Smash Brothers : An Escape for Adolescence

Don't mind the Anime image, it's just for show.


An Escape for Adolescence
Unlike and almost all of the articles on this website, this one might be a little more morbid, though I intend to do my best to make it interesting and explain what exactly what I'm going to talk about.

Most of you know Adolescence is just another word for someone going through puberty, as the title suggests it talks about the Smash Community and the wonders it has done for me; an Adolescent. My name is Joshua and in the world of Smash I go by the tag Sindocus. To those who know me, I usually am quite light hearted and fun loving but that is for those in the Smash Community. I just want this opportunity to show exactly what a regular smasher goes through in their life. Took me a while to realise we all have our own independent lives away from Smash, but thats what makes it all so interesting.




The Beginning
I was in year 9 city experience and I wish chilling with my mates playing Mario kart, the usual. I saw a poster saying Smash Tournament on Friday. Now I didn't own a Wii U, but I was ecstatic like the usual teenage boys you see at their 1st Smash Tournament. Blah,Blah, Blah *insert my first tournament I got bodied(33rd) but had fun usual good smash stuff* . Now I had played Melee for a few months leading up to this point, I attended Bam7 but beside that this was my first experience and too be honest, it wasn't the best. It was hot really hot, I didn't know anybody, I was too nervous to say my tag was Sindocus so I called myself "S" and I was still new to public transport and got lost on the way home.




How is this important?
I think it's necessary to have a bit of backstory so that everything can make sense later on.
Now the thing about not knowing anyone sucked, because the first month or so of going to Smash Tournaments you don't know how to approach in real life and you only know how to in the game. Back in the day just going to a Smash tournament was exciting simply because you would of never been in that place otherwise. I remember feeling weird with all this independence I was getting. Everything was exciting, and it was an entire new world for you to have a whole different persona, an identity and especially this world was an escape.

For me that's what made me keep going to these events despite not having the biggest interest in the world for it. When I met more and more people for once in my life it felt like I belonged somewhere which isn't something I've had going for me in most of my young life. Not only that I could feel belonged for a whole day! Not just those 2-3 minutes when you're with your "squad" who all hang out with different people. No it would always be a whole day,maybe even 2 to meet all these new people, feel belong and to have a new beginning. I felt free and time just seemed to pass so much so the train rides home felt empty. Almost just like saying "Back to reality". "You're not some anime character, this isn't an eminem rap, it's reality".




Reoccurring Depression, Anxiety and Loneliness
I know that with the way's I have written you may feel some sympathy for me. Thank you if you do but, it's not necessary there are much greater problems that matter which are even more relevant.
For me as a person I often felt myself growing to rely on others way too much so for Smash that wasn't a problem I only see everyone every so often. But for me a school student, when the stars don't align and you're stuck with a bunch of sh*t classmates and hardly see the people you connect so much with, simply texting everynow and then can only make you feel so good about yourself. I sound like an idiot I understand that but all I want to get across is everyone in the Smash Community has their own story. If maybe one day a conversation over text doesn't happen well over night all these voices will start to go off in my head. "Did you do something wrong?" "You know she doesn't even like, or care about you" "You're only getting empathy"

Alot more would go off in my head and once this happened consistently I can say I was depressed, 15 year old boy who is depressed should just man up. Let me go in the Smash Scene talk sh*t, lose repeat the process everynow and then feel good and then think I don't deserve this and begin falling back in the sadness of your own mind. "Inability to stay content whilst alone is mans biggest weakness" - something like that. I had a whole journal on this stuff and I swear most of it was all the same thing.

It was also during this time I would hardly even talk, I would be a "listener", at school that means jack. I felt lonely, isolated and most of all weak. So much more is happening to other people, so I'd often leave a smile and fake it.




Smash was my escape
Both Melee and Smash 4 are incredible communities and not only in the game but the whole atmosphere would always be so welcoming. Whenever I'd go to an event I'd meet someone new they could be someone new or some veteran, but the main thing was I could always be myself. It sounds cliche and dumb but with how society functions today if you aren't winning the lottery of being sociable, you are f*cked when it comes to self discovery. You have no idea how many times I would wonder " Who even am I, and why am I unable to figure that out?"

When I spoke I talked with upmost confidence I wanted to be noticed, I still do to some extent. And I always thought "Yeah, I'm Sindocus motherf*cking Sindo$$$, Prince Ali Ababwa, POTENTIAL G0D" . My persona as a person would develop and it would mean so much to me when I felt recognised and I just fit in, no need to change because no matter what I thought, Sindocus and Josh are the same person, Josh just didn't have his chance. I loved it every second of it, I legit felt like some real life anime character badass with some ninja swords but didn't win but had "POTENTIAL" and unknowningly became a meme and mained Shulk because he was depressed.




To be continuted
I'm not perfect and neither is the Smash Scene we can still improve in ALOT of areas but we'll get there. Now this is only part one, if enough people enjoy this stuff I will make it a series of QLD smash since I genuinely think the articles are all lacking and just a way to make memes, or lack luster tutorials. Anyway to all my Smash friends I know and will meet especially the LA FAMIGLIA <3 I love you's. If in some way this inspires other people to write more about them great, sure we technically have 2 identities but they overlap, can't have no Batman with no Bats. I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. I know this was all about me but for next time I'm planning to talk about others more.

Pudge for best TO or Dread for best TO
VIC is the best state for sm4sh
I will be melee pr one day
My commentary is next Level

That's all take what you will :)

-Sindocus(used this article as an excuse to procrastinate and sleep at 1:30am)