Super Smash Bros.
Crossover fighting series where iconic characters battle off stages.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Super Smash Bros. is a series of platform fighting video games published by Nintendo, created by Masahiro Sakurai. The series is a crossover featuring characters from various video game franchises, with gameplay focused on knocking opponents off stages rather than depleting life bars. It has received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling over 77 million units combined as of 2025.
- Field
- Video game series
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Creator
- Masahiro Sakurai
- First release
- Super Smash Bros. (1999) for Nintendo 64
- Most recent release
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) for Nintendo Switch
- Known for
- Crossover platform fighting, competitive esports scene
Lore & Background
Masahiro Sakurai conceived the idea for Super Smash Bros. while working at HAL Laboratory in 1998. The first game, Super Smash Bros. (1999), was released for the Nintendo 64 and featured characters from Nintendo franchises such as Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and Pokémon. Its success led to a sequel for the GameCube, Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001), developed in 13 months. After Sakurai left HAL Laboratory, Iwata, who had become Nintendo's president, convinced him to continue directing the series. Sakurai directed Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) for the Wii and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014). The most recent game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018), was developed with Bandai Namco Studios aiding Sora Ltd.
Reader's Guide
The Super Smash Bros. series has had a significant impact on the video game industry, inspiring numerous other platform fighting games and bringing popularity to several franchises whose characters it features. Its gameplay, distinct from traditional fighting games, emphasizes improvisation and interplay through a damage accumulation system rather than life bars. The series has attracted a dedicated community of competitive players who compete in esports tournaments. Multiple games in the series are considered among the best of all time. The series' development history includes notable challenges, such as the 13-month development of Melee, which Sakurai described as 'destructive' to his lifestyle. The inclusion of crossover characters was initially controversial within Nintendo, but a demo featuring Mario, Fox McCloud, Samus Aran, and Donkey Kong convinced Shigeru Miyamoto to approve the concept. The series has sold over 77 million units combined as of 2025.
Did You Know?
- The first game's prototype was internally codenamed Dragon King: The Fighting Game and lacked crossover elements.
- Satoru Iwata assisted with debugging and optimization of the original prototype, while Sakurai and others at HAL Laboratory primarily programmed it.
- Super Smash Bros. Melee was developed in only 13 months.
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