It’s hard to imagine a time without Super Smash Bros. With each console generation, the new Smash Bros. installment inevitably arrives and becomes a chief system-seller. And with a highly-anticipated E3 appearance on the horizon, the Switch version isn’t likely to be the exception.

However, there was indeed a time when Smash Bros. was only a twinkle in Masahiro Sakurai’s eye. While the Mario gang could be found platforming through Super Mario World and racing through Mario Kart, the Super Nintendo never saw its staple characters battle it out on foot. Well, today Nintendo Wire is giving a glimpse into what such a game would have looked like all the way back in the early 90s.

Nintendo Wire’s SNES de-make of Super Smash Bros. is a seriously convincing rendering of the franchise in the 16-bit era, featuring a cast of Nintendo characters scaled back to their SNES era-specific models. Link is rocking his pink hair from A Link to the Past, while Donkey Kong Jr. appears in his white tank top from Mario Kart. Link is shown in the video switching through skins, at once revealing his bunny form from A Link to the Past.

Everything from a brief opening sequence to an actual one-on-one battle has been “de-made” in awesome 16-bit detail. The stage select screen teases thumbnails of seven classic Smash Bros. levels, but only the Final Destination level gets gameplay time. It’s a brief, yet satisfying experience watching Link and Kirby duke it out in signature Smash Bros. fashion, bolstered by the charming simplicity of the SNES graphics palette.

The concept came along when the skilled engineers at Nintendo Wire pondered, “what would Super Smash Bros. look like if it released a few years earlier?” “Pokémon has yet to be released, Donkey Kong has only just grown up, and this mysterious collaboration between Squaresoft and Nintendo is on the horizon.”

Now back to reality, which in this case isn’t such a bad thing. Nintendo announced that a demo of Smash Bros. Switch will be featured at E3 2018 and playable for attendees. Even for non-attendees, it’ll be the most detailed look yet into a game that as of now remains shrouded in mystery.

For now, fans can check out a possible roster leak and try to wait patiently for Smash Bros. Switch, arriving some time this year.

Source: Nintendo Wire