@AlexW00d: Lumping SSB with SF and MK is not foolish. It's entirely valid, as you have stated, it's a fighting game. By saying that it goes into a sub genre, does not take it out of the company of any games in other sub genres. They still belong to the same genre.
Both Metal Gear Solid and Arkham Asylum are similar games; they both fit under Stealth Action. Genres aren't mutually exclusive either. Just because Metal Gear Solid has stealth mechanics doesn't take it out of the shooting genre. Take Giant Bomb's database. Just because you have one concept doesn't preclude it from containing other concepts.
And now we come to my point, perhaps I was too implicit before. Classifications aren't meant to be exclusionary. They are meant to be inclusive. When you want to talk about similar things, you classify them together. If you want to talk about horned animals, you don't exclude a triceratops from the company of a rhinoceros and a bull, just because the triceratops isn't a mammal.
So, when talking about fighting games there's no problem talking about SSB in the same breath as SF and MK.
Huh, didn't realize: Metal Gear Solid. Take a look under genre. Action and Shooter. Quod erat demonstrandum.
The reason sub genres exist is so arguments like this don't ever happen.
And not using sub-genres is like calling all Humans Hominidae. Are humans and gorillas the same thing? Nope. Do they both belong to the family hominidae? Yep. Do you see where this is going?
Is that seriously your argument? First of all, sub genres exist so as to differentiate between similar items. In many cases the distinctions are arbitrary. The reason sub genres exist is because of arguments.
Here's the point, all humans areHominidae. All gorillas are Hominidae as well. Yes, humans and gorillas are the same thing.
Now, if you want to say that they are different in so and so features, then you can do that. You can differentiate into subfamily and then genus. But it still remains that they share common characteristics and are Hominidae.
Following that line of logic, SSB fits right into the fighting game genre. No, it doesn't have life bars, but neither Bushido Blade nor Karate Champ have those either. No, it's not the same kind of fighter as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, but it is still a fighting game nonetheless.
@Turambar: Two characters facing each other in a small space. What jumping you can do does not let you jump around the level and go everywhere, you are relatively confined to where you can go. No SSB is not the same in that regard, the amount of movement and space are very different. Also the camera is way farther back and not just focused on the two dudes like in these fighting games. The 3d fighters are still on the same level as the 2D ones and don't really let you move that much. You hit the other person with combos not just one button attacks. Yes you can just punch, but the more advanced players do combos. The stuff you can do in SSB does not reach that level of combo and move set. I would say that SSB has more in common with Beat 'Em Ups like Streets of Rage then games like SF. You can move all around the levels, use items (while swords and stuff are in fighting games they are part of the character and their moves), and beat people up.
Huh, except you're forgetting about a whole franchise of fighters ... The Bushido Blade games also let you run and climb about a whole multi-level arena.
Here's another thing, I don't understand how you classify the SSB games as brawlers. It's not like you're fighting wave after wave of identically named foes while eating food to regain health. Pit Fighter, that could be a brawler. I guess you could even say Karateka is a brawler.
Now, Super Smash Bros Brawl, if you're talking about the Subspace Emissary, then yeah it's a brawler. You know, it's like how Tekken Force Mode is a brawler. But in their main modes, SSB and Tekken are fighting games.
Calling Smash Bros. a fighting game is like calling Streets of Rage a fighting game.I'm not saying that's bad, I love Smash Bros., but it isn't a fighting game.It's to fighting games what Mario Kart and other kart racers are to racing games.
Take away the weapons in MK, then what delineates it from other racing games?
It's simple, anyone can play it. There is virtually zero learning curve to begin playing and enjoying Mario Kart, although there is some depth hidden just underneath that with things like drifting. Same thing from Smash Bros.Take away the special moves from Smash Bros. and Street Fighter and then compare the two, convince me those are even close to being the same game.
Just because Smash Bros. isn't like Street Fighter it doesn't put them 2 in different genres.
Both of those games are really nothing like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat etc.
@Andorski: There is the biggest difference and the difference that matters. The real fighting games had all those things built in on purpose and for a reason. Nintendo didn't really intend for the game to be played with all those things the players found. The fact the depth is player not developer made is the most important difference.
Actually, a lot of fighting game mechanics were never designed into the game to give it depth. It was always the players exploiting the system, pushing the boundaries of what was possible. Later on, the developers saw what the players were doing and let it continue and/or developed new mechanics based on what they saw the players exploiting.
Street Fighter II didn't have any of its combos designed in. When you got to Super Street Fighter II, Capcom added in the combo counter. It doesn't actually matter if the games were designed with depth in mind at all. It was always up to the players to find the depth within a game.
Calling Smash Bros. a fighting game is like calling Streets of Rage a fighting game.I'm not saying that's bad, I love Smash Bros., but it isn't a fighting game.It's to fighting games what Mario Kart and other kart racers are to racing games.
Take away the weapons in MK, then what delineates it from other racing games?
It's simple, anyone can play it. There is virtually zero learning curve to begin playing and enjoying Mario Kart, although there is some depth hidden just underneath that with things like drifting. Same thing from Smash Bros.Take away the special moves from Smash Bros. and Street Fighter and then compare the two, convince me those are even close to being the same game.
Just because Smash Bros. isn't like Street Fighter it doesn't put them 2 in different genres.
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