Super Smash Bros. (series): Difference between revisions

The '''''Super Smash Bros.''''' series is a crossover series of multiplayer games in which many well-known [[Nintendo]] characters are pitted against each other to fight, with each character using their unique abilities in battle. The games are among Nintendo's best selling games, not only for being one of Nintendo's few fighting games, but also for being a mass crossover of many Nintendo franchises; they are also known to attract both casual and competitive players, with game modes and official Nintendo events accommodating different types of play. While the Western title for the series is a play on the title of ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', ''Super Smash Bros.'' is a standalone crossover franchise and is not explicitly part of the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise or any of its other constituent series. However, the ''Super Mario'' franchise is the most heavily represented franchise in each game, with multiple playable characters and stages, and receives first billing as Nintendo's flagship franchise.

Along with [[Mario]], many different characters from different franchises appear as fighters throughout the series. These include  [[Link]] from [[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|''The Legend of Zelda'']] series, [[Pikachu]] from the [[bulbapedia:Pokémon|''Pokémon'']] series, [[Kirby]] from the ''[[wikirby:Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' series, [[Ness]] from the ''[[wikibound:EarthBound (series)|EarthBound]]'' series, and many more. Besides the diverse lineup of fighters, ''Super Smash Bros.'' has numerous non-playable references to Nintendo history, such as the roster of stages in the series, themed around locations from past Nintendo games. In addition to the Nintendo-related content, ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and subsequent installments introduce a number of third-party guest fighters. While these guest fighters include mascot characters that have appeared in prior crossovers with the ''Super Mario'' franchise, such as [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] and [[Pac-Man]], they also include characters from more "realistic" and adult-oriented franchises, such as [[Solid Snake]] from the ''Metal Gear'' franchise and [[Bayonetta]] from her self-titled series. With its large, diverse roster of characters that range from the familiar to the obscure, the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series serves as a gateway to Nintendo's vast library of franchises, with the games often boosting the popularity and public image of lesser-known series such as ''Metroid'', ''Kid Icarus'', and ''Fire Emblem''.{{ref needed}}

''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' features a new Adventure Mode titled "[[The Subspace Emissary]]". This mode features unique character storylines along with numerous side scrolling levels and multiple bosses to fight, as well as CG cut scenes explaining the storyline. The Subspace Emissary features a new group of antagonists called the Subspace Army, who are led by the Ancient Minister. Some of these enemy characters appeared in previous Nintendo games, such as [[Petey Piranha]] from the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]] and a squadron of [[R.O.B.]]s based on classic Nintendo hardware. The Subspace Emissary also boasts a number of original enemies, such as the Roader; a robotic unicycle, the Bytan; a one-eyed ball-like creature which can replicate itself if left alone, and the Primid; enemies that come in many variations. Though primarily a single-player mode, The Subspace Emissary allows for cooperative multiplayer. There are five difficulty levels for each stage, and there is a method of increasing characters' powers during the game. This is done by placing collected '''stickers''' onto the bottom of a character's trophy between stages to improve various aspects of a fighter.

During the [[wikipedia:E3 2018|E3 2018]] [[wikipedia:Nintendo Direct|Nintendo Direct]], [[Inkling]] from the [[inkipedia:Splatoon (series)|''Splatoon'' series]], [[Princess Daisy]] from the ''Super Mario'' franchise, and [[Ridley]] from the [[metroidwiki:Metroid (series)|''Metroid'' series]] were confirmed as new playable characters.<ref name="E32018Direct" /> In the August 2018 ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' Direct, [[Simon Belmont]], [[Richter Belmont]] (both from the [[wikipedia:Castlevania|''Castlevania'' series]]), [[Chrom]] (from the [[fireemblem:Fire Emblem (series)|''Fire Emblem'' series]]), [[Dark Samus]] (from the ''Metroid'' series), and [[King K. Rool]] (from the [[Donkey Kong (franchise)|''Donkey Kong'' series]]) were also confirmed to be playable.<ref name=AugustDirect> Nintendo (August 8, 2018) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awl4L0yVdkg Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct 8.8.2018] ''YouTube''. Retrieved August 8, 2018</ref> Within the September 2018 Nintendo Direct, [[Isabelle]] from the [[nookipedia:Animal Crossing (series)|''Animal Crossing'' series]] was additionally confirmed as a new playable fighter.<ref name=SeptemberDirect> Nintendo (September 13, 2018) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRuHg1dv8MI Nintendo Direct 9.13.2018] ''YouTube''. Retrieved September 13, 2018</ref> In the November 2018 ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' Direct, [[Ken Masters]] (from the [[wikipedia:Street Fighter|''Street Fighter'' series]]), [[Incineroar]] (from the [[bulbapedia:Pokémon (series)|''Pokémon'' series]]), and [[Piranha Plant]] (from the ''Super Mario'' franchise) were announced as playable, with Piranha Plant being DLC.<ref name=NovemberDirect> Nintendo (November 1, 2018) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fccgHnBQ0YM Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct – 11.1.2018] ''YouTube''. Retrieved November 1, 2018</ref> It was also confirmed at this point that an additional five fighters and stages, as well as some music, were to be released as DLC via five Challenger Packs in a "Fighters Pass".<ref name="NovemberDirect" /> At [[wikipedia:The Game Awards 2018|The Game Awards 2018]], [[Joker]], the protagonist of ''[[wikipedia:Persona 5|Persona 5]]'', was announced as the first of the fighters included in the Fighters Pass.<ref name=GameAwards2018> thegameawards. (December 6, 2018). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHt3FyE-VIQ The Game Awards 2018 4K Official Stream - December 6 LIVE] ''YouTube''. Retrieved December 6, 2018.</ref> In the [[wikipedia:E3 2019|E3 2019]] Nintendo Direct, the [[Hero|Heroes]] of multiple [[dragonquest:Dragon Quest (series)|''Dragon Quest'']] games, as well as [[Banjo]] & [[Kazooie]] from the [[wikipedia:Banjo-Kazooie|''Banjo-Kazooie'' series]], were confirmed as the second and third Fighters Pass fighters respectively.<ref name=E32019> Nintendo. (June 11, 2019). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr9eAtwcYlo Nintendo Direct for E3 2019] ''YouTube''. Retrieved June 11, 2019 (PST).</ref> The September 2019 Nintendo Direct, in addition to revealing that further DLC fighters are to be released separate from the Fighters Pass, confirmed [[Terry Bogard]] from the {{wp|Fatal Fury|''Fatal Fury'' series}} as the fourth Fighters Pass fighter.<ref name=Sep19>[https://youtu.be/8TVE44feo_I?t=514 Nintendo Direct, September 4, 2019]</ref> In a video that was aired during January 2020, [[Byleth]], the main protagonist of ''[[fireemblem:Fire Emblem: Three Houses|Fire Emblem: Three Houses]]'', was confirmed as the fighter of Challenger Pack 5; an additional six challenger packs in a separate Fighters Pass were also clarified to be the previously confirmed additional DLC.<ref name=Jan2020> Nintendo. (January 16, 2020 (PST)). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aqVlLlKkcg Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Byleth"] ''YouTube''. Retrieved January 16, 2020 (PST).</ref> In the March 2020 Nintendo Direct Mini, a character from ''[[armswiki:ARMS (game)|ARMS]]'' was confirmed to be Challenger Pack 6's fighter, although the character's identity was not shown<ref name=Mar2020> Nintendo. (March 26, 2020 (PST)). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubRf4zyEvG4 Nintendo Direct Mini 3.26.20] ''YouTube''. Retrieved March 26, 2020 (PST).</ref> until June of that year, when the fighter was revealed to be [[Min Min]].<ref name=June2020> Nintendo. (June 22, 2020 (PST)). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_NNyXaBW-I Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Min Min"] ''YouTube''. Retrieved June 22, 2020 (PST).</ref> In a video that aired during October 2020, [[Steve (Minecraft)|Steve]] from ''[[Minecraft]]'' was confirmed as Challenger Pack 7's fighter.<ref name=SteveTrailer> Nintendo. (October 1, 2020 (PST)). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Jve_qWnpc Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - A New Seed! - Nintendo Switch] ''YouTube''. Retrieved October 1, 2020 (PST).</ref> During [[wikipedia:The Game Awards 2020|The Game Awards 2020]], [[Sephiroth]], the main antagonist of ''[[wikipedia:Final Fantasy VII|Final Fantasy VII]]'', was confirmed as the fighter included in Challenger Pack 8.<ref name=GameAwards2020> thegameawards. (December 10, 2020). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWz6v-UAs8Q The Game Awards 2020 Official Stream (4K) - Video Game's Biggest Night Live!] ''YouTube''. Retrieved December 11, 2020 (PST).</ref> In the February 2021 Nintendo Direct, [[Pyra]] and [[Mythra]] from ''[[xenoseries:Xenoblade Chronicles 2|Xenoblade Chronicles 2]]'' were confirmed as Challenger Pack 9's fighter.<ref name=Feb2021> Nintendo. (February 17, 2021 (PST)). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVHbzcr1-D8 Nintendo Direct - 2.17.2021] ''YouTube''. Retrieved February 17, 2021 (PST).</ref> The [[wikipedia:E3 2021|E3 2021]] Nintendo Direct confirmed [[Kazuya Mishima]] from the [[wikipedia:Tekken|''Tekken'' series]] as the fighter of Challenger Pack 10.<ref name=E32021> Nintendo. (June 16, 2021). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH7QtiX1I7Y Nintendo Direct | E3 2021] ''YouTube''. Retrieved June 16, 2021 (PST).</ref> In a video that aired during October 2021, [[Sora]], the protagonist of the [[khwiki:Kingdom Hearts (series)|''Kingdom Hearts'' series]], was announced as the game's final DLC fighter.<ref name=October2021> Nintendo. (October 5, 2021). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-q6Gz_4Yqc Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate – Battling with Sora – Nintendo Switch] ''YouTube''. Retrieved October 5, 2021 (PST).</ref>

|''Dragon Quest'' is a series of RPGs by [[Square Enix]]. It has had some history with the ''Super Mario'' franchise, particularly through the games ''[[Itadaki Street DS]]'', ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'', and ''[[Fortune Street]]''. It is represented by a playable character in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' as DLC in the form of the [[Hero]]es from multiple ''Dragon Quest'' games, occupying a single slot and available through alternate costumes.<ref name="E32019" />  

|A massively successful role-playing game series by Square Enix. The series has something of a history with Nintendo's own franchises (the ''Super Mario'' franchise in particular). [[Cloud Strife]] appears as a playable character in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series starting with his appearance as a DLC character in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' and ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'', making him the first named ''Final Fantasy'' character to appear in a Nintendo crossover. Chocobo headgear is also available for the [[Mii]] Fighters in the aforementioned games, also as DLC. [[Sephiroth]] also appears as the fighter for Challenger Pack 8 in the Fighters Pass Vol. 2 in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''.

===[[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'']]===

|The first-billed (aside from the ''Super Smash Bros.'' franchise itself) and most heavily represented franchise in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. Characters from the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]] have appeared in all released games. While the series is quite abundant in content from numerous series of the ''Super Mario'' franchise, it has, primarily, a strong focus on the platforming ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' games, the kart racing ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' games, and, to a lesser extent, the ''[[Luigi's Mansion (series)|Luigi's Mansion]]'' games. The ''Super Mario'' characters playable in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series are [[Mario]], [[Luigi]] (both since ''Super Smash Bros.''), [[Princess Peach]], [[Bowser]], [[Dr. Mario]] (starting with ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', although Dr. Mario is not playable in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''), [[Rosalina]] & [[Luma]], [[Bowser Jr.]] with seven model swaps that each replace him with one of the [[Koopalings]] (since ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS''), [[Princess Daisy]], and [[Piranha Plant]] (both in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', the latter as DLC)<ref name="E32018Direct" /><ref name="NovemberDirect" />. Although the ''Super Mario'' franchise also includes such characters as [[Yoshi]], [[Donkey Kong]], and [[Wario]], they are excluded from the list, due to having their own series and logos.

|A minor series, also a spin-off of the ''Super Mario'' franchise. Heavily focused on the [[microgame]]-centric ''[[WarioWare (series)|WarioWare]]'' series, but also features elements from the ''[[Wario Land (series)|Wario Land]]'' games. This series has only its titular character, [[Wario]], representing it since ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.

|A minor series, yet a spin-off of the ''Super Mario'' franchise which primarily takes place in his past; the ''Yoshi'' series has only one playable character. Being the only real star of the series, [[Yoshi]] has appeared as a playable character in all ''Super Smash Bros.'' games.

|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

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|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]] (DLC)||''Super Mario'' franchise

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|[[Metal Mario#Super Smash Bros. Melee|Metal Luigi]]{{footnote|main|7}}||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Metal Mario]]{{footnote|main|7}}||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Nabbit]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|10}}||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Petey Piranha]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Banana|Banana Peel]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Bob-omb]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Boomerang Flower]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Bullet Bill]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Fire Bar]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Fire Flower]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Freezie]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Golden Hammer]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Grass]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Green Shell]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Hammer]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Hothead]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Lightning]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Cap Block#Super Smash Bros. series|Metal Box]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Poison Mushroom]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[POW Block]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Red Shell]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|14}}||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|15}}||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Soccer Ball]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Spiny Shell (blue)|Spiny Shell]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Super Leaf]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Super Mushroom]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Super Launch Star]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Super Star]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise

|[[Treasure Chest]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]||[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]||''Super Mario'' franchise