As many of you are probably aware, Smash Summit Spring 2017 happened this past weekend, and it was an absolute blast. The gameplay was on a level unlike any other, and the production value was through the roof with post-match statistics, slick overlays, and great couch commentary. There was, however, one portion that makes Summit even more special than it already is. Something that no other event could even hope to offer to viewers. What I'm talking about of course, is the skits.

So over the next week, I'll be putting together a list of the skits at the Summit, complete with analysis, opinions, and ratings. This is part one. Enjoy.

Saved by the Spirit Bomb

The first video on our list is a Smash parody of the opening theme to Peter Engel's early 90's sitcom "Saved by the Bell".

The premise of this skit is simple: to make a smash parody that looks like the opening scene to a sitcom. It's been done a hundred times before. From Friends, to Seinfeld, to Happy Days, sitcoms have always been an easy target for parody because of how easily recognizable they are. "Saved by the Spirit bomb" takes the typical low-effort attempt at parody, and goes the extra mile by completely recreating the theme song, brilliantly mimicking the art style, and throwing in dozens of Smash related references throughout.

Somewhat reminiscent of Adult Swim's "Too Many Cooks", "Saved by the Spirit Bomb" takes on the challenge of bringing that 90's nostalgic charm into a modern setting. The skit starts off with Mango trying to cheat off of Hungrybox during an exam. As Hungrybox shields his paper, Mango realizes that he might not pass the test, a classic sitcom situation. Mango dejectedly laments "lame", after which the music and the scene cuts to the opening credits. On a side note, and likely completely unintentional, but Mango's delivery of the phrase "lame" carries a of double-meaning, in the sense that he has always made the assertion that Hungrybox has to play "lame" in order to win games.

The music alone is enough to take you on a trip down memory lane. The mixing is good and the vocalist does a great job of imitating the original song. One would expect the Smash-altered lyrics to be cheesy, but in conjunction with the campy, cliche 90's aesthetic of the video, it definitely fits.

The visuals are something to behold. The bright neon colours. The imagery flying left and right. The visuals throughout this skit are so completely, so unforgivably ugly, that I hope we never have to go back to the 90's and relive it. And that's why it all works so well. It feels like the editor drew inspiration from the original Dixie cup when designing the background art, and that could not have been a better choice. If you want to elicit an emotional response, which in this case is "90's kid nostalgia", then doing so with a visual barrage of radioactive vomit is without a doubt the best way to go. How could anyone forget it?

And then there's the "turn-and-smile". You know what I'm talking about, that moment when a character in a sitcom is doing some random, menial task, and suddenly looks at the camera with a huge grin? Let me give you an example:

Above: ChuDat performs a frame perfect JC yeahyuz out of Dash

There were so many good attempts at the move, that I felt it necessary to compile a list of the best featured in this video. In terms of pure acting talent, I present my "turn-and-smile" top

In third place we have Armada dispensing not only Sriracha, but emotion too

This might be the only time Armada doesn't come first at Smash Summit, but he put up an excellent fight. A huge smile is not something we're used to seeing from the often stoic Swede, but he spices things up here, telling us that "it's gonna be alright".

The number two goes to Hungrybox, opening the door to our hearts

Hungrybox plays it safe with one of the most classic maneuvers in all of sitcom history. Open the door, look the wrong way, and give an all knowing smile toward the camera that says "just kidding, I knew you were there the whole time". Nothing too fancy from the Jigglypuff main; just time-tested consistency working like a charm.

In our number one spot, we have Hugs!

Something about Hugs' execution of the "turn-and-look" is absolutely perfect here. The vacuum feels like an extension of his body, and as his head rises I can just feel his infectious happiness. It's all you can ask for out of a sitcom opening and more, Hugs puts the "turn-and-look" on another level.

The verdict: Overall one of the skits I most enjoyed at the Summit. No cringe-worthy acting, all of the players got involved, and the music was too cheesy not to love.

4/5

Smash Summit Voting Awards

It's short, it's a little crude, but damn if it isn't a great bit. This video is a prime example of a player characterizing themselves with their performance. When I first saw it, I was just tuning into the stream, and I legitimately thought that they were giving awards to people who partook in the voting process. I thought to myself maybe there are prizes for people who voted?, or maybe that guy that spirit bombed lucky is getting some sort of recognition?

The video went on, and the tension built. I had no idea where this skit was going, but I was getting excited. I thought to myself, Who's gonna win? What are they gonna say? And most importantly, what was this award for? And then the announcer, who legitimately sounded like an awards show presenter, proudly asserted that the award went to "Johnny 'S2J' Kim". I was ecstatic. Congratulations Johnny! I thought to myself, fully expecting him to have won seriously cool. And then he walked on stage in his over-sized suit and began pulling out a piece of paper. Damn, he's even got a speech prepared... and then, a pause. He cleared his throat. He had to ensure that he had the collective attention of all twenty-five thousand viewers as he delivered his statement.

"Suck my dick."

I've never felt such a strong mixture of shame and hilarity in my life. Shame because, honestly, how could I expect it to be a real, and hilarity because Johnny's deadpan delivery followed by a casual peace sign were delivered with utter conviction. I doubt anyone else could have pulled of the one-liner as well as Johnny did.

I think what really got me with this one was just how Johnny looked when he was up on "stage". His suit barely fits him, his hair is a mess, and he the smirk he gives the audience just oozes attitude. Johnny is a bad boy and he wants everyone to know it. Even the visuals seem to match his non-caring demeanor. Compared to the obvious effort that went into editing "Saved by the Spirit Bomb", this skit looks pretty lackluster. A couple of 3D models plastered with J. J. Abrams-esque lens flares. And it's perfectly fine. It lets the viewer know that, much like Johnny, the skit doesn't take itself too seriously, and the two mesh together beautifully.

The Verdict: This skit is script-writing at its finest, and goes to show what is possible when you have amazing writers working with top class actors.

3.5/5

Hungrybox - Poppin' Off

Popular opinion within the Smash community has been that Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma is the best one-screen actor in the Melee top 20. His riveting performance at the last Summit earned him a great deal of theatrical respect, on and off the screen. This Summit, he's back in yet another award worthy production as he talks about something that has been a controversial topic in Smash circles around the world.

His popoffs.

To familiarize yourself with his work, please watch this GRsmash video before going any further.

This video legitimately had me dying of laughter the first time I watched it. I'm not sure exactly why, but I find it endearing that top players like Hungrybox are self-aware enough to be able to take something that many people make fun of him for, and turn it into a hilarious skit. Hungrybox is a guy who's been in several different documentary videos, so his voice is one that many people are accustomed to. This familiarity that many people have with him amplifies the humour further. We, the audience, are used to hearing Hungrybox talk about the game from a fairly serious point of view. His emotions, his rivalries, his experiences growing up playing Melee. Then we get this skit, which turns that upside down and show us that there's more to Hungrybox than just a hyper-competitive Jigglypuff main.

The mockumentary style is just like that of The Office and People Just Do Nothing. It feels like one of the brief interjections where a character is making a point about something that they are certain they don't do, while contradictory footage proves otherwise. I think this also plays off of Hungrybox as a personality in Smash. He is someone who, as many would argue, comes off as prideful especially in victory. Watching him openly make fun of one of his more glaring idiosyncrasies really does have a humanizing effect on how I personally see Hungrybox.

On top of this, the subtle jokes thrown in were timed perfectly. The visual humour in particular, like opening of the peanut butter jar while saying "all this built up emotion just coming out all at once", and "I just let it out" as the camera cuts to the bathroom door just add extra layers to the already brimming pot of comedic indulgence.

One criticism I will make about Hungrybox's performance here is his body movement. He seems stiff during his popoffs, which is something that a professional like himself should be practicing on his own time. I won't fault him, I'm sure there wasn't a lot of preparation time, but in future sets I would love to see some added grace to his popoffs.

The Verdict: Overall, it's not quite the visual masterpiece that "Saved by the Spirit Bomb" is, but you don't need to have AAA effects to make an impact. Hungrybox's performance was heartfelt, and felt so genuine that I hung on his every word.

4/5

That's it for part one! Stay tuned for part two coming soon.