Super Smash Bros. is a series of platform fighting video games made by Nintendo. The games were created by Masahiro Sakurai and include characters from many different video game series, both from Nintendo and other companies. The gameplay is different from traditional fighting games because players try to knock opponents off stages after they take damage from attacks. The games also include extra features, such as single-player story modes.
Masahiro Sakurai came up with the idea for Super Smash Bros. while working at HAL Laboratory in 1998 with help from Satoru Iwata. The first game in the series, Super Smash Bros. (1999), was released for the Nintendo 64 and included characters from Nintendo games like Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and Pokémon. The game was successful, and Sakurai was asked to create a sequel for the GameCube called Super Smash Bros. Melee, which was made in 13 months and released in 2001.
After Sakurai left HAL Laboratory, Satoru Iwata, who later became Nintendo’s president, asked him to continue working on the series. Sakurai directed Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) for the Wii and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014) for those systems. The most recent game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, was released in 2018 for the Nintendo Switch. Sakurai returned as director, and Bandai Namco Studios helped Sora Ltd., his company, develop the game.
The Super Smash Bros. games have been widely praised and sold well. As of 2025, the series has sold over 77 million copies combined. Many of its games are considered some of the best in history. The series has also drawn a large group of competitive players who compete in tournaments. Super Smash Bros. has influenced other platform fighting games and helped increase the popularity of the game franchises it features.
History and development
After creating Kirby Super Star in 1996, Masahiro Sakurai, a game developer at HAL Laboratory, wanted to try making games with 3D graphics and animation after the Nintendo 64 console was released. Sakurai suggested two games for Nintendo to make on the system: a fighting game for four players and a robot game where players could explore levels by hacking security cameras. Nintendo liked both ideas, but HAL Laboratory was already working on other games, including Mother 3, and could not start making either game. Later, when HAL’s other projects were canceled, the company needed to create a finished game quickly. The fighting game prototype was chosen because Sakurai believed it would take less time to complete than the robot game.
The fighting game, called Dragon King: The Fighting Game, was made by three people. Sakurai planned the game, designed it, and created its graphics and animations. His coworker, Satoru Iwata, handled the programming, and a third developer worked on the game’s sounds. Iwata was busy with another project, so he worked on Dragon King’s programming only on weekends. Iwata agreed to help because he wanted to make a game that used the 3D joystick on the Nintendo 64 controller. Sakurai wanted to create a different kind of fighting game, one that did not rely too much on complex moves.
In 1996, Sakurai thought existing fighting games had become too complicated, with players depending too much on repeated moves instead of strategy. He wanted to make a game where players could react more freely and where damage built up over time, not just focusing on reducing an opponent’s health. He added “smash attacks,” which could be triggered by quickly moving the joystick.
Dragon King had similar gameplay to what would become Super Smash Bros., but it did not include characters from other Nintendo games. Sakurai was unsure about adding many main characters because he thought it might confuse players. He believed that using existing Nintendo characters would help players connect with the game world faster. He asked Nintendo to let him use characters from other games, but Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto refused. Sakurai and Iwata then made a demo with Mario, Fox McCloud, Samus Aran, and Donkey Kong, ensuring the game was balanced. After seeing the demo, Miyamoto agreed to let the game use Nintendo characters.
After the game was finished, some developers liked it, but Nintendo’s sales team worried about having its characters fight each other. The game was named “Super Smash Bros.” after Iwata suggested adding “brothers” to show the characters were friends settling a disagreement. Super Smash Bros. was released in Japan on January 21, 1999, and in North America on April 26, 1999. Sakurai created a website called “Smash Bros. Dojo!!” to teach players how to play the game.
In May 1999, Sakurai told Nintendo he was working on a sequel for the upcoming Nintendo GameCube. The design plan for the game was finished in July 1999. HAL Laboratory returned to develop the game, with help from other studios. By May 2001, more than 50 people were working on the game, and over 100 had been involved. The game was officially named Super Smash Bros. Melee at E3 2001, seven months before its release. Because the GameCube was more powerful than the Nintendo 64, Melee included more content, like 14 new characters and extra multiplayer options.
Melee’s development took 13 months. Sakurai described his work schedule as very intense, with no holidays and only short breaks on weekends. Technical limits on the GameCube prevented features like eight-player multiplayer. Collectible “trophies” were added, letting players collect 3D models of Nintendo characters. Sakurai designed Melee to appeal to experienced players, not casual gamers. The game’s physics system was improved, and full-motion video scenes were added. HAL worked with three studios in Tokyo to complete the animations by E3 2001. Super Smash Bros. Melee was released in Japan on November 21, 2001, and in North America on December 3, 2001. Melee became the best-selling GameCube game.
In May 2005, Satoru Iwata, who had become Nintendo’s president, announced a new Super Smash Bros. game for the Wii, which would include online play. Sakurai, who had left HAL Laboratory in 2003, was surprised by the announcement. Iwata said Nintendo would port Melee to the Wii with online features if Sakurai refused to make a new game. Sakurai agreed and finished the planning for the next game in July 2005.
HAL Laboratory was working on another project, so Sakurai gathered a team from Game Arts and his own company, Sora Ltd. The team had over 100 full-time workers, and more than 700 people helped in some way. A year after the announcement, a trailer for the game, named Super Smash Bros. Brawl, was shown at E3 2006.
Brawl focused on online multiplayer and a long single-player story mode to explore characters more deeply. Sakurai wanted the story mode to be made by a separate team, but most of the work was done by the main team.
Gameplay
Super Smash Bros. is a platform fighter game, which means its gameplay is different from traditional fighting games. Instead of trying to reduce an opponent’s health bar, players aim to knock opponents off the stage or out of bounds. Each character has a damage total shown as a percentage that increases when they take damage. As the percentage rises, characters experience more knockback from attacks, making it easier for them to be knocked away. If a player is launched outside the stage’s boundaries, they lose a life. However, they can attempt to return to the stage by using midair jumps or special abilities. Players can also try to stop opponents from returning by using a technique called "edge-guarding."
Controls in Smash Bros. are simpler than in other fighting games. One button is used for standard attacks, and another is used for special attacks. Each character has a unique set of moves. Players can perform different moves by attacking while moving the analog stick in a specific direction or when the character is in a certain state, like midair. A powerful move called a "smash attack" can be done by quickly moving the analog stick and pressing the attack button. Smash attacks can become stronger if the button is held down to charge them. Each character has three smash attacks (side, up, and down), four standard and special attacks (three based on directions and one without directional input), and five aerial attacks that follow the same system but use forward and back directions instead of side.
When characters are hit, they experience a short period of being unable to move, called "hitstun," which makes them vulnerable to more attacks. Players can block attacks using a shield or dodge in different directions to become temporarily invulnerable. Dodging can also be done midair, and some games allow directional air dodges that can help players perform a move called "wavedash" when landing. After dodging, characters are briefly exposed, while shields weaken over time and can break if they take too much damage, leaving the user vulnerable. If a shield is used at the right time, players can parry attacks. Characters using shields are still vulnerable to grabs, allowing opponents to grab and throw them in one of four directions, creating a system where attacking, shielding, and grabbing can counter each other. Starting with the game Brawl, characters can also use "Final Smashes," which are powerful attacks unlocked after breaking a floating "Smash Ball" or filling a charge meter over time.
Items are a common feature in Smash Bros. and can appear randomly on stages if enabled. These items have effects based on other games. For example, the Super Mushroom from the Super Mario series makes characters grow larger, while the Super Scope, inspired by a device from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, can be used to fire projectiles. Some items help characters recover damage, while others allow players to summon allies or affect the environment. For example, Poké Balls can summon Pokémon, and Brawl introduced "Assist Trophies" that bring in characters from other games.
Matches in Smash Bros. can involve multiple players. Initially, up to four players could play at once, but later versions allow up to eight players. Computer-controlled players can replace human players. Matches can be free-for-alls or team-based, and players can choose the rules for winning. The most common modes are "Time" and "Stock." In "Time" mode, matches have a set time limit, and players earn points by knocking out opponents and lose points if knocked out. In "Stock" mode, players have a limited number of lives, and the last remaining player wins. Another mode, "Stamina," involves players losing health over time and being eliminated when it reaches zero.
Players can choose from a variety of stages. Most stages are based on other video games, but some, like "Final Destination" and "Battlefield," are original to the Smash series. Stages have different layouts, including flat planes without edges and obstacles. Some stages include hazards, such as boss fights with characters like the Yellow Devil from Mega Man or Ridley from Metroid.
In addition to multiplayer battles, Smash Bros. includes single-player modes and minigames. For example, in "Home-Run Contest," players use the Home-Run Bat item to hit a sandbag and try to launch it as far as possible. In "Break the Targets," players use their character’s abilities to destroy targets in a course. Smash 4 includes "Target Blast," where players launch a bomb to destroy as many targets as possible. The first Smash game had "Board the Platforms," where players raced to land on floating platforms. Other modes, like "Multi-Man Smash," let players battle multiple opponents at once. Since Brawl, players can create custom stages for online play. Smash 4 included "Smash Tour" for the Wii U version and "Smash Run" for the 3DS version. Ultimate added "Squad Strike," where players can switch characters after each life.
The game "Melee" introduced "trophies," which are collectible 3D models of characters and elements from Smash and other games. Ultimate replaced trophies with "Spirits," which use 2D images instead of 3D models and require players to complete battles that reference the Spirit’s character. Collected Spirits can be attached to characters to improve their abilities or give them special features, like an extra midair jump.
Many Smash games include "Classic Mode," where players fight a series of opponents, sometimes based on their character, and complete minigames before facing a boss like Master Hand. Other modes, like "All-Star Mode" and "Event Matches," offer different challenges. Some games, like "Melee" and "Brawl," include single-player campaigns. "Melee" had "Adventure Mode," while "Brawl" featured "Subspace Emissary," a story-based mode with platforming and boss fights. "Ultimate" introduced "World of Light," a mode with battles against Spirits, playable characters, and bosses, using elements from role-playing games.
Online multiplayer has been available since "Brawl." In "Smash 4," online play was split into two modes, "For Fun" and "For Glory," which had different rules for casual and competitive play.
Characters
Each game in the series includes a number of playable characters (called "fighters") from different video game series, with more than 80 fighters in total across all the games. Beginning with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, characters from games not made by Nintendo started appearing as playable fighters. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, players could change the moves and abilities of existing fighters, as well as create their own Mii fighters with three different fighting styles. There are also non-playable characters that appear as enemies, bosses, and items that can be summoned for help.
Music
Super Smash Bros. includes music from many of Nintendo's well-known video game series. Some songs are newly arranged for the game, while others are taken directly from their original sources. The music for the Nintendo 64 version was created by Hirokazu Ando, who later worked as the sound and music director for the game Melee. Melee also includes music composed by Tadashi Ikegami, Shougo Sakai, and Takuto Kitsuta. The game Brawl involved 38 composers, including Nobuo Uematsu, who is known for creating music in the Final Fantasy series and also wrote the main theme for Brawl. Similar to Brawl, the versions of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U included many original and rearranged tracks from different games and composers. Both versions allow players to choose and listen to music using the "My Music" feature, which includes songs from earlier Super Smash Bros. games. The 3DS and Switch versions let players listen to music from the sound menu while the system is in sleep or handheld mode. The game Ultimate continued this pattern, with more than 800 composers and arrangers working on remixed tracks.
Three soundtrack albums for the series have been released. A collection of the original music for Super Smash Bros. was released in Japan by Teichiku Records in 2000. In 2003, Nintendo released Smashing…Live!, which is a live orchestra performance of music from Melee by the New Japan Philharmonic. A two-disc promotional soundtrack called A Smashing Soundtrack was given to Club Nintendo members who registered both the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game between November 21, 2014, and January 13, 2015.
Merchandising
Making merchandise for Super Smash Bros. is generally not allowed, except for free giveaways and limited edition items. Almost the only exceptions are Amiibo figures, a type of toy that connects with games created by Nintendo. Amiibo first came out with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Nintendo made Amiibo figures for all characters in Smash 4 and Ultimate. The Smash line ended in February 2024 with the release of the Sora figure. Amiibo figures from the Smash line and figures of Smash characters from other lines can connect with Smash 4 and Ultimate using a special technology. Players can train a computer player based on their Amiibo figure in-game, and the Amiibo player gains experience points and levels up as it fights in battles.
To match the releases of Smash 4 and Ultimate, Nintendo made new versions of the GameCube controller and adapters that let the controller work with the Wii U and Switch. Before Ultimate was released, Nintendo made a limited edition Nintendo Switch system with Smash Ultimate-themed designs, including artwork of the game's characters on the dock and the series logo on the Joy-Con controllers. Nintendo also sold Ultimate with a Smash-themed Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and a copy of the game packaged in a steelbook.
Competitive play
After the first Super Smash Bros. game was released, some tournaments were held. However, a large competitive community for Super Smash Bros. Melee began forming in 2002. This community grew through efforts by fans, not with help from Nintendo. Websites like Smashboards, created before Melee was released, helped connect players. By 2004, Major League Gaming (MLG) started hosting Melee tournaments, leading to a time known as the "Golden Age of Melee." Players like Ken Hoang became famous during this period.
MLG stopped hosting Melee tournaments in 2007 because Super Smash Bros. Brawl was released. Many players shifted focus to Brawl. However, changes in Brawl made it less popular for competitive play, and attention returned to Melee. In 2013, Melee fans pushed for its inclusion at EVO, a major fighting game tournament. Nintendo tried to stop the event but allowed it after fans protested. Joseph "Mang0" Marquez won the tournament, having previously competed at EVO 2007, where he placed third.
Melee’s return to EVO 2013 increased its popularity. Later that year, a documentary called The Smash Brothers highlighted Melee’s history, helping it surpass Brawl in competitive interest. At this time, five top players—called "The Five Gods"—dominated Melee: Marquez, Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman, Juan "Hungrybox" DeBiedma, Adam "Armada" Lindgren, and Kevin "PPMD" Nanney.
Melee was included again at EVO 2014, but Brawl was excluded from the final tournament. In 2014, Nintendo held a tournament for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U at E3, featuring top players from Melee and Brawl. Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios won this event and later dominated competitive Smash 4, winning 55 tournaments in a row until 2015. The release of Smash 4 grew the competitive Smash community, and tournaments like Genesis 3 and EVO 2016 had more participants than any Smash events before.
In 2016, William "Leffen" Hjelte challenged the dominance of "The Five Gods." In 2018, Justin "Plup" McGrath won a Melee tournament at Genesis 5, marking the end of the Five Gods’ era. Earlier that year, Barrios left competitive Smash 4 to focus on streaming. By 2018, Leonardo "MKLeo" López Pérez was the top-ranked player in Smash 4 before the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Ultimate attracted many players, including some who preferred Melee over Brawl or Smash 4. Pérez was considered the best Ultimate player after its release, defeating Gavin "Tweek" Dempsey to win EVO 2019, the largest Smash tournament ever.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Smash competitions, leading to canceled tournaments. Ultimate was not included in EVO 2020, and Nintendo later decided not to return Smash to EVO after Sony bought the event in 2021. During the #MeToo movement in 2020, players like Nairoby "Nairo" Quezada and Barrios faced sexual misconduct allegations. Nintendo called these actions "absolutely impermissible," increasing tensions with the Smash community. Later in 2020, Nintendo forced The Big House to cancel a Melee tournament for using Slippi, an unofficial mod. Fans protested with the #FreeMelee movement. Nintendo had not supported the Smash community as much as it did for other games like Splatoon and Arms. As a result, Smash tournaments had smaller prize pools compared to other esports.
In late 2021, Nintendo partnered with Panda Global to create the Panda Cup, a tournament for Ultimate and Melee in 2022. This was seen as a sign of Nintendo’s interest in supporting the Smash community. In December 2022, the Smash World Tour (SWT) canceled its 2022 finale and 2023 circuit, claiming Nintendo requested it. Nintendo denied this and rejected claims that Panda Global aimed to harm SWT. After this, Panda Global removed its CEO, postponed the Panda Cup finale, and all affiliated professional players left the organization.
Reception
Reviews for the Super Smash Bros. series are usually positive. The multiplayer mode in every game is often highly praised, but single-player modes have not always received the same level of approval.
Super Smash Bros. was praised for its multiplayer mode. Nintendo Power listed the series as one of the greatest multiplayer experiences in Nintendo history, saying the game can be played many times because of its special moves and close combat. However, some critics said the scoring system was hard to follow. The single-player mode was also criticized for being too difficult and having few features.
Super Smash Bros. Melee generally received positive reviews. Most reviewers said Melee improved on gameplay features from the original Super Smash Bros. GameSpy noted that Melee added many new features. Reviewers compared the game to the original Super Smash Bros. IGN’s Fran Mirabella III said it was “in a completely different class than the N64 version.” GameSpot’s Miguel Lopez praised the game’s advanced “classic-mode” compared to its predecessor, but said the Adventure Mode had mixed results. Despite some criticism of the single-player mode, most reviewers said the multiplayer mode was a strong part of the game. GameSpy said, “you’ll have a hard time finding a more enjoyable multiplayer experience on any other console.”
Super Smash Bros. Brawl received a perfect score from the Japanese magazine Famitsu. The reviewers praised the variety and depth of the single-player content, the unpredictable Final Smashes, and the dynamic fighting styles of the characters. Thunderbolt Games gave the game 10 out of 10, calling it “a greatly improved entry in the series.” Chris Slate of Nintendo Power also gave Brawl a perfect score, calling it “one of the best games Nintendo has ever made.” IGN critic Matt Casamassina said Brawl was a “solid fighter” but noted some issues, such as long loading times and repetition in The Subspace Emissary.
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U both received strong reviews and were commercially successful. They had ratings of 85/100 and 92/100 on Metacritic and 86.10% and 92.39% on GameRankings. Reviewers highlighted the large and diverse character roster, improvements to game mechanics, and variety of multiplayer options. Some critics said the 3DS version had no single-player modes and issues with the 3DS hardware, such as small character sizes on the screen and latency problems during multiplayer. There were also reports of players damaging their 3DS Circle Pads from heavy use. The Wii U version’s online play had some inconsistency but was overall well-received. Daniel Dischoff of GameRevolution said, “Super Smash Bros. keeps improving with new features, items, and characters. While some players may not like certain changes, this is the biggest improvement in the series.” Daniel Starky of GameSpot criticized the inconsistent online performance but called the game “incredible,” saying, “With the Wii U release, Smash Bros. has fully achieved its goals.” Jose Otero of IGN praised the game’s replayability, saying, “Nearly every part of Smash Wii U is well-designed to appeal to both longtime fans and new players.”
Super Smash Bros. sold 1.4 million copies in Japan and 2.3 million in the U.S., totaling 5.55 million worldwide. Melee sold over 7 million copies globally, making it the best-selling GameCube game. Brawl sold 1.524 million copies in Japan by March 30, 2008, and 1.4 million copies in its first week in the U.S., becoming Nintendo of America’s fastest-selling game. The 3DS version sold over a million copies in its first weekend in Japan and more than 9.63 million copies worldwide by September 2021. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U became the fastest-selling Wii U game, selling 3.39 million copies worldwide in two months, surpassing the record held by Mario Kart 8. As of September 2021, it had sold 5.38 million copies worldwide. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Nintendo Switch set new records for the series and the system. It sold an estimated 5.6 million copies globally in its first week, beating records held by games like Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In Japan, Ultimate sold 2.6 million copies in five weeks, surpassing the previous record held by Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. It is the third best-selling game for the Nintendo Switch and the best-selling fighting game of all time, with 36.24 million copies sold worldwide as of March 31, 2025.
Legacy
Super Smash Bros. helped make the platform fighter game type more popular. It introduced important rules, such as focusing on moving on the ground and knocking characters into blast zones by increasing their damage percentages. This idea was later used in other games. Starting in the mid-2010s, many independent game makers created their own platform fighters inspired by Super Smash Bros. For example, Rivals of Aether (2017) was influenced by the fast and skill-based style of Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001), according to its lead designer, Dan Fornace. Other games like Brawlhalla and Brawlout (both 2017) were compared to Super Smash Bros. by gaming news sources. Brawlout used more aggressive moves similar to traditional fighting games, while Brawlhalla added stronger weapon-based systems, making its characters more varied in abilities.
Because Super Smash Bros. brings together characters from many different games, it inspired other crossover fighting games with similar styles. In 2012, Sony released PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale for PlayStation 3 and Vita. This game had four-player battles with characters from PlayStation and other companies, using 2D arenas and stage hazards. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, made by Ludiosity and Fair Play Labs, includes characters from Nickelodeon shows and uses gameplay similar to Super Smash Bros., but adds different light and heavy attacks like traditional fighting games. MultiVersus, released in early access in 2022 and fully in 2024, uses mechanics and presentation from Super Smash Bros. and includes characters from Warner Bros. movies and TV shows. It also adds unique features like passive abilities and dedicated PvE modes. Indie games like Brawlhalla and Rivals of Aether have also worked with other companies to include their characters as guest fighters, similar to how Super Smash Bros. includes characters from outside Nintendo. While other games inspired by Super Smash Bros. have received some praise, they are often seen as less good compared to the original series in terms of gameplay, character choices, and features.