Super Smash Bros. meets Sepak Takraw in upcoming Filipino-made game
Imitation is said to be the highest form of flattery, and this Philippines-based game studio is offering a new take on the iconic Super Smash Bros. Sepak U – Sports Fighting Game takes Sepak Takraw—a cultural Southeast Asian sport with influences from volleyball and football—and combines it with gameplay reminiscent of the Nintendo classic.
The game is being developed by Good Knight Collective, a group of indie artists and developers based in the country. Founded by Alex “AlexEValdez” Valdez and Zaid “Skeletal Raven” Al-Shaheed, the group is best known for releasing Good Knight in 2019, which was awarded Best Console/Desktop Game at the 2019 Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit.
“Ever since I was a kid, Sepak Takraw has always been cool to me. I’m not a sports guy, but mixing the ball control of football with the aerial moves of volleyball always seemed to entice me,” says Valdez, explaining why he chose Sepak Takraw out of all sports. “It also reminds me of over-the-top movies like ‘Shaolin Soccer’ and my favorite sports animes.”
Made for competition
Sepak U is developed for the competitor at heart. Made by an experienced tournament competitor and organizer in Valdez, the game contains features such as a replay system, as well as a training tool, to help players hone their skills.
But without alienating the casual playerbase, the game features simple and intuitive controls and is designed to be easy to pick up for fighting game newbies. On the flip side, Sepak U also prides itself on its in-depth mechanics that require substantial time and effort to truly master.
To illustrate: The ball is automatically hit by simply touching it with your controlled character. But different attack types such as curves, sinkers, and power smashes, fighting game staples like specials, ultimates, and gauges—as well as Smash Bros. inspired dashes and animation cancels provide an added layer that separates casual from competitive gameplay.
Community at heart
From everything we’ve seen so far, Sepak U is being positioned as an up-and-coming esports. But we wonder: How do you build a competitive scene around a game that isn’t backed by a known developer?
According to Valdez, it’s all about building community. As he’s working on finishing the game for release, he’s also brought Sepak U on the road, introducing it to seasoned fighting game players and casual gamers through local events and tournaments—among these was an indie game developer workshop for multimedia arts students held at Saint Louis University in Baguio.
“You don’t pump money and put hundreds of thousands of prize pool to make a competitive scene. People who join just for the prize pool usually just go away after the tournament—history has shown this again and again in multiple scenes,” shares Valdez.
“People join tournaments because they find it fun, and people are nice,” he adds. “We don’t join because of the payout. We play because it’s fun, and we stay together because we love the people. And not just the game.”
The world of Sepak U
Outside its multiplayer features, Sepak U also has enough in store for the solo player. According to Good Knight Collective, the game contains enough content for up to 10+ hours of solo and co-op gameplay—with 21 character endings, several minigames, and boss battles in an arcade story mode.
Sepak U also features an expansive world filled with unique characters and arenas based on personalities and places in the Philippines and Southeast Asia—among the list of characters include a chicken and an Asian mom.
From the usual basketball, football, and racing titles, we’ll always have our fill of the typical sports game. They’re not going anywhere. But a Sepak Takraw-inspired game with Super Smash Bros. influences? That by itself is worth checking out.
