Mario slugging it out with Samus is such a common sight today that no one bats an eye over it. However, two decades ago, such a sight would make people stare in disbelief.
Let's rewind. The year is 1999. Microsoft hasn't thrown their hate into the ring. SEGA is still making video game consoles. The internet is still in the infancy stages so word doesn't travel anywhere near as fast as it does today. You're watching your shows on TV instead of a streaming service. When your show breaks for commerial, this is the ad, the channel plays.
This is you after that ad is finished.
Or this.
Like, did that really just happen? Did I really see Nintendo characters beating the crap out of each other?! Yes. Yes, you did.
Being a regular reader of video game magazines and game websites (things I rarely partake in these days), I was well aware that Super Smash Bros. was punching and kicking its way onto an N64 near me, so I had myself a hearty laugh when I saw that ad for the first time. But for anyone else, I imagine that was quite the eye opener.
Nintendo is far more relaxed these days but twenty years ago, this was not the case. We never imagined we'd have a game where the Big N's characters would pummel each other senseless, but because the game's co-producer Masahiro Sakurai wanted the cast for Nintendo's brawler to have a broad appeal, this is exactly what we were given.
Everything about this ad works so, so well. The fact that Nintendo's icons are represented by people in costumes. That sprawling flower field. Everyone is holding hands, walking jollily as The Turtles Together plays. All of it paints such a lovely picture of Nintendo's family friendly image. And then, without warning, Mario goes and wrecks it by kicking Yoshi in the kneecap. Cue record scratch, narration by the late great Don LaFontanie as Nintendo icons duke it out. It is completely out of left field, hilarious and glorious. I would give anything to see the look on people's faces if this commercial was how they found out about Super Smash Bros.
Sure, we've had great Super Smash Bros. ads like the one for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U. But none of them come close to topping the original. They may be vastly superior games but Smash 64 far and away had the best advertisement. The ad is just as good in 2019 as it was in 1999 and still manages to make me laugh. Whoever the person or persons were that came up with that ad, I hope they got an absurd amount of money for it because it was freaking brilliant. Ditto for the people that wore those costumes.
By now, I'm sure most are aware but about a year go, behind the scenes photos were posted on Twitter for the commercial shoot. You can can a gander at the rest of theme here.
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