Why Nintendo’s Smash Bros. is Fun for Everyone
By: Gerardo Bolaños
Tags: Super Smash Bros, Videogames, Gaming, Nintendo, Features

Add extra chaos to the gameplay with the many different items and stages, leading to exciting moments, laughter, and fun with friends. There’re 103 stages to choose from the start, plus more with DLC.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-kQWJrjRV4

No other fighting game has this many high-quality stages. In some stages you can’t fall, helping newer players get accustomed to the gameplay. Others are better for competitive play. The very famous Final Destination is known for being an empty canvas for high octane games.

The point is, this game aims for everyone to have fun, whether you want a chill, casual experience with friends, or competitive “No items, Final Destination, Fox only”.

Another way this game is accessible is the character roster.

A game with many faces

Kids use to argue over who would win: Cloud vs Link, Banjo vs DK, Ganon vs Bowser; that is no more because you can decide it yourself with Super Smash Bros.

The single fact this game has 70+ characters should be baffling.

Some fighters fit into the normal archetypes of close-up fighting, range, swords, heavy, light, simple, complex; but those are not the only types. The game finds a way to personalize each fighter with a unique moveset that fits the character’s personality, but also the game.

For example, Mr. Game & Watch is a fighter named after the game series from the ‘80s.

How did they translate the personality of the game and adapt it to Smash?

One of the Game & Watch games is Fire. This game consisted of saving falling people from a burning building with a trampoline.

How did they implement this mechanic?

Well, every fighter has some sort of recovery move to get back to the stage, in Mr. Game & Watch case is Fire. He uses a trampoline to jump then a Parachute (another game reference) to break his fall.

The way every character is designed is outstanding, especially when you consider, so far in Ultimate’s balance, there is no outright best fighter. So this leaves you with 70+ viable options to have fun.

Nothing beats the hype you feel when a character from a game you love gets added to Smash. Take a look at people’s reactions to Banjo & Kazooie’s reveal. Knowing your favorite character will get a well thought out moveset is only possible due to the amazing work the developers put into this game.

Smash has become a gaming all-stars, not only Nintendo. This leads to speculation from fans to what new character will be added next.

But fighting isn’t the only thing this game has.

A game with features galore

What does Smash offer other than fighting?

Single-player modes

The game adds a full RPG-like adventure campaign with World of Light.

This game mode is a great single-player experience, especially for those starting the game wanting to get better. You will be collecting Spirits, which is what the game calls a collection of character pictures from all over the gaming spectrum, that have unique benefits and power-ups during battle. The different fights inside World of Light will be themed after a specific Spirit, allowing for fun references and mechanics only found here.

Other features are arcade game modes like:

Classic mode: a collection of fights base on a character’s history

Mob Smash: horde base battle

Training

Squad Strike: a team base fight where every stock is a different fighter

Home-run Contest: Hit a sandbag the hardest you can so it flys very far

Tourney: Create your tournament

As you see, this game offers a lot of content for a regular priced video game.

Music

The amount of music tracks in this game is huge with over 800. Some of the best Nintendo tunes are here; from The Legend of Zelda, Mario, Pokemon, and many more. Some songs are remixed to be appropriate battle music, with some arrangements being better than the original song. You can customize what tracks play on what stage and how often. You can also listen to them separately like a “video game Spotify”.

Online

At the time of writing, this is the feature most fans feel disappointed. The netcode of Nintendo games has been behind the times compared to Sony and Xbox. This also applies to Smash. The game stutters and disconnects as long as you or your opponent don’t have a good connection or there’s a lag spike. I play Injustice 2 online often, and fighting games are affected online because they require precise timing inputs. The less you feel the lag, the better experience. Injustice 2 offers a great online environment that Smash simply doesn’t. The constant feeling of delay, disconnects, and rage-quits sour the online gameplay. Still, for those who have good internet, and can stand with the problems, it can provide some entertainment.

A game made with care

Masahiro Sakurai in his Game Informer Interview said the following:

“Being knowledgeable to an extent about each character is a must. There are also times where the staff goes deep into the original work and add even better elements”

This game doesn’t feel rushed. The amount of polish and detail is outstanding rivaling work from Naughty Dog and Rockstar.

The stages have a detailed background with easter eggs, references, and nods to other games. The character animations are lively, reflecting their personalities to perfection. The sound effects add great feedback, providing a better experience. Visual effects are stylish, with explosions and particles everywhere. The game runs at 60 FPS, and rarely comes down.

We mentioned how the game balance is the best in the series so far, with no fighter too powerful to ruin the game (looking at you ssb4 Bayonetta and Cloud). Let’s not understate this fact. This is the balance of 70+ different characters! very few games can claim 70+ of anything, let alone the amount of stability required.

Conclusion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is, in fact, the ultimate fun, casual, gaming experience, and a competitive, high skill fighting game for many. The accessibility it offers is what allows it to be the best selling fighting game of all time. A character roster that is a gaming event in it of itself, causing excitement every time a new face joins. The amount of content for single-player and multiplayer the game provides is remarkable, justifying its price. The love and hard work poured into the game shows in every detail.

If you are looking to have a great time regardless of your skill level or fighting game knowledge, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fits the bill.