Slamfest '99 aka "Super Smash Bros. LIVE" (lost livestream of promotional event for Nintendo 64 crossover fighting game; 1999): Difference between revisions

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{{InfoboxLost
{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Slamfest '99 aka "Super Smash Bros. LIVE" (Found livestream)</center>
|title=<center>Slamfest '99 aka "Super Smash Bros. LIVE"</center>
|image=start2.gif
|image=start2.gif
|imagecaption=The start of the ''Slamfest '99'' fight.
|imagecaption=The start of the ''Slamfest '99'' fight.
|status=<span style="color:GREEN;">'''Found'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
''Super Smash Bros.'' is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo 64 in North America on April 26th, 1999, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo.  The game allows players to fight each other using various characters from iconic Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario and Pokémon.  The game was a critical and commercial success, often regarded as one of the best games on the N64, spawning a large fanbase of players, as well as five other games, with the most recent game being ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' in late 2018.
''Super Smash Bros.'' is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo 64 in North America on April 26th, 1999, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo.  The game allows players to fight each other using various characters from iconic Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario and Pokémon.  The game was a critical and commercial success, often regarded as one of the best games on the N64, spawning a large fanbase of players, as well as five other games, with the most recent game being ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' in late 2018.


To promote the game, Nintendo held a promotional event called ''Slamfest '99'' on April 24th, 1999 from 11 AM to 1 PM at the MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park, in Las Vegas, Nevada.<ref name="ign">[https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/22/nintendo-stages-smashing-fight IGN - Nintendo Stages Smashing Fight] Retrieved 18 Oct '21</ref> '''The 17 minute long "fight" that was livestreamed via RealPlayer G2''' started half an hour later into the event and featured various costumed characters from the game.<ref name="nwr">[https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/5291/this-beats-monday-night-raw Nintendo World Report - This beats Monday Night RAW!] Retrieved 01 Jun '21</ref><ref name ="nintendorksone">[http://web.archive.org/web/19990822125542/http://nintendorks.com/news/04-22-99/ Nintendorks - And in this corner…] Retrieved 18 Oct '21</ref> A recording of the corresponding livestream has never surfaced since its initial broadcast.
To promote the game, Nintendo held a promotional event called ''Slamfest '99'' on April 24th, 1999 from 11 AM to 1 PM at the MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park, in Las Vegas, Nevada.<ref name="ign">[https://ign.com/articles/1999/04/22/nintendo-stages-smashing-fight IGN - Nintendo Stages Smashing Fight] Retrieved 18 Oct '21</ref> '''The 17-minute long "fight" that was livestreamed via RealPlayer G2''' started half an hour later into the event and featured various costumed characters from the game.<ref name="nwr">[https://nintendoworldreport.com/news/5291/this-beats-monday-night-raw Nintendo World Report - This beats Monday Night RAW!] Retrieved 01 Jun '21</ref><ref name ="nintendorksone">[http://web.archive.org/web/19990822125542/http://nintendorks.com/news/04-22-99/ Nintendorks - And in this corner…] Retrieved 18 Oct '21</ref> A recording of the corresponding livestream has never surfaced since its initial broadcast.


==Event Summary==
==Event Summary==
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==History & Early Search==
==History & Early Search==
On August 22nd, 2014, NeoGAF user Rösti mentioned the event in a discussion about ''Super Smash Bros. for 3DS & Wii U'' DLC leaks and revealed that they had found the original webpage promoting it.<ref>[https://www.neogaf.com/threads/super-smash-bros-for-3ds-wii-u-thread-xiii-leak-dynasty.878930/page-90 The NeoGAF thread mentioning ''Slamfest '99'' (post #4,500).] Retrieved 18 Oct '21</ref> The website, hosted by MediaOnDemand, revealed the official name of the event being ''Slamfest '99'', as well as a link to the rebroadcast that turned out to be dead.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19990908073715/http://media.internetbroadcast.com/nintendo/19990424/product_announcement/ Archive of the official ''Slamfest '99'' page.] Retrieved 29 Jun '20</ref> This is the first time in over 12 years that it had been referenced again. It's believed that the rebroadcasted livestream was taken down sometime in the early 2000s.
On August 22nd, 2014, NeoGAF user Rösti mentioned the event in a discussion about ''Super Smash Bros. for 3DS & Wii U'' DLC leaks and revealed that they had found the original webpage promoting it.<ref>[https://neogaf.com/threads/super-smash-bros-for-3ds-wii-u-thread-xiii-leak-dynasty.878930/page-90 The NeoGAF thread mentioning ''Slamfest '99'' (post #4,500).] Retrieved 18 Oct '21</ref> The website, hosted by MediaOnDemand, revealed the official name of the event being ''Slamfest '99'', as well as a link to the rebroadcast that turned out to be dead.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19990908073715/http://media.internetbroadcast.com/nintendo/19990424/product_announcement/ Archive of the official ''Slamfest '99'' page.] Retrieved 29 Jun '20</ref> This is the first time in over 12 years that it had been referenced again. It's believed that the rebroadcasted livestream was taken down sometime in the early 2000s.


Along with this, Rösti also found that the website Zelda 64 Planet had a page that had more info about the event.<ref name="z64central" /> This website confirmed that the event was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with a summary of the event included. It hosted many images of the event (see gallery). While this had very useful info about the event, the livestream was still nowhere to be found.
Along with this, Rösti also found that the website Zelda 64 Planet had a page that had more info about the event.<ref name="z64central" /> This website confirmed that the event was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with a summary of the event included. It hosted many images of the event (see gallery). While this had very useful info about the event, the livestream was still nowhere to be found.


Later, on May 11th, 2020, the Supper Mario Broth Twitter account posted an photo of Yoshi, Pikachu, Mario, and Donkey Kong costumes, along with their actors.<ref>[https://twitter.com/MarioBrothBlog/status/1259883364175228929 The tweet made by Supper Mario Broth about the costumes.] Retrieved 29 Jun '20</ref> These costumes, made by KCL Productions, were used in the famous ''Super Smash Bros.'' commercial and the ''Slamfest '99'' event.  This Tweet gained much attention from the ''Super Smash Bros.'' community and was liked over 19,000 times (as of May 2022).
Later, on May 11th, 2020, the Supper Mario Broth Twitter account posted a photo of Yoshi, Pikachu, Mario, and Donkey Kong costumes, along with their actors.<ref>[https://twitter.com/MarioBrothBlog/status/1259883364175228929 The tweet made by Supper Mario Broth about the costumes.] Retrieved 29 Jun '20</ref> These costumes, made by KCL Productions, were used in the famous ''Super Smash Bros.'' commercial and the ''Slamfest '99'' event.  This Tweet gained much attention from the ''Super Smash Bros.'' community and was liked over 19,000 times (as of May 2022).


[[File:Slamfest99AndreTweetNew.png|thumb|246px|Andre Segers' tweet, mentioning the ''Slamfest '99'' livestream.<ref name=AS>[https://twitter.com/AndreSegers/status/1259900063653888009 Andre Segers' original quote Tweet sparking discussion on ''Slamfest '99''.] Retrieved 3 May '22</ref>]]
[[File:Slamfest99AndreTweetNew.png|thumb|246px|Andre Segers' tweet, mentioning the ''Slamfest '99'' livestream.<ref name=AS>[https://twitter.com/AndreSegers/status/1259900063653888009 Andre Segers' original quote Tweet sparking discussion on ''Slamfest '99''.] Retrieved 3 May '22</ref>]]
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<blockquote>"Does anyone else remember the real-life ''Super Smash Bros.'' battle (using the same costumes) that Nintendo live-streamed to promote the game? (Yep! a live stream in '99!) I've never heard anyone else mention it and I can find zero evidence of it ever existing online."<ref name=AS/></blockquote>
<blockquote>"Does anyone else remember the real-life ''Super Smash Bros.'' battle (using the same costumes) that Nintendo live-streamed to promote the game? (Yep! a live stream in '99!) I've never heard anyone else mention it and I can find zero evidence of it ever existing online."<ref name=AS/></blockquote>


This Tweet kickstarted the modern search, with many people scouring for an archive of the livestream on databases and video-sharing sites to no avail.<ref>[https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7ggdy/archivists-frantically-hunt-footage-of-1999-super-smash-bros-boxing-match Vice article on ''Slamfest '99''.] Retrieved 24 Nov '21</ref>
This Tweet kickstarted the modern search, with many people scouring for an archive of the livestream on databases and video-sharing sites to no avail.<ref>[https://vice.com/en/article/v7ggdy/archivists-frantically-hunt-footage-of-1999-super-smash-bros-boxing-match Vice article on ''Slamfest '99''.] Retrieved 24 Nov '21</ref>
   
   
By the time Andrè posted his tweet, the original findings on NeoGAF had been forgotten. People speculated that the event was held around April-May 1999 and that it was being held at the MGM Las Vegas' Grand Adventures Connected Theme Park in a boxing ring specifically built for the event.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/LasVegas/comments/i6emd6/anyone_recall_slamfest_99_at_mgm_grand_adventures/g8luupt/ Reddit post on r/LasVegas mentioning the event being held at the MGM Las Vegas' Grand Adventures Connected Theme Park.] Retrieved 16 Jan '21</ref>
By the time Andrè posted his tweet, the original findings on NeoGAF had been forgotten. People speculated that the event was held around April-May 1999 and that it was being held at the MGM Las Vegas' Grand Adventures Connected Theme Park in a boxing ring specifically built for the event.<ref>[https://reddit.com/r/LasVegas/comments/i6emd6/anyone_recall_slamfest_99_at_mgm_grand_adventures/g8luupt/ Reddit post on r/LasVegas mentioning the event being held at the MGM Las Vegas' Grand Adventures Connected Theme Park.] Retrieved 16 Jan '21</ref>


YouTube user and contributor to the Lost Media Wiki [[Collaborators/LSuperSonicQ|LSuperSonicQ]], along with a small search team on Twitter had looked into other websites mentioning the event and old magazine scans, all with no success. It wasn't until Twitter user Robert Sephason tweeted to Andrè Segers an image of Donkey Kong in a boxing ring. This originates from video game historian Steven Kent's book ''The Ultimate History of Video Games''.<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Ultimate_History_of_Video_Games_Volu/PTrcTeAqeaEC Google Books page on ''The Ultimate History of Video Games''.] Retrieved 29 Jun '20</ref> The discovery peaked interest for LSuperSonicQ, who proceeded to contact employees who were suspected to have some involvement in ''Slamfest '99''.
YouTuber and contributor to the Lost Media Wiki [[Collaborators/LSuperSonicQ|LSuperSonicQ]], along with a small search team on Twitter had looked into other websites mentioning the event and old magazine scans, all with no success. It wasn't until Twitter user Robert Sephason tweeted to Andrè Segers an image of Donkey Kong in a boxing ring. This originates from video game historian Steven Kent's book ''The Ultimate History of Video Games''.<ref>[https://google.com/books/edition/The_Ultimate_History_of_Video_Games_Volu/PTrcTeAqeaEC Google Books page on ''The Ultimate History of Video Games''.] Retrieved 29 Jun '20</ref> The discovery piqued interest for LSuperSonicQ, who proceeded to contact employees who were suspected to have some involvement in ''Slamfest '99''.


=="On the Hunt 5" Search==
=="On the Hunt 5" Search==
On May 25th, 2021, the Lost Media Wiki would launch an "On The Hunt" search for ''Slamfest '99'', bringing more attention to the effort to find the livestream.<ref>[https://lostmediawiki.com/On_the_Hunt_archives#On_the_Hunt_5:_Super_Smash_Bros._Slamfest_.E2.80.9999 The Lost Media Wiki's "On The Hunt Archives" section on ''Slamfest '99''.] Retrieved 3 May '22</ref>  Shortly after, Discord user SpartaYoshi researched and documented how MediaOnDemand's livestream technology worked. The "On The Hunt Contact Team" then followed LSuperSonicQ's lead by reaching out to more people in search for a recording. Those who weren't part of the team also researched for press records. It was through these combined efforts that garnered a ton of newly discovered information about the event.
On May 25th, 2021, the Lost Media Wiki would launch an "On The Hunt" search for ''Slamfest '99'', bringing more attention to the effort to find the livestream.<ref>[https://lostmediawiki.com/On_the_Hunt_archives#On_the_Hunt_5:_Super_Smash_Bros._Slamfest_.E2.80.9999 The Lost Media Wiki's "On The Hunt Archives" section on ''Slamfest '99''.] Retrieved 03 May '22</ref>  Shortly after, Discord user SpartaYoshi researched and documented how MediaOnDemand's livestream technology worked. The "On The Hunt Contact Team" then followed LSuperSonicQ's lead by reaching out to more people in search for a recording. Those who weren't part of the team also researched for press records. It was through these combined efforts that garnered a ton of newly discovered information about the event.


Aside from the following developments, the search started to slow down, with few new leads to build on. It stayed this way until October 9th, 2021 when Ed Espinoza, a Golin Harris employee working for Nintendo's PR department, privately messaged LSuperSonicQ. ''Slamfest '99'' was one of his first assignments on the job. In addition to posting a picture of himself with Mario and Donkey Kong to Instagram, he also provided info that is mentioned in the section below.
Aside from the following developments, the search started to slow down, with few new leads to build on. It stayed this way until October 9th, 2021 when Ed Espinoza, a Golin Harris employee working for Nintendo's PR department, privately messaged LSuperSonicQ. ''Slamfest '99'' was one of his first assignments on the job. In addition to posting a picture of himself with Mario and Donkey Kong on Instagram, he also provided info that is mentioned in the section below.


===Contact Findings===
===Contact Findings===
*Steven Kent, who had attended the event, stated that several video game magazine reporters were there. Demo booths were set up for people to play ''Super Smash Bros.'' before and after the fight. He also provided a colorized version of the photo found in ''The Ultimate History of Video Games'' and one of Donkey Kong wielding his "mallet of doom."
*Steven Kent, who had attended the event, stated that several video game magazine reporters were there. Demo booths were set up for people to play ''Super Smash Bros.'' before and after the fight. He also provided a colorized version of the photo found in ''The Ultimate History of Video Games'' and one of Donkey Kong wielding his "mallet of doom."


*Eric Mangol, a former Director of Sales for MediaOnDemand, suggested that Onstream Media may have a recording, since they bought out the former company.
*Eric Mangol, a former Director of Sales for MediaOnDemand, suggested that Onstream Media may have a recording since they bought out the former company.


*Jimmy Vaughan, a former MediaOnDemand Project Manager for live and on-demand web casts, confirmed that it was up to Nintendo to tell the company to record ''Slamfest '99'' or not.
*Jimmy Vaughan, a former MediaOnDemand Project Manager for live and on-demand webcasts, confirmed that it was up to Nintendo to tell the company to record ''Slamfest '99'' or not.


*Ed Espinoza, PR for Golin Harris, claimed that a photographer based in the Los Angeles area was hired to take shots for the event and that a satellite truck from Golin was used to livestream. He suggested that Steve Honig had done truck work for it, and that Golin would have had a recording. Furthermore, he stated that the costume performers and choreographers were from Cirque du Soleil, the ring announcer's "cheesy" script was inspired by the 1989 ''No Holds Barred'' movie, kids from the Andre Agassi Foundation were invited to the event, and that the Columbine High School shooting which happened 4 days before ''Slamfest '99'' forced Nintendo to limit the amount of outgoing publicity so they could keep a non-violent image. As a result, only about 100 video game review platforms knew of it.
*Ed Espinoza, PR for Golin Harris, claimed that a photographer based in the Los Angeles area was hired to take shots for the event and that a satellite truck from Golin was used to livestream. He suggested that Steve Honig had done truck work for it and that Golin would have had a recording. Furthermore, he stated that the costume performers and choreographers were from Cirque du Soleil, the ring announcer's "cheesy" script was inspired by the 1989 ''No Holds Barred'' movie, kids from the Andre Agassi Foundation were invited to the event, and that the Columbine High School shooting which happened 4 days before ''Slamfest '99'' forced Nintendo to limit the amount of outgoing publicity so they could keep a non-violent image. As a result, only about 100 video game review platforms knew of it.


===Research Findings===
===Research Findings===
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On June 26th, 2020, LSuperSonicQ found 2 items pertaining to ''Slamfest '99''. The first was an IGN article dated April 21st, 1999. This one confirmed that the MGM Grand area dedicated to the event would be open from 11 AM to 1 PM. The exact address used is 3779 Las Vegas Blvd. South. It was on "Salem Avenue" or the "Salem Waterfront."<ref name="ign" /> The second was an article from Nintendorks dated April 22nd, 1999. It confirmed that the fight started at 11:30 AM Pacific Standard time.<ref name ="nintendorksone" />
On June 26th, 2020, LSuperSonicQ found 2 items pertaining to ''Slamfest '99''. The first was an IGN article dated April 21st, 1999. This one confirmed that the MGM Grand area dedicated to the event would be open from 11 AM to 1 PM. The exact address used is 3779 Las Vegas Blvd. South. It was on "Salem Avenue" or the "Salem Waterfront."<ref name="ign" /> The second was an article from Nintendorks dated April 22nd, 1999. It confirmed that the fight started at 11:30 AM Pacific Standard time.<ref name ="nintendorksone" />


On October 1st, 2020, Foxlet found a NintendoWorldReport article dated April 26th, 1999. This confirmed that the fight itself lasted for 17 minutes.<ref name="nwr" />
On October 1st, 2020, user "Foxlet" found a NintendoWorldReport article dated April 26th, 1999. This confirmed that the fight itself lasted for 17 minutes.<ref name="nwr" />


When the On The Hunt first started, former user Binzy Boi found 2 new photos in the 29th issue of ''N64 Magazine''.<ref name="n64mag" /> They do not feature any compression artifacts typical for livestreams in 1999, which fuels a rumor that they came from a VHS copy.
When the ''On The Hunt first started'', former user Binzy Boi found 2 new photos in the 29th issue of ''N64 Magazine''.<ref name="n64mag" /> They do not feature any compression artifacts typical for livestreams in 1999, which fuels a rumor that they came from a VHS copy.


Also on the same day, Tornadic found another Nintendorks article that was dated April 26th, 1999. This provided another brief overview of events during the fight.<ref name="nintendorkstwo" />
Also on the same day, Tornadic found another Nintendorks article that was dated April 26th, 1999. This provided another brief overview of events during the fight.<ref name="nintendorkstwo" />


On June 8th, 2021 Rno found a Nintendojo article dated April 22nd, 1999. This stated that the fight will be split up into 2 matches; the first being Pikachu vs. Yoshi, and the second one being Mario vs. Donkey Kong. This description contradicts that on the Zelda 64 Planet site, as Mario went up against Donkey Kong first.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/19990508224250/http://www.nintendojo.com:80/news/infocus/1999/april/0422.htm Nintendojo - The Big The Big N's Smashing party] Retrieved 18 Oct '21</ref>
On June 8th, 2021 user "Rno" found a Nintendojo article dated April 22nd, 1999. This stated that the fight will be split up into 2 matches; the first being Pikachu vs. Yoshi, and the second one being Mario vs. Donkey Kong. This description contradicts that on the Zelda 64 Planet site, as Mario went up against Donkey Kong first.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/19990508224250/http://www.nintendojo.com:80/news/infocus/1999/april/0422.htm Nintendojo - The Big The Big N's Smashing party] Retrieved 18 Oct '21</ref>


On October 15th, 2021, SixtyFours and Rno found a new photo in the April 25th, 1999 issue of ''The Sacramento Bee'' newspaper.<ref name="sacramentobee">[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/628471940/ The Sacramento Bee - Star-studded affair] Retrieved 19 Oct '21</ref> This confirms Ed Espinoza's claims of an Associated Press photographer being at the event.
On October 15th, 2021, SixtyFours and Rno found a new photo in the April 25th, 1999 issue of ''The Sacramento Bee'' newspaper.<ref name="sacramentobee">[https://newspapers.com/newspage/628471940/ The Sacramento Bee - Star-studded affair] Retrieved 19 Oct '21</ref> This confirms Ed Espinoza's claims of an Associated Press photographer being at the event.
 
On February 14th, 2023, more of Ed Espinoza's scanned photos released online. These revealed alternate viewpoints of the fight, the ''Super Smash Bros.'' demo booths, and shots of the crowd.


==Availability==
==Availability==
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==Gallery==
==Gallery==
===On the Hunt 5===
===On the Hunt===
<gallery mode=packed heights=300px>
<gallery mode=packed heights=300px>
Slamfestdone.png|Lost Media Wiki "On the Hunt" search flyer for the video.
Slamfestdone.png|Lost Media Wiki "On the Hunt" search flyer for the video.
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6crash.gif|Everyone crashing.
6crash.gif|Everyone crashing.
7bow.gif|The end of the fight.
7bow.gif|The end of the fight.
</gallery>
===Ed Espinoza's Photos===
<gallery mode=packed heights=180px>
Edespinoza1.jpg
Edespinoza2.jpg
Edespinoza3.jpg
Edespinoza4.jpg
Edespinoza5.jpg
Edespinoza6.jpg
Edespinoza7.jpg
Edespinoza8.jpg
Edespinoza9.jpg
Edespinoza10.jpg
Edespinoza11.jpg
Edespinoza12.jpg
Edespinoza13.jpg
Edespinoza14.jpg
Edespinoza15.jpg
Edespinoza16.jpg
Edespinoza17.jpg
Edespinoza18.jpg
Edespinoza19.jpg
Edespinoza20.jpg
Edespinoza21.jpg
Edespinoza22.jpg
Edespinoza23.jpg
Edespinoza24.jpg
Edespinoza25.jpg
Edespinoza26.jpg
Edespinoza27.jpg
Edespinoza28.jpg
Edespinoza29.jpg
Edespinoza30.jpg
Edespinoza31.jpg
NintendoPREmployee.png
</gallery>
</gallery>
====N64 Magazine: Issue 29 Page 13====
====N64 Magazine: Issue 29 Page 13====
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SSBSF99SacramentoBee.png|An excerpt mentioning ''Slamfest '99'' on page 30 of the April 25th, 1999 issue of ''The Sacramento Bee''.<ref name="sacramentobee" />
SSBSF99SacramentoBee.png|An excerpt mentioning ''Slamfest '99'' on page 30 of the April 25th, 1999 issue of ''The Sacramento Bee''.<ref name="sacramentobee" />
SSBSF99SacramentoBeeImage1.jpg
SSBSF99SacramentoBeeImage1.jpg
</gallery>
====Nintendo PR Employee====
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
NintendoPREmployee.png|A behind-the-scenes picture of Ed Espinoza with Mario and Donkey Kong.
</gallery>
</gallery>
====Other Images====
====Other Images====
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   |service3    =youtube
   |service3    =youtube
   |id3          =O-W7tvYkgjI
   |id3          =O-W7tvYkgjI
   |description3 =LSuperSonicQ's follow up video on the subject.
   |description3 =LSuperSonicQ's follow-up video on the subject.
   |service4    =youtube
   |service4    =youtube
   |id4          =v=5CAf4A67Soo
   |id4          =5CAf4A67Soo
   |description4 =ObscureMediaTV's video on the subject.
   |description4 =ObscureMediaTV's video on the subject.
}}
}}
{{Video|perrow  =2
{{Video|perrow  =4
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =Coa7gZdAUMM
   |id1          =Coa7gZdAUMM
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   |service2    =youtube
   |service2    =youtube
   |id2          =iKMeh6HnXhA
   |id2          =iKMeh6HnXhA
   |description2 =LSuperSonicQ's second follow up video on the subject.
   |description2 =LSuperSonicQ's second follow-up video on the subject.
  |service3    =youtube
  |id3          =kFoLxXVxHU0
  |description3 =LSuperSonicQ's third follow-up video on the subject.
  |service4    =youtube
  |id4          =lvB0QaxKCeM
  |description4 =GameXplain's announcement about more of Ed Espinoza's photos releasing.
}}
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =yVOnLPghvrs
  |description1 =GabLab's video on the subject.
}}
}}
==External Links==
*[https://www.ssbwiki.com/Super_Smash_Bros._Slamfest_%2799 SmashWiki article on ''Slamfest 99''.]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slamfest_%2799 Wikipedia article on ''Slamfest '99''.]
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Lost recordings of real incidents‏‎]]
[[Category:Lost advertising and interstitial material‏‎]]
[[Category:Lost advertising and interstitial material‏‎]]
[[Category:Lost internet media]]
[[Category:Lost internet media]]
[[Category:Lost recordings of real incidents‏‎]]
[[Category:Lost recordings of sports events]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]

Latest revision as of 13:47, 15 January 2024

Start2.gif

The start of the Slamfest '99 fight.

Status: Lost

Super Smash Bros. is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo 64 in North America on April 26th, 1999, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. The game allows players to fight each other using various characters from iconic Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario and Pokémon. The game was a critical and commercial success, often regarded as one of the best games on the N64, spawning a large fanbase of players, as well as five other games, with the most recent game being Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in late 2018.

To promote the game, Nintendo held a promotional event called Slamfest '99 on April 24th, 1999 from 11 AM to 1 PM at the MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1] The 17-minute long "fight" that was livestreamed via RealPlayer G2 started half an hour later into the event and featured various costumed characters from the game.[2][3] A recording of the corresponding livestream has never surfaced since its initial broadcast.

Event Summary

This is a description of how the event unfolded, posted on the same day it was held.

"Mario and Donkey would start the match. Donkey Kong, being much larger than our favorite plumber, quickly took Mario out. Yoshi came in and got his revenge on the gorilla. Pikachu would come in for the monkey only to be knocked down by Yoshi's lethal tail. Then, before anyone knew it, Mario went crazy. He wiped out Donkey Kong, Pikachu, and his own teammate, Yoshi. Ultimately, the match would end in a crash which knocked out everyone resulting in a draw. "Everyone's a winner!" the announcer yelled."[4]

Two days after the event, Nintendorks posted their own summary.

"Mario and Yoshi were on one team, Donkey Kong and Pikachu were on the other. It was quite funny to see the life-size mascots bouncing around a wrestling ring. Mario went on a crazed rampage hitting everyone in sight, and instead of Yoshi, Donkey Kong accidentally hit himself with his 'mallet of doom.' And in the most heated moment, all four mascot smashed into each other in the center of the ring, and all fell to the mat. That's right, in true Nintendo fashion, it was a draw...and everyone is a winner!"[5]

Later in June 1999, N64 Magazine published this summary along with two new photos.

"Even the ref got in on the act, biting Pikachu’s ear and declaring that it tasted ‘like chicken’. Mario shocked us with his low blow antics and Kong knocked himself out with his own magic hammer, but they all wound up best of friends at the end, the match being declared an honourable draw."[6]

History & Early Search

On August 22nd, 2014, NeoGAF user Rösti mentioned the event in a discussion about Super Smash Bros. for 3DS & Wii U DLC leaks and revealed that they had found the original webpage promoting it.[7] The website, hosted by MediaOnDemand, revealed the official name of the event being Slamfest '99, as well as a link to the rebroadcast that turned out to be dead.[8] This is the first time in over 12 years that it had been referenced again. It's believed that the rebroadcasted livestream was taken down sometime in the early 2000s.

Along with this, Rösti also found that the website Zelda 64 Planet had a page that had more info about the event.[4] This website confirmed that the event was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with a summary of the event included. It hosted many images of the event (see gallery). While this had very useful info about the event, the livestream was still nowhere to be found.

Later, on May 11th, 2020, the Supper Mario Broth Twitter account posted a photo of Yoshi, Pikachu, Mario, and Donkey Kong costumes, along with their actors.[9] These costumes, made by KCL Productions, were used in the famous Super Smash Bros. commercial and the Slamfest '99 event. This Tweet gained much attention from the Super Smash Bros. community and was liked over 19,000 times (as of May 2022).

Andre Segers' tweet, mentioning the Slamfest '99 livestream.[10]

Andrè Segers, founder of YouTube channel GameXplain, quote retweeted the image with a comment mentioning a real-life Super Smash Bros. Battle using the same costumes used in the commercial that was livestreamed:

"Does anyone else remember the real-life Super Smash Bros. battle (using the same costumes) that Nintendo live-streamed to promote the game? (Yep! a live stream in '99!) I've never heard anyone else mention it and I can find zero evidence of it ever existing online."[10]

This Tweet kickstarted the modern search, with many people scouring for an archive of the livestream on databases and video-sharing sites to no avail.[11]

By the time Andrè posted his tweet, the original findings on NeoGAF had been forgotten. People speculated that the event was held around April-May 1999 and that it was being held at the MGM Las Vegas' Grand Adventures Connected Theme Park in a boxing ring specifically built for the event.[12]

YouTuber and contributor to the Lost Media Wiki LSuperSonicQ, along with a small search team on Twitter had looked into other websites mentioning the event and old magazine scans, all with no success. It wasn't until Twitter user Robert Sephason tweeted to Andrè Segers an image of Donkey Kong in a boxing ring. This originates from video game historian Steven Kent's book The Ultimate History of Video Games.[13] The discovery piqued interest for LSuperSonicQ, who proceeded to contact employees who were suspected to have some involvement in Slamfest '99.

"On the Hunt 5" Search

On May 25th, 2021, the Lost Media Wiki would launch an "On The Hunt" search for Slamfest '99, bringing more attention to the effort to find the livestream.[14] Shortly after, Discord user SpartaYoshi researched and documented how MediaOnDemand's livestream technology worked. The "On The Hunt Contact Team" then followed LSuperSonicQ's lead by reaching out to more people in search for a recording. Those who weren't part of the team also researched for press records. It was through these combined efforts that garnered a ton of newly discovered information about the event.

Aside from the following developments, the search started to slow down, with few new leads to build on. It stayed this way until October 9th, 2021 when Ed Espinoza, a Golin Harris employee working for Nintendo's PR department, privately messaged LSuperSonicQ. Slamfest '99 was one of his first assignments on the job. In addition to posting a picture of himself with Mario and Donkey Kong on Instagram, he also provided info that is mentioned in the section below.

Contact Findings

  • Steven Kent, who had attended the event, stated that several video game magazine reporters were there. Demo booths were set up for people to play Super Smash Bros. before and after the fight. He also provided a colorized version of the photo found in The Ultimate History of Video Games and one of Donkey Kong wielding his "mallet of doom."
  • Eric Mangol, a former Director of Sales for MediaOnDemand, suggested that Onstream Media may have a recording since they bought out the former company.
  • Jimmy Vaughan, a former MediaOnDemand Project Manager for live and on-demand webcasts, confirmed that it was up to Nintendo to tell the company to record Slamfest '99 or not.
  • Ed Espinoza, PR for Golin Harris, claimed that a photographer based in the Los Angeles area was hired to take shots for the event and that a satellite truck from Golin was used to livestream. He suggested that Steve Honig had done truck work for it and that Golin would have had a recording. Furthermore, he stated that the costume performers and choreographers were from Cirque du Soleil, the ring announcer's "cheesy" script was inspired by the 1989 No Holds Barred movie, kids from the Andre Agassi Foundation were invited to the event, and that the Columbine High School shooting which happened 4 days before Slamfest '99 forced Nintendo to limit the amount of outgoing publicity so they could keep a non-violent image. As a result, only about 100 video game review platforms knew of it.

Research Findings

The following Lost Media Wiki members found articles and images which also advanced the search for Slamfest '99 in some way.

On June 26th, 2020, LSuperSonicQ found 2 items pertaining to Slamfest '99. The first was an IGN article dated April 21st, 1999. This one confirmed that the MGM Grand area dedicated to the event would be open from 11 AM to 1 PM. The exact address used is 3779 Las Vegas Blvd. South. It was on "Salem Avenue" or the "Salem Waterfront."[1] The second was an article from Nintendorks dated April 22nd, 1999. It confirmed that the fight started at 11:30 AM Pacific Standard time.[3]

On October 1st, 2020, user "Foxlet" found a NintendoWorldReport article dated April 26th, 1999. This confirmed that the fight itself lasted for 17 minutes.[2]

When the On The Hunt first started, former user Binzy Boi found 2 new photos in the 29th issue of N64 Magazine.[6] They do not feature any compression artifacts typical for livestreams in 1999, which fuels a rumor that they came from a VHS copy.

Also on the same day, Tornadic found another Nintendorks article that was dated April 26th, 1999. This provided another brief overview of events during the fight.[5]

On June 8th, 2021 user "Rno" found a Nintendojo article dated April 22nd, 1999. This stated that the fight will be split up into 2 matches; the first being Pikachu vs. Yoshi, and the second one being Mario vs. Donkey Kong. This description contradicts that on the Zelda 64 Planet site, as Mario went up against Donkey Kong first.[15]

On October 15th, 2021, SixtyFours and Rno found a new photo in the April 25th, 1999 issue of The Sacramento Bee newspaper.[16] This confirms Ed Espinoza's claims of an Associated Press photographer being at the event.

On February 14th, 2023, more of Ed Espinoza's scanned photos released online. These revealed alternate viewpoints of the fight, the Super Smash Bros. demo booths, and shots of the crowd.

Availability

While many people made many efforts to find the livestream, such as contacting people possibly involved and finding a possible archive of the stream, neither the livestream nor any possible amateur footage from Slamfest '99 has been found as of the writing of this article.

Although the stream is not found, several photos taken at the event were found on websites of interest and through various leads, shown in the gallery below.

Gallery

On the Hunt

Images on Zelda 64 Planet

Ed Espinoza's Photos

N64 Magazine: Issue 29 Page 13

Steven Kent

April 25th, 1999 Issue of The Sacramento Bee

Other Images

Videos

Super Smash Bros. Commercial

The North American commercial for Super Smash Bros., using the costumes used for Slamfest '99.

The Mexico/Latin American version of the commercial.

The French version of the commercial.

The Swedish version of the commercial.

Slamfest '99

blameitonjorge's video which mentions the Slamfest '99 search (8:32-12:43).

LSuperSonicQ's video on the subject.

LSuperSonicQ's follow-up video on the subject.

ObscureMediaTV's video on the subject.

GameXplain's interview with Ed Espinoza on the subject.

LSuperSonicQ's second follow-up video on the subject.

LSuperSonicQ's third follow-up video on the subject.

GameXplain's announcement about more of Ed Espinoza's photos releasing.

GabLab's video on the subject.

External Links

References