Is Smash Bros A Fighting Game?

Is Smash Bros a Fighting Game?

Okay, let’s dive into this big question. You’ve probably heard people argue about it at school, online, or maybe even at a party. Is Super Smash Bros. really a fighting game, like Street Fighter or Tekken? It’s a debate that’s been going on for ages, and it’s not as simple as saying “yes” or “no.” We need to look closely at what makes a game a fighting game to understand why this question is so tricky. Let’s get started!

The Classic Fighting Game Formula

First, we need to know what usually makes a game a fighting game. When we think about classic fighting games, certain things usually come to mind. Think about games like Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Tekken. What do they have in common?

• Health Bars: Most fighting games have a life bar or health bar that goes down when you get hit. When it reaches zero, you lose.
• Rounds: Fighting games often have matches that are broken up into rounds. A player needs to win a certain number of rounds to win the overall match.
• Character Variety: There is always different fighters with very unique movesets. Each character has their own set of strengths, weaknesses, and special moves.
• Move Inputs: Players use specific button and direction combinations to perform moves. Learning these combinations is a big part of getting good at the game.
• Two-Dimensional (2D) Plane: These games usually have characters moving back and forth on a single 2D plane, meaning they don’t normally move towards or away from the background like in 3D games.

These are the common elements we often see in games that everyone calls “fighting games.” Let’s see how Smash Bros. compares to these.

Smash Bros. – A Different Kind of Brawl

Now, let’s look at Super Smash Bros. It’s definitely a game where you fight, but it does things a little differently. Instead of health bars, it uses a damage percentage. When you get hit, your damage percentage goes up, making you easier to knock off the stage. Instead of rounds, the main goal is to knock all other players off the stage to win, and the last player standing wins. Let’s go into more details.

Damage Percentage, Not Health

Here’s a big difference. In Street Fighter, when you get punched, your health bar goes down, and eventually, you lose. In Smash, you get a percentage. That percentage shows how much easier you are to send flying. The higher your percentage, the further you fly when hit. Instead of focusing on reducing your health, you’re trying to get the other players off the stage.

Knockback, Not Just Damage

Smash is about knockback. Yes, you are still doing damage, but the main goal is to send opponents flying off the edge of the screen. It is not just about getting their health to zero. Getting that perfect hit that sends someone flying for a ring out is a very satisfying feeling.

Ringouts Instead of Knockouts

In most fighting games, when you run out of health, you’re “knocked out.” In Smash, you get “ringed out,” when you go off the edge of the stage and can’t make it back. This focus on ringouts change the way you play. You have to worry not only about the other player’s attacks, but also your place on the stage and how close to the edge you are. This makes Smash unique.

More Than Just a 2D Plane

While the viewpoint is similar to a 2D fighting game, the gameplay is much different. Characters in smash can usually move in the air freely. So instead of being restricted by the floor, you can maneuver in any direction. Also, most of the stages have platforms in them, allowing you to move around even more. Many moves in Smash are made specifically to move the character or gain more height and make sure your character makes it back to the stage.

Items and Stages Add More Chaos

Unlike most traditional fighting games, Smash is known for having a huge amount of items that can be used and stages that are also very different. Items add a element of randomness in smash, you can grab a powerful weapon, healing item, or a very tricky item that can cause chaos for anyone in the game. Stages can also range in size, and certain stages can be very tricky with moving platforms or dangers. These elements make the game even more chaotic.

What About Competitive Smash?

So, if Smash is so different, why do people play it in tournaments? This brings up another interesting point. The competitive scene of Smash Bros. is very strong. Players spend countless hours learning every character, perfecting their movement, and understanding the smallest details of the game. They’re not just casually mashing buttons. So let’s examine the competitive side of Smash:

Learning the Nuances of Each Character

Competitive Smash players spend time learning all the characters. They need to know what their strengths are and weaknesses, as well as matchups against all the different characters. They need to know the speed of their attacks, the range and knockback of their move. They are learning frame data, combos, and all of the small specific things you can do in the game. Competitive smash players have a mastery of the game.

Strategic Gameplay and Spacing

In a tournament setting, Smash is a strategic game. Players think about their character’s position on the stage, when to approach and when to back off, and how to use the environment to their advantage. It’s not just about random attacks, but about making smart choices at the right time.

Mental Game

Like in many other fighting games, competitive smash can be very challenging to the mind. Competitive players have to think about what their opponent is thinking and try to make reads on what they will do next. The mind games, baits, and the constant reading that the player is constantly doing shows how the mental aspect of the game can be very important.

Combos and Technical Skill

Smash also has combos, just like many other fighting games. But instead of long, string of attacks, combos in Smash use certain set ups that allow the player to get a big blow, such as the ability to follow a character while they are in the air and juggle them. There is a lot of technical skill needed to be good at competitive smash, and the movement in smash is very different than traditional fighters.

So, Is Smash Bros. a Fighting Game or Not?

Okay, so here is the question we came here for. Is Super Smash Bros. a fighting game? Well, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. It really depends on how you look at it.

• The Casual View: If you just look at the basic gameplay, it’s different enough from typical fighting games that many people will say it’s not a traditional fighting game. With the ringouts, the damage percentages, and the items, it makes sense why it is seen as different.
• The Competitive View: If you look at it from a competitive standpoint, it has many of the same aspects as a traditional fighting game. The need to master a character, learn matchups, play the mental game, and have good technical skills are the same things found in other fighting games.

So, if we really have to give an answer, we can say this: Smash is a fighting game, but one that’s very different from most others. It’s not a typical side-scrolling, health-bar, round-based fighter. It has it’s own rules, concepts, and gameplay that sets itself apart from traditional fighting games.

The “Platform Fighter” Genre

Because Smash Bros. is so different from games like Street Fighter, it has even helped create a whole new type of fighting game: the “platform fighter.” Games like Rivals of Aether, Brawlhalla, and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl all follow this style. These games often share the same idea of percentage-based damage, knockback, and ring outs. This is one of the many reasons why smash bros is important to gaming, as it made it’s own subgenre. It’s a testament to how unique and innovative Smash is that it inspired so many games like it.

Why Does It Matter?

Some people might think this is a dumb thing to argue about, but what you call a game does matter. When we call a game a fighting game, we expect certain things from it. Knowing that Smash is a “platform fighter,” a unique kind of fighting game, helps us understand why it’s so different from the others. It shows that it’s not just a casual party game but a game with a lot of depth that many people enjoy competitively.

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter what you call it. Whether you consider it a platform fighter or just a special kind of fighting game, Smash Bros. is a super fun and challenging game that’s enjoyed by millions of people all around the world. And that’s what really matters at the end of the day.