and attractive in Pokemon Red and Blue. For a funny looking electric mouse, Pikachu’s gotten quite a bit of attention. And of course, Pikachu has it's own game to it, in the picture above. Where you obviously get Pikachu as a starter.

·         Kirby

      First Appearance: Kirby’s Dream Land

Most of the elements in the current Kirby games are present in the very first Kirby game; Kirby’s Dream Land. Weirdly, Kirby looks more like a spherical ghost than a pink ball of cuteness.

Seriously ... Kirby looks so weird in his first debut... Thank god Nintendo was good and turned him pink and cute!

·         Bowser

First Appearance: Super Mario Bros

 

Ironically, Bowser isn’t actually Mario’s first arch enemy; rather, he took up the position in 1985. In Super Mario Bros, Bowser took his usual role; capture Peach and wait for Mario to defeat him... or something like that.

Oh, and the image to the right was the initial design for Bowser, drawn by Miyamoto himself. 


... Yes, I know it looks kinda weird. They must've done A LOT of editing.

·         Peach

First Appearance: Super Mario Bros.

Like her constant captor Bowser, she didn’t appear in the first Mario game, and the first damsel in distress in the Mario series was actually called Pauline. A pretty big step from “Princess Peach.” Just saying, she did get her own game once, called Super Princess Peach. 

·         Fox

First Appearance: Star Fox

Fox is probably one of the more obscurer characters in Super Smash Bros, though hardcore fans may know him for Star Fox, the first 3D rendered game from Nintendo.


Star Fox was actually quite technologically advanced, and for Nintendo, it tried some new things the company had never done previously.

·         Zelda

First Appearance: Legend of Zelda

How wonderful it is to have a legendary series named after the constant damsel in distress. It’d be like having “Super Peach Bros,” or something like that. Zelda’s look has altered over the years, going from blonde to brunette and back to blonde. Her roles have consistently differed as well, especially in Ocarina of Time, where she also acted as Sheik. And just to let you know, I really like Zelda's look in Twilight Princess; just beautiful! But I think I like her character more in Skyward Sword, but I'm being nitpicky, aren't I?

·         Donkey Kong

First Appearance: Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong’s origin was actually as a villain in his own game; a bit strange actually. He basically played out to be the equivalent of Bowser, except he actually looked more like an ape than Bowser looks like a turtle. And as for the kidnapping Peach part ... well, she's got a predecessor who was kidnapped by Donkey Kong as the motivation for Jumpman (read: Mario) to rescue her.

·         Yoshi

First Appearance: Super Mario World

Like Mario, Yoshi didn’t star in his own game; rather he ended up being Mario’s sidekick, though with vastly different concepts. Although, Yoshi would later get his own games, he still plays as a companion to Mario. And the above is concept art ... again. Yoshi .. doesn't look like Yoshi in that.

·         Ice Climbers

First Appearance: Ice Climber

The Ice Climbers consist of Popo and Nana, two nearly identical looking kids in blue and pink Inuit anoraks, and their first appearance seemed to be their last as well. Ice Climbers isn’t well known, and is one of the more obscurer games in Nintendo’s history.

Yay! You've reached the end of the post! Congrats! Next in this series, we’ll cover the backgrounds of Super Smash Bros Brawl’s newcomers!