Why Super Smash Bros. Should Bring Back The Subspace Emissary

The Super Smash Bros. series has become so iconic over the years that pointing out its flaws can seem petty and make people think you’re calling it out only because of its popularity. And while that may be true, achieving a level of perfection in your craft is almost possible, and all good things can and will be critiqued by the masses. So with that in mind, allow me to present a proposal for something that’s been missing in Super Smash Bros. ever since the third entry, and that is the Subspace Emissary. The team behind the most iconic crossover fighting series in the history of videogames should give this article a look because bringing this mode back would do wonders for keeping it relevant even after its penultimate entry from 2018 and beyond. Here is why they should do that:

In all the years of single-player games, for some reason, the Smash Bros. series has been sorely lacking in ways to accommodate its lonely players. Sure, you have stuff like Street Smash, Classic Mode, World of Light, and even just the basic 1v1 against the computer, but none of these modes offers enough of an experience that combines fan service and epicness like the one we’re talking about today. World of Light, for example, had a good amount of fan service, but without trophies and the fact that you’re fighting in what feels like a mishmash of battles and enemies, it ends up feeling like Classic Mode with a new coat of paint and not much else. There weren’t even any CGI cutscenes outside of a few at the start and near the end, and walking around a map will never replace the 2D platforming sections of Super Smash Bros. Brawl'sAdventure Mode. This reluctance to cater to as wide of an audience as possible, or at least those who prefer to play themselves, has always been really strange, and it needs to stop by the time the next entry comes out. You’d think that with Nintendo’s family-friendly appeal and the approachability of its games, it would take the hint and make a single-player experience on par with the Subspace Emissary, but unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case. At least not right now, anyway.

Subspace Emissary is also eight hours long, and World of Light is only a few hours at most, so that screams potential. The next iteration doesn’t have to be as long as its predecessor. Still, if we want something more substantial, then increasing the length would ensure memorability as long as the fan service is there. Smash Bros. has always had fan service in spades, but that’s been limited to wacky stuff you can get with the items and stages, so having an experience that is a suitable length outside of the regular battling would be very nice. The series has so much potential to deliver on character development which has been lacking in the history of Nintendo’s games, so following through on this missing component is a must. A lot of the fun in these titles is seeing your favourite characters in places you would never dream of seeing them, and Subspace did a great job of that. There is a sense of brilliance to it, and while it’s not the most solid story out there, it’s still a story, and having solid mechanics and a good story would satisfy those who play it for the plot and those who play it for the gameplay.

It’s not just the gameplay and mass market appeal of Subspace that elevated it above the rest; it’s also the money-making potential. With The Super Mario Bros. Movie set to release in April, fans have thrown the idea of a Nintendo multiverse around. It would be similar to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe but encompass all of Nintendo’s characters from across the history of its games and maybe even some third-party ones too. This has, of course, led to some debate among the fanbase about whether or not it’s a good idea. But no matter what side of the fence you’re on, you can’t deny just how awesome it would be to see Link and Samus on the same screen as Pikachu and Kirby. There could even be a Smash Bros. movie! Or, if Nintendo is hesitant about this idea, it could even test it out in a single-player mode that’s similar to the Subspace Emissary and World of Light in that it is all about fighting against a common enemy across a multitude of different locations and planets in an epic battle for the ages with as many references and characters as possible. Oh, maybe there could even be different playable characters that all control similarly to how they do in their games, and maybe there could even be 3D sections for Mario and Kirby and then some flying sections for Fox. So many possibilities! Think about the fan fiction possibilities, too!

There is a lot of potential for expansion and new ideas to be introduced to this series, especially after Ultimate’s release, which felt like a “Well, where do you go from here?” moment for many people. If Smash Bros. continues past that mark, I think a more substantial single-player mode is needed. Fans want to be excited about it again. Super Smash Bros. Brawl felt like this awesome event while also being labelled as the final entry by its creator, Masahiro Sakurai. Not that the franchise should end anytime soon, but if Nintendo wants to keep the hype for Smash Bros. going consistently, bringing Subspace Emissary back is the way to do it. Just expand on the generic platforming sections, create a memorable story, and continue the tradition of including those slick CGI cutscenes, and you’ll have a winner. Expanding the number of playable characters in those generic sections could also help build hype for a multiverse because playing as Pit is always amazing, even without a new Kid Icarus title to go with it.

There you have it; all these reasons and more are why Super Smash Bros. should bring back the Subspace Emissary. It’s not just the best single-player mode yet; it’s also because of the near-limitless potential needed to ensure the series’ continued success. But, really, I just want to see Ganondorf, Bowser, and Tom Nook in the same cutscene. Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so.