In the world of competitive fighting games,Super Smash Bros.stands apart from the crowd. A lot of this has to do with how its scene developed separately from the larger fighting game community, and how nothing else really plays like it.Super Smash Bros.is built on a somewhatKirby-esque approach to platforming, combined with a system of normal moves, special moves, grabs, and smash attacks. The high-flying, mobility-oriented combat is like nothing else the fighting genre has seen, perhaps exhibiting more explosive moments per match than any other sub-genre. The all-star roster of crossover Nintendo characters, which has slowly expanded to include fighters from across the games industry, is the cherry on top.
A game this successful is bound to attract similar projects, and there have been so many that “platform fighter” is now considered a genre unto itself. A staggering number ofSmashclones have been made by both fans and competitors, though dismissing them as mere clones does many a disservice. Those looking for variety in theSmashgenre are in for a treat, as the age of the platform fighter is already in full swing. TheupcomingNickelodeon All-Star Brawllooks quite promising, but there are plenty of other games players can pick up right now to get them ready for when that game drops.
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Slap City
If fans want ataste ofNickelodeon All-Star Brawlearly, they don’t need to look any further than Ludosity’s previous fighting game.Slap Cityis a charming platform fighter built with characters from Ludosity’s past games, includingIttle Dew,Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt, andIji. The game goes out of it’s way to make all nine characters play very differently, and there are a ton of stages to play with. The game is known for its “Clutch” button, which modifies attacks when held. It also has a story mode with a very heavy emphasis on platforming.Slap City’s quality and attention to detail inspires a lot of hope for Ludosity’s work onAll-Star Brawl.
Rivals of Aether
Those looking for another high quality platform fighter can look no further thanRivals of Aether. This 2D fighter features animal champions from four elemental factions (along with Ori and Shovel Knight guest characters), and again sports a roster full of diverse characters and playstyles. This title has interesting modes like the randomized challenges in Abyss Mode, the more casual Tetherball minigame, and Abyss Versus, which will let players take their custom builds into battle with friends.
Rivalsof Aethereven has four new characters and rollback netcode coming in the near future. To make that good news better, those four characters originated asmods on theRivals of AetherSteam Workshop, which also hosts thousands of user-created characters, stages, and modes. This one is not to be missed, especially now that it has its own sequel in development.
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Super Smash Flash 2
Staying on the topic of sprite-basedSmashclones,Super Smash Flash 2is probably the highest qualitySmashfan-game out there.Super Smash Bros. Crusadecomes close, but nothing can beatFlash 2. This game impresses greatly with its beautiful sprite recreations of most ofSmash’s cast, as well as a fewnewcomers like Sora and Gokuthat probably won’t make it toSuperSmash Bros. Ultimate’s roster.
It’s gameplay can be enjoyed online via official servers, and more updates will continue to slowly come out as its developer also works onFraymakers, an indie crossover fighting game that recently had a successful crowdfunding campaign. That original game will feature Ultra Fishbunjin 3000 fromSlap Cityand Orcane fromRivals of Aether, so fans of those games should keep an eye on it as well.
Project Plus
The next game on this list is a special case, as it’s amod forSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. Serving as a sequel to the famousProject Mbalance mod that madeBrawlinto a much more enjoyable competitive game,Project Pluscontinues its mission of balancing the roster. Characters have been buffed and reworked across the board, stages and costumes have been added, and Knuckles the Echidna has even joined as an entirely new character. This is arguably one of the most balanced platform fighters available, and no character is a bad choice for any level of play.
Brawlhalla
Next up isBrawlhalla, probably the most successful game on this list. WhileBrawlhalla’s art and animation style haven’t won it a ton of fans, it is a free-to-play game on most platforms that receives frequent updates and has a thriving competitive scene. It’s gameplay struck the right balance between deep, and accessible, to draw in a playerbase and keep it.
The game got big enough for the developer to be acquired by Ubisoft in 2018, and has since participated in many crossover events with video game and TV properties.Brawlhallaisn’t the most complex platform fighter, with movesets being limited compared to the average platform fighter. Still, because every character in the massive cast plays just a bit differently, and any potential player will surely be able to findtheir preferred way to play.
Roof Rage
Roof Rageis a small indie game on Steam and Switch that is surprisingly fun. Its thirteen different characters are gorgeously rendered in pixel art, and it’s smooth animations and good game feel are sure to impress. The game plays in a comparable way to the average platform fighter, but it’s systems and the impact of landing hits sets it apart.
One of its biggest unique traits is that it supports eight-player matches likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateitself. WhileRoof Rageisn’t a bastion of platform fighter innovation likeIndie PogoorKing of the Hatmight be, it’s definitely a platformfighting game hidden gemand worth looking into.
Power Stone 2
WhilePower Stone 2is technically an arena fighter, there’s no arguing that it’s the arena fighter closest toSuper Smash Bros.Power Stone 2upgrades its player count from two to four, and focuses even more on items and environmental interaction than the first game did. The result is a chaotic brawl across multiple surprisingly dynamic stages that are up there with the bestSuper Smash Bros.has to offer. This series is harder to come by these days, havingonly been released on Dreamcast, PSP, and in arcades, but emulation should provide a good way to experience this often-forgotten Capcom classic.
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