No one could argue that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is lacking for characters: with over 70 fighters to choose from, there's surely something for everyone by now in Nintendo's fast-paced brawler. However, even the most hard-hearted Smash purist would likely allow the inclusion of one more newly-modded contender, taking the guise of one of the series' biggest fans.
Desmond Amofah, better known to his fans on YouTube as Etika, was a content creator and Nintendo fan who made a name for himself covering and reacting to various announcements in the world of gaming and entertainment, including Nintendo Directs and Super Smash Bros. fighter reveals. He committed suicide in 2019, and his community of hundreds of thousands of fans is still reeling from the effects of his sudden and tragic departure. Some of those fans decided to take it upon themselves to bring Etika into the game he loved so much, and set to work on a mod for it.
The end result, commissioned by fan JoyConJames and created by modders @Demonslayerx8 and @Supernova384, is impressive, and seeing Etika live on in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will hopefully prove a balm of sorts to his fans and loved ones. The mod reskins Captain Falcon with a custom character model made by YouTuber Epicwazy, complete with a selection of Etika's own voice clips that play when pulling off moves. JoyConJames had originally intended the mod for his own personal use, being such a fan of the departed YouTuber, but he decided to release the mod to the public yesterday on what would have been Etika's 31st birthday to celebrate the young man's life.
This isn't the first time someone external to the Smash-verse has found their way into the game via mods. Indeed, it's not even the first time a popular YouTuber has been modded in, with wildly-popular streamer Ninja added to the roster last summer. But this particular story carries with it a powerful sense of community spirit, of people coming together to celebrate the life of a fellow gamer, and a rare well of positivity in an otherwise heartbreaking story.
It's heartening to see the latent creativity of the Smash Bros. modding community being put toward such a wholesome goal: considering other mods run the gamut from eliminating all Fire Emblem content to, well, eliminating all content except for Fire Emblem content, it's good to know that modders can use their skills to bring a little joy to a dark time too.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch.
Source: GameBanana