Look Who it Was Random video

Topics in Smash (1 of 3): A Defense of the Banning of Items and Common Misconceptions

1,766 views · Published 27 May 2011 · 13:27 · Indexed 24 October 2026

Channel: Slashtap · 2011 · Education

Watch on YouTube

Outline of this Video and its Major Points:
1. 1:21 Items are banned because they introduce a luck element that significantly influences the outcome of matches.
2. 3:48 The fact that items can be used skillfully does not erase the element of luck that items inevitably come with.
3. 6:48 A player is not automatically wrong just because he has an elitist attitude.  Elitism is common among both competitive AND casual players.
4. 8:03 It is a misjudgment to say that either competitive rulesets or casual play is "not fun."
5. 9:56 It is illogical to equate "ease of use" with "imbalance."  An easy to use tactic is not an unfair tactic.  A tactic that not everyone has access to (like item explosions) is an unfair tactic.
6. 11:07 It is not valid to say that other character-intrinsic luck factors in this game have as significant an effect on the outcome of matches as item explosions.

History and Background to this Video Series:
In this 3 part video series, I discuss and elucidate the philosophy behind three of the most misunderstood and incorrectly judged elements of competitive Melee: why items are banned, why tiers must exist, and why wavedashing is fair.

My hope is that this link can be shared as a sort of video reference for purpose of correcting misguided understandings of competitive smash and perhaps of competition in general.  I'm here to help.  In this video I cover the essentials on why items are banned from competitive play.

First, some history.  Two years ago I recorded a spur of the moment response video to a poster where I deconstructed his arguments and discussed two important issues of competitive smash: 1. tiers exist and 2. items banned.

This video was not thoroughly planned, and because it was a response to one specific user's arguments, it was by no means comprehensive.  What this translates to is that the video I had recorded was not a complete defense for tiers and banned items in smash, but rather, it was only sufficient as a response to a single person.

But, in the comments section of that video, a lot of skeptics brought up arguments against my video.  Every last one of them was adequately and logically refuted in the comments section, but it would be better on my part to create a video that covers the main points in the video itself and not the comments section, a video that addresses all players rather than one particular person's unique qualms with items.

Because I want to do this completely and comprehensively, I will record one video per topic.  At the present, I have three videos planned: this video about items, another video about tiers, and one last video about wavedashing.  I chose these issues because these are the three most misunderstood and misjudged issues in competitive smash, and I think they're well worth creating reference videos for.

Lastly, I apologize if I do not articulate well or if I speak to quickly.  I'm not a big fan of the way I talk, especially my accent.  In my head, I don't have an accent, but when I watch myself talk, I'm like, "Where did that accent come from?"

More from this channel