Super Smash Bros.is without a doubt one of the most influential fighting game series of all time. Although it isn’t a traditional fighting game likeStreet FighterorTekken,Super Smash Bros.has been a staple of the fighting game community since the early years of the franchise.
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It broke the mold of what a fighting game could be and left an entire subgenre of fighting games in its wake. Every new game in the series, fromSuper Smash Bros. MeleetoSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatehas expanded upon the formula first laid out by the originalSuper Smash Bros.on Nintendo 64 in new ways, adding new depth and influencing the fighting game genre as a whole.
10Casual Accessibility
Fighting games have always been relatively difficult to get into, scaring off potential new players.Super Smash Bros. takes the opposite approach, instead opting to make the game as accessible as possible. Many considerSuper Smash Bros.to be solely a party game and not at all a fighting game because of this casualization, but it’s the reason whySuper Smash Bros. Ultimateis now the best-selling fighting game of all time.
Following in the footsteps ofSmash, other recent fighting games have greatly expanded their tutorials and onboarding, making fighting games as a whole much easier for new players to get into.
9It Pioneered A Genre
Super Smash Bros.isn’t a traditional fighter with health bars. Instead, players are supposed to knock each other off the stage and prevent their opponents from recovering.
Many other games, like Rivals of Aether, Brawlhalla,andSlap Cityhave adopted this formula, and this has given way to an entirely new subgenre of fighting games: the platform fighter. Blending platforming and fighting, platform fighters would not exist withoutSuper Smash Bros. It did it first, and it continues to do it the best.
8Mods
Because everySuper Smash Bros.game varies in terms of mechanics and speed, someSmashfans have taken to modding to make certain games in the franchise feel like others. Of course, there are cosmetic skins and other character mods like in other fighting games, butSmashplayers have taken modding to the next level.
Project M is a total conversion ofSuper Smash Bros. Brawlfor the Wii that implements several new mechanics and speeds the game up dramatically to make it feel more like its predecessor,Super Smash Bros. Melee.Project Mhas gotten so big to the point where it is regularly run as a side event at tournaments, and it’s incredibly beloved by theSmashcommunity. Mods and fan projects are a thing for other fighting game franchises, butSmashplayers have created some of the most prominent custom content for any fighting game.
7Crossovers
Crossovers happened in fighting games beforeSmash, but there’s no doubt that the series dramatically increased the popularity and demand for crossover characters in other fighting games.Super Smash Bros.character revealsprompt legendary reactions from fans just about every time, and that’s begun to seep into other fight game communities.
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SinceSmashhas risen in popularity, crossovers have continued to get crazier and crazier, and now 2B fromNier Automatais inSoulCalibur VI, Negan fromThe Walking Deadis inTekken 7, and Joker is inMortal Kombat 11.
6Grassroots Esports
Not every fighting game community is fortunate enough to be backed by the publisher of their respective game, and SuperSmash Bros.is no different. With no official backing from Nintendo, theSuper Smash Bros. Meleecommunity has persevered for almost two decades, becoming one of the most massive titles in esports solely due to the dedication of its fans.
Meleeisn’t the only fighting game in this situation, but it’s definitely one of the most prominent, and it serves as a beacon of inspiration to all of the other burgeoning grassroots fighting game communities out there.
5EVO Mainstay
Although EVO is an annual celebration of all fighting games,Super Smash Bros. has been one of the main reasons many viewers tune into the tournament every year. IndividualSmashtitles usually come in second or third in terms of registration, typically behind Street Fighter, butSmashas a series has the most entrants yearly in recent years if you combineMeleeandSmash for Wii U.
Starting in 2019,Smash Ultimatebecame the onlySmashtitle to get a spot in the EVO lineup, and in its debut year, it smashedStreet Fighter V’sentrance numbers, coming in at almost double the participants. Also, no matter the game,Super Smash Bros.is almost always the most-watched event at the tournament, and it continues to be one of the highlights that causes EVO’s audience to watch every year.
4A Focus on History
Super Smash Bros.is a monument to Nintendo’s history and the history of gaming as a whole. Things that fans are nostalgic for return regularly, and they remain unchanged when they do. The Dreamland stage returns inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatebut retains its Nintendo 64 graphical style, for example.
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Other fighting game franchises have begun to incorporate their histories into their games as well, with classic costumes andstagesbeing released for iconic characters.Mortal Kombat 11is a fantastic example, with its entire story mode being centered around the clash between past and present. Fighting game players often stick with their respective franchises for years, so these callbacks are greatly appreciated by fans.
3Casual Viewing
One of the major problems that a lot of esports face is the overwhelming amount of knowledge required to watch certain games and fully understand what is going on. Games likeOverwatchandLeague of Legendsrequire viewers to have a basic understanding of the roster and each character’s abilities and mechanics to follow a match.
Super Smash Bros.has propelled fighting game viewership to record highs because of how easy it is to follow. Fighting games in general are some of the most-watched games on Twitch because of their simple premise, butSmashis even more accessible to the casual viewer. Easily identifiable characters and a clear goal makeSmasha very appealing game for fighting game viewers, and the lack of complicated combos allows even the least skilled players to be able to understand and enjoy a match.
2The Art of the Character Reveal
Some of the most legendary video game announcements of all time have beenSuper Smash Bros. character reveals, and other fighting games have started to draw inspiration from this. Revealing a fighter is an art form, andSmashhas perfected the process.
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Now, fighter reveals for other games have started to follow the same approach to raise as much hype as possible, and fans are always on the edge of their seats at any possible event where someone could possibly be revealed. People wouldn’t have thought Solid Snake was coming toTekken 7after a voice clip played at EVO 2019 if they weren’t primed to think anything is possible due toSmash.
1Single Player Modes
Although fighting games are inherently multiplayer ordeals, a good single-player mode goes a long way.Melee’sAdventure mode,Brawl’slegendary Subspace Emissary, andUltimate’sWorld of Light are some of the best single-player modes in any fighting game, and other fighting games have started to take note.
Recently, fighting games have started to incorporate quality campaigns and single-player story modes, andSmashis a major reason as to why.Injustice 2andMortal Kombat 11, for example, both have excellent story modes, and they likely wouldn’t have been prioritized as much by developers if fans didn’t enjoySmash’ssingle-player offerings as much as they did.
NEXT:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 5 Best Stages (& 5 Most Annoying)
