Super Smash Bros. The Art of War/Cataclysm/Grimoire Fantasy (February ~ June 2021)
Hooo boy.
Maria and her blessed soul
The main character of SSBTAOW was Maria Keene, Kevin Keene's teenage daughter. If you aren't aware, Kevin Keen is the main character of a video game-themed cartoon from the 80s called Captain N: The Game Master. He's also dead due to a freak accident in SSBTAOW. Lots of questions but no answers, let's move on.
In the story, Maria gets sucked into her TV while playing video games in the dead of night. Turns out, she has a "blessed soul" and is the only one who can save the Smash Realm from a resurrected Tabuu and his "Jabberwock Army" who have turned everyone into magical trading cards. She must collect these cards, which contain the souls of video game characters, and use in the e-Device given to her "by a mysterious pair of deities." (Master Hand and Crazy Hand)
Why were there Captain N characters in a Super Smash Bros. fanproject?
I'm going to be real with you, I don't know. Maybe I thought since that Captain N and Super Smash Bros. both involve all sorts of video game characters from different worlds coming together and uniting against a common threat. It would make perfect sense to try and tie them together.
At one point, Captain N was a part of the timeline, it was called Super Smash Bros. Advent and took place before the events of Cataclysm.
Even in the "sequel" to Capt. N I tried making when I was older and "wiser" (19 years old), I still tried to tie Super Smash Bros. into the narrative for whatever reason.
To this day I still don't know where my fascination with Captain N even came from, I didn't even watch the show all the way through!
The other Saviors of Videoland
At one point, there were multiple characters, Maria's classmates/friends who all lived in New York City and attened the same school as her, I ended up losing all of their designs somehow, so I can't provide imagery of them, but I have recovered their names:
- Maria Keene
- Nina Svetlana
- Cleveland Itai
- Kai Nobutoshi
- Edgar Quintero
- Alana Kaʻuhane
- Hwa-Young
- Ghufran Afra
- Raphaël D'marco
- Douglas Gláucio
The first six characters were the protagonists who would be sent to the Smash Realm.
Of all of these characters, Nina (also known as Tara, Lana & Maria) is the most fleshed out one. She was Maria's nine(?) year-old sibling/classmate who was originaly made for, I shit you not, a video game-themed Yume Nikki fangame that never made it off the ground. These other characters would end up being scrapped, leaving just Maria.
Halflings/Otherlings (Homo astra)
"A sapient, anthropomorphic species, characterized by their pointy ears & possession of non-human abilities." According to a revision made on May 24, 2021 at 8:12 AM, the scientific name for a Halfling is "Homo Astra".
So, when I was building the Smash Realm, I thought that since there's like ~1000 unique video game characters that appear in Ultimate in the form of Fighters/Spirits/Assist Trophies/background characters, there would not be enough characters to populate this big world. Clearly, I didn't even think once back then because I realize now the Smash Realm could absolutly be teeming with life with just ~1000 unique characters, like, imagine sweeping forests filled with Mario enemies and Zelda animals, or even just regular animals like that fucked up Unreal Engine Mario demo with the deer.
How did I rectify this population crisis? Why, by creating an entirely new race of human-like creatures. They're regular humans, but had pointed ears and operated on video game logic. They first emerged in the 1940s (in-universe) and their population count was ~1,500,000,000, with most of them living in Midair, Lyonesse.
I vaguely remember some lore I wrote somewhere that explained that they were the decendants of regular humans who stumbled into Gates and got stuck in the Smash Realm (hence, Homo astra), but since I can't find it anymore, take this with a grain of salt.
When they were first convived, I called them "Halflings", because IIRC they were "half-human, half-video game character"(???) I ran with this name for a while until I found out Halflings already exist, and are a popular fantasy race. Ooops!
On/around June 15th of 2021, I changed the name of the race to "Otherlings". Five days later on June 20th, 2021, I dropped Otherlings and everything related to them from the project entirely. Miis would slowly take their place.
There were also a bunch of original creatures and Otherling subraces(?) made to populate the Smash Realm as well. I must've forgot about them shortly after their creation because there's not much to them beyond these short descriptions. One of them I didn't even bother to write a description for.
Bestiary
Otherling - A sapient, anthropomorphic species, characterized by their pointy ears, varied appearance & possession of various fantastic abilities. It is unknown why Otherlings exist, but it is believed that they are a byproduct of the creation of the Video Game Multiverse.
Beastling - A subspecies of Otherling noted for having traits and appearance of terrestrial warm-blooded animals; such as felines and primates. Beastlings (And the other animal-based Otherling subspecies) have a diverse physiology, so they often do jobs most human-like Otherlings can't do. Beastlings are the oldest known subspecies of Halfing, first being described in the 1960s.
Repling - A subspecies of Otherling that resemble anthropomorphic reptiles/fish/dragons in appearance and ability,
Avialing - A subspecies of Otherling characterized by their possession of wings that allow them to fly like birds. They have historically been messengers and deliverymen for those who couldn't fly by any means and also as Cartographers who helped map out the world.
True Dragons -
Potdrakes - Stocky yet stubby wingless dragons that are the size of an average human car, they are commonly used for transport in rural or mountainous areas.
Fourwings - Feathered Wyverns that can reach lengths of up to 10 meters.
If you erased all of my memories of 2021, showed me this information, and told me that this was made for a Super Smash Bros. fanproject. I wouldn't belive you.
There's also this:
Dull Ears/Weaklings - Derogatory terms for Human beings.
I genuinely do not have an explaination, or even an excuse, for why 15 year-old me thought this was okay.
To this day, I'm still baffled my first thought was to create an entirely new race of human-like characters in order to populate this huge video game world, instead of just using the already human-like video game characters in possession of non-human abilities, Miis.
Notable changes/revisions
April 28, 2021, 11:57 AM
Tabuu plans on completely absorbing the video game worlds and using that power to enslave humanity
Every Video Game universe is made up of thousands of hair-thin “Fibers”, when a universe dies or is destroyed, the fibers unravel and go everywhere
If a Video Game universe is destroyed, any games associated with that universe in the real world cease to function.
The bit about "fibers" probaly gives some context to this image I found in my archives simply called "fibers".

They quite literally make up the "fabric of reality" that's kinda clever.
May 2, 2021, 1:57 PM
There are weapons called Lagarras which are basically gauntlets with very long (6 ft or longer) serrated blades on the knuckles that you balance on.
Armalma are weapons made of spirit energy...
I'm sorry but the mental image of somebody using xtra-long Wolverine claws as stilts is so funny and stupid that I might have to repurpose these.
May 20, 2021, 6:12 PM
After being awoken in the middle of the night by a strange flash of light; Maria discovers that a Gate has manifested in her television screen. Maria is taken to a different world, only to find it’s completely devoid of living things. Maria wanders into a large city called Midair, where she discovers a petrified body; Maria accidentally purifies the body; discovering that it’s Captain Falcon; who, with many others, “died” after losing in a suprise battle with Tabuu. Captain Falcon asks for help finding the others, as he is still weakened from Tabuu sapping his life force. The duo travel to Midair’s now desolate downtown where Maria discovers another petrified body; which she also somehow purifies, Min Min.
The newly formed trio continue to search for any more incapacitated fighters when they suddenly come across a hostile Jabberwock, an Imp, it begins making copies of itself, and they are soon surrounded by hundreds of Imps. The exhausted Min Min and Captain Falcon have trouble fighting them off and are one attack away from being launched, until a mysterious card-like object suddenly appears in Maria’s hand, with one great orange flash, the copies are vaporized and the original Imp is left severely burned, Maria finishes it off by kicking it into a brick wall; it leaves behind a jagged, pink crystal which Maria picks up and puts in her pocket. The trio decide to take refuge in an empty building for the night.
Maria gets her Spirit Charm by purifying a man who was creating Spirit Charms, but she must also rescue him from a rather large Jabberwock.
It is never once explained in the entire document what a Spirit Charm is or who that man was.
May 29, 2021, 1:11 PM
At this point, the title of this project was changed from "Super Smash Bros. The Art of War" to "Super Smash Bros. Cataclysm" and the trading card gimmick was being phased out. Also "Spirit Charm" is replaced with "Spirit Gears", still no explaination for what they are beyond the fact that they "are objects".
A group of six teenagers wake up in the middle of the night only to discover portals to a world inhabited by video game characters, and are tasked with saving it after an ancient evil threatens to destroy it; however, they must save everyone else first, using the Spirit Gears given to them by a mysterious pair of deities.
The Halfling World is thrown into chaos after a surprise attack from an ancient god once thought to be dead. His army of Jabberwockys have taken over all four major regions of the world; drilling fear into its inhabitants
after being awoken in the middle of the night by a strange flash of light; Maria discovers that a Gate has manifested in her television screen. Maria is taken to a different world
In this case, the ancient god is Tabuu and the pair of deities are Master and Crazy Hand. This is also the first time the "four regions" are mentioned.
Not sure why I chose the name "Halfling World" here. That name is lame as fuck. Though it does say "Smash Realm" in the section that goes over "The 4 Major Regions of the Smash Realm", but this is the only time "Smash Realm" shows up in the entire document.
Super Smash Bros. Cataclysm takes place in 2021 in an alternate timeline of Earth.
- Technology is slightly more advanced; Electric Cars are the norm and 3D printing technology has been perfected.
- The world's land masses are slightly distorted & closer together, bodies of water are somewhat larger.
- Alaska, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. are independent countries; consequently, There are only 48 American states.
Considering that SSBC would largly takes place in a fantastical video game world cut off from normal boring human reality, I'm not sure why this information is even worth mentioning. It does remind me of the "Decembruary" bit from Into the Spiderverse.
There are lots of questions raised by this information, but no answers. Let's move on.
The 4 Major Regions of the Smash Realm
Isla Roja - The land which bleeds mysteriously red
Isla Roja is known for its biodiversity & obsession with anything that is red in color, Roses, Poppies & Poinsettias are native plants there; in the warm seasons, the grass turns red, which is something that happens only in Isla Roja.
Alterberg - The land ripped up by the earth below
Alterberg is the more rural of the four regions, mainly consisting of small villages and fishing towns. Alterberg’s capital is Steingesicht, a homey city which is home to a large school for alchemy.
Lyonesse - The land torn apart by the savage ocean
The capital of Lyonesse is Midair, a somewhat large city with a huge stadium; Midair Stadium, it’s very popular with tourists and is where Smash Battles between characters take place. Midair has the largest Halfling population in the world. Lyonesse is the oldest of the four regions; it began as a small settlement in what is now modern day Midair in 1955. Before the 1950s, The three islands that make up Lyonesse and an island belonging to a minor region used to be one large island. One day, there was a large storm, the island was split into four overnight.
Kaminari - The land blackened by thunder
Kaminari is home to one of the most urban cities in the world, Hajiirora; lots of technological advancements are made there. The person said to have made the first Spirit Gear lived in Kaminari. A material known as “Thunderglass” forms abundantly underground in Kaminari. Kaminari is the stormiest place in the world, thunderstorms there can be heard all the way from Lyonesse.
Cyros - The desolate beginning and end of the world
It’s like Antarctica in the Human World, but much colder, and there are frozen-over ruins scattered across the land; the most notable of which being the Black Ice Temple, it contains carvings and murals depicting the creation of the Halfling World by the Creator Hands, and it’s destruction by an tyrannical god, every mention of his name scratched out.
Not sure why it says "4 Major Regions" when Cyros is mentioned too but whatevs.
Glossary
Armalma - Magical weapons manifested from the intense energy of Spirits.
Core World - The central universe in a multiverse.
Creator Hands - The two beings in Halfling Legend that are said to have created the Halfling World.
Halfling - A sapient, anthropomorphic species, characterized by their pointy ears & possession of non-human abilities.
Lagarras - A special kind of gauntlet with four long, serrated blades on the knuckles that the wearer is meant to balance on.
Spirit Gear - A magic device which holds Spirits and other items converted into data.
Soulbreaking - The death of a living thing when their Spirit is damaged beyond repair.
Grimoire Fantasy
At the bottom of the document in some revisions, there was a "Grimoire Fantasy Timeline". I'm too lazy to list all the changes to the timeline so just know that it changes constantly. Note that the years in the timeline do not refer to real world years, but in-universe ones.
The Grimoire Fantasy was an in-universe book that fortold prophecies and contained information about magic. "Super Smash Bros. Grimoire Fantasy" was also the title of the project for a short time starting sometime in June.
Grimoire Fantasy Timeline
1989-1991 - Super Smash Bros. Advent (Captain N: The Game Master)
2020 - 2021 - Super Smash Bros. Cataclysm (Focuses on the return of Tabuu & the Jabberwocky)
2030 - Super Smash Bros. Corruption (Focuses on the Ranshin)
June 17, 2021, 8:00 PM
All references to Captain N and the 6 human protagonists are scrubbed from the document. The main protagonists are now Min Min, Captain Falcon and Viewtiful Joe. Marking a turning point in the project.