| Super Smash Bros. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Platform fighting |
| Developers |
|
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Creator | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Platforms | |
| First release | Super Smash Bros. January 21, 1999 |
| Latest release | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate December 7, 2018 |
Super Smash Bros.[a] is a series ofplatform fighting video games published byNintendo. Created byMasahiro Sakurai, theSuper Smash Bros. series is acrossover featuringmany characters from other video game series created by Nintendo and other developers. Its gameplay is distinct fromtraditional fighting games, with players aiming to knock each other off of stages after accumulating damage with numerous attacks. The games have also featured a variety of side modes, including single-playerstory modes.
Sakurai conceived the idea ofSuper Smash Bros. while working atHAL Laboratory in 1998 with the help ofSatoru Iwata. The series's first game,Super Smash Bros. (1999), was released for theNintendo 64 and used characters from Nintendo franchises includingMario,Donkey Kong,The Legend of Zelda,Kirby, andPokémon. The game was a success, and Sakurai was asked to make a sequel for the then-upcomingGameCube,Super Smash Bros. Melee, which was developed in 13 months and released in 2001.
After Sakurai left HAL Laboratory, Iwata, who had become Nintendo's president, convinced him to continue directing the series. Sakurai directedSuper Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) for theWii andSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U (2014) for theNintendo 3DS andWii U. The series's most recent game,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, was released in 2018 for theNintendo Switch, with Sakurai again returning as director andBandai Namco Studios aidingSora Ltd., Sakurai's own company, in the game's development.
TheSuper Smash Bros. games have received critical acclaim and commercial success, with the series selling over 77 million units combined as of 2025[update] and multiple of its games being considered amongthe best of all time. The series has also attracteda dedicated community of competitive players who compete inesports tournaments, andSuper Smash Bros. has inspired numerous other platform fighting games and has been credited for bringing popularity to several of the franchises whose characters it features.
After developingKirby Super Star (1996),Masahiro Sakurai, a game developer atHAL Laboratory, wished to experiment with 3D graphics and animation following the release of theNintendo 64 video game console.[1] Sakurai proposed two games toNintendo for release on the system: a four-player free-for-allfighting game and a RC robotstealth exploration game where the player progressed through levels by hacking into security cameras.[2] While both proposals were praised by Nintendo, HAL Laboratory was currently developing several other games for the Nintendo 64, includingMother 3, and was unable begin full development on either prototype. After HAL's other projects were cancelled, however, the company needed to produce a finished game as soon as possible.[1] The fighting game prototype was chosen as the studio's next project after Sakurai determined it would take less time to complete than the RC game.[2]
The fighting game prototype, titledDragon King: The Fighting Game,[3] was developed by three people: Sakurai was responsible for the game's planning, design, graphics, modeling, and animation, while his coworkerSatoru Iwata handled the programming and a third developer was responsible for the game's audio.[4] Because he was leading another project at the time, Iwata createdDragon King's programming on weekends. Iwata had agreed to the project because he wished to create a four-player game utilizing the three-dimensionaljoystick on theNintendo 64 controller, while Sakurai wished to create an alternative to the fighting games dominating thevideo game industry at the time.[4]
Sakurai had developed the idea for a new type of fighting game in 1996, because he felt that existing fighting games had become too complex, with gameplay over-reliant oncombos that reduced the importance of player strategy. He sought to create a game that allowed for more player improvisation and interplay, creating a system of accumulated damage to force players to react differently to each attack instead of making the depletion of the other player'slife bar the only goal. He created "smash attacks" that could be triggered with a more aggressive "flick" of the joystick while searching for ways to best integrate the Nintendo 64 controller's joystick into the prototype's gameplay.[1]
WhileDragon King had largely the same gameplay as what would becomeSuper Smash Bros., it lacked any crossover elements.[1] Sakurai had reservations about including a cast of original characters,[4] saying that existing fighting games had too many "main characters" competing to be the focus of marketing, making it more difficult for players to care compared to games that have fewer protagonists and several side characters.[1] While Sakurai said that would be acceptable in fighting gamesreleased for arcades, the transition tohome consoles meant that it was important to establish the game world's "atmosphere" as soon as possible,[4] and he did not want new players to encounter a large roster of unfamiliar characters.[1] Therefore, he asked Nintendo's permission to use various characters from its other games.[1][4] The proposal to use pre-existing characters was controversial,[4] and Nintendo'sShigeru Miyamoto rejected the idea. In response, Sakurai and Iwata created ademo of the game featuringMario,Fox McCloud,Samus Aran, andDonkey Kong, and ensured that it was well-balanced before presenting it again. Upon seeing the revised demo, Miyamoto gave permission for the game to use Nintendo characters.[3]
After the game's completion, it was met with mixed reception internally; many other developers reacted positively, while Nintendo's sales team did not want the company's characters to fight each other.[1] The game was ultimately titled "Super Smash Bros." after Iwata suggested the inclusion of the word "brothers" to indicate that the characters "weren't simply fighting" but "were friends who were settling a little disagreement."[5]Super Smash Bros. was released for the Nintendo 64 in Japan on January 21, 1999, and in North America on April 26, 1999.[3] To help appeal to players used to the gameplay of traditional fighting games, Sakurai created the "Smash Bros. Dojo!!", a website intended to teach players strategies and techniques for the game.[1]
In May 1999, at theElectronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Sakurai privately revealed that he was developing a sequel toSuper Smash Bros. for the then-upcomingNintendo GameCube, and the design plan for the game was completed on July 5, 1999.[6] HAL Laboratory returned to develop the game,[7] and was assisted by other studios, includingCreatures Inc.[8] By May 2001, over 50 people were actively working on the game, while over 100 had been involved with the project at some point in time.[6] The game was officially revealed asSuper Smash Bros. Melee atE3 2001, seven months ahead of its release in North America.[3] Because the GameCube was both more powerful and easier to develop games for than the Nintendo 64,Melee was able to include much more content than its predecessor, including 14 new characters and many multiplayer options and modes.[3][8]
The development ofMelee lasted only 13 months, during which Sakurai described his lifestyle as "destructive". He said the game was the "biggest project [he] had ever led up to that point", and during development he took no holidays and only short breaks on weekends.[9] Development was held back by technical limitations, with the GameCube not being powerful enough to allow features such as eight-player multiplayer.[3] Collectible "trophies" were introduced, allowing players to collect3D models of various Nintendo characters as a way to include more characters than could be developed as fighters.[8] Sakurai designedMelee to appeal to people who were "well-versed in video games", compared to the more casual audience targeted by the firstSuper Smash Bros. game,[9] andMelee's physics system underwent extensive revisions.[10]Melee also includedfull-motion video scenes; HAL worked with three separate computer graphics studios in Tokyo to complete the animations by E3 2001[7] and Sakurai created thestoryboards himself.[8]Super Smash Bros. Melee was released for the GameCube on November 21, 2001, in Japan, and on December 3, 2001, in North America.[11]Melee later went on to bethe best-selling game released for the GameCube.[8]
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In May 2005, at a press conference prior toE3 2005, Iwata—who had become the president of Nintendo—said that a newSuper Smash Bros. game was in development for theWii and would launch alongside the system the next year, featuringonline multiplayer usingthe system's Wi-Fi capabilities.[12] The announcement came as a surprise to Sakurai, who had left HAL Laboratory in 2003 and had not heard about an upcomingSmash Bros. game.[13] Iwata had made the announcement after many people polled by Nintendo showed a desire for a newSmash Bros. game with online play, despite planning on the next game in the series having not yet begun.[14] After the announcement, Iwata met with Sakurai and asked him to create a newSmash Bros. game for the Wii, saying that Nintendo would simplyportMelee to the system with online functionality if he refused. Sakurai accepted, and completed the planning document for the nextSuper Smash Bros. game in July 2005.[3]
The formerSuper Smash Bros. team at HAL Laboratory was busy with another project, so Sakurai assembled a team including staff fromGame Arts, another studio.[14]Sora Ltd., Sakurai's own company, was also involved.[13][14] The game's development team included over 100 full-time staff,[15] with over 700 people involved altogether.[14] One year after its announcement, the trailer revealing the game asSuper Smash Bros. Brawl aired atE3 2006.[3]
Brawl was designed with a focus on creating online multiplayer as well as a lengthy single-player story mode intended to flesh out the game's characters and give them more time in the spotlight. Sakurai had wanted the single-player mode to be developed by a separate team, though all except for its animatedcutscenes were created byBrawl's main team.[15]Sakurai worked withKazushige Nojima, who had writtenscenarios for variousFinal Fantasy games, to create the storyline forBrawl's single-player mode.[14] Because the Wii was targeted towards more casual players than the GameCube and the game would need to be played with theWii Remote controller, Sakurai decided to adjust the gameplay speed ofBrawl to make it considerably slower thanMelee.[14][15]Brawl was also the first game in the series to undergoplaytesting, with a small team of four being tasked with evaluating the game's balance. It introduced several new mechanics to theSmash Bros. series, including powerful "Final Smash" attacks able to be activated after destroying an orb and "Assist Trophy" items that allow players to summon certain characters to fight alongside them,[16] which were created as another way to increase the number of characters present inBrawl.[15]
Brawl was the first game in theSuper Smash Bros. to feature characters fromthird-party developers, withSolid Snake fromKonami'sMetal Gear andSonic fromSega'sSonic the Hedgehog being playable fighters.[16] Snake was revealed in the E3 2006 trailer,[16] while Sonic was announced in October 2007 on theSmash Bros. Dojo!! website.[3] Sakurai designed both Snake and Sonic to have a "distinct feel" from the other characters, though said he did not consciously try to treat Nintendo characters differently from non-Nintendo characters in terms of design.[4] BothMetal Gear creatorHideo Kojima andSonic the Hedgehog co-creatorYuji Naka had asked Sakurai to include their respective characters inMelee, though time constraints meant that neither character would be added to that game.[17][18]Brawl's final roster included 35 playable characters, with nearly all characters fromMelee returning in addition to 15 new characters.[3]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl was released for the Wii on January 31, 2008, in Japan, and March 9, 2008, in North America. The game's release followed a delay; Nintendo had said the game would release in December 2007, but pushed its release date back to early 2008 two months ahead of its scheduled launch.[3]
AtE3 2011 in June 2011, Iwata announced that Sakurai would be developing a newSuper Smash Bros. game that would release on both the handheldNintendo 3DS and theWii U, a home console, with the two versions having connectivity with each other.[3][19] However, Sakurai was developingKid Icarus Uprising for the Nintendo 3DS at the time, and work on the nextSmash Bros. game did not begin until afterUprising's release in 2012.[20] The game was developed by Sora Ltd. alongsideBandai Namco Studios, with various staff members from Bandai Namco's other fighting games,Tekken andSoulcalibur, joining the team.[21] The games were formally revealed during aNintendo Direct video presentation atE3 2013, titledSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U (Smash 4).[22]
Sakurai felt that the cutscenes developed forBrawl's story mode were unable to impact players as he wished because they were shared widely on the internet, so he said thatSmash 4 would include neither a story mode nor cutscenes, and that the animation resources would instead go into creating computer-generated videos to reveal new characters coming to the game online.[23] The "fighter reveal videos" continued to be used for future games.[24] Sakurai aimed forSmash 4's gameplay speed to be in between that ofMelee andBrawl, and designed the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U versions to have the same characters, movesets, and items, but both versions would have exclusive stages not in the other.[25] Because of the 3DS's technical limitations, however, parity between both versions' characters required those not technically possible on the 3DS—including characters that transform mid-match such as thePokémon Trainer orPrincess Zelda andSheik, or theIce Climbers, which act as two characters at once—could not be in either game.[3][26] The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games lackcross-platform play, but players can transfer data between the two games, including customized characters.[27]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS released in Japan on September 13, 2014, and in North America on October 3, 2014.Super Smash Bros. for Wii U released later that year: it first launched in North America on November 21, 2014, and released in Japan on December 6, 2014.[3]Smash 4 became the first game in theSuper Smash Bros. series to receive paiddownloadable content (DLC); Nintendo released additional characters, stages, andMii fighter outfits able to be purchased individually for both versions of the game.[3][28] The final DLC characters forSmash 4,Corrin fromFire Emblem Fates andBayonetta fromBayonetta, were released on February 3, 2016.[29] Including DLC,Smash 4's full roster featured 56 characters, 19 of which were new.[3]
Iwata asked Sakurai to direct a newSuper Smash Bros. game for theNintendo Switch before the system was publicly announced.[30] Sakurai said it was the last request he received from Iwata before his death in July 2015.[31] Sakurai began planning theSmash Bros. game for the Switch while DLC forSmash 4 was still in progress, and finished the game's proposal document on December 16, 2015.[30] Active development on the next game in the series began in February 2016, after all DLC content had been released for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games.[32] Bandai Namco Studios returned to assist Sora Ltd. in developing the nextSmash game, and the similarity between Wii U and Nintendo Switch's hardware made development easier than past games,[33] which were developed by teams assembled from scratch.[30]
Because the transition to the newest entry in the series seemed easier than normal, Sakurai proposed that theSmash game for the Nintendo Switch feature all previous playable characters from throughout the series.[30] Managing to include all past characters became a major goal of the game's development.[34] Sakurai scrapped plans to differ gameplay between the Switch's TV and handheld modes, because he found that the system's screen in handheld was good enough to make it not worthwhile to change the game for it.[35] He decided to raise the gameplay speed again pastSmash 4, though still decided that he did not wantUltimate to be as fast asMelee.[30] Time constraints meant that the team could create neither a story mode similar toBrawl's nor a large assortment of collectible trophies, which had grown expensive to develop. Sakurai conceived "Spirits" as trophies' replacement and designed the game's story mode to be involved, but not more so thanBrawl's,[30] and he created the story mode's storyboards himself.[34]
ASuper Smash Bros. game for the Nintendo Switch was teased in a March 2018 Nintendo Direct,[36] and the game was fully revealed asSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate atE3 2018 three months later.[37]Super Smash Bros. Ultimate released worldwide on the Nintendo Switch on December 7, 2018.[38] After launch,Ultimate received continuousupdates that added DLC characters, with a "Fighters Pass" containing five additional characters having been announced prior to the game's release.[39] In January 2020, alongside the reveal ofByleth fromFire Emblem: Three Houses as the final DLC character in the Fighters Pass, Nintendo announced a second Fighters Pass, containing six additional characters.[40] The final character added toUltimate wasSora ofKingdom Hearts in October 2021;[39][41]Ultimate continued receivingbalance patches until December 2021[42] and minor updates until 2024.[43]
As aplatform fighter,[44]Super Smash Bros.'sgameplay differs from traditional fighting games.[45] Instead of aiming to deplete their opponents'life bar, players' goal inSmash Bros. is to knock their opponents off of thestage or out of bounds. Characters have a damage total—indicated by a rising percentage value—that increases as they take damage.[46] As their total rises, they suffer moreknockback from attacks, making it easier for them to be knocked away.[47] Players lose alife when they are launched outside of the stage's boundaries,[48] but when knocked offstage they can attempt to "recover" by usingmidair jumps and abilities to return to the stage.[49][50] Players can "edge-guard" their opponents, attempting to prevent them from recovering.[48][51]
Controls are simpler than other fighting games, with one button used for standard attacks and a second used for special attacks.[48][52] Each character has a uniquemoveset; players can use different moves by attacking while inputting a certain direction on theanalog stick or while their character is in a certain state, such as midair.[53][54] Powerful "smash attacks" can be used by quickly moving the analog stick and pressing the attack button,[55] and can become even stronger ifcharged by holding down the button.[50][11] Each character has four smash attacks—one for each direction[48]—and five standard, special, and aerial attacks, with four corresponding to directions and the other initiated by pressing the button without any directional input.[53]
When characters are hit by attacks, they undergo briefhitstun that leaves them vulnerable to further attacks andcombos.[56] Players can block attacks with a shield, and can dodge in different directions to becomebriefly invulnerable.[55] Dodges can also be performed in midair,[57] and some games allow directional air dodges[58] that can be used while landing to initiate a "wavedash".[59][60] Dodges leave characters exposed after they end,[61] while shields weaken over time and break if they absorb too much damage, leaving their user vulnerable for a time.[48][55] By shielding with correct timing, players canparry attacks.[61][62] Characters using shields remain vulnerable to grabs, allowing opponents can grab and throw them in any one of four directions,[61] creating arock–paper–scissors dynamic between attacking, shielding, and grabbing.[63] Starting withBrawl, characters can also use "Final Smashes", extremely powerfulultimate attacks unlocked after a character breaks a floating "Smash Ball" that has appeared or fills a charge meter over time.[16][55]
A common element ofSmash is items, which randomlyspawn onstage if enabled.[55] Items have various effects often based on other games;[64] for example, theSuper Mario series'sSuper Mushroom allows characters to grow in size,[65] while theSuper Scope—based on anaccessory for theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System—can be used as a weapon to launch projectiles.[66] Other items, meanwhile, allow characters to recover damage they have taken.[65] Items also exist that allow players to summon allies to fight alongside them and affect the environment:[67]Poké Balls can be thrown to summon variousPokémon species,[48] whileBrawl introduced "Assist Trophies" that summon characters from other franchises.[16]
Matches consist ofmultiple players: initially up to four could play at once;[11] inSmash for Wii U andUltimate, the limit is eight.[52][69]Artificial intelligence-controlledcomputer players can substitute for human players.[70][71] Matches can be either free-for-alls or between teams, and players can choose the rules by which the winner is determined.[55] The most common modes are "Time" and "Stock";[72] in "Time", matches have a fixed time limit and players compete to have the most points by the end, gaining by knocking out others and losing them when knocked out themselves. "Stock" matches, by contrast, give players a finite number of lives, with the winner being the last player remaining.[55] A less common mode is "Stamina",[72] where players have a finite number of health and are eliminated when it reaches zero.[55]
Players also have a variety of stages to choose from.[73] The majority are based on other video games, but some, such as "Final Destination" and "Battlefield", are original to theSmash series.[74] Stages have varying layouts of platforms and other obstacles,[45] with some being flat planes without edges.[75][76] Some stages have hazards[77] such asboss fights with theYellow Devil from theMega Man series orRidley fromMetroid.[78][69]
In addition to multiplayer battles, theSmash series features varioussingle-player side modes andminigames,[79] many of which contain options for two-playerco-operative gameplay.[80] In "Home-Run Contest", for instance, players use the Home-Run Bat item to damage asandbag and attempt to launch it as far as possible.[81][82] In "Break the Targets", players use their character's abilities to navigate a course and destroy targets within it;[83] courses are character-specific inMelee[84] but available to all characters inBrawl.[85]Smash 4 contains "Target Blast", where players launch a single bomb into an area to destroy as many targets within the area as possible.[83][86] The firstSmash game featured "Board the Platforms", where players were tasked with landing on several floating platforms as fast as possible on a character-specificplatforming course.[87]
The games have also included "Multi-Man Smash", which consists of several sub-modes where players battle multiple opponents at once,[50][88] such as "100-Man Smash", where they must defeat 100 opponents;[52][85] and "Cruel Smash", where they try to defeat as many extremely strong enemies as possible.[88] SinceBrawl, players can create custom stages to use in multiplayer matches and share online with other players.[89][90][91] InSmash 4, the Wii U version featured the board game mode "Smash Tour",[69] while the 3DS version featured "Smash Run", where players explore a large map to collectpower-ups before a final battle.[50][92]Ultimate introduced "Squad Strike", allowing matches where players change characters after each life.[52]
Melee introduced "trophies",[93][94] collectible 3D models of various characters and elements fromSmash and other game series[8][95] obtained within various modes and special minigames.[96]Ultimate replaced trophies with "Spirits" that use 2D images instead of 3D models[52] and require the player to complete a battle that combines elements to reference the Spirit's character.[97] Collected Spirits can be attached to a character tobuff their attributes or give them special abilities such as an additional midair jump.[97][98]
Games across the series have included "Classic Mode", which consists of a series of battles against opponents either based on the player's character, pre-determined, or randomly generated, depending on the game.[50][83][99][100] Classic Mode also contains within it minigames such as Break the Targets, a platforming challenge, or abonus stage,[99] and ends with a boss fight againstMaster Hand or another enemy.[83]Smash games have also featured "All-Star Mode", where players must defeat every character in that game,[50] and "Event Matches", where they face a series of themed battles.[100] SeveralSmash games included single-playercampaigns.[79]Melee's campaign was called "Adventure Mode" and included a mix of platforming levels and typical battles based on various game series.[11]Brawl's was far more expansive; titled "Subspace Emissary", it was a story-based mode with several platforming levels, boss fights, and typical battles mixed with cutscenes including all of the game's characters.[16][101][102] The series's next campaign was inUltimate, which featured "World of Light".[103] World of Light lacked platforming, and consisted only of battles against Spirits, playable characters, and bosses scattered across anoverworld,[52][104] and usedrole-playing game elements such as askill tree for character upgrades.[79][103]
The series has includedonline multiplayer sinceBrawl;[102] inSmash 4, it was split into two modes, "For Fun" and "For Glory", that contained differing rulesets aimed at casual and competitive players, respectively.[105] InUltimate, players can play ranked battles to accrue "Global Smash Power", unlocking the "Elite Smash" mode once they pass a certain threshold.[106][107]
Each game in the series has a number of playable characters (referred in the games as "fighters") taken from various gaming franchises, with over 80 in total across the series. Starting withSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, characters from non-Nintendo franchises began to make playable appearances. InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, players were able to customize existing fighters with altered movesets and abilities, as well as making their ownMii fighters that can be given three different fighting styles. There are also othernon-playable characters that take the form of enemies,bosses, and summonablepower-up items.
Super Smash Bros. featuresmusic from some of Nintendo's popular gaming franchises. While many are newly arranged for the game, some songs are taken directly from their sources. The music for the Nintendo 64 game was composed by Hirokazu Ando, who later returned as sound and music director inMelee.Melee also features tracks composed by Tadashi Ikegami, Shougo Sakai, and Takuto Kitsuta.[108]Brawl featured the collaboration of 38 contracted composers,[109] includingFinal Fantasy series composerNobuo Uematsu, who composed the main theme.[110] Like inBrawl,Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U featured many original and re-arranged tracks from various different gaming franchises from a variety of different composers and arrangers. Both versions have multiple musical tracks that can be selected and listened to using the returning "My Music" feature, including pieces taken directly from earlierSuper Smash Bros. games. The 3DS and Switch games allow players to listen to their music from the sound menu while the system is in sleep/handheld mode.[111][112]Ultimate continued the trend of multiple composers and arrangers working on remixed tracks, having over 800 in total.[112][113]
Three soundtrack albums for the series have been released. An album with the original music forSuper Smash Bros. was released in Japan byTeichiku Records in 2000.[114] In 2003, Nintendo releasedSmashing...Live!, a live orchestrated performance of various pieces featured inMelee by theNew Japan Philharmonic.[115] A two-disc promotional soundtrack titledA Smashing Soundtrack was available for Club Nintendo members who registered both the3DS andWii U games between November 21, 2014, and January 13, 2015.[116]
Releasingmerchandise forSuper Smash Bros. of any kind is generally prohibited, with only free giveaways andlimited edition items allowed.[117] Practically the only exceptions to the merchandise ban areAmiibo figures,[117] atoys-to-life platform created by Nintendo.[118] Amiibo debuted alongsideSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U,[119][120] and Nintendo released Amiibo figures forSmash 4 andUltimate of all characters present in the games,[121] and theSmashline concluded in February 2024 with the release of the Sora figure.[122] Amiibo figures from theSmash line as well as figures ofSmash characters from other lines can interact withSmash 4 andUltimate usingnear-field communication,[123][124] and players can train a computer player based on their Amiibo figure in-game, with the Amiibo player gainingexperience points andleveling up as it fights in battles.[117][125]
To coincide with the releases ofSmash 4 andUltimate, Nintendo released new versions of theGameCube controller,[126] as well asadapters allowing the controller to be used with the Wii U and Switch.[127][128] Ahead ofUltimate's release, Nintendo released aSmash Ultimate-themed limited edition Nintendo Switch system, with the Switch'sdock featuring artwork of the game's characters and itsJoy-Con controllers featuring the series logo.[129] Nintendo alsobundledUltimate with aSmash-themedNintendo Switch Pro Controller and a copy of the game packaged in asteelbook.[130][131]
While some tournaments and competitive events were held for the firstSmash game around its release,[132] a significant competitiveSuper Smash Bros. community began to emerge in 2002, after the release ofMelee.[133] The community largely emerged through decentralizedgrassroots efforts,[134] without official support from Nintendo.[133] The competitiveMelee community gradually united through websites likeSmashboards, anonline forum created to discuss theSmash series prior toMelee's release.[132] CompetitiveMelee gradually developed a self-sufficient community,[133] and in 2004Major League Gaming (MLG) began hostingMeleeesports competitions, creating a tournament circuit for the game.[132] MLG'sMelee tournaments brought about an era called the "Golden Age ofMelee", with some of the game's best players, includingKen Hoang, becoming well known.[132]
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MLG ended itsMelee circuit in 2007 due to the release ofBrawl, and much of the attention given toMelee was diverted to its sequel. Gameplay changes inBrawl aimed at appealing to casual players, however, made it less popular among competitive players, and in the competitive community gradually returned toMelee.[132] In 2013, members of theMelee community rallied for the game's inclusion atthe 2013 edition of theEvolution Championship Series (EVO), an annual fighting game tournament.[133] Nintendo intervened, seeking to cancel theMelee tournament,[135] but allowed the event to proceed after significant backlash.[136] The tournament was won byJoseph "Mang0" Marquez,[133] who had made his breakoutMelee performance atEVO 2007[135]—the last time aSmash game was featured—where he placed third.[133]
Melee's appearance at EVO 2013 vastly increased its competitive popularity,[136] and was raised further later that year whenTravis Beauchamp releasedThe Smash Brothers, a documentary series aboutMelee's competitive history.[132] TheSmash Brothers documentary covered the community's history at past MLG and EVO events, and contributed toMelee overtakingBrawl's competitive popularity.[133] It was released during a time in which five players—collectively termedMelee's "Five Gods"—were dominatingMelee tournaments: Marquez,Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman,Juan "Hungrybox" DeBiedma,Adam "Armada" Lindgren, andKevin "PPMD" Nanney.[132]
Melee was included again atEVO 2014 the next year, thoughBrawl was excluded from the final tournament despite its appearance alongsideMelee in qualifying events.[133] Attempting to capitalize on theSmash series's renewed competitive popularity, Nintendo hosted an invitational tournament for the then-upcomingSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U atE3 2014, featuring top players of bothMelee andBrawl.[132][133] The tournament was won byGonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios, who was then among the best competitiveBrawl players.[133] Barrios went on to dominate the first year of competitiveSmash 4,[133] winning 55 consecutive tournaments from the game's release until October 2015, when he lost to Nairoby "Nairo" Quezada.[137][138] The release ofSmash 4 brought further growth to the competitiveSmash community,[132] and in 2016 the tournamentsGenesis 3 andEVO 2016 had more entrants than any otherSmash competitions until that point.[136][133]
In 2016, players likeWilliam "Leffen" Hjelte began to challenge the Five Gods' dominance ofMelee.[136] In 2018,Justin "Plup" McGrath won theMelee tournament atGenesis 5, which Hjelte proclaimed marked the end of the Five Gods era.[139] Earlier that year, Barrios retired from competitiveSmash 4 to focus onlivestreaming,[140][141] andLeonardo "MKLeo" López Pérez wasSmash 4's top-ranked player by the timeUltimate released in 2018.[142]Ultimate attracted a large competitive audience, including from someMelee players unsatisfied withBrawl orSmash 4.[132] Pérez was considered the bestUltimate player after the game's release, defeatingGavin "Tweek" Dempsey to winEVO 2019, then the largest-everSmash tournament.[142][143]
TheCOVID-19 pandemic disruptedSmash competition, leading to the cancellation of many tournaments.[144]Ultimate was cut fromEVO 2020,[145] and Nintendo later opted forSmash not to return to EVO following the tournament's purchase bySony Interactive Entertainment in 2021.[146][147] During the#MeToo movement in mid-2020, competitiveSmash players, including Quezada and Barrios, faced a wave of sexual misconduct allegations.[144] Nintendo called the alleged acts "absolutely impermissible",[148] furthering rifts between the company and theSmash community.[149] Tensions escalated later in 2020, when Nintendo orderedThe Big House to cancel theirMelee tournament for its use ofSlippi, an unofficialmod that adds online multiplayer to the game,[149][150] andSmash fans began the#FreeMelee movement on social media to protest Nintendo's decision.[151] Nintendo had provided little support to theSmash community even as it began hosting esports events for its other games, includingSplatoon andArms (2017);[134] as a result,Smash tournaments have much lower prize pools than other major esports.[152][153]
In late 2021, Nintendo partnered with esports organizationPanda Global to produce the Panda Cup, a tournament circuit for bothUltimate andMelee in 2022,[154] which was seen as a sign of Nintendo's willingness to engage further with theSmash community.[149][155] In December 2022, theSmash World Tour (SWT), a competingSmash circuit, said it would cancel its 2022 finale and 2023 circuit because of a request from Nintendo.[156] Nintendo denied requesting the SWT's cancellation and rejected the SWT's claims that Panda had sought to undermine the SWT.[157] In the aftermath, Panda removed Alan Bunney as itsCEO and indefinitely postponed the Panda Cup finale,[158] while all affiliated professionalSmash players left the organization.[159]
| Game | Year | Sales (in millions) | Metacritic (out of 100) | OpenCritic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Smash Bros. | 1999 | 5.55[160] | 79[161] | — |
| Melee | 2001 | 7.09[162] | 92[163] | — |
| Brawl | 2008 | 13.32[164] | 93[165] | — |
| for Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | 9.63[166] | 85[167] | 86% recommend[168] |
| for Wii U | 2014 | 5.38[169] | 92[170] | 100% recommend[171] |
| Ultimate | 2018 | 36.24[172] | 93[173] | 97% recommend[174] |
Reviews for theSuper Smash Bros. series are usually positive. The multiplayer mode in every game is usually highly praised; however, single-player modes have not always been viewed as highly.
Super Smash Bros. received praise for its multiplayer mode.Nintendo Power listed the series as being one of the greatest multiplayer experiences in Nintendo history, describing it as infinitely replayable due to its special moves and close-quarters combat.[175] There were criticisms, however, such as the game's scoring being difficult to follow.[176] In addition, the single-player mode was criticized for its perceived difficulty and lack of features.
Super Smash Bros. Melee generally received a positive reception from reviewers, most of whom creditedMelee's expansion of gameplay features fromSuper Smash Bros. Focusing on the additional features,GameSpy commented that "Melee really scores big in the 'we've added tons of great extra stuff' department." Reviewers compared the game favorably toSuper Smash Bros.IGN's Fran Mirabella III stated that it was "in an entirely different league than the N64 version";GameSpot's Miguel Lopez praised the game for offering an advanced "classic-mode" compared to its predecessor, while detailing the Adventure Mode as "really a hit-or-miss experience." Despite a mixed response to the single-player modes, most reviewers expressed the game's multiplayer mode as a strong component of the game. In their review of the game,GameSpy stated that "you'll have a pretty hard time finding a more enjoyable multiplayer experience on any other console."
Brawl received aperfect score from the Japanese magazineFamitsu. The reviewers praised the variety and depth of the single-player content,[177] the unpredictability of Final Smashes, and the dynamic fighting styles of the characters.Thunderbolt Games gave the game 10 out of 10, calling it "a vastly improved entry into the venerable series". Chris Slate ofNintendo Power also awardedBrawl a perfect score in its March 2008 issue, calling it "one of the very best games that Nintendo has ever produced".IGN criticMatt Casamassina, in his February 11Wii-k in Reviewpodcast, noted that althoughBrawl is a "solid fighter", it does have "some issues that need to be acknowledged", including "long loading times" and repetition inThe Subspace Emissary.
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U both garnered critical praise and were commercially successful, holding ratings of 85/100 and 92/100 onMetacritic and 86.10% and 92.39% onGameRankings.[178][167][179][180] Reviewers have particularly noted the large, diverse character roster, the improvements to game mechanics, and the variety of multiplayer options. Some criticisms in the 3DS version include a lack of single-player modes and issues concerning the 3DS hardware, such as the size of characters on the smaller screen when zoomed out and latency issues during both local and online multiplayer.[181][182] There were also reports of players damaging their 3DS Circle Pads while playing the game excessively.[183][184] The Wii U version's online play quality was mildly criticized for some inconsistency, but has overall been critically acclaimed. Daniel Dischoff ofGameRevolution stated "It's true thatSuper Smash Bros. evolves every time with regard to new features, items, and characters to choose from. While your favorite character may not return or a few annoying pickups may force you to turn off items altogether, this represents the biggest leap forward Smashers have seen yet." Daniel Starky atGameSpot criticized the inconsistent online performance in the game, but still called it an "incredible game", noting "With the Wii U release,Smash Bros. has fully realized its goals." Jose Otero fromIGN, praising the replayability of the game, states "Nearly every aspect ofSmash Wii U seems fine-tuned not only to appeal to the nostalgia of long-time Nintendo fans, but also to be accessible to new players."
Super Smash Bros. sold 1.4 million copies in Japan,[185] and 2.3 million in the U.S.,[186] with a total of 5.55 million units worldwide.[160]Melee sold over 7 million units worldwide, becoming the best-selling GameCube game.[162]Brawl sold 1.524 million units in Japan as of March 30, 2008[update],[187] and sold 1.4 million units in its first week in the United States, becoming Nintendo of America's fastest selling game.[188] The 3DS version sold over a million copies in its first weekend on sale in Japan,[189] and has sold more than 9.63 million copies worldwide as of September 2021[update].[166]Super Smash Bros. for Wii U became the fastest-selling Wii U game to date, selling 3.39 million units worldwide within just two months of availability, beating the record previously held byMario Kart 8.[190] As of September 2021, it has sold 5.38 million copies worldwide.[169]Super Smash Bros. Ultimate onNintendo Switch has set new record highs for the series and for the system.[191][192] It sold an estimate of 5.6 million copies in global sales during its first week of launch, beating out records previously held by games such asPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!,Super Mario Odyssey, andThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.[193] InJapan,Ultimate outsold the records held bySuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS with 2.6 million copies sold in five weeks.[194] It is also the third best-selling game for the Nintendo Switch and the best-selling fighting game of all time, with 36.24 million copies sold worldwide as of March 31, 2025.[172]
Super Smash Bros. is often credited with popularizing theplatform fighter subgenre, notably by defining core mechanics such as an emphasis on ground movement and knocking characters into blast zones by accumulating damage percentages as opposed to traditional knockouts, which would subsequently be iterated on by games that would follow its release.[195] Beginning in the mid-2010s, numerousindependent developers took inspiration from theSmash series when creating their own variations of platform fighting games, notably includingRivals of Aether (2017), which according to lead designer and former competitiveSmash Bros. player Dan Fornace, took specific inspiration from the faster, skill-based pacing ofSuper Smash Bros. Melee (2001).[196] Other indie titles such asBrawlhalla andBrawlout (both 2017) have also been favorably compared toSuper Smash Bros. by multiple gaming news outlets, with the latter being remarked upon for its focus on more aggressive mechanics reminiscent of traditional fighting games within theSmash Bros. template,[197] whileBrawhalla was praised for incorporating stronger weapon-based gameplay systems, leading to a more functionally diverse character roster.[198]
Given its nature as a crossover for various gaming properties, theSuper Smash Bros. series has inspired numerous other crossover fighters involving licensed franchises, that employ similar gameplay and presentation.[199] In 2012,Sony Computer Entertainment publishedPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale forPlayStation 3 andPlayStation Vita, which was a conceptually similar platform fighter incorporating variousPlayStation and third-party franchises in four-player timed and stock-based battles, set across 2D arenas with stage hazards.[200]Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, a series of console fighting games by Ludiosity and Fair Play Labs, which spun out of theNickelodeon Super Brawl line of browser and mobile games, features various characters fromNickelodeon animated series and follows similar gameplay conventions toSuper Smash Bros., with the addition of differentiated light and heavy attacks similar to traditional fighting games being a notable distinction betweenAll-Star Brawl andSmash.[201][202]MultiVersus, which went into early access in 2022 ahead of a wide release in 2024, adopts the broader mechanics and presentation ofSuper Smash Bros. while utilizing variousWarner Bros. film and television franchises, and includes features unique to its systems such as granting characters passive abilities in combat and having dedicatedPvE modes.[203][204][205] Outside general crossover fighting games modeled afterSuper Smash Bros., indie fighting games such asBrawlhalla andRivals of Aether have routinely collaborated with third-party publishers to include their characters as guest fighters in a similar manner toSmash's inclusion of characters from non-Nintendo games.[206][207] Despite higher-profileSuper Smash Bros. alternatives garnering decent critical or commercial reception, they have generally been regarded as inferior substitutes when measured against the gameplay, roster and features of the aforementioned series.[208][209][210]
Media related toSuper Smash Bros. at Wikimedia Commons
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