There are relatively few games out there that have had as much of an impact as Super Smash Bros., especially given the relatively small number of games in its sub-genre. The only mascot-based fighting game to really take off, it's nonetheless one of the most beloved franchises in gaming. Leveraging Nintendo's fantastic characters and a surprisingly deep combat system, the series has managed to make a mark on all of Nintendo's consoles since the Nintendo 64. With the Ultimate version now available on the Switch, it's definitely a good time to look at what this series has to offer.

Concept

Super Smash Bros. pioneered the concept of the mascot fighter, a sub-genre of fighting games that pit players against one another in frantic, colorful battles. The initial concept of the game was a child playing with his various Nintendo action figures - Mario, Bowser, Link, and the rest. In the intervening years, that aspect of the story has been lost and the game's really just cycled through a few excuse plots to bring in as many Nintendo characters as possible. Now with a handful of third-party characters joining the group (including favorites like Solid Snake and Sonic), the game is really more about pitting favorite characters against one another.

Graphics and Audio

Given all of the different characters in the game, you'd expect Smash Bros. to either be a bit of a visual mess or to be sadly generic. Somehow, though, the game manages to be incredibly vibrant and playful while still maintaining a number of separate art styles at once. All of the characters in the game are rendered in 3D and updated to work in high definition, but the styles from their games still manage to stand out.

The audio here is fantastic. The game makes use of dozens of different tunes from across the Nintendo universe, as well as select songs from guest fighter games. The ambient sound are just as good, though, with every fighter using sound effects straight from his or her own games.

Gameplay

Smash Bros. is charming, but that only goes so far in a fighter. Fortunately, the controls are also excellent. Every fighter controls a bit differently with unique styles and different special moves, but it's relatively easy to transition from one to another. The controls are easy enough for anyone to pick up in a moment, but they definitely take time to master. There's an incredibly deep fighting game here, at least for those willing to put in the time.

Conclusion

Super Smash Bros. is an incredibly special game, one that's much more than the sum of its parts. A good fit for fans of fighting games and fans of gaming in general, it's as much a love letter to Nintendo as it is anything else. It is also definitely a series that's got a lot of staying power, so it's almost certain that there's still a lot of places left for this series to go.

Super Smash Bros. is an innovative mascot fighter with a deep roster of characters.