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Since the Nintendo 64,Super Smash Bros.has been a core franchise on every new Nintendo console. This crossover extravaganza has become a name to know in the game industry, and it’s not likely to be replaced anytime soon. Having codified the platform fighter genre and given it mainstream popularity, many still see theSuper Smash Bros.series as the best in its class despite rising competition and scattered flaws. There’s plenty of room for competition likeMultiVersusandNickelodeon All-Star Brawl, but it will take a lot to dethrone their inspiration.
Within the franchise itself,Super Smash Bros.has undergone a lot of changesover the years. The bones thatSmash 64carved andSuper Smash Bros. Meleerefined are still visible, but each entry comes with its own take. Different aspects like gameplay or single-player modes shift in focus and quality, further differentiating each game. NoSuper Smash Bros.title can truly be called bad, but how much they appeal and to whom varies greatly as one looks over the series’ spread.
RELATED:Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 Characters, Ranked By How Viable They Are In Ultimate
S Tier
Super Smash Bros. Melee-Anyone familiar with theSuper Smash Bros.community won’t be surprised by its GameCube entry being honored.Super Smash Bros. Meleemay not be the best-sellingSmashgame, but its relevance after two decades and multiple sequels speaks to what it got right. One look at tournament footage tells viewers all they need to know aboutMelee’s smooth yet complex gameplay, though there’s also plenty on offer for casual players. Several single-player modes are still considered at their peak inSmash Melee, with Target Test and Adventure Mode attracting the most praise. Complete with Trophies, more than double the fighters, and even being theSmashto introduce North America toFire Emblem,Super Smash Bros. Meleeis an all-time classic.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-It took a long time for any platform fighter to rivalMelee, but series creator Masahiro Sakurai and his colleagues finally managed it with the most recentSuper Smash Bros.Built usingSuper Smash Bros. for Wii Uas a base,Super Smash Bros. Ultimatebrings back every characterand almost every stage in the series’ history. It then went even further with the most jaw-dropping set of fan-requested fighters and third-party guests ever seen in a fighting game, on top of bringing a new story mode to bear with World of Light. ThatSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatealso plays well, some online issues notwithstanding, is just the bow on this supreme package.
RELATED:The Unwritten Rules of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Explained
A Tier
Super Smash Bros. Brawl-RankingSuper Smash Bros. Brawlnext to the rest of the franchise is difficult. Many fans considerBrawlto have the worst game mechanics and competitive balance in the series, and it’s hard to refute that. In modern times,Super Smash Bros. Brawlrarely sees play, with manypreferringBrawlmods likeProject Minstead of returning to the base version.Brawlgets some props for introducing guest characters via Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake, as well as a Stage Builder, but that’s not enough to make up for its shortcomings.
However, its Subspace Emissary story mode deserves all the praise it gets, even with its issues.Brawl’s gameplay would take a remake to fixbut drags Subspace down regardless, and the generic stages used instead of some of Nintendo’s own have prompted complaints. Even so, the mode as a whole supports one of the better stories seen in fighting games. It gives its crossover mascots and their interactions time to shine in plentiful cutscenes and takes players on aKirby-like adventure that culminates in a massive non-linear dungeon.
All of this can be enjoyed with a co-op partner, and players can collect stickers to upgrade themselves along the way. Subspace Emissary is arguablySmash’s best single-player mode and gives casual fans a good reason to revisitSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.
Super Smash Bros.-The originalSuper Smash Bros.on the N64 is more of a curiosity nowadays, having been left behind by the advancements made in later entries. ASwitch Online release forSuper Smash Bros.would help, but there’s no sign of one at the moment.Smash 64does have the unique appeal of longer combos thanks to higher stun values, but that only caters to a minority of players. There’s not much to criticize about it, and the game deserves all the praise it can get for being a strong launch for theSuper Smash Bros.franchise, butSmash 64can’t hold a candle to its successors.
B Tier
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U-Unfortunately, the otherSmash Bros.entries fittingSmash 64’s description don’t have the luxury of being the first. Released shortly after its 3DS skew,Super Smash Bros. for Wii Uintroduced 8-Player Smash while exchangingSuper Smash Bros. for 3DS’s Smash Run and StreetSmash for Smash Tour, Special Orders, Stage Builder, and Event Mode. The fourthSmashgeneration’s shared features like custom specials further enhanceSmash for Wii U’s identity, but comparing any part of it toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, particularly the lack of anewSuper Smash Bros.story mode, makes it clear this entry is obsolete.
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS-This tragedy is magnified inSuper Smash Bros. for 3DS, which is technically the same game and had to scale back on many fronts to accommodateSuper Smash Bros.’ handheld debut. Portable play and the Smash Run mode, which fusedKirby Air Ride’s City Trial withSuper Smash Bros. Brawl’s casual PvE-focusedSubspace Emissary stages, are all thatSmash 3DShas going for it. WithSmash Ultimate’s presence on the portable Nintendo Switch, and more features available onSmash for Wii U, there isn’t a use for thisSuper Smash Bros.entry besides seeing its few distinct qualities in action.
