I've seen this debate often, and now I want to know what the GB community thinks!
Is Smash Bros a proper fighting game?
In the same league as BB, SSFIVAE, KoF, GGXX, MvC3, etc...

Super Smash Bros.
The Super Smash Bros. series is Nintendo's premier fighting series, featuring many characters from Nintendo's most popular games as well as third-party characters.
Is Super Smash Bros. A Fighting Game?
If it is, we have to include Digimon Rumble Arena and TMNT Smash Up on the same level. Smash Brothers is not a fighting game. Not in the traditional sense of fighting games.
It is a fighting game because characters fight each other. I just don't think it is a very good fighting game.So any game where you can punch someone is a fighting game?
It's like how every game is a Role-playing game since you play a role. GENRE NAMES AREN'T LITERAL.
Who the fuck said no?If it's not a fighting game, what is it?A point and click adventure.
Not in the standard since, but i'd say yes. It works as a party game and as a competive one as well.
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.
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?
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as blocking, counter-attacking, and chaining together sequences of attacks known as " combos". Since the early 1990s, most fighting games allow the player to execute special attacks by performing specific button combinations. The genre is related to but distinct from beat 'em ups, which involve large numbers of antagonists.
It just sounds like a simplified fighting game. Not sure why people get upset when people think its a fighting 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.A "kart racer" is a racing game. It has the fucking word in the descriptor.
@LordXavierBritish said: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.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?
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.
I guess a Turn-Based Strategy game and an RTS are the same thing now too.@LordXavierBritish said:
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.A "kart racer" is a racing game. It has the fucking word in the descriptor.
I mean they are both strategy games. It's right there in the name.
@Andorski said:@LordXavierBritish said: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.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?
Just because Smash Bros. isn't like Street Fighter it doesn't put them 2 in different genres.
@LordXavierBritish said:Then what fighting game is Smash Bros. like.@Andorski said:Just because Smash Bros. isn't like Street Fighter it doesn't put them 2 in different genres.@LordXavierBritish said: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.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?
@SethPhotopoulos said:@LordXavierBritish said:Then what fighting game is Smash Bros. like.@Andorski said:Just because Smash Bros. isn't like Street Fighter it doesn't put them 2 in different genres.@LordXavierBritish said: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.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?
Power Stone.
@Andorski said:Desyncing, wave-dashing/dash-dancing/dash cancelling, spiking... there is plenty of strategy without their specials. Characters like Ken and Captain Falcon combo with virtually all regular hit attacks. The only difference I would infer between SSBM and your conventional fighter is that the developers of SF, VF, Tekken, etc. purposely designed the depth in their games, whereas the SSBM community were the ones that created this depth themselves. Not sure if that would constitute it as not being a fighter, but I would agree that is a difference.@LordXavierBritish said: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.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?
Power Stone@SethPhotopoulos said:
@LordXavierBritish said:Then what fighting game is Smash Bros. like.@Andorski said:Just because Smash Bros. isn't like Street Fighter it doesn't put them 2 in different genres.@LordXavierBritish said: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.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?
Both of those games are really nothing like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat etc.@LordXavierBritish said:
Power Stone@SethPhotopoulos said:
@LordXavierBritish said:Then what fighting game is Smash Bros. like.@Andorski said:Just because Smash Bros. isn't like Street Fighter it doesn't put them 2 in different genres.@LordXavierBritish said: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.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 kind of doubles as a party game, but I don't think that excludes it from being a fighting game as well. You select your character and are put into a relatively enclosed environment with the express purpose of defeating your opponent in close-combat. Other game modes that you can choose take it out of the genre, certainly, but at the very least I think stock mode counts.
@keris said:@LordXavierBritish said:Both of those games are really nothing like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat etc.Power Stone@SethPhotopoulos said:
@LordXavierBritish said:Then what fighting game is Smash Bros. like.@Andorski said:Just because Smash Bros. isn't like Street Fighter it doesn't put them 2 in different genres.@LordXavierBritish said: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.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?
Doesn't mean they aren't fighting games. If you want to say they are on the level of MK or SF they clearly aren't but if you are saying they aren't fighting games at all you are clearly wrong. Wehn MK came out it was nothing like SF2, that doesn't mean that MK wasn't a fighting game.
Look at how far Smash Bros. goes to distinguish itself from the fighting game template. it's extremely environment based, it's entirely reliant on special moves, chance is a huge factor, opponents are killed by throwing them off the stage (most of the time), combos are almost always dictated by character placement rather than a solid list moves that string together.
It's just so wild, so completely different from what people are trying to compare it to.
@SethPhotopoulos: @keris: Power Stone is Smash Bros.
Yes, it's a fighting game, just a different style of fighting game...Exactly. Just because it doesn't feature QCFs or a super meter doesn't mean it's not a fighting game.
@brodywb said:Main objective of the game is to fight each other. You win the game by defeating opponents in a mainly physical confrontation. It's a fighting game, albeit one with platforming and brawler elements and screen-off knockouts.It is a fighting game because characters fight each other. I just don't think it is a very good fighting game.So any game where you can punch someone is a fighting game?It's like how every game is a Role-playing game since you play a role. GENRE NAMES AREN'T LITERAL.
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