For a serious match, for a true duel with a true victor. To learn, to gain experience, to obtain true technique to use against others with true technique.

I feel the only way for such, is to play with no items on a fair stage (otherwise known as a "neutral" or "counter-pick"). As I've said before in another group's forum, this is the best and the only proper way to play if you want to prove your skills and have a fair duel. As for me and AiB Matchmaking Chat, it is also the most fun way and only rule setting I like to play.

But is it really the most fun way to play overall? Maybe not....

Tied with my love for proper-rule 1v1s is....

When the weekend comes around, usually late Saturday night into Sunday morning, or on Sunday afternoons. Gathering with some of my closest friends, who are all of different skill levels and have different methods of fighting. And just playing many upon many Free-for-Alls with all items and a variety of stages. A lot of talking, laughs, suspense, and in-game photo opportunities too. Great friends, great times. No hard feelings, no bragging, just how an items match with people who know how to have them should be.


For Wi-Fi, it has got to be NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION (or any other neutral/counter-pick.) For IRL, I'm down for anything, and if you brag insistently for winning with a Final Smash or on a stage like Mario Bros, I got the IRL mindgamez (johns, rather) to make you feel lousy anyway. For Wi-Fi with IRL friends, I'm down for anything, but I'll call your cellular or IM you with hurtful johns if you start taunting and won with items or "cheap" stages on.

Yes items. People who say items stink because it's to random and somehow 'inhibit' them from playing their best are the biggest and most unbearably hippocrtitacle johns ever. Listen, no one keeps you from playing your best and I'm just as likely to get screwed over as you. The fact is they open doors to new strategies, they can help balance out an uneven fight between two brawlers of different skill levels and it allows God to inact karma.

It does make things random, but a good player is a good player no matter what the field. It takes a degree of skill to know how and when to use an item, to understand the physics of throwing them, or to exploit an unfair stage. But unfortunately, most won't view it as true skill, in comparison to something like a really impressive combo (or even less impressive; a simple chain-grab.)


This is true too, obviously. But that's just the thing; it's almost like an easy way out. Instead of practicing technique, learning not to rely on items, etc.


So true. I've seen it happen so many times, hahah.


People who rely too much on items should learn how to play well without them, and people who generally refuse items should learn how to use them. And everyone should know and understand each stage.

Items in Brawl are BLEAH! Leave em' off! Items in Melee are the best, except for the random crates. Items in smash 64 are AMAZING! w00t to having random item fun! :D

It's a tough decision for me... D:

On the one hand, no items makes for a very straightforward, serious match-- a true test of skill. I always enjoy testing my skills that way.

On the other hand, items make matches so much more unpredictable and, well... in general just more fun. =3

I love playing with items and on most of the stages. Otherwise, the game gets very repetitive, too predictable, and boring. Playing with no items all the time is very not fun, and fun is the reason I play games. Same goes for always doing 1 vs 1, or always having team attack on. Nothing however is worse than playing on Final Destination 40,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times a day. That boring stage gets very old and very boring, very very very very fast.