Super Smash Bros. Brawl is celebrating its 15-year anniversary today, March 9, 2023. Below, we take a look at how a subtle new mechanic, tripping, had a massive impact on the competitive community.
Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman and Tyrell “NAKAT” Coleman sat next to each other while fighting for their lives in the loser’s bracket of a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament in 2013. Both players, Coleman with the Ice Climbers and Zimmerman with Meta Knight, took a breath while Zimmerman dashed back and forth as the match began. Suddenly, Zimmerman’s Meta Knight tripped. Coleman didn’t waste a second taking advantage of the moment. He grabbed the Kirby villain over and over again in what’s called a chaingrab, eventually killing him and removing a stock. Zimmerman just looked around the room with a shocked look on his face.
It was a regular tournament match for both players, but it’s one that’s gone down in Super Smash Bros. history as a pivotal example of how tripping, a mechanic added in Brawl where players will have a miniscule chance to fall over in a variety situations, has been one of the biggest things players at all levels remember about Brawl.