Summary
Presented to Nintendo in 1997 via a prototype that creator Masahiro Sakurai created in secret,Super Smash Bros.was approved by the late Satoru Iwata for the N64 and finally launched for the console in 1999. The first roster for the franchise was rather quaint when one looks back on it, featuring onlyfirst-party Nintendo charactersfrom across their entire catalog, like Mario, Fox McCloud, and Samus Aran. Since then,Smashhas found itself expanding even further beyond the scope of Nintendo, as each subsequent roster has featured a diverse list of fighters to control.
EachSuper Smash Bros.roster is unique in that it represents a very specific time, not just for Nintendo, but the industry itself.Smashrosters are often indicative of what the industry is going through, as each one has aspects of the past and its ever-evolving future. Third-party characters also carry a bit of weight, as each new entry that utilizes a non-Nintendo character showcases the breadth and depth of video games.
These rosters have been ranked based on their diversity and scope, as well as the legacy that they’ve left behind.
After presenting a prototype to Nintendo in 1997, Masahiro Sakurai’s unique vision for fighting games made its debut on the N64 in 1999, packing all the company’s most recognizable heroes in one single package. Starring Mario, Captain Falcon, Pikachu, and Ness, among countless others, the roster for the originalSuper Smash Bros.remains one of the franchise’s most impeccable collection of fighters that the series has ever seen.
The roster is minimal compared to what was to come, but what is there is a microcosm of Nintendo’s culture at the time, asit features the core charactersthat represented their hardware strategy during this era. Company icons like Mario and Luigi were present, but so were some rather off-the-wall characters like Ness and Jigglypuff, showcasing just how expansive the Nintendo pantheon was growing even in 1999.
Prior toSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, previous games in the franchise relied on well-established first-party Nintendo characters to build out their rosters. This approach worked well and helped create some of Nintendo’s most iconic game releases, but withBrawl, the franchise really began to showcase just how much power and potential it held in the world of video games.
The roster of first-party Nintendo characters was nothing to sneeze at, expanding to feature the likes of Meta Knight, Pit, and Charizard, but the third-party additions really helped toelevateBrawlinto something special. For the first time, characters Sonic and Solid Snake were invited to join the battle, signaling a change in the way the industry would operate moving forward. Impossible dreams didn’t seem so impossible anymore, andBrawl’s incredible roster was the key to that snowball picking up momentum.
After seeing what the GameCube was capable of, as it was one of the most impressive pieces of hardware that Nintendo had ever produced, Masahiro Sakurai went to work on drafting what many still consider the bestSmashgame of all time and a contender forthe GameCube’s greatest title. WithSuper Smash Bros. Melee, the team at HAL Laboratory created a timeless classic and one that features one of the best rosters of any Nintendo multi-character game of all time.
It was before the franchise started embracing third-party characters, but in terms of raw Nintendo star power, it’s hard to top it. All the old favorites, like Mario, Link, and Samus, are accounted for, butMeleealso stars a host of other Nintendo characters that flesh it out into one of the best first-party-only rosters in the series. Some fan-favoritePokemoncharacters also made their debut, including Mewtwo, whileFire Emblemicons like Roy and Marth also appeared, elevating the series into the cult-classic franchise it would become.
Released roughly a month apart from each other on their respective consoles,Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii Uembraced the winds of change thatBrawlstarted, incorporating even more characters from across the world of Nintendo and the rest of the industry. In terms of first-party Nintendo characters, the classic characters are joined by newcomers like Little Mac fromPunch-Out, while Dr. Mario returns after having been absent inBrawl. New additions like Rosalina and the Wii Fit Trainer also fill out the ranks.
Meanwhile, the third-party characters were absolutely fantastic, with incredible new fighters like Pac-Man, Mega Man, and Bayonetta making their debuts. And in what is still one of the most amazing Direct reveals of all time, Cloud Strife fromFinal Fantasy 7was called into the fight, showcasing just how much bigger this iteration ofSmashwas.Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii Ustill features one of themost stacked fighting game rosters of all time.
After being revealed in stunning fashion duringa March 2018 Nintendo Direct,Super Smash Bros. Ultimatehad a lot to live up to considering its title promised to be the culmination of this long-running, highly-successful franchise. And now, seven years after launch, with Nintendo having entered a new hardware generation with the Switch 2, it’s safe to say thatSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatedelivered, as this roster of combatants from across the entire industry is easily the best in the franchise and also a contender for the best fighting game roster of all time.
Ultimatehas the most complete collection of first-party characters to date, as it features an incredible number of new Nintendo heroes, including Isabelle fromAnimal Crossingand several newPokemoncharacters. In addition, third-party fighters are still a miracle of navigating the tricky world of licenses and IP ownership, as iconic figures from the industry far and wide got theirSmash Bros.invitation. Ranging from Joker fromPersona 5, Hero fromDragon Quest 11, Sephiroth, and Solid Snake all the way to Sora fromKingdom Heartsand Banjo-Kazooie,Super Smash Bros. Ultimatecertainly lives up to its name and remains one of the most popular and successful games on Nintendo Switch.
