For over 25 years, gamers have been searching for a video recording of an official Nintendo event for the launch of Super Smash Bros.
To promote their new game Super Smash Bros., Nintendo came up with something unique: a wrestling match featuring their most famous video game characters. This event is now known as Slamfest '99, however: You still can't watch it to this day.
An "In Your Face" PR-Stunt
It's 1999 and Nintendo wants to promote its new game Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. In April 1999, a major PR campaign took place at the MGM Grand Adventures Park in Florida: Mario, Donkey Kong, Pikachu and Yoshi got into a wrestling ring and bonked each other on the head. Nobody was hurt, of course.
According to visitors, the whole thing was a crazy mix of fun and action. Donkey Kong swings his hammer, Mario goes completely berserk and knocks everyone out. There was no winner, in Nintendo fashion they announced a draw: “Everyone is a winner!”. An event like this would probably no longer take place today, but to this day, no video recording has been found – even though the showdown was broadcast live. Fans have been searching for exactly that for years.
The Video Stays Lost
Although the 17-minute event remained available on the event's official website for months afterward, a recording is still missing. Countless people involved were contacted, attendees tracked down, and the internet archive searched. But even after countless images, promotional material and even official tickets have surfaced, a video still wasn't found. The search for this piece of “lost media” has been going on for over 25 years.
New Video | How Close Are We To Finding Slamfest '99?https://t.co/sLIfXY9eHe pic.twitter.com/LG9H3aTxX6
— LSuperSonicQ (@LSuperSonicQ) June 14, 2024
What Is Lost Media?
Lost media refers to media content that has been lost, forgotten, or is simply difficult to find. This can be films, television programs, music, video games or even recordings of various events, such as Slamfest '99.
Searches like this are often hard detective work on the Internet, with fans searching for clues together, talking to contemporary witnesses or searching various archives and even libraries. The biggest motivation is often nostalgia and the need to preserve the past for years to come.
The Search Continues
The search for video footage of Slamfest '99 is a perfect example of how the passion of fans can lead to the rediscovery of forgotten and lost pop culture and history. It's also a reminder of how powerful nostalgia can be, and how seemingly insignificant events can leave a long-lasting impression.
If this got you interested, you can find a video series by YouTuber LSuperSonicQ, who posts regular updates about the state of this search, as well as the Lost Media Wiki page about the topic.
Would you watch the footage if it was found?
Or do you have something in mind that you can no longer find? Who knows, maybe it will soon be found by the eager detectives of the internet!