When Nintendo first releasedSuper Smash Bros.on Nintendo 64 in 1999, it stood out from other fighting games at the time. While arcade fighters likeStreet FighterandMortal Kombatprioritized complex directional inputs and speed,Super Smash Bros.was designed for the casual fighting game fan, turning it into one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises.
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AsSuper Smash Bros.has grown and evolved on future generations of consoles, game developers have taken lessons from it in designing their own fighting games. Whether they’re by independent developers or big video game studios, these ten games blatantly carry over theSuper Smash Bros.formula with different characters or quirks to differentiate them.
10Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
A fairly recent addition to the canon ofSuper Smash Bros.clones isNickelodeon All-Star Brawl, which released in 2021 for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation consoles, and Xbox consoles. While its controls and design greatly resemble Nintendo’s all-star fighter, this fighting game brings in characters from the past and present of Nickelodeon’s cartoon library.
From SpongeBob SquarePants to Aang to Lincoln Loud, many generations of Nickelodeon characters are represented in the roster. Additionally, Nickelodeon-owned properties likeTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesandGarfieldare also represented in the game. Many critics praised it as one of the bestSmashclones,despite some glaring flaws upon release.
9Brawlhalla
Brawlhalladebuted on PC and PS4 in 2017, later receiving ports on consoles like Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. In terms ofSuper Smash Bros.clones,Brawlhallafeatures the most expansive castwith 58 playable characters, all of whom can utilize a different combination of weapon types including Axe, Bow, Hammer, Orb, Blasters, and Spear, among others.
Although the game’s roster features many original characters, they also contain recognizable fighters from other games, including Rayman, Ezio from theAssassin’s Creedfranchise, and Simon Belmont, who also appears inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, most of the roster consist of characters inspired by various mythologies around the world.
8MultiVersus
Although the full version ofMultiVersusisn’t set to release until 2024, early access and beta versions of the game have given fans an idea of what to expect from thisSmashclone. LikeSuper Smash Bros.andNickelodeon All-Star Brawl,MultiVersusis a crossover fighter with characters broadly limited to franchises owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment.
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Among the confirmed roster ofMultiVersusincludes the likes of Batman, Finn fromAdventure Time, Bugs Bunny, Rick Sanchez, Arya fromGame of Thrones, and Tom & Jerry. The roster even includes LeBron James, who represents the 2022 filmSpace Jam: A New Legacy, which was also produced by Warner Bros.
7Rivals Of Aether
Rivals of Aetherwas popular among hardcoreSuper Smash Bros. Meleefansfor a time, due to its dedication of recreating the competitive mechanics of the GameCube game. Developed by indie developer Dan Fornace,Rivals of Aethercontains a cast of original characters who each represent various elements, including fire, water, air, and earth.
Additionally,Rivals of Aetherwas also updated to include other indie game icons, including Shovel Knight from his titular game and Ori fromOri and the Blind Forest. The game is set to have a sequel,Rivals 2, release in 2024, as well as several spin-off titles including the roguelikeDungeons of Aetherand online card gameCreatures of Aether.
6PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
One of the more notableSuper Smash Bros.clones wasSony’s attempt to cash-in on the crossover fighting game genre.PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalecontained characters from across Sony-exclusive franchises, including Sackboy fromLittle Big Planet, Kratos fromGod of War, Nathan Drake fromUncharted, and Big Daddy fromBioShock.
While the game received a lot of press upon its release in 2012, critics generally criticized its inferiority toSuper Smash Bros. As a result, it never received a port beyond its releases on PlayStation 3 and the portable console PlayStation Vita. There’s no guarantee that there’s a future forPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, but no one’s exactly clamoring for it either.
5Shovel Knight Showdown
While Shovel Knight also appears as a playable character inRivals of Aether, his own game got aSuper Smash Bros.clone of its own. After years of updates containing new storylines,Shovel Knight: Treasure Trovereleased in 2019, containing the all-new fighting minigameShovel Knight Showdown, which takes inspiration fromSuper Smash Bros.
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The minigame’s roster features many playable characters from the various storylines ofShovel Knight. Alongside characters like Shovel Knight and Shield Knight, it also features the entire Order of No Quarter, the Enchantress, and characters like Black Knight, Baz, Mr. Hat, Reize, Mona, Goldarmor and Liquid Samurai.
4Brawlout
Brawloutwas initially released on PC via early access in 2017, later seeing ports for the Nintendo Switch before a full release in 2018 with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One ports. LikeSuper Smash Bros.,Brawloutfeatures a similar mechanic of up to four players fighting on platform stages, although 21 out of the 25 playable characters are original.
As for the other four characters,Brawloutfeatures guest appearances from indie game characters like Yooka-Laylee, The Drifter fromHyper Light Drifter, Juan fromGuacamelee, and Dead Cells. Though it was moderately liked by critics, its community simply hasn’t received the level of activity as otherSmashclones in recent years.
3LEGO Brawls
While there have been many LEGO games for several console generations, the iconic franchise didn’t dip their toes into the fighting game genre until 2019.LEGO Brawlsinitially released on iOS and Mac’s Apple Arcade before receiving ports on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles several years later in 2022.
Though critics hada variety of opinions on the game’s controls, many praised its similarities toSuper Smash Bros., as well as its overall charm. Its roster contains many mini-figures from popular franchises, as well, including characters fromJurassic World DominionandLEGO Ninjago, among more general characters fromLEGO SpaceandLEGO Castlesets.
2Roof Rage
Roof Rageis one of the rareSuper Smash Bros.clones that does not feature any characters from existing franchises. Currently available on PC and Switch, the game’s roster consists of 13 characters that design-wise resemble the rosters ofStreet FighterorFinal Furyfranchises. However, most of their battles, as the title suggests, take place on roofs.
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LikeSuper Smash Bros.,Roof Ragealso features a variety of gameplay modes, featuring a gauntlet of A.I fighters as well as differentiation in stock or score-keeping matches. The game also supports online play via Steam, with an active Discord server to connect with other players and face off against each other from anywhere in the world.
1Rocket Arena
Compared to otherSuper Smash Bros.clones,Rocket Arenais the most different, as it takes the typicalSmashformula to the third-person shooter genre. All the 10 charismatic playable characters available at launch utilize rocket launchers as their main weapon, as they compete in 3v3 matches on a variety of maps with game modes including Capture the Flag.
While some critics felt mixed about the variety ofRocket Arena, its potential as a unique competitive fighter that incorporateselements from titles likeFortniteorOverwatchwas immense. Though it hasn’t received any updates or new seasons of online play since 2021, here’s to hoping it’ll find itself a second life at some point in the future.
