Video games have always brought people together. That’s been true ever since couples would play Pac-Man and Donkey Kong together in smoke-filled bars in the ’80s, and it remains the case decades later. This has continued on into the internet era, where matchmaking in video games can mean more things than one. That seemed to be the genesis for “SmashTogether,” a suggestively titled app meant to bring together those that play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. On May 12th, the app’s X/Twitter account reported that more than 400 people had pre-registered for the chance to find love through the series, but it seems that it’s not meant to be.
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Just two days after announcing pre-registration numbers, the creators of SmashTogether claimed that they have been given a cease and desist from Nintendo. The so-called “premium dating app for Smashers” was supposed to launch in beta today. The app’s creators have avoided offering any additional details, so fans will just have to speculate about what happened. It’s possible Nintendo was uncomfortable with the prospect, and the company has stepped in before when things have gotten a little too suggestive in the fan community. For example, the company shut down a fan-made game called “Peach’s Untold Tales” back in 2020.
Since the initial announcement, reception to the concept has been pretty mixed online. While the idea itself is pretty funny, the whole thing was pretty niche, and it’s hard to imagine many people actually getting paired up thanks to a single fighting game franchise, even one as big as Super Smash Bros. has been over the years. Of course, there’s no way of knowing for certain that this was shut down by Nintendo; it’s possible this was all just a silly concept that was never going to actually happen, and the cease and desist was a funny excuse for not launching the beta this week.
Whatever the case might be, Super Smash Bros. players looking for love will have to do so in more conventional ways. Just because there won’t be a dedicated gaming app for meeting the perfect Inkling main, it doesn’t mean that there’s no longer hope for finding someone that shares that same passion. Given the popularity of gaming, it’s almost surprising we haven’t seen more dedicated apps that try to pair people together based on their preferred genres and franchises, so maybe this will lead to something a little bigger.
Super Smash Bros. has been one of the biggest fighting game franchises since launching in 1999. The series started life in the N64 era, and has appeared on every Nintendo home console since, while also getting an entry on 3DS. The future of Super Smash Bros. in the Switch 2 era is currently unknown, but there have been hints about a new entry in development at Bandai Namco. Hopefully there will be a new game for players to bond over in the near future!
Would you have signed up for a Super Smash Bros. dating app? Do you think the idea was too silly to actually find an audience? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: Nintendo Life]
