Smash Bros Timeline

Abstract

Super Smash Bros. is a fighting game series based on the crossover of many video game characters. Players get a chance to finally pit their favorite characters from tons of different video games against each other in an all-out brawl. The characters featured are primarily Nintendo characters but, over the years, characters from other gaming companies have been featured as well. This, to me, is a clear sign that Nintendo cares a lot about their fans as the company is willing to give publicity to competitors in order to make their own game more a more complete and fun experience for the fanbase.

The gameplay of Smash games has always been unique from other fighting games in that the players seek to launch their opponent off stage or out of bounds instead of depleting a health bar. As the fighters get hit with attacks, their damage total percentage rises. The higher your percentage is, the further any given attack will launch you. Each character has a completely unique moveset that can be utilized in a lot of different ways. There are also many wacky items included in the arcade-style battles. These factors make every individual battle feel fresh and unique, as just about anything could happen.

The series has always been a favorite among fans and critics for many reasons. The gameplay is very unique but extremely polished. The game is also very easy to pick up and learn so can be played casually. However, the depth of gameplay is vast making for a very high skill cap. This means that the game can be played in an extremely competitive fashion which has spawned a very large competitive community that is featured to this day in many big gaming tournaments. The multiplayer features allow for Super Smash Bros. games to be enjoyed by all and that is why it has become a Nintendo mainstay and will stay as such for the foreseeable future.

Abstract

1998

1999

In the year 1998, the original Super Smash Bros. was developed by HAL Laboratories. Masahiro Sakurai and Satoru Iwata were the main minds behind this game, and it originally began as a project for fun in their free time. It was released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64. The game featured 12 characters in total, and up to four players could play at a time. This made it the ultimate multiplayer party-game experience for the Nintendo 64 console.

2001

Super Smash Bros. Melee was released as a followup to the original for the Nintendo GameCube. It had a larger cast of characters, and was so beloved that it ended up being the best selling game out of the entire GameCube library. This game is well known due to its many unintentionally deep gameplay mechanics which allowed it to have the highest skill-cap out of any Smash game. This made it a cult classic among fans. It is such a competetive game that the tournament and competetive scene for Melee is still extremely active to this day.

2008

Super Smash Bros. Brawl came out on the Nintendo Wii 7 years after Melee. This was the first game in the series to feature third party characters, namely Mario's ultimate gaming rival, Sonic the Hedgehog. Many other characters were added as well on top of a fully fleshed-out singleplayer campaign mode known as Subspace Emissary. This mode was beloved due to its fun CG cutscenes tying all the characters together to one storyline. However, the game is generally known as the worst Smash experience to die-hard fans due to the fact that it drastically slowed down the high-octane gameplay that made Melee such a competitive experience. It also had many characters that were completely overpowered in a borderline broken way.

2014

The new Smash game this year was simply titled, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. It marked the first time the series was ever seen on a portable console and added a vast cast of new characters. This game also marked the first time that the series had downloadable content in the form of characters and stages. The game was generally recieved very well for the beautiful updated HD graphics and the polished, well-balanced gameplay. It seemed like Nintendo was attempting to find a middleground between the extremely competitive Melee and the slow pace of Brawl. They did this very well and, as a result, the game had a bustling competitive community.

2018

2018

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. This game was a big deal because the main creative genius behind the game, Masahiro Sakurai, stated that he wasn't sure if the Smash series would be continuing after its last installment for the Wii U/3DS. The series, developmentally, takes a huge toll on Sakurai due to its evergrowing nature and the pressure of its major success. It used the tagline "Everyone is here" due to the fact that they had included every single character and stage present in any previous Smash game along with tons of new faces joining the roster. In terms of content, this game is absolutely massive. Critically, the game was a major success. It seems as though the creators had finally found the perfect balance between casual and competitive gameplay. Also, the characters introduced in this title are longtime fan favorites and have been requested to be in the game for a while. The DLC characters have also been a big hit in this title. It seems as though the creators are listening to the fans now more than ever with the introduction of wacky characters such as Minecraft's iconic Steve.

Future of the Franchise

As of right now, the future of the Super Smash Bros. franchise is very uncertain. The creator has been saying for years how burnt out he is and, without Masahiro Sakurai, who knows what will happen to the series. In November 2021, he stated that the future of Super Smash Bros. is uncertain. Apparently, there are no plans for a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sequel at this point in time.

Future of the Franchise