Super Smash Bros. (series)
 | SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere. |
TheSuper Smash Bros. series is a collection of six (five ifSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U are counted collectively) fighting titles featuring a crossover ofNintendo-series fighters battling each other. The series was created and has been directed byKirby's game designer and directorMasahiro Sakurai, first as part ofHAL Laboratory and then later under contract through his solo operationSora Ltd. Each game in the series has received critical acclaim from the wider gaming community for its unique and innovative play-style, and its competitive aspects. Each game in the series also features at leastKirby as a playable fighter, and borrows other elements from theKirby series for stages, items, and other minutia.
Games[edit]
Since the release of the originalSuper Smash Bros., every major Nintendo home console (andone handheld) has seen a release of an entry in the series. The games are as follows:
Super Smash Bros.[edit]
| SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere. |
- Main article:Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros. first released on theNintendo 64 in 1999. It features 12 playable characters from various Nintendo franchises, includingMario,Donkey Kong,Link,Fox, andPikachu among others. This game further developed on concepts introduced inKirby Super Star (and proposed for the originalKirby's Dream Land[1]) into a "platform fighter" where the goal is not to reduce opponents'HP to 0, but to knock them off the stage, with moredamage resulting in being launched further when hit. All fighters are given the ability to jump in midair at least once, have simple directional attacks and special moves, have the ability to shield, grab, and roll out of the way, and use items that appear on stage. Most stages are defined by unorthodox layouts with floating platforms and/or stage hazards which need to be contended with.
Kirby was introduced as a playable fighter here, alongside his "home" stageDream Land. Kirby's most distinct attribute as a fighter is the ability to inhale his opponents and copy their neutral special attack (or steal an ability obtained by another Kirby).
Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
| SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere. |
- Main article:Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee first released in 2001 for theNintendo GameCube. It expands the roster to a total of 26 characters, with notable additions includingPeach,Bowser,Zelda, and theIce Climbers. The gameplay was adjusted to generally result in faster-paced fighting, along with giving fighters an additional (forward-directional) special move, the ability to hold smash attacks for more power, the ability to dodge in place or in midair, and the ability to pummel grabbed opponents and throw them upward or downward, among other changes. The main gameplay additions to the series were anAdventure Mode,All-Star Mode,Event matches, andStadium with multiple smaller modes. The concept ofcollectible trophies was also introduced to the series here.
While no newKirby-series characters were introduced in this game, Kirby himself received a few changes, including gaining the use ofHammer as a special move and hisBurning fireball attack as adash attack. Two newKirby-series stages were introduced as well—those beingGreen Greens andFountain of Dreams.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
| SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere. |
- Main article:Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl first released in 2008 for theWii. It was the first game in the series to be developed by Sora Ltd. rather than HAL Laboratory. The game features 35 playable fighters, though some characters from previous games were dropped. Notable newcomers includedPit,Lucas,Pokémon Trainer,Snake, andSonic. The game was adjusted to be more approachable to newcomers thanMelee was by making it generally slower and more forgiving in its physics and gameplay mechanics, such as giving characters more ability to recover if launched off stages, making dodging safer, and introducing more powerful items that can turn the tide of battle. The most notable item inclusion (one that would remain for the rest of the series) was theSmash Ball, which allows whoever grabs it to unleash theirFinal Smash—an often powerful attack that can quickly defeat other fighters.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl added many new gameplay additions over the previous games, but by far the largest was the revamped Adventure Mode, known asThe Subspace Emissary. This expansivestory mode tells a tale of theSuper Smash Bros. fighters gathering together to stop an army of extra-dimensional invaders led by a winged god-like figure namedTabuu from dismantling their world and dragging it piece-by-piece in to their dimension (known as "Subspace"). The story is told entirely without dialogue through many pre-renderedcutscenes featuring all (except three) of the fighters. The levels themselves follow design elements from theKirby series (specificallyKirby Super Star), and even includes theHalberd as one of the principal settings. Aside from this mode,Brawl also introduced aStage Builder and the ability foronline play, among other features.
Among the newcomers to this game were twoKirby-series characters—King Dedede andMeta Knight. Both of them share Kirby's ability to jump multiple times in midair, though King Dedede specializes as a heavyweight brawler with a long reach using his hammer, while Meta Knight excels in speedy sword swipes and unmatched aerial mobility. Meta Knight in particular would quickly become infamous as the undisputed best fighter in the competitive scene forBrawl, often being outright banned from tournaments. Kirby himself received a few changes from the previous game, having his dash attack changed into a spinning kick similar to hisYo-Yo "Break Spin" attack and his Hammer special move being changed in how it swings. Additionally, a newKirby-series stage was introduced:Halberd.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]
| SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere. |
- Main article:Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U are two games developed concurrently by Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco and released in 2014. The first (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) came out for theNintendo 3DS in September/October 2014 in most regions, while the second (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U) came out for theWii U in November/December 2014. Despite being two separate games for separate systems, the two share the same roster of up to 58 fighters, with most returning fromBrawl, some returning fromMelee who were not inBrawl, and seven in particular being paid downloadable content released after launch. Notable additions included theAnimal CrossingVillager,Little Mac,Mega Man,PAC-MAN,Ryu, andCloud Strife.
The gameplay for both of these titles is very similar to that ofBrawl, though with subtle changes made to the game's mechanics to allow for a better distinction between "casual" and "competitive" play. On the casual side, many more powerful items and hazard-ridden stages would be added for frenetic gameplay where luck is just as important as skill, while on the competitive side, regular one-on-one matches are more deterministic, with less severe dependence on luck-based factors. While an extensive story mode like inBrawl did not return in either of these games, existing game modes and features were expanded upon and a few new ones were added. Each version of the game got different modes, withfor 3DS getting a mode inspired byCity Trial calledSmash Run andfor Wii U getting a board game-like mode calledSmash Tour. The Wii U version would also gain support for battles between up to eight players and a more elaborate stage builder with the ability to "free-draw" in platforms. To cater to competitive players, online play was divided between two modes: "For Fun" and "For Glory", with the latter featuring battles with no items and standard "two-stock" fights on flat hazardless stages (referred to asΩ form).
No newKirby-series characters appeared in either of these games, but all three returned fromBrawl with some changes to their movesets. Kirby's Hammer special move was changed once again toHammer Flip, gaining the ability to charge up a powerful fiery attack. His Final Smash was changed to theUltra Sword fromKirby's Return to Dream Land. King Dedede had his reach with his hammer reduced slightly, and his side special attack changed from throwing random minions to only throwingGordos which can be knocked back and forth. His Final Smash was changed intoDedede Burst, which involves him pummeling his foes with his hammer before lobbing a giant bomb out of his hammer to blow them up. Meta Knight retains his abilities, but was generally made slower with more predictable special moves. He also lost the ability to glide out of his upwards special moveShuttle Loop. Two newKirby-series stages were added, but they were split between each version:for 3DS receivedDream Land GB andfor Wii U receivedThe Great Cave Offensive.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
| SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere. |
- Main article:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate released in late 2018 for theNintendo Switch. With the tagline "Everyone is here!", it features every single fighter from previousSuper Smash Bros. games in addition to many new ones, bringing the total count to more than 80 (the exact number depends on the definition of a distinct fighter). More emphasis than usual was placed on bringing in characters from 3rd party franchises and/or long-standing fan requests, with notable additions includingRidley,Joker fromPersona 5,Banjo & Kazooie,Terry Bogard,Steve fromMinecraft, andSora fromKingdom Hearts. The game mechanics are based on the previous titles, but have been further tweaked to encourage a distinction between casual and competitive play, with a generally faster pace than before (though not quite as fast asMelee).
One of the largest additions in this title is a new expansive Adventure Mode calledWorld of Light. It makes use of the new main collectible items in this game calledSpirits, which are representations of various video game characters who enhance the abilities of fighters when paired with them (and who replace trophies from previous games). Instead of featuring extensive levels facing hordes of low-level foes like in The Subspace Emissary, World of Light instead has the player traversing a massive set ofWorld Maps and engaging in a series of Event Match-style battles with special conditions in order to unlock more spirits and rescue fighters. The fighters and spirits can be upgraded over the course of the adventure using in-game resources and currencies. The story mode itself has multiple endings, with only one being considered the "true" ending. Other returning modes inUltimate have been reworked or revamped, with improvements to the Stage Builder and to Online modes in particular.
Once again,Ultimate had no new characters from theKirby series, but all returned from the previous titles with further changes to their movesets. Kirby once again had his dash attack changed to the Burning fireball as it was inMelee, though it was made more powerful and no longer causes him to fall off ledges. King Dedede had his Final Smash changed once again toDede-Rush, which traps fighters in a caged boxing ring whereMasked Dedede pummels them repeatedly with his special attacks. Meta Knight was also given a new Final Smash in the form ofDarkness Illusion, causing him to gain a second pair of wings and pummel his foes in a similar style toUpper Calibur. No newKirby series stages were added, though every stage from previous games made a comeback with new graphical updates.
Relation to theKirby series[edit]
Since HAL Laboratory was the main developer for the first twoSuper Smash Bros. games, and Masahiro Sakurai was the original creative mind behind both that and theKirby series, the two series share a lot of design aspects and have been closely intertwined, though this has become gradually less true over time with Sakurai's departure from HAL Laboratory in the mid 2000s. There are many ways in which theSuper Smash Bros. series has influenced theKirby series since the former's inception, but the following are the most notable:
- Kirby's principal voice actorMakiko Ohmoto first voiced him inSuper Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64. It is also arguable that Kirby's modern rounder appearance was largely shaped by his appearance in that title (which was the first finished game to depict him in 3-D).
- TheSmash Bros. Copy Ability is directly inspired by Kirby's moveset in theSuper Smash Bros. series, and has appeared in multiple games.
- Master Hand andCrazy Hand have appeared inKirby & The Amazing Mirror as foes for Kirby to fight.
- The modern designs of Meta Knight and the Halberd largely take their cues fromSuper Smash Bros. (specifically fromBrawl onward).
- Many arrangements ofKirby songs fromSuper Smash Bros. (particularlyMelee) inspired arrangements or remixes in subsequentKirby games (the most notable ones being theMelee arrangement of "Green Greens" and "Fountain of Dreams" (originally the "Gourmet Race" theme)).
- The final release version ofKirby Air Ride was built using the same base engine asSuper Smash Bros. Melee.
References
- ↑初代『星のカービィ』開発秘話 【雑談】 — 桜井政博のゲーム作るには (official English version:Development Secrets of the Original Kirby [Grab Bag] — Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games; also appearing in print in the 2017/05/11–18 issue ofWeekly Famitsu as a special edition of Sakurai's "Think about the Video Games" column [1/2,2/2; Wayback Machine snapshots exist of1/2,2/2]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
