Overview
Smash Bros. (スマブラ), full title Super Smash Bros. is a fighting game franchise and "love letter" featuring a collection of characters from many other video game franchises.
The Japan it's known as Great Fray Smash Brothers (大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ, Dairantō Smash Brothers), but also often shortened to Smash Bros. (スマブラ).
Genre
The genre is listed as a fighting game. The basic system is similar to that of a fighting game, but the concept of the game is the antithesis of the genre, and the specifications that overturn the common sense of fighting games, such as the lack of a health gauge and the ease of using special moves with the touch of a button, are the major features of this game.
The game can also be said to have elements of a party game, as victory or defeat can be influenced by randomly changing stages and items. In this way, the game avoids the fighting game theory of "memorizing combos and commands to win", and instead tests the player's ability to improvise, making appropriate decisions based on the situation and using luck as an ally.
It is not a "fighting game", but a "brawler".
However, for the sake of convenience, it is sometimes treated as a fighting game, and in recent years, with the adoption of Super Smash Bros. Melee at EVO, the world's largest fighting game tournament, it has been attracting attention as a competitive title in the field of e-sports.
History
The prototype was the fighting game called Dragon King: The Fighting Game (格闘ゲーム竜王, lit. "Fighting Game Dragon King"), which was developed by Masahiro Sakurai at HAL Laboratory with Satoru Iwata and others.
The idea of using a famous illustrator for the character design and tie-ups with animation works were also considered, as it was difficult to attract attention with an original character, but in the end, the idea of using a collection of Nintendo characters was settled on (1.).
The concept of Nintendo characters fighting like in a fighting game was not well received by Nintendo at the time, and it is said that even Shigeru Miyamoto had difficulty with it until he played with the prototype. There is also an anecdote that the game was once rejected in an internal competition, but another game (2.) was deemed impossible to release, and thus Smash Bros. was released to the world.
As a result, the game did not get off to a good start when it was first released, as it was not advertised in the media at all, received a mixed review in Famitsu, and was even featured in a book about "shitty games".
However, the game gradually gained popularity by word of mouth and eventually became a huge hit. Sakurai also launched his own official website to explain the depth of the techniques and actively interact with users, creating a movement that has continued to this day.
Since participating in the game would help raise the profile of the series and its characters, it was well-received by Nintendo, and established itself as a killer title for selling new hardware. The series has all sold millions of copies (3.).
Many of the works have increased the name recognition and popularity of the characters and the original games due to this work (4.).
- As the series has continued, fighters with original illustrations and designs by famous people have entered the game, and new fighter introduction animations have been produced, so it is safe to say that all of them were eventually adopted.
- It is strongly believed that this is Mother 3, which was originally developed as for the canceled N64 add-on, 64DD. HAL Laboratory was also involved in the initial development of this game.
- The total of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Only "for WiiU" sold 750,000 units.
- In particular, it had a major impact on the increased popularity of the Metroid series and the overseas expansion of the Fire Emblem series. In addition, EarthBound (or Mother 2) was not well-received in North America at first, but when Ness entered Smash Bros., people became interested in who he was and his work was reevaluated, which is said to have led to his strong popularity even today.
Criteria for Participation
Due to the nature of an all-star game, who will (or will not) participate in the game is a major concern for fans, and every time a new game is announced, there is a lot of anticipation and delusion in each community.
Sometimes a character from the latest title joins the game as a publicity stunt, while other times a character from a retro game makes an unexpected comeback and surprises fans.
Officials see this as a surprise, and since Brawl they have been making elaborate "entry movies" to create buzz.
Also, there have been many requests for characters from other media that are not based on games, but Sakurai has always denied such requests. Sakurai said at TGS 2019, "There are a lot of things coming from overseas, like when is my favorite Iron Man coming out, or when is my favorite Goku coming out?".
Since this is basically a game in which characters fight, characters from action games and RPGs tend to be chosen for the game. However, as mentioned earlier, perhaps because the game is the "antithesis of fighting games", characters from real fighting games did not participate for a long time.
Sakurai has said in the past that "it's hard to include characters in Smash Bros. that aren't suitable for fighting.", but it seems that there is a certain amount of flexibility, as Villger and even Wii Fit Trainer have blitzed their way into Smash for 3DS and Wii U. Among the fighters, F-Zero (racing game), Star Fox (shooting game), Animal Crossing (iyashikei game), and Wii Fit (exergaming) are particularly unique in that they are the minority game genres among the participants.
Since Brawl, guest characters from other companies besides Nintendo have joined the game, expanding the range of possibilities (1.).
In Brawl, Konami and Sega joined, in 3Ds and Wii U, Konami left for various reasons, but Capcom, Bandai Namco, and Square Enix joined. In Ultimate, Konami joined again, as well as ATLUS, Microsoft, Mojang AB, and SNK.
In addition to the playable characters, items, stages, and background music from other companies are also included, adding to the variety of the game.
The conditions for other companies' characters to enter the game, as revealed at the time of Brawl seem to be based on "the game must have been released as software for Nintendo's game consoles" and "the game must be a work that contributed to Nintendo's game console software".
However, Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII (2.), who first participated in 3DS and Wii U, and Joker from Persona 5 (3.) who participated in Ultimate, cannot be said to meet this criterion and the new criteria of "a work that is expected to be released in the future" and "a character from a world-famous game" have been broadened.
- Banjo & Kazooie is a former Nintendo character whose copyrights were transferred to Rare when the company was sold to Microsoft. This was first playable character from a game that was created outside of Japan.
- Although SNK hasn't released a game directly on a Nintendo console since the 1990s (they did release ports of their own AC games during the Famicom era), Terry Bogard has been ported by other companies, and his Neo Geo game has been ported to the Virtual Console Arcade, so it's not as if he had no connection with Nintendo.
- Steve/Alex collaborated with Minecraft, the world's best-selling video game, and since many people thought it would be impossible for Minecraft to enter Smash, Steve/Alex's entry opened up the possibility for more games, including indie games, to enter.
- Initially, Kazuya Mishima's inclusion in the title had been postponed due to the fact that the gameplay of Tekken, which is a battle of spacing, would not fit well with Smash Brothers.
- For this reason, the phrase "Nintendo All-Star," which appeared part of the title of the Japanese Smash 64 and the opening movie of Melee, was deleted in the subsequent series.
- Although Cloud appeared in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (Game Boy Advance version), there was no attempt to release it on Nintendo hardware as part of the Final Fantasy series at the time Cloud was announced for 3DS and Wii U. However, if you look at the Final Fantasy series as a whole, not just the 7th game, there are many games that have been released on Nintendo hardware.
- The only appearances of the Joker on Nintendo hardware are Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (Nintendo 3DS) and Persona 5 Strikers (Nintendo Switch), which was released after the entry. However, the original Shin Megami Tensei series, a derivative of the Persona series, has been numbered and released on Nintendo hardware.
Setting and Worldview
Smash Bros. is set in a world called This World (この世界) which is different from the original game.
The characters that appear in the game are figures (1.) based on their counterparts in their respective worlds, fighting with the power of their images brought to life.
The "big brawl" that takes place in the game is treated like a sporting event, with the audience cheering during the match and the losers applauding the winners afterwards (with some exceptions).
It is only a "match", and in order to make it work, there are fighters who fight without using some of their abilities (2.).
In the single player mode, the plot is that the figure overcomes the Master Hand of the creator and returns to it's original existence. However, in each new game, there is a "true last boss" that surpasses Master Hand, and among them, it has been confirmed that the Subspace Army from The Subspace Emissary and Galeem from World of Light are also common enemies against This World.
These settings are based on ideas that Shigesato Itoi came up with during the first generation of the series, and were delved into as the series progressed. However, the settings are presented in a rather abstract manner, leaving much to the imagination of the player. In addition, there are some discrepancies between each work (3.).
In the entry movies, Snake and others receive an "invitation" to enter the game as fighters. Since they appear to have been invited to This World from the worlds of the original games, the following interpretation is possible, although it differs from the figure settings mentioned above.
- The entry movie is just an video to make the fighter's entry more exciting, and has nothing to do with the main game setting.
- The content of the entry movie is part of This World, and all non-fighter characters are residents of this world.
These "invitations" are extremely valuable, and are apparently sought after all over the world (4.).
In order to make the game viable, some aspects of the game are intentionally ignored in favor of the original. For example, Kirby is 20cm tall, Pikachu is 40cm tall, and Olimar is 3cm tall according to the official settings, but in Smash Bros. there is no difference (5.).
In some cases, characters are given their own unique characterization that differs from the original, and this is more pronounced for characters who have been in the game since the beginning. On the other hand, there are cases where Smash Bros. elements have been incorporated into other media such as Captain Falcon's Falcon Punch.
- In 64, they were treated like plush toys, but after Melee they are unified as figures.
- Link, who doesn't use the Master Sword's Ganon special effect, Kirby, who has a limited hovering ability, and Joker, who doesn't use his Wild Card and fights only with Arsène.
- There was a setting within The Subspace Emissary of Brawl that stated that fighters maintain their existence by fighting, and return to their figures when they are unable to fight. In the background, non-fighters appear and move throughout the series, and so on.
- Joker announced his participation in the game by stealing an invitation in a entry movie. Terry picked up a fallen invitation and entered the game while SNK characters were fighting over the invitation. This is a metaphor that reflects the reality of the Smash Bros. game, where there are so many characters that people want to see enter the game, but only a few are able to do so.
- This is just for the sake of the game. In the The Subspace Emissary movie, Olimar and the pikmin were very small.
Music
The music is mainly arranged from the original games, and the songs are all-star as well as the characters. The number of songs included in the series has increased over the years, with Melee boasting a number of songs that may or may not fit on five CDs, and for 3DS and Wii U surpassing its predecessor even further with Ultimate having over 800 songs for stage music alone with around 900 songs including other songs. If you play them through the entire game, you'll end up playing through the entire day.
Considering the price of the game, the number of tracks is so large that it has been called "buying a gorgeous soundtrack and getting Smash Bros. as an extra" (especially for the tracks that come with the DLC fighters.). There are not many crossover titles that have such a huge number of songs.
It is difficult to make a soundtrack because of the complicated rights of the songs, but some songs were selected for a limited campaign on Club Nintendo. It is not for sale and has not been commercialized.
The number of composers who participated in this project was also extraordinary, at least for a Nintendo game, and the participation of many famous game composers was also a topic of discussion.
Originally it was a console game, so it was not possible to listen to the songs anywhere, but in the first attempt at a portable game console (for 3DS) it was possible to listen to the songs even when the console was asleep, so it had the function of a portable music player. In Ultimate, it became possible to listen to music while carrying it around.
As of June 30, 2021, if all the songs from the previous sound tests are included, the number of songs has reached 1058, which is a four-digit number. If you include the fanfares of the fighters that are not available in the sound test, the number is already huge.
Gameplay
KO
In Smash Bros., no matter how much damage you deal, you can't defeat your opponent by yourself.
Instead, as you accumulate damage, the speed and distance of your attacks will increase, and you'll "defeat" your opponent by blowing them off-screen (up, down, left, right, or anywhere else) racking up points by doing so.
With this system, no matter how much damage you take, as long as you are able to return to the stage, you will not lose. On the other hand, if you fail to return to the stage by falling from a foothold with the least amount of damage, you will lose immediately.
Incidentally, from Melee onward, the game can also be played on a physical strength system (you lose if you take a certain amount of damage), just like a normal fighting game (Up until for 3Ds and Wii U, this was treated as a special brawl, with one stock and no record of damage, and of course, just like in a normal brawl, if you are blown off-screen, you are out.)
Movement
Basically, the stick is used. Roll the stick to the left or right to change the walking speed according to the tilt. By flicking the stick, you can step and dash.
You can jump by flicking the stick upwards or by pressing the "X/Y" button. Most fighters can jump only once, and some characters can jump multiple times.
You can crouch by tucking it down, and from Melee onward, only some characters can crouch and walk. When you are on a thin floor that can be slipped through, you can pop down to land right on the spot.
Normal Technique
Use the "A" (or "2" if using Wii Remote alone) button.
There are three types of attacks: a weak attack using only the A button, a strong attack by tipping the stick, and a smash attack by flicking the stick (can be performed by simultaneously pressing the 1 and 2 buttons when using the Wii Remote alone.).
In for 3DS and Wii U and later, you can also use the A and B buttons at the same time to perform a smash attack. In Melee and later, smash attacks can be stored by holding down the button (smash hold).
In the air, there are five different attack moves: Up, Down, Forward, Back, and Neutral (no stick input).
There are also dash attacks, get-up attacks, and cling attacks.
Special Moves
Use the "B" (or "1" when using the Wii Remote alone) button.
There are four types of Special Moves: Normal, Side, Up, and Down (only the first generation had three types, excluding Side).
As the name implies, they have more special or powerful abilities than normal moves, but they usually have larger weaknesses such as gaps. Some of them have special effects, such as reflecting attacks.
In particular, most characters perform the upper special move while ascending, which is essential for recovering from being blown up (with some exceptions), as is the lateral special move, which moves horizontally.
In Melee and later, after acquiring the item Smash Ball (a gauge system was added in Ultimate), the normal special move becomes the final trump card only once.
Shield
A so-called guard. You can shift the position of the shield by lightly pressing the stick. As you are attacked or as time passes, the shield will become smaller and smaller.
When the shield is completely gone, it will break, and you will be flung lightly upwards and become staggered and unable to move for a while.
If you put up the shield just before you are attacked (in Ultimate, you have to undo the shield just before you are attacked), a just shield will be formed. The shield is not removed at all, and the duration of the shield release becomes very short, allowing you to cancel it with an attack.
However, even if shield does not work, you can still use jumping, upper smashes, and upper special moves while popping to cancel the guard without having to break the shield.
Related Articles
Nintendo Masahiro Sakurai HAL Laboratory Satoru Iwata EVO Fighting Game Crossover
External Links
English
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch – Official Site | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo
