Poll of the Day > Is Smash Bros. a fighting game?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Is Smash Bros. a fighting game?
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It has up to four characters doing not much else than fighting...

People fight in it, so...
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it's a beat 'em up
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pedro45 posted...

it's a beat 'em up

To me a beat 'em up is like the old Ninja Turtle games, not smash bros.
Smash Bros is a party fighting game
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Why wouldn't it be?

If it isn't, then what kind of game is it?
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gguirao posted...

Why wouldn't it be?

Because nerds

I think partyfighting is the best term to describe it.
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it is. just not a standard one. its just unique and few games have tried copying it. I mean when 3D fighting games first showed up, they where different than what was the standard.

side note though, I've often wondered if sumo wrestling had any influence on the main objective of the game since both knocking your opponent out of the ring is the goal rather than "KO"ing them
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mooreandrew58 posted...

side note though, I've often wondered if sumo wrestling had any influence on the main objective of the game since both knocking your opponent out of the ring is the goal rather than "KO"ing them

Probably, that's very popular in Japan. And less "violent" than KOing an opponent (especially if the opponent is your brother, a princess or a furry animal).

Thinking about it, didnt a lot of early 3D fighting games have ring out as an alternative to ko?
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Nah, it's a party game with some fighting elements.
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

some

Lol

If by some you mean 98%

it's in EVO so yes it's more of a fighting than killer instinct 3
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Foppe posted...

Thinking about it, didnt a lot of early 3D fighting games have ring out as an alternative to ko?

yeah and I hated it. doesn't bother me with smash as its the main means of winning but even when the option to have ko put in I still preferred that. think it gave everyone 300 and it went down per hit instead of up.

but like in soul calibur when playing against friends I always chose caged arenas when given the choice.

ah the good days of playing against my best friend in SC 2. 200% health, 5 rounds (or whatever the max amount was I forget) both of us playing link with great fairy swords (rapid regenerating health) and a caged arena. some of our fights lasted nearly 45 minutes
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It's actually my favorite fighting game.

It's a platform fighting game. The best of it's kind. An evolution of Power Stone, and now Smash has a few copy-cats that actually look really neat.
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it's a racing/ rpg
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SMash bros is action
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Clearly it's an MMORPG
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It's like a power farming shop simulator
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No, it's a party game with fighter elements.
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Entity13 posted...

No, it's a party game with fighter elements.

Not sure if serious.
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what even is a "party game"?
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Entity13 posted...

No, it's a party game with fighter elements.

i'd personally say the other way around, as does a party game have any really defining traits that would make it stand on its own? i've never played mario party but I doubt it has much in common with smash and its considered a party game.

either way it fits enough of the fighter traits I feel its fine to say it is one. you select a character from a decent size to large sized roster (depending on which one) choose a stage. and then proceed to beat the crap out your opponents. the party elements would be the stuff like stage hazards, items and such i guess. maybe even the non traditional way of beating the opponent via ring out over ko. where as when ring out is present in other fighters its still not the way you are intended to win unless you feel like pissing people off.

hell game even goes as far as having a announcer to announce character picks and the start/winner of fights like many fighting games do.
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Sure, technically. But it isn't really considered a pure one by FG enthusiasts.

Technically even MOBAs are fighting games
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Lokarin posted...

Technically even MOBAs are fighting games

you just reminded me of how I struggle with genres when it comes to video games. I hate it when people are too strict with the labels, but hate it even worse when people are too loose, seen plenty argue every game (aside from things like tetris where you don't have a playable character) is technically a rpg. whats the point of even having the genre name "rpg" at that point?
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Entity13 posted...

No, it's a party game with fighter elements.

you can do 1v1 with no items.
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how is it not

It seems like more of a sumo game than anything else.

Its not a fighting game. Its just a party game for casuals.
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TheSlinja posted...

what even is a "party game"?

A buzzword for elitist nerds that don't wanna call smash a fighting game

It's a Nintendo game, it's too casual to be really classified, like Zelda or Fire Emblem.

ColdOne666 posted...

Its not a fighting game. Its just a party game for casuals.

Melee still has one of the biggest competitive scenes

Its no more a fighting game than playing keep it up with a balloon is.

Fighting game for kids. SF for teens and Tekken for mature adults.
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lolamericans posted...

Fighting game for kids. SF for teens and Tekken for mature adults.

lolno, tekken and sf are fighting games that get old in single-player, and even in 4 or 5 multiplayer fights.
Smash never gets old.
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Clearly it's not a fighting game if you can't do 20 hit combos.
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It was .. before 8 player Sm4sh
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JixHedgehog posted...

It was .. before 8 player Sm4sh

Smash Bros has always been an action game, even in 1vs1 matches with no items.
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A fighting game is a video game genre in which the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent, which can be either an AI or controlled by another player. The fight matches typically consist of several rounds and take place in an arena, while each character has widely differing abilities but each is relatively viable to choose. Players must master techniques such as blocking, counter-attacking, and chaining attacks together into "combos".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_game
Smash Brothers is listed here
Which makes sense since it fits all criteria in the definition of fighting game

Party games are games that are played at social gatherings to facilitate interaction and provide entertainment and recreation. Categories include (explicit) icebreaker, parlour (indoor), picnic (outdoor), and large group games.
Party games aim to include players of various skill levels and player-elimination is rare. Party games are intended to be played socially, and are designed to be easy for new players to learn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_game
Smash Brothers is not listed here
Smash Brothers can be used as a party game with the right settings. It's easy to learn, but it does involve skill and player elimination. With the right settings (no stock limit to avoid elimination, random items to increase luck) it can be a party game. But not in the same league as games designed to be a party game.

People saying smash bros is not a fighting game are trying to be condescending and/or edgy, nothing more.

EvilMegas posted...

People fight in it, so...

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benbeverfaqs posted...

People saying smash bros is not a fighting game are trying to be condescending and/or edgy

Or have opinions that don't match up with the norms. That happens too, you know.
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Entity13 posted...

Or have opinions that don't match up with the norms. That happens too, you know.

Valid point. Need for uniqueness is a thing too.
However, in the case of categorizing video game into genres, setting a norm is very useful.
The system of platformer, beat-em-up and shoot-em-up is a bit arbitrary, but people know what someone is talking about.
Like an example given in this topic; one can argue that any game where you play as a character is an rpg. This might be true, but it defeats the purpose, and isn't useful in categorizing.
If someone at home puts his copy of smash bros on the shelf with party games, that's fine. It'd even makes sense if that is what he plays when friends are over.
But in a shop or list, people will look in the fighting games section. Otherwise people'll have a hard time finding it. I see no reason not to stick to the definition (also a norm) of fighting games.

benbeverfaqs posted...

Smash Brothers can be used as a party game with the right settings.

Yeah, the default settings. To make it an actual fighting game you have to change things to make it be 1v1 and not a party game.

benbeverfaqs posted...

It's easy to learn, but it does involve skill and player elimination.

So then does this
benbeverfaqs posted...

Party games aim to include players of various skill levels and player-elimination is rare.

not count? Cause while smash can involve skill, you don't have to have skill to play it well, since you know, with the default settings there's things like items to help you out. and it says elimination is "rare" not that if that there is elimination that automatically makes it not a party game. I mean Mario Party is considered a party game right? And even it has elimination. That's the point of making it to the end and declaring a winner.

Smash is a party game with Fighting game elements in it.

Mario Kart is a party game with Racing elements in it.
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

benbeverfaqs posted...

Smash Brothers can be used as a party game with the right settings.

Yeah, the default settings. To make it an actual fighting game you have to change things to make it be 1v1 and not a party game.

Nah, that just makes it more boring imho. The attraction of the smash series (other than characters) is in the levels and items. Fighting games don't have to be 1v1. IK+ for example is a three player fighting game.

Cause while smash can involve skill, you don't have to have skill to play it well, since you know, with the default settings there's things like items to help you out. and it says elimination is "rare" not that if that there is elimination that automatically makes it not a party game. I mean Mario Party is considered a party game right? And even it has elimination. That's the point of making it to the end and declaring a winner.
Smash is a party game with Fighting game elements in it.
Mario Kart is a party game with Racing elements in it.

Items help everyone. Knowing how to use (and dodge) them involve experience and skill. It just makes the game more random, but a first time player doesn't have much chance against an experienced player.
I've never played Mario Party with elimination (and I've played it a lot).
Smash bros is not a party game according to the wiki pages.
I personally consider it a party game. And a fighting game. And an action game. When categorizing I'd file it under fighting game, which, to me, makes the most sense, and it seems to be the norm.
Mario Kart is a racing game. And a party game. I'd file it under racing, since that's its theme. There's not much else to do. Mario Party has fighting, racing, luck games and a lot of other stuff, so I'd file that in the genre of party games.
That 4 player kirby game is a platform game. And imho also a party game.

Crash Bandicoot is a shooting game. You know, because you get that bazooka in the 3rd one.
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GameReviews posted...

Crash Bandicoot is a shooting game. You know, because you get that bazooka in the 3rd one.

Except that is only one part of that game, whereas smash fighting is the literal premise of the game. So, yeah your analogy is dumb as fuck.

If yall bitches wanna get techincial; then any fighter with mini games that doesnt involve fighting isn't a fighter.

I cant believe the game where people fight 95% of the game is considered not a fighter.
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

benbeverfaqs posted...

Smash Brothers can be used as a party game with the right settings.

Yeah, the default settings. To make it an actual fighting game you have to change things to make it be 1v1 and not a party game.

benbeverfaqs posted...

It's easy to learn, but it does involve skill and player elimination.

So then does this
benbeverfaqs posted...

Party games aim to include players of various skill levels and player-elimination is rare.

not count? Cause while smash can involve skill, you don't have to have skill to play it well, since you know, with the default settings there's things like items to help you out. and it says elimination is "rare" not that if that there is elimination that automatically makes it not a party game. I mean Mario Party is considered a party game right? And even it has elimination. That's the point of making it to the end and declaring a winner.

Smash is a party game with Fighting game elements in it.

Mario Kart is a party game with Racing elements in it.

You dont need skill to play any fighting game well.

And by the items logic, I guess Mortal Kombat isnt a fight since you can use items in those as well.
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Smash_Bros.

For the edgelord nerds... It's a fighting game