New photos surface from obscure promotional Smash Bros. tournament Slamfest '99

You probably remember the classic Super Smash Bros. commercial in which Mario, Donkey Kong, and others duke it out in full costume. But did you know that those same costumes were used in a promotional event called Slamfest ‘99, in which actors actually fought in a ring, complete with a crowd and referee?

If you didn’t, you’d be forgiven, because the event has become lost in obscurity over time. Originally taking place in Las Vegas, it was actually livestreamed at the time, but almost no video or photographic record of the event exists today. However, a tweet from Andre of GameXplain about the event in 2020 has resulted in some new photos surfacing online just recently.

That’s just a taste of what looks like it must’ve been a pretty fun tournament to attend! Click here to see the complete collection of photos uploaded by Redditor bozo_ssb, featuring multiple angles of the action and crowds from the event. You can also check out GameXplain’s new video on the subject with more commentary and context below. An official record of Slamfest ‘99 may never be found, but at least we have this proof that it actually happened!