User:Ender R. Musk/Universe familiarity

Well, thanks to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, now I know pretty much all of the universes... uh, but how well are we acquainted outside of Smash? Find out below.

I hope Aidan won't be mad to hear that I regularly steal ideas and formatting code from his work.

Smash introduced us and I really don't care

Franchise	Experience
Metroid	Let's say, with this universe specifically, that I don't care yet. As of this writing, I am in the middle of playing through my first Metroid game, Super Metroid via NSO, and I can't give any info on my possible future status with the series yet, so... check back later?
Star Fox	Star Fox? Is that like, the browser?
F-Zero	I take more pleasure in calculating f(0) than I do hearing fans ask for a new game in this series. Of course, that's not saying all that much, as I really like algebra, but... well... I'm not sure where I was going with this joke. Point is, not interested.
EarthBound	I've never been a fan of RPGs (with the notable exception of the Toby Fox games), so at least my lack of appreciation has an explanation. Wait a minute, though... I really like UNDERTALE, and that game has Ness in it, right?!
Ice Climber	I know so little about this game that I can't even think of some witty phrase to put here.
Fire Emblem	😳 Some of the ladies from this series are kinda hot, ngl... but otherwise, I honestly could've lived my entire life just as happily without ever learning about the franchise.
Kid Icarus	Isn't that the kid whose dad told him not to fly near the sun? When did he get a video game? I thought Smash was just for characters debuting in gam... OK, I'll stop.
Pikmin	Online play has forced me to study the Banjo & Kazooie vs. Olimar matchup religiously, and my brother and one of my favourite YouTubers stan the series hard... that's it.
R.O.B.	I have a lot of experience with R.O.B. Specifically, Arm Rotor when my brother spams it.
Punch-Out!!	The only reason I've put any research into this series at all is that I want to figure out why Little Mac is so bad. Still no luck.
Wii Fit	I never owned a Wii. Does Ring Fit Adventure count?
Xenoblade Chronicles	Alongside having a bad case of RPG-phobia, the art style and some of the character designs in this series really turn me off. (Uh... well, I guess some technically "turn me on," too... 😳)
Duck Hunt	I think I might've played this game one time? Possibly? I can't definitively say whether I have any acquaintance with this game at all.
Metal Gear	Fun fact about me: I don't really do M-rated games. Be it the violence, the language, or the explicitness, I'm usually too sensitive for those games.
Final Fantasy	I probably knew less about this franchise (game? the Smash representation seems to revolve around just VII) than any other fighter-based franchise represented in Smash Ultimate, before Sephiroth got in and I started listening to Advent: One-Winged Angel on repeat. Buuuuuut I'm still not very interested, especially since all the games are RPGs.
Bayonetta	Refer to Metal Gear.
Persona	Refer to Metal Gear.
Dragon Quest	If I liked RPGs, I'd probably at least have had passing knowledge on these games, but alas...

Smash introduced us and I kinda care?

Franchise	Experience
Kirby	We can't really agree on whether we knew anything about Kirby before we researched Smash, but my brother has been unhealthily obsessed with the little amoeba from the day he got his hands on an NES Classic Mini. I'd like to say I know a thing or two because of all the stanning he does. And I have thoroughly enjoyed the Kirby games that I have played, especially The Forgotten Land. Just not my favourite.
Fatal Fury	I know that I'd at least heard passing mention of the Fatal Fury games before the SNK leak, but I didn't really care, as complicated, HP-based fighting games like that don't really appeal to me. Once Terry was announced for Smash, though, I learned a lot about his games, and I think that they look really cool. Sorry, still not playing them though.

Smash introduced us and now we're BEST FRIENDS!!!

Franchise	Experience
ARMS	Guys, this game is fun. Like, tons and tons of fun. I heard about the game in passing when I was first interested in getting a Switch, but it wasn't until the March, 2020 Direct Mini that, for reasons that should be clear, I decided to give it a whirl in the demo. And I was HOOKED!!! Still am. It's actually, genuinely a lot of fun. So I'm a generic Min Min player in both games, so what?
UNDERTALE	OK, well, obviously I had heard of this game (and knew Sans from the memes) before that costume reveal. But just like with Fatal Fury, I really didn't care. As I've mentioned several times now, I don't like RPGs; what could be different about this one? (I still laughed really hard at the reveal.) However, when a new universe is represented in Smash, I tend to research it a whole bunch to see what the hype is about. Perhaps you can see where this is going? Well, I did some research, got the entire thing spoiled for me, and couldn't get over it. I simply HAD to have this game. And have it I did, and like it very, very much I have. I'm also loving what's been released of DELTARUNE, which I would also love to see get representation in Smash one day when the chapters are complete.

I've had an acquaintance, but not much interest

Franchise	Experience
Wario	I'm a big fan of the titular character, and main him in all the Mario spinoffs. There was also that time when I played WarioWare: Get It Together! with my siblings and had a blast, but we haven't actually bought the game. This is the extent of my relationship with the series.
The Legend of Zelda	I have, like, zero interest in this series. I only know anything because my cousin is obsessed with it... and, well, also because it's Nintendo's no. 2 mascot franchise and I play Smash.
Mega Man	Not really much to say here. Everyone knows Mega Man, but most have more interest than me.
Tekken	Shocking and very hype that this series became a major one so late into Ultimate's DLC cycle, but at the same time, I, uh, don't have any feelings towards the franchise.
Kingdom Hearts	I always though that Kingdom Hearts looked weird, and I'm not about to spend the money to find out whether I'd actually like it. But Disney has meant a lot to my childhood regardless, so seeing Sora in Ultimate, perfectly encapsulating much of that "Disney magic" I've come to know and love, puts a huge smile on my face.

I always knew what this was, but I could probably know a lot more...

Franchise	Experience
Donkey Kong	I played some of the original Donkey Kong on the NES Classic Mini one time, as well as a little bit of Tropical Freeze, and I beat Donkey Kong Country on SNES Online with rewinds once (it's, uh, really hard). I also plan to play DK64 on NSO when it releases, but... for the most part, I'm mostly acquainted through the Mario franchise. Does that qualify me to co-main King K. Rool?
Yoshi	Does Super Mario World count? I beat that game once... it was fun, but definitely not my favourite 2D Mario game. #NSMBUGang
Pokémon	Another instance of familiarity being inevitable, I don't care too much for the series as, again, I don't like RPGs, but I like the concept and watching the games is fun (and I really, really like the Detective Pikachu movie). I don't plan on ever doing anything with it beyond watching my siblings play the games, and playing as Jigglypuff or Mewtwo occasionally.
Game & Watch	How could I not know what a Game & Watch is? I mean, I've never seen one in person, but those things are synonymous with Nintendo's early video game years, and I love history. Also Mr. Game & Watch is one of the funniest, most unique fighters in Smash, and I love him for that.
Splatoon	This franchise... is very cool. I really do love it. Unfortunately, I cannot bring myself to get into the games themselves, so I usually just sit by and watch other people play it.
Sonic	Kinda hard to get away from Sonic. He's simply too fast. I wouldn't call myself a Sonic "fan" (I've never played one of his games, or even a game he was in other than Smash Ultimate), but I don't turn down a chance to talk about him (and I really, REALLY like his 2020 and 2022 movies).
Street Fighter	I have a passable amount of knowledge on this franchise; the games look cool. But like with Fatal Fury, I have no intention of playing them as I don't think I'd enjoy them.
Castlevania	Again... looks cool, probably wouldn't enjoy them.

We go wayyyyyy back

Franchise	Experience
Mario	I and the Mario fam go pretty far back. I've been playing Mario Kart games for as long as I've been playing video games, and Odyssey, Bros. 3, 3D World (the Nintendo Switch version) and New SMB U Deluxe are among my favourite games of all time. In terms of Smash, I play as Piranha Plant and Bowser occasionally, but that's it.
PAC-MAN	If Smash is a celebration of video gaming history, I don't know that it would live up to that very well without Mr. Arcade Gaming here. Besides being the only video game my parents seemed to know about before I got into Banjo-Kazooie, I just really, really enjoy PAC-MAN games and material. (...Except for the original arcade hit. It's such a chore to play.)
Banjo-Kazooie	Holy heck guys, I could write a whole essay on my history with the bear and bird. I won't waste your time with that , but the gist of it is, they have defined my gaming career from the age of 4. Banjo-Tooie on the Nintendo 64 was the first video game I ever played, so it had early access to my favourite video games list - but it has yet to ever lose the top spot, over a decade later. After I lost access to my grandfather's console that I played it on, it was only fitting that I get Rare Replay and an Xbox One to finally play the other games and complete my childhood. Before I fully understood the console wars and what happened to Rare, I considered myself wholly on team green, but with barely passing knowledge of what Smash was, I found myself calling for Banjo & Kazooie's inclusion in For 3DS / Wii U. In retrospect, I'm not proud of that - asking for their inclusion in something I basically knew nothing about - but when I heard the news, I did some research, finally actually learned what Smash was all about, and spent the next six months working to get a hold of a Nintendo Switch and a copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for myself. It all paid off. Another fun fact about me: I do, in fact, know a thing or two about this series. Might even call myself a "superfan." That's why you'll find me editing info on that universe a lot.
Minecraft	Isn't it a funny coincidence that my two favourite franchises to be included in Super Smash Bros. both hail from Xbox Game Studios? Now, my connection to Minecraft doesn't go back quite as far as my connection to Banjo-Kazooie, but where things presently stand, it's almost as obsessive. Some time between Java Edition releases 1.6.1 and 1.7.2, I downloaded the Demo out of curiosity, and by golly, did I have fun! Remember how I said that I got an Xbox One to play Rare Replay on? Well, we just so happened to stumble across a One S bundle that included the Xbox One Edition of Minecraft for the excellent price of USD$250. Never stopped playing. Anyway, I would always tell everyone, "Minecraft is the best-selling game of all time - if Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a celebration of video game history, there's no way Minecraft won't get represented at some point!" But then I'd always add, "I don't think it'll be with a fighter, though." I couldn't, for the life of me, think of how that would work. Well... it worked. And I don't remember ever being that loud with excitement before or since. Also, uh, ditto from what I said at the end of my Banjo-Kazooie description. I don't quite consider myself a "superfan" of the game, but I certainly know and care more than most of you blockhaters.
Cuphead	I really, REALLY like Cuphead. I must be among the best players in the world at this point, with how much I play it. I've 200%ed the game at least five times by now, in addition to another 300% thanks to the DLC (and much more to come); I've obtained S and P grades on every boss and Run-and-Gun, respectively, at least twice, and some many more times than that. Cuphead's Mii Gunner costume was my first-ever taste of what it felt to have a Smash dream come true in a live broadcast (as previously stated, I was pretty hype for Sans due to the memes, but I couldn't watch that live). It was truly magical. You can imagine my excitement if you've ever gotten a similarly relevant Mii costume reveal - this is a game that I truly felt DESERVED this sort of recognition, and the connection was only stronger after having poured so many hours into it, having seen that opening-book intro so many times. At the time, it was my favourite announcement since Banjo & Kazooie, although it was further bumped down to third-favourite announcement about nine months later...

Banjo-Kazooie introduced us and now we're BEST FRIENDS!!!

Franchise

Experience

Super Smash Bros.

Smash really opened up a lot of new gaming interests for me, but at the end of the day, it can all be traced back to Banjo-Kazooie in one way or another. As I mention in my paragraphs on said franchise, back when I was first discovering the internet and the console wars I would mindlessly vouch for the duo's inclusion in For 3DS / Wii U. It wasn't until they actually got in that I became interested in Smash - just six months later, I got a hold of the game and a console to play it on, and the rest is history. And in case you were wondering, while I've tried all of the other games with the exception of For 3DS / Wii U, Ultimate is the only Smash game I have any intention of playing seriously. Final fun fact: interestingly, for more than two years all of my favourite fighters were Ultimate newcomers. Couldn't tell you why. Can't believe it took me so long to spread out, although Banjo & Kazooie will never, ever lose my #1 main spot.

My fairly recent connection to this franchise does not correlate to my connection to any other franchise here - a true outlier.

Franchise

Experience

Animal Crossing

I play New Horizons regularly since February 2021, and and I tried New Leaf once. I would consider myself an average fan who has more intense and less intense interests, although unlike most series here, my connection to the series doesn't have anything to do with my relationship with Smash at all. As mentioned on my userpage, I play as Villager every now and then in casual play. I used to play him a whole lot before Terry and then Min Min took my tertiary main spot.