Soapbox: I Don't 'Get' Smash Bros. And I Just Don't Know Why

Plenty more fish in the sea.

I don't get it either. I want to like it because of all the different characters, but no matter how much I want to, or how hard I try, I just can't seem to find the fun in it.

I'm on the same boat, tried it again with ultimate after many years since I played it on the N64 but still not finding that sparkle!

That sounds like it's not our problem.

Mehh also. I have tried, I truly have.

I mean, you're not required by law to enjoy it, Gavin. I can't get into Skyrim after giving it 3 goes, despite the articles that exist on this and other websites. On the flip side, now the other folks that couldn't get into this series and feel the need to tell the world have a safe space.

Same here. I buy it every time and then play it for a couple of hours then never go back to it.

I feel exactly the same so you're certainly not alone.

I've tried them all at some point or another and it just doesn't catch my interest. It's not as though I don't like fighting games because I really do.

I've just always found the Smash games to feel very bare boned compared to say Street fighter or mortal kombat for example. Not so much in terms of the character rosta but the actual fighting side of things

whisper it quietly around here but I'm not a fan of Zelda games either

(Creeps away quietly before he gets shouted at)

You’re not alone.

Someone once told me, look at the game as Sumo Wrestling. If you think of it that way it bring a different view and mentality to your experience playing the game.

I'm mixed on smash. It's fun but wouldn't plough hours into it. I have however got to love Smash Ultimate for one amazing reason... The ability to play the sound track. Spent more time in that than the game itself.

Same here, I have tried many over the years through rentals, but just never comes to me.

Just get Ultimate. I didn’t like Smash before and I tried 3 different versions. Ultimate is like a very entertaining RPG as a single player experience and it’s well worth your time.

I didn't pick it up either. For me, my friend group that used to play the game with me since the first game has long moved on from smash. I would still play it given the chance, but it isn't worth picking up for me considering the time I will end up putting into it.

Agreed. It's...meh. I feel the same way about Hyrule Warriors.

i can't say for everyone else. i do enjoy smash bros a lot. (played since the N64)
i have agree on some of his points though for ultimate though.
i wish there were a bit more stuff to do, getting stickers is fun once awhile than you got tired of doing it. same goes for anything you buy with gold.
i don't find these stuff super interesting (i tired them a few times, and than i just forget about it and play more). i just wanna fight and unlock charcters and do other enjoyable modes. the story mode is pretty fun and i do enjoy that one better than the other mode that helps you collect stickers.

I feel the same. From the comments there seems to be quite a few that agree. I have Ultimate and have put a few hours into it but am struggling to find a reason to go back.....

I love the series because it's become less of a Nintendo game, and more a celebration of video game history as a whole. However, before that, I loved it because it's rooted with a good friend of mine when we played it in college. I was absolutely terrible at it, but over time, I got better and better. I'm no prodigy mind you, but at some point the game just clicks, and becomes great, great fun. But I think a lot of it has to do with who you play with, where you play it, and if your friend(s) enjoy it as well.

So I can understand how some people just don't get that click, and if it hasn't happened after 3 purchases, I don't think it's gonna happen. I said to my wife that she could take my copy and boot it up on easy mode — she does love some of the characters, like Isabelle. But she declined and said, "no, I just don't enjoy the game."

So to each their own, if it's not for you, don't feel bad about yourself lol. Life is too short, play something you actually enjoy.

I enjoy it but I am total trash

@Medic_alert

My names David and I have to turn the light on and off 17 times before I can leave the room

Ooooops wrong club....

I guess it is normal that people don't enjoy certain kind of games. For one I despise games like Animal Crossing, Rune Factory or Stardew Valley, but I respect people that can get something from them. What's thrilling for me in Smash is to prove to myself that I'm good enough to win. I enjoy the thrill when I play online during the brief moments where the characters clash on the loading screen before the match (and sometimes fear when I see an Olimar/Sonic/Ness) and the excitement of outplaying your opponent and the sheer satisfaction of making a comeback when everything was looking grim. Losing is not always bad, I get impressed when a player just sweeps the floor with me reading every single one of my moves, but there are times where I also get annoyed with players that constantly spam projectiles (I'm looking at you, Ness). Anyway, this is why I do enjoy Smash in general.

I'm with you 100%. I didn't much care for the first 3 games, or Ultimate. But, I spent thousands of hours playing Smash 4 on the Wii U. That game was incredible; you really missed out.

I don't get Zelda. There, I said it.

I really struggled to get into SSBU. I've been playing the single player campaign on and off for a couple of weeks now in the evenings and I think I'm starting to get into it. I've unlocked half of the fighters now so I'm making some progress. Maybe I'll get it eventually.

I played Melee to death until I got every trophy. Ever since online multiplayer was introduced in the series, I stook to 1 v 1 which I inevitably got bored with on each release.

I never got into the Smash games. I think I played fighter games to death back in he 90s that it's a genre I simply don't want to get back into. I can understand why so many people enjoy this games series though, especially with such an iconic roster at your fingertips, but it's just not for me.

I don’t enjoy it either . Maybe it is because I prefer single player games.

Outside the Nintendo (and third party -Cloud-) nostalgia, there's not much fun in this game outside of multiplayer/party brawls. Just playing the CPU isn't much fun. Playing (and talking trash) to your kid or friend next to you is the spiritual core of the fun of this game. So, I get where you're coming from in that regard. In Ultimate, I worked to unlock all of the characters so we would have everyone to choose from when I have people over, but after I did that, I haven't picked it up since.

Same here but I know why I do not enjoy it.
When I was a kid I spent countless hours on VS. fighting games such Street Fighter 2, various KoF and many other 2D games.
Because of the strict rules in these games, I felt that SSB relied too much on luck but the detail that made me undertand why I felt lost is when I recover, my character is not face to face with the oppponent and that's one of the most confusing thing in a fighting game.
I bought SSBU back in december, spent about 10 hours and decided to sell it.

For me, I was shocked at how few attacks Smash Bros combat system has. And, I've tried to understand how to save/jump back to the platform after being thrown off. And the work to unlocking characters felt worse than a tedious chore. I wish I liked smash. Guess it's back Splatoon 2(900hrs), Trials Rising(60hrs).
I'm open to someone pointing out I've missed an array of attack moves, though, that's what a game manual should have done. I barely got through the beginning tutorial.
I wish I liked Smash Bros. I never went back after 4 hours

I actually lived the original. Playing 4 player with all my mates in a room. And maybe that's the problem I've never really been able to amass 3 others to play couch multiplayer. I could play online but I'll just get anialated by 'pros' and it's not the same. I really want to love it and think having all the franchise's together is amazing. I'm glad it sells so well because I'm a Nintendo fan and the better they do, the more Zelda/Mario etc.

Good article. Same here. Even tho I loveddddd 64 and Melee as a kid, after 150 hrs in Smash Ultimate and building myself up to better than a 60 percent winning rate with close to 3 mill with Link...I finally dropped it a month ago. I think maybe the simple answer here, for me and the author is maybe we're just not fighting game guys or big regular party as a group gamers? This game works best in both categories...not a lot to do inbetween. More stressful than fun for me since my only option is to play online. Curious because Id assume most the audience buying this doesnt neatly fit into either usually. Maybe people just have fun with the spectacle of it? Maybe a ton are lifers? All I know is after one night in March, having an amazing for me run of matches and nearly getting 3 mill, I felt like I beat the game in a personal goal way and am done with it for now.

I’ve been playing since launch day of Smash 64. I love the series. It’s like the only game I feel I’m legitimately good at (until a pro comes along and destroys me). I’ll admit I’m one of the people that only plays 1-on-1 with no items and final destination only. Play it as a competitive fighting game against other people. It’s intense and fun.

My favorite memory from high school is getting second at a local Brawl tourney. Good times.

I really can’t believe how many people here are saying they don’t like it... you must be A) bad at it or B) playing it alone against CPU.

@BensonUii I hope Nintendo supports Splatfests beyond the summer btw.

Where we'd occasionally play Smash on the Wii U, we only played Ultimate because that's what I themed my last birthday around. Sure, one or two people will rarely practice, but that's it. And about half the time they used to play.

You could chalk it up to the novelty wearing off. You could say that the ever-expanding (and then changing!) controls drove people away (we certainly see how 2D Mario vastly outsells 3D Mario and how many people dropped off at the transition to 3D and a more complex controller). You could even say that Smash hasn't fundamentally intrigued people like the shifts between 64/Melee/Brawl. Comparatively, Brawl/4/Ultimate changed very little. Then there's hardware sales, content/menu recycling, feature exclusivity, marketing, growing lack of interest in anything light-hearted, etc.
And it could be a combination of some or all of those factors.

But the games still see impressive word-of-mouth and sales. As long as the game's mechanics or content doesn't take a major nosedive, fans will probably see more of these games to come. That is for certain.

You're certainly not alone. There are few games that bore me to death as much as any Smash game does after a few rounds.

And yeah, that's even after taking the time to learn how it actually works. Bite me

I’m with you. I’m a huge Nintendo fan, and this is the most Nintendo game you can get, with all of their characters slogging it out together. But I’m just not into it. I think it’s because I’m mostly a solo gamer, whereas Smash is quite clearly geared for multiplayer. Plus there are just too many fighters. I prefer much more succinct games.

Have you never played King of the Hill in your life? Not the multiplayer mode made popular in first person shooters. I'm talking about when you were a child and your local park had a huge mountain of snow because a nearby parking lot had been cleared. You and your friends climb that hill and try to push each other off that hill.

That's the Smash series in a nutshell.

For me I've always enjoyed Smash Bros in bursts. I remember my best friend at the time getting a copy of 64 and us and our sisters having big 4 player battles while our mothers sat upstairs and talked about whatever they talked about back then. At the time it was something fast paced, exciting, and featured characters that we all loved. We got Melee at some point later after we finally got a GameCube. By that time I wasn't seeing as much of my friend so it was mostly just my sister and I or just me doing classic mode. I had fun with it, but not enough to understand the obsession a lot of people have with that particular entry in the series. When Brawl came it it was pretty much just down to me playing alone. Subspace Emissary made up the bulk of my play time for that one. I was excited about the prospect of online but I didn't give that more than a couple tries before deciding to just stick with CPUs. I got both the 3DS and Wii U copies of the next in the series, and I honestly preferred the 3DS version. If I had some down time somewhere I could just pull out me 3DS and play a couple rounds to pass the time, and it seemed like there was always a bunch of people in the lobby at conventions playing Smash while waiting for the next panel. The Wii U version was good for playing with my nephew (team battle, us VS CPUs) so those two entries had a bit of the social aspect return for me. Still didn't care much for the online. Now with Ultimate is more or less the same. I put the bulk of my time into unlocking characters and the World of Light, I play a couple fights here and there with random CPUs when I feel like it, and I put my nephew in his place when he starts talking smack. And I still don't care for the online. I realized that I don't play it with people just to have a better opponent. If I wanted that I could just up the CPU or get some more amiibo. I play with other people for the social interactions. For the laughing and cheering and general shenanigans that comes with a party game. There are a lot of competitive minded people who want 1v1 no items no stage hazards, I want as many players as I can get with all the items and stage shenanigans with people picking random character if they feel spicy. That's probably why I never could get into the competitive scene, they're only playing a small percentage of the game content. Cool if you want to get into the more technical side of the game, but it's just a bit too serious for me.

@Magician You can also play King of the hill in smash in the DK stage where there's a little rock on the side. It is really fun and I remember playing that a lot during the Melee days.

I never can get fully into em either, despite buying every iteration and dlc (minus the Switch version, thus far. I’ll beat its arcade mode twice, once with Mario once with Link. Do a handful of battles, and mini games, then never play again. Maybe putting 6 total hours into it each time.

I love the idea behind it, and respect the blood, sweat and tears the dev team and community pour into it, but it’s just not my bag of tea I guess. Maybe it’s because I’ve outgrown the fighting genre. I haven’t played thoroughly through a fighter since Soul Calibur 3 and SF4 on 360. And hell, I could argue even then I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as UMK3 on SNES, or Soul Calibur 2 on DC.

What’s worse is it’s def focused at multiplayer, as it should be, but I’ve never been big on multiplayer games. Only local couch stuff. Had a blast in Goldeneye with my then best friend David, or drunken dorm nights with Worms: Armageddon on DC. And these days my local mp friends are few and far between, with online being the only true option, and that’s just not as fun for some games. And sometimes I’d argue, that all that does is turn what would be a funny laugh out loud match between good buds into an infuriating experience. You can be bigger Ds to each other if not within arm shot range, lol.

This is me, but with Stardew Valley. I gave it a genuine chance, played for a few hours, and it never really clicked with me, despite everyone singing its praises left and right. So I get exactly what you mean.

(Smash Bros, however, is one of my most favorite franchises ever. 😜)

What a blasphemous piece of writing

I am always glad when yet another mildy different smash bros. is released, since it works as a pacifier for the most obnoxious of nintendo fans on the internet.

After every release there's a quiet two year period where the normal majority of Nintendo fans can discuss good games without someone shouting "something smash huh huh" in between.

Not my thing eithier. Tekken Tag on PS2 was the last great fighting game for me. And yes.....I loved Skyward Sword.

@ArcanaXVI Don’t get me wrong, each game isn’t going to give a great experience to every player. I was trash at Gears and would enjoy playing Viva Piñata with friends more. I just didn’t feel like I needed to explain to anyone why I didn’t like Gears as much as other people. Everyone should just play what they enjoy, since that’s what games are meant for. Gavin and everyone else that can’t get into smash shouldn’t feel like they need to explain anything to anyone.
And I still want to play SS 😛

I just like the chaos in it. lol

Some people play it as a party game others as a competitive game. It's probably hard to walk the line on that. I prefer the competitive aspects.

I definitely get it, there's a huge barrier of entry to Smash. I'm certain that if I didn't get all wrapped up in the culture of Smash and try to really get all the nuances of control down all these years, there's no way I'd enjoy it now. I don't like any other fighting game for this very reason. I get no enjoyment out of button mashing

I'm usually fine with playing on different buttons, but there are other things about Smash that make basic movement very unnatural. Every character has different gravity; double-jumps get taken away for unintuitive reasons; dashing locks your movement options; there are only two different jump heights; dodging forces you facing the opposite direction, etc. Even semi-experienced players find themselves what the heck happened with their movement. I still can't figure out why some moves win over others, or why everyone seems to be able to grab me before I grab them, and I've played this game a TON! There's also plenty that I would have never found out on my own if I didn'r have friends help me.

If you'd only played Melee or 64, I'd say try one of the new ones, but they've done nothing new to aid newcomers since Brawl. If you've played Brawl, 4, or Ultimate, you pretty much know what you're getting into.

@BensonUii They mentioned they'd end the Splatfests in July 2019, I think in a direct. They said something like "look forward to more Splatfests until July 2019. I don't get why they'd stop them. How hard can it be for them to commission an illustration, pick a topic, and change some ink colors? All the concert work is done.

I beat a mode of Arms but never got into it because I'd always have random connection issues with that game and joycon. I gave up. 2 years later I'm sure it's fixed or I've solved it.t

Sure it’s a slow starter, but I can’t understand the vitriol it provokes in some corners of the internet.

Really, you can't understand that some people had lots of trouble with the controls for Skyward Sword? That is somehow beyond your understanding??

@TheHumbleFellow It didn't sound like he was being critical of the game - he clearly stated points as to why it was his problem.

@Dang69 It usually stops because they put the team to work on a different project. Unlike other developers, Splatoon doesn't introduce constant paid DLC to keep a dedicated team for the online events. The free weapons and stuff we get would have been sold if Splatoon was from another developer.

@Crono1973 Don't need to be aggressive about it. I didn't had trouble with the controls and I believe that usually people that complain about them were not using them as intended (it is like trying to jump in a mario game pressing up, it isn't going to happen), but I do agree that the game pace, hand holding and recycled areas are a drag.

@BensonUii @Dang69 The announcement was in the Splatoon 2 Direct in 2017, 1 year of content (which got extended with a E3 2018 announcement) and 2 years of Splatfests (which as of now hasn't been extended) so seems to be that July 2019 is the end.

Mario Tennis Aces is also near the end of support, the September Direct said support until June 2019.

I enjoy smash online. I haven’t even started on the world of light.
Online heavy games like smash, kart dx, mario aces, splatoon 2 rocket league doesn’t help the backlog. They are never ending.

When I look at the log on the Wii u. Other than Mario Maker, mk8 splatoon smash were the biggest offenders

@Devlind It's easy to UNDERSTAND that some people had trouble with the controls. To pretend that you don't UNDERSTAND that is just silly.

I love the game. It was practically my only game before Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

My first Smash was the one on 3DS and I didn't like it at first. Later, after finding out how to change the controls to how I liked them, I became addicted

For me the fun in Smash comes from playing multiplayer in the same room - not taking it seriously and just playing for the insanity of it!

@Crono1973 Oh I get you. Perhaps Gavin likes slow, story driven games more than fast paced games and his judgement is biased, but that's what these soapboxes are for.

Lol, someone feels triggered by people not liking smash, judging by the comments with a single thumbs downs. Heads up dude, you missed a couple.

I enjoy Smash... For the wrong reason, probably.
Actually I like playing it quite a lot, since Melee, despite not sinking a ridiculous amount of hours in it (let's say 100 average hours per game). What I like the most is its encyclopedic nature where all these fighters are represented with stages, music and other references about their franchises and other characters from those franchises.
Just listening to all those music tracks would be worth a purchase. All these little details they always throw in, they really care and respect the games the characters come from and they show it. What I miss an AWFUL LOT is trophies. Ok the stickers are awesome and I could stay with them, but to put off all those sweet, sweet descriptions about characters, games, and other informations was criminal, Nintendo.
The game is not the most intuitive, apart from being a fighter with little in common with others. Maybe this lessens some players' enjoyment, too. It has to click, that's for sure, but you're not guaranteed it will do eventually.

I love Smash, but I love it the same way I love chocolate cake. It's delicious, it's terrible for you, and you know there are better things to eat (play), but sometimes you just need a dose of button mashing goodness, just like you need a dose of a sugar bomb.

@Devlind It's a really simple concept. People say 'I don't like Skyward Sword because I had too much trouble with the controls' and then other people come along and say 'I don't understand'. What's not to understand, Of course those people UNDERSTAND and they also believe that the other people had trouble with the controls (that they aren't lying about it) but for some reason they pretend not to understand. Silliness.

I feel the same way about Majora's Mask. A lot of people love it but I've never been able to enjoy it.

@Medic_alert My name is also Andy and I don’t enjoy smash. There, I said it.

I like playing it with my brother, but dont find it that much fun to increase my skill level alone unfortunately

You don't like it like literally millions of other people do?

That's not really a problem.

I don't like Souls games and I'm not writing any articles about it either.

If it had a good online service, it would be more fun for me. My friends and I would play smash melee for hours after school. But I dont live near them now and so there isnt anyone to play with. If it had a good online mode, it would be easier to enjoy with distant friends. Sadly, it just is too tedious to set up a match. Let alone getting friends to get online at the same time

So what? Somebody doesn't like a game it isn't exactly noteworthy or an amazing revelation

Smash is a mechanically excellent game and tons of fun (in my opinion, anyway), but honestly, what keeps me coming back and intrigued so much is the crossover element. I have been playing Nintendo games for about 30 years, and seeing my favorite characters from across history all in one place is just too exciting to pass up (and that’s even without mentioning the phenomenal soundtrack).

That said, if somebody isn’t a rabid fan of Nintendo‘s franchises or frenetic fighting games, I can see why they wouldn’t be interested. To each his own.

It is fun to just pick up a given character and play as them in some capacity. Can't say that for a lot of games and a lotta Mario Maker levels echoed that sentiment.

Just bought smash ultimate on a whim the other night. I've never played any of the previous entries.

It's a fun little game. But I don't think it was worth 80 bucks. Seems pretty shallow for a fighting game. The rpg-xtra lite adventure mode doesn't seem deep enough. Playing online is a crapshoot of bad connections and goofy rulesets due to there not being any proper playlists. So the competitive (ie: the most important aspect) is wildly inconsistent. There should be stock rulesets for matchmaking and keep the goofy rules to private games.

I agree with the author. I can't relate to it's popularity. It's just a fan service game for people who can't "git gud" at real fighting games. No combos to memorize .... just smash.

I think the social differences between Japan and the West might explain why it's selling so well there.
It's not exactly considered appropriate for a bunch of adults to gather around a plastic box and fight each other with cartoons in the West.
Lol

I don’t get it either. I’ve played about two hours max since I bought it and haven’t touched it in a long time.

No need to apologise, you won't be the first gamer to not 'get' a major series. To this day I still don't get 2D Mario games. You should have seen Ali A's face when I told him! (That's a story for another day) The 3D games? sublime.

Eh, not everyone enjoys every game. I will say, outside of the competitive scene, I think whether those around you play Smash have a strong impact on whether you’ll enjoy it. Even with the robust single player content in Ultimate, Smash is primarily a multiplayer game. If you don’t have friends or family to play the game with, there’s less of a chance you’ll enjoy it. I sorta lost interest in Smash 4 because I didn’t have many people to play multiplayer with. Now I have a few again and Smash Ultimate is a ton of fun for me.

Of course, for some people certain games just don’t click. That’s fine too. I can’t stand battle royals. Tried them, hated them. Everyone has their own tastes and that’s fine!

I mostly notice the lack of any reference or comparison to fighting games. Could be the genre is just not your type.

@Devlind yes but - specifically the Splatfests, not weapons or maps, seem like itd be easy to support for a few years. That would keep the community on there stronger than if its gone. Since this is mostly an online only game with no vs cp team offline or offline 2p mode, its mostly a dead if most of the player base leaves. Meaning itd stop selling to new consumers in stores. Then again, 1 came out Spring 2015, 2 in summer 2017, if 3 comes out late spring 2020 and is announced at e3 Im cool with having the last Splatfest this july.

@Dman10 I don't think that's the reason. For example, I play single player games almost exclusively, yet Smash is by far one of my favorite game series ever.

@Grumblevolcano so given previous release schedules we should have a new Splatoon in summer next year!

I didn’t like Splatoon on Wii U but fell in love with Splatoon 2.
I wondered if the same thing would happen for me with Smash Ultimate.
But alas, I’m right there with you Gavin. I don’t get it...

If it’s not fun, don’t play it. Not every game is for everyone.

The main reason I find it hard to get back into (played og, melee, and brawl a ton) is because of the time commitment required to get really good at the game, and while it is easier to pick up on from past experiences if you want to get to a level that is truly great you will need a ton of time to invest in the game to learn all the intricacies of the combat system and hone your reaction time.

Playing Smash in single player sucks most of the fun out of it. Same with Mario Party and others alike.
I enjoyed Smash from 64 do Brawl, when i had plenty of buddies who could come to my house and we would all get together and Smash.
Nowadays they're all married lol and i found that playing smash for WiiU alone was definitely not my cup of tea. Played it very little and also didn't get Ultimate after.

I don't mean to be rude, but perhaps you weren't particularly "good" at the games? Not that you have to be good to enjoy a game but when it comes to fighting games that certainly helps. Perhaps you didn't explore the rule variations in multiplayer with your friends much? If you wanted a more zany experience that might have done the trick. Anyways at the end of the day smash is a game and if you're not hooked then that's fine.

This is great, all the people who don't like Smash and Zelda identifying themselves. Now I know who to avoid when I'm finding a seat in the cafeteria...

Smash 4 was my first SSB game, and I thought no way I but ultimate. Cuz I feel like almost any other fighting game is a better fighting game. I did pick up ultimate anyway, and purely because I thought there was enough content in the single player mode to justify it. It's fun enough, but I really just don't understand the appeal either. I don't feel bad about the purchase though. I always liken video games too going to a movie. It's gonna end up costing me at least 10 bucks an hour for my entertainment factoring in popcorn and family, and if I get more than 6 hours of entertainment out of a 60 dollar game, then any extra time after that makes this purchase when more worth it. I'm not good at smash, and will probably never be good at it, but I got plenty of enjoyable time too easily make it work the money even though I'm terrible.

I have enjoyed smash in the past. But it’s the same game over and over. Stages are even the same. It’s like street fighter II. It’s fun to play with friends but I get bored playing solo.

Better man than me. If I'm immediately not feeling a particular series or genre, I usually stop after the a try or two. The only exception being FPS. I actually loved GoldenEye and Perfect Dark, only to realize with later experiences, I don't particularly care for the genre.

This is kind of like saying, I dont understand how Mario kart is supposed to be fun. What's fun about smash is being able to fight characters from a whole different series, and then T-bag them online! I think you're just not into fighting games or maybe you are getting old and going more into the casual mobile scene which isn't a bad thing but it happens to lots of people.

Yep, same here.

Not to be overly arrogant, but I'd say that I can "get" most games on an intellectual level after reading a review. My taste is really diverse and if someone enjoys a certain game, I probably will, too. I love Wii Music and Rocket League, Mario Party and Hollow Knight. Skyward Sword was fun.

But with Smash... "I don't get it" is honestly the only way I can describe it. Tried playing it myself, read the reviews... Nope.

I mean, it almost seems the game is selling on hype and cult status alone. Hype from the casual crowd that loves all the characters mashed together. Plus hype from the hardcore crowd that adores Sakurai and all the time he put into the game.

Maybe if you have a bunch of friends that are good at the game, that play it alone at home and then gather at a party, so that opponents constantly one-up each other. Maybe then it would be fun. But how many people have that?!

I can’t empathise with Smash (have over 350 hours in Ultimate), but this is exactly how I feel with Ocarina of Time, Metroid Prime and ARMS, among others. I’ve tried playing them time and time again, but just cannot like them however hard I try to.

This is blasphemous and you’re a communist.

I’ve enjoyed every Smash game that came out, not gonna lie to you. But we all have different taste. I ain’t the biggest Metroid fan out there.

Tastes will be tastes. I remember hearing a lot about Regular Show and watching the first episode and... still not feeling motivated to see another. Despite the fact that by all damn accounts of the content and my personal resonance statistics, I should be head over heels with this series. And I didn't even dislike that first episode - it amused me and really felt, again, like it had a lot to get me head over heels with. So don't bother asking me to explain why I'm still not - it's a mystery to me.

Smash? Well, I have good degree of curiosity about crossovers starring characters I'm interested in - but it helped that I discovered Smash AFTER getting interested in the genre itself. Yes, I had spent years with zero desire to play a fighting game. It took a run-in with Guilty Gear XX to get me on board, and despite my top fave fighter still being a certain 3D arena one nowadays, I'm still generally biased towards 2D animesque ones as a result. But Smash was basically a fun game for me - varied recognizable characters and settings, the king-of-the-hill twist on the default goals and a bunch of items factoring in. I never felt as much revolution there as I probably should have, bit it did click - even though with nothing but a Project64 at hand, my Smash days ended as soon as my student years and abundantPC gaming ones did. My good old WinXP rig also meant no Dolphin and hence no Melee/Brawl either.

Then again, fast several years forward to 2016 and I found myself investing quite a few hours into the 3DS entry where I wanted to test the full functionality so much that I grabbed the first FP amiibo I could get. I'd have had Lucina over Marth any day even before I knew who Lucina was, but hey - Marth has served me well for almost three years now, in more than one game, and even proved phenomenally sturdy for a figurine barbarically carried in the bag in a web of handhelds and charger cords. I digress, though - the bottom line is, SMBFor (still a candidate for best game title pun) made sure that the inevitable Switch entry would be on my radar. Even before the whole Spirit system was announced, detailed and working to make SMBU the ultimate Smash game in my eyes for real. I still think it's the best thing to have happened to the series to date. Although again, you're reading this from a longtime biased JRPG nerd.😋

As for the writer here... I'd say don't force it. Maybe you'll change your mind and perception one day, maybe you won't. There should be plenty of other games out there. Fiction's resonance with people is a miracle, but also a gamble regardless of quality - and a sad sight when simulated for the sake of feeling "obliged to like and enjoy" something trendy. Hype backlash and potentially militant bitterness are much more likely crops of such a seed.

I cannot get into Fortnite...the world’s most popular game. Sometimes a game just doesn’t click. I will also add it took me a very long time to get into it but now Smash clicks and I’m having fun. So who knows, maybe it’ll click at some point.

This is definitley not a game you can just pick up. Other fighters like street fighter are easier to master simply due to how many games are so identical, yet smash is something completely unique and new. Its kind of a game you really learn when you are a kid, and have a whole summer to mess around to teach yourself and learn from friends nextdoor.

I enjoy it, though me and my friend grew up and almost always go back to smash 64 no matter what that's our game we've probably put multiple thousands of hours into that game. Between high school and college we'd stay up all night playing 99 stock battles that would go on for an hour and half at a time. It's hard to get him to play the newer ones, even though I enjoy playing the new ones, but also like the old one as well. Plus the lightworld was pretty fun with this one to add some additional playtime to the game.

I don't like Smash Bros games, Soccer, Shooting games, any Western Superheroes games, Star Wars, any realistic driving games at all. 😒

I like ARMS, K-1 Pocket Grand Prix 1 + 2 GBA, Street Fighter Alpha series + III 3rd Strike, Animal Boxing NDS instead. 😘

You don’t have to love everything the media tells you to; I for one don’t like the Mortal Kombat series, Axiom Verge, or even Celeste. But i’m no more wrong than they are right.

I've tried to enjoy Smash. My old office lapped it up, I couldn't enjoy it. Not even sure why, has all the ingredients I like. I actually enjoyed the 3DS' pre-Smash mini game more than the actual fighting 😂 Wii U was OK, but not able to enjoy it. Never mind.

@Agent721 Totally agree. I found Fortnite dull, it just didn't resonate with me.

So this is the same group of people who didn't like last years E3.

It's like that SpongeBob episode about Squidward , but replace Krabby Pattys with Smash Bros.

You poor, poor creatures. /s

Most of these comments boil down to.

1. It didn't click: I can respect that.

2. There's not enough content: What they really mean is that there aren't enough single player offerings. But if you play Smash Bros solo, I think you're looking at the wrong game/genre.

3. Smash Bros is hard: No it's not. Blazblue is hard. Melty Blood is hard. Guilty Gear is Hard. Tekken (debate-ably) is hard. Smash Bros isn't. There are even easier games out there, believe it or not.
Like: Rising thunder, Divekick, Fantasy Strike, and others.

I understand the appeal of the violence in smash. It’s not unlike physical gags in cartoons with one cute character ringing the bell of another. Not everyone likes that kind of thing but a seemingly majority do. That said, Smash is not for me either. I actually got pretty close to having a good time with the 3DS version but any other smash hasnt jived with me including the looks of the new Smash Ultimate.

Same. Its just another 2D fighting game with a Nintendo skin to me. Nothing to get too excited about.

Hopefully Fire Emblem will be good. Haven't bought a Nintendo game since Odyssey came out.

Oh, well. Guess ill just have to work some more shifts for Mr. Grizz in the meantime.

Nowhere in your article do you suggest you're even a fighting game fan. If you don't appreciate the genre, it's not revolutionary to state you don't enjoy some of its more casual offerings.

The answer is because everyone has different tastes, and Smash doesn’t align with yours. Everyone loves Rockstar games like GTAV and RDD2, but I don’t like them. It’s perfectly fine to not like things that are massively popular.

I'm right there with you brother. The only thing that tipped the scales for me with Ultimate is now I have kids and it's fun to play with them. And even that BARELY justified what I paid for it.

@Dang69 It still require resources, even if it is a small team doing one specific thing. And I don't really feel like there's going to be another one anytime soon. Splatoon seems and feels like Mario Kart and Smash: one per console is enough.

My nephew is obsessed and won’t stop talking about SSB. I have all the games except 3DS, but I only play in short bursts occasionally.

I agree, I never got into smash. Coming from a Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, MK, and Killer Instinct background, it never appealed to me at all. Seems so limited.

@Itzdmo Since it is your first experience with it, it is normal that you find it shallow. It is the magic of Smash and Pokémon. It can seem flat and simple for a quick casual game, but you can also take a deep dive and learn it and find a complex game behind it.

I dont get Pokemon 😕

Or animal crossing

Already love another fighting series for me, so looking at smash be like, meh

I'd say, if you didn't enjoy enjoy 4, don't bother getting Ultimate; they're quite similar. I originally hated Smash; both Melee and Brawl are terrible games, in my opinion. However, 4 finally clicked for me, and Ultimate is largely more of that, with some gameplay tweaks.

Also, I don't get the hype around Mario games; most of them seem very lazy and mediocre to me.

And Skyward Sword is my favourite Zelda...

I’m in the same boat.

Fighting games are probably my favorite but with Smash Bros I just can’t enjoy it to its fullest. I don’t dislike it but I don’t like it either.

It’s the same with Pokémon or Splatoon or Fortnite... There are many other franchises that people are crazy about but I just can’t get into.

It is a competitive fighting game where it is easy to play but hard to master. I can play SSB (along with any fighting game I like) forever because it hits that competitive nerve and it is very fun to play. If you don't have the patience or drive to continue to get better and find competitive that pushes you beyond your limits, I can see how the appeal is lost.

For me it's a few things:

1. The controls just don't feel right to me, particularly moving with the analog stick and the way many actions and attacks don't really match what you're doing with the stick and buttons half the time.

2. I find the menu designs really convoluted and clumsy, and I think stuff like that is actually really important to get right.

3. The games are just far too bloated imo, with a lot of stuff I simply would not include if I had any say.

4. Sometimes there's a mix of art styles going on the various modes that just doesn't mesh as a whole, and much like the menu issue earlier, that overall presentation stuff is important to get right to me.

But it's mostly the controls that are the biggest issue for me. I wish there was a version of Smash Bros where the controls were basically just like Street Fighter II Turbo or something like that. In fact give me a game that controls/plays like Street Fighter II Turbo but with Smash characters and I would be stoked.

I used to not get Smash Bros, if I'm being honest. But after I got sucked up into the hype train for Ultimate, I tried to figure the mechanics in Smash for Wii U out a bit more...and that's when things clicked for me. It just takes time to really get a grasp on the gameplay, something exacerbated by how many characters there are in the newer installments. I can understand a lot of the sentiments here, yes, but I'd encourage people to dive deep into Training to try and get a feel for the mechanics and find their perfect character.

I didn't get it either, I wasn't interested at all in all the pre-release Smash Ultimate promo material. The only Smash I'd played previously was on N64 at a friends place. A few weeks ago curiosity got the better of me so I picked up Smash Ultimate and I've found myself really enjoying adventure mode, but I've just finished it and don't think I can be bothered with any other modes now. My wife isn't interested and my kids are a little too young yet.

I did the same thing as the writer to this article lol. I never got into smash. Watched all the directs for this one, got hyped, was like yea I’m gonna get good this time around. Bought it. Played it for about 10 hours with my son and unlocking characters (he doesn’t really like it). Now it just sits on my rack collecting dust 😂. Oh well I tried

Don’t do it. I’m exactly the same way. I rented the N64 version, bought the GCN version, and bought the Wii U version trying to make myself like them. I wanted to enjoy them and experience the Nintendo fan service. I didn’t like any of them. After tapping out of the Wii U version at less than 10 hours, I vowed that was it. So I had to sit through a mediocre E3 last year, because it was basically Smash, and skip out on a couple Directs because again, Smash focused. I was so glad when the game finally released so other games would get the spotlight. I haven’t been tempted with Ultimate at all. It might be great but it does nothing for me.

It's the only Ninty game I've never purchased.

It's all a matter of taste to be sure. While many people treat SSB as the best or at least in the top 3 series Nintendo puts on the market, for me the game is just "good". It's a great party game and an admirable achievement in game design... but that's it. I can sit and play Xenoblade Chronicles for 5 hours straight and feel like it's been 20 minutes, but after an hour of playing SSB I just feel done for the week!

The most fun is playing SSB with friends. Playing it by myself just isn't that interesting, and playing online is a friendly reminder of just how bad I am at the game.

I am totally with the author, looking on with bemusement at people like Alex who act like SSB is the greatest thing since pizza and wondering how they can keep playing it like they do.

S'alright, I'm not really into Smash either. I just haven't had much interest in fighting games in general since the 16-bit era when Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II were still relatively new.

You're perfectly entitled to your wrong opinion.

Gavin, got this as a gift, and I played it for a little bit, but I just can't really dig it either. Oh well.

Exactly what I feel. I would love to like the franchise, but the game play seems so random and chaotic, that I really cant have fun with it. I will buy it for my switch, the last try was with my Wii.... Hope this time I get it

@Jack_Goetz love your ugly nes Megaman manual emoticon!

Wise man he say
To real enjoy see
Game that you play
Good you must be

@dartmonkey Hey Man, no need to feel bad about not liking Smash. Not everyone likes the same things. I have a similar opinion as you when it comes to Super Meat Boy. Every raves about it as one of the greatest platformers of all time but I don't particularly like that game. I much prefer playing Celeste over Super Meat Boy.

You can re-map the controls in Smash Bros now, if you really want jump on the a button.

I’ve never played a Smash game, and don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. As for Zelda, I really, really want to like it ... but just don’t.

Eh, I don't think they're anything to get. Some people like it, some don't. I just recently beat Dark Souls and thought it was just OK. I understand other people like it, but felt like too much work after a day of real work.

Smash is trash, but you kids have fun.

Never cared about it too. I've tried the first one back in the day and it was enough for me. Despite what some people say, I do see Smash as a fighting game, and being one of those who would spend countless hours in the arcades, weekly, just to play some KoF, SF3, SamSho and Last Blade, I simply can't enjoy it for how bland it is.

The best thing Smash does, for me, is to keep updating old school characters and keeping them relevant for a newer audience.

I played 64 and Melee obsessively with friends back in the day... However, I'm on your boat. Ultimate is rather dull.

@jtmnm I can’t speak for the author, but these days being a fan of a genre and playing games in that genre are two separate things: I don’t play any fighting games and Smash doesn’t doesn’t grab me, however, I never miss watching at least EVO. Watching competitive fighters, including Smash, to me, is the pinnacle of eSports.

I feel pretty much the same way (I still think that dominating the entire 2018 Christmas season with essentially just Smash was a mistake by Nintendo for the Switch's sophomore year) and it boils down to some simple things. There are a lot of things to like about the franchise: Smash has incredible fan service, from seeing so many iconic IPs sharing the screen to that amazing Music menu where you can just sit and listen to hundreds of tracks stretching across practically the entire history of videogames. However...

As a game, I can never seem to find a button layout that feels natural to me with Smash, and between that and those floaty physics I typically find myself mindlessly hammering buttons. It's a beautiful game with outstanding production values; it's just not my particular genre.

Smash typically gets far less attention when I have friends or family over than the likes of, say, Mario Kart, and again I think the reason is simple: it has a much steeper learning curve (not even considering all the different characters' individual nuances), whereas titles like Mario Kart are pick-up-and-play simple for even non-gamers. Smash is geared toward competitive players who probably tend to play mostly online and/or in organized tournaments. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not really for everyone, as the comments here can obviously attest.

@Gavin Do you enjoy/prefer traditional fighting games like Street Fighter?

My story was the same as yours. I played every entry with the exception of Brawl, and never found the fun in it. But now with Ultimate, it finally clicked and I beat the World of Light 100% and put a ton of hours into the rest of the game.

@Scollurio
I don't get BotW. Turning into a more generic rpg was not that good for Zelda I guess. Maybe it was economically profitable for Nintendo, and a sales success, but from a gamer's perspective it was meh, yet another grind-heavy stretched out rpg.
But the previous, strongly story-driven, massive handcrafted-dungeons Zelda games were true gems.

Same here, love the amiibos but never been interested in Smash OR Mario cart. I played some Street Fighter back in the day, but fighting games and racing games don't really feel like real games to me. You play them for 5 minutes and you're just like, yea ok, meh. Some people LOVE multiplayer stuff, and it's all the rage these days but it'll never be my cup of tea.

I love how people come here, ravage the author and then accuse them of wanting or having a "safe space".

It becomes clear they aren't even aware of what that means. It's just a buzzword.

I’m in the same boat. I can appreciate that it’s well done...I just don’t get it. Feels like senseless button mashing to me.

Maybe it’s enhanced with local multiplayer co-op and I’ve been playing single player the whole time? Wish the strategy was easier to pickup. I’m missing it.

I've always enjoyed smash bros games up until ultimate. A bunch of little changes they made annoy me in ways that kill a lot of the enjoyment for me. World of light is repetitive trash, respecting characters after every single fight is aggravating beyond belief. The lack of minigames such as target smash and home run derby just plain sucks. I've put more time into smash 4 on wiiu than on ultimate since the release of ultimate. Just not fun for me

• raises hand *

I think my problem is the fighting genre. They don't pull me in like the good 'ol days. I own Smash, ARMS, and the anniversary edition of Street Fighter.

Interestingly enough, ARMS is the most played out of those 3. But I think I'm over it, and I appreciate where the author is coming from.

I am completely with you on this one. I, for one reason or another, bought every Smash game that has been released. I played them all for about a week and never touched them again. Like you something just doesn't click with me and this series. They are fun for me for about a week then the honeymoon period ends and I ask myself why did I buy another one of these games.

Agreed, I rented Melee after all the hype back then but I've never been a fan of fighting games and I just couldn't get into it. Would be tempted to try it again if there was a demo, I refuse to pay full price for it when I may not play it more than once.

Well, very productive. "Scoffs."

Same here I got it, played for like a week. Haven’t touched it since and dont plan on it

I first got the Wii iteration, didn’t care for it and sold it. I decided to try again with Ultimate, mostly because Best Buy had a crazy deal on preorders. I did enjoy unlocking all the fighters, but after that I haven’t touched it. I doubt I’ll ever buy another one, but don’t regret it because the deal was so good and it’s nice to have around when other people are over.

I debate with my 15 year old son about this all the time. He loves Smash Bros. and has since Brawl. He also loves Enter the Gungeon and roguelike games likes that. I just turned 41 and I've tried but I just can't get into either of them. I figured it was more of a generational thing but who knows? I'm more into platformers, metroidvanias, adventure and puzzle games (also the occasional RPG). I think being a gamer is like saying you work in IT, it is a very broad description and encompasses a lot of different interests.

Simple answer:

*You don't like something, it's ok, nothing has 100% followers in the world

*You tried it but you did not like it or you did not get it, it's normal, not everyone get in the same things.

simple like that.

I have the same problem with Zelda botw, I dont get why people like it so much.

You're not alone. I enjoy Smash and pick up every installment thanks to its huge amounts of fan service and nods to Nintendo's past. But I'm no diehard. Despite the large selection of titles I've picked up so far I tend to gravitate back towards BOTW. On my 6th playthrough

Same. I’ve often wondered what it is about the game everyone else seems to love. I just can’t get into it...

You can't enjoy everything. Doesn't mean it's bad, just indifferent to you. As an example I like Smash Ultimate, but I don't like Fortnite. But who cares, really? Enjoy what you like. The more to choose from the better for all of us. As long as you don't go around telling people they are wrong for liking a game you don't like, there's nothing to be upset about.

As a confessed Smash-lover, I can say that what I love about Smash compared to other fighting games is the “spacing”.
I’ve never cared for the forward-only gameplay of a more “aggressive” fighting games. I’ve always loved that I have an entire stage to move around in with Smash, and I can control the tempo.
Although button inputs are relatively minimal (which I love) compared to other fighting games, the depth of Smash is in the spacing and timing, I believe.

It’s funny, but these elements of Smash have taught me life lessons about social cues and even human relationships of knowing when to strike and when to evade. Thanks, Sakurai! 😆

I gave up after about 6 hours of alien isolation- spent the majority of it hiding. Such a boring game in my eyes.

Fun read. I love fighting games, but I don't buy them very often because I normally don't have friends who play them semi competitively like I do. Matches were so lopsided it's just not fun and nobody wanted to put in the effort to improve. That's what stifles my enjoyment in these type of games and the single player content are usually not worth the price tag. Playing online with strangers is fine, but I prefer to have a local experience when it comes to fighting games.

With that being said, I was very hesitant to pick up Smash Ultimate for that very reason. Luckily, I have a friend who used to play in tournaments and we've been playing like crazy. This game is really good.

Ultimate is a game that's easy to learn, but hard to master. There is enough depth for fights to be exciting and rewarding for those who put in the effort to learn them. On the surface, the game may look simple and shallow, but underneath that lies a brilliant and intuitive fighting game.

I love Smash to hell and back, or I did. But Ultimate disappointed me somehow. Movement feels clunky and awkward and the air-dodge just gets me killed all the time. I hate that its less about mind games and more about whoever gets the first hit in. So... yeah. I'll just wait till the next one.

I feel ya.

I enjoy playing Smash, but Ultimate is BY FAR the messiest and most confusing edition yet, completely unwelcoming to new players. I could fill a small book with outlines of what I'd consider missteps in visual design.

Right after that comes the issue of IP identity. Smash is forgetting why it exists. It lacked coherency right at the outset, but at least it had context. Master Hand took the toys from the chest, placed them in the arena, and brought them to life with a snap of his fingers!

Now, it's just completely bonkers. Anyone unfamiliar to the world of Nintendo will have no clue at all what's happening in the Ultimate intro, or why the outcome promts the actions from the player that you will immediately be asked to perform.

It is NOT a bad Smash game, but it isn't a good starting point either.

I can't really get into it either.

The movement just feels 'off'. It always has. I can't ever come to grips with moving the character around on the stage.

Everybody feels too small, too light, too fast. Even the "big" characters like Donkey Kong.

Instant special moves are a big deal for me. So is the control freedom and actual stages that differ from each other. These allow for psychic strats! AND EVERYONE IS HERE!
These (and obviously 3-8 player modes) are all ingredients that elevate Smash Bros. above oldschool 1-vs-1 fighting games.

I loved Street Fighter, Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, Samurai Shodown, Tekken, and SoulCalibur back then, but Smash Bros. combines more complexity with simpler controls and at the same time gets rid of stupid preset button-code combinations. The biggest positive factor however is that button-mashing gets you nowhere: While in other fighting games an unskilled player can sometimes win by sheer luck (by pressing all buttons randomly as fast as possible) it's impossible to win a match with this "strategy" in Smash.

So yeah, Smash Bros. changed my view on the fighting game genre. It was a revelation 20 years ago.

@Itzdmo
I guess you've just gotten the game so you don't know too much about it. There are definitely combos to memorize and tech skill to master at the more competitive levels. Calling it a game for people who can't play/master real fighting games is insulting and simply untrue

Maybe it’s the group you play with? I remember plenty of raucous multiplayer mayhem with the N64 and Wii versions. If I were to play alone or with someone other than my brothers - it would definitely be different.

I enjoy Smash a lot; what I can't get into is competitive Smash. For me, the best thing about the series is the chaos and the bonkers situations that arise from it. Give me items, give me trophies, give me hazards, give me final smashes. When you take those out, all that's left is a mathematical grind of priorities, animation frames, and dodging - and that's not for me at all.

@dartmonkey You are not alone. I, also, have never understood why Smash is so popular and so over obsessed as the greatest game ever. I've always felt there must be something I'm missing about it, because it just never seemed like "all that" to me. A well made, fun game, sure, but not this transcendental experience the legions of fans make it sound like. And as much as I've always felt like the only person who doesn't "get it" it sounds like even I have enjoyed it more than you. Subspace Emissary was very fun to me...I was hooked. To me that was the game, and if we don't get that campaign the game is kind of worthless to me. Similarly I actually did enjoy World of Light...I mean it was a quasi-RPG, so it was a lot more likable. But once I was done with World of Light, I tried to play for like a day, the game greeted me with repeated data corruption and re-installs, and after a few days of messing with it I decided I did't really care anymore anyway....I put it down and probably will never touch it again. Worth the price though since I enjoyed the single player. But it's not this "amazing" experience the internet makes it out to be. Just a decent action-brawler-fighter and RPG-lite story.

@Woah It's really a whole different genre than other fighters. While it does have depth in it's gameplay, it still all centers around a basic set of inputs and a few extended combos off that. Compare that to, say, Tekken 7 where each character has a list of over 100, in some cases, well over 100 individual moves via combos and complex input chains....or take that further and look toward BlazBlue and Guilty Gear and the ABSURD levels of input chains required for the most advanced moves, and it's clear that the entire method of playing at a high level is effectively a different genre. Smash focuses on being an action game, more than a fighting game, primarily, even though it has similarities. Other fighting games focus on pre-planned sequencing of inputs as almost mini-game challenges to perform any major action. They're very different things.

@Marios-love-child oh yeah I would definitely be yelling at you right now

Is it good? Yes.

Is it devote almost a whole e3 event to? Not even close.

@Zequio Well spotted!

I think a huge part of the Smash experience is the culture that arises around it via a group of like-minded people that also play. During my freshman year of college, everyone in the dorm played Smash and there was something about the ongoing, months-long meta competition that gave the game such life. My roommates and I still play it on the regular, but I find that Smash is as much about the people you're playing with as it is about the fun of the game itself.

@gamekill Ill dive right in with the upcoming remake! Giving it another chance and all!

@NEStalgia

I agree, smash is fundamentally different then pretty much all fighting games. I was just establishing to a person above that there is definitely a fair amount of depth to smash bros. I never really thought of it as being more of an action game than a fighting game when compared to other fighting games before. It makes a lot of sense as smash is more read based and uncontrollable

Don't worry. Is something only humans like. Because you are an alien, right?

Yup, same here. I don't enjoy the gameplay and it's theme is just a mashup that makes no sense to me. As mash ups go Marvel vs. Capcom makes much more sense.

I can understand this.
I love Smash 64 and Melee! ALso picked up Brawl and enjoyed it, but not to obsession. Didn't feel compelled to buy the WII U game or the Switch one. I feel that I have the core game already, and just more stages and fighters does not persuade me to buy.

I'm the same with Splatoon.

The game really comes alive with 2 or 3 friends battling it out in the same room

At the moment I don't own Smash Bros but soon or later i will one Smash Bros. recently I have been watching Smash Bros stream on Twitch looks amazing

Love this article! I can find some fun in Smash Bros. I always buy the newest one, because I do like having it when friends come over. (Although, Mario Kart is more often what we choose.) However, I just can't get into it like I do with other games. Having all those characters together is an amazing thing! But it isn't a game I can get excited about the way so many others do. As someone who loves Nintendo I WANT to be in on the excitement. It's okay, but I'm not in on the hype.

Hm, it sounds like you've never had the experience of understanding how to play smash, to be honest. Button mashing and move spamming would definitely keep it a very bland game, since the whole beauty of it is manuvering using the variety of moves your character offers. If you die so immediately it'd probably be no fun, and the adventure mode feels like a side dish platformer to me too, I understand why you felt that way, it's not supposed to teach you to play. I think what is supposed to teach you to play is playing against the CPU in your level and watching what they are doing and learning from it.

If you want, you should have a friend sit down and try to teach you to smash. Have a friend explain to you what you should be focusing on while playing smash. Unlike Mario Kart and Zelda, it's not an intuitive experience, it's an experience where you think to yourself "what should I do?".

Teaching noob friends who don't game to play smash always takes at least 20-30 minutes until they start getting it, before that it can be too confusing - but in my experience all the people I've taught smash to have started to really really enjoy it by the end.

Tldr: I think maybe you've never learned how to really play the game, since it's not really taught in any way but more picked up by battling cpu or players who get it, so I suggest asking a friend to teach you, and see if it makes sense then.

I loved 64 and Melee. Lots of memories of playing 64 with group of friends. Melee more so as singleplayer. I loved the adventure mode and statues.

Brawl and onwards has been a bit of a letdown. I enjoyed Subspace Emissary but it didn't feel like Smash but a brawler and when I finished it I didn't really want to play it much more. I figure I didn't like controls that much.

I enjoyed the Wii U one even played some online but never loved it.

The Switch one I've barely played but the spirit board seems a bit cheaply produced compared to adventure mode and subspace emissary.

Today I installed Smash on the Switch for the 6th time. And for the 6th time I deleted it. I love fighting games and platformers, and I've been gaming for 30 years, but I just can't seem to get it. Not that it's boring, but it's just ok, and it's really perplexing, I've always wondered why it doesn't click with me. But I guess it's time to let go. Pity.

Just purchased Ultimate, and actually got here through Googling “why don’t I like smash bros?” like it were a mildly embarrassing medical condition. I have bought the N64 version, the GameCube version and the Wii version and something about it always leaves me cold. I love mayhem, I love multiplayer, I love Nintendo nostalgia, I love pure visceral gaming a la Wario Ware/Super Monkey Ball etc, I love fighting games (even ones with more of a learning curve/concept behind them - Power Stone for example) I love the bizarreness of all the beloved video games characters fighting it out, but for some reason which I can’t put my finger on, I’ve almost instantly become bored half an hour in. And that half an hour is invariably fairly unenjoyable to me. I realise there is some element of it its mechanics I must not “get” but semi decent Smash players have taught me some things, I’ve played with good crowds of like minded people in a fun multiplayer situation among other multiplayer titles but even many of those people seem a bit “meh” about it and keen to return to Monkey Ball or something else. I wish I got it, because I dearly love the premise, the roster, the chaos of it all. But. No. I haven’t traded in or sold the N64, GC or Wii one so part of me must still hold out hope it clicks one day...

@EyalOged

Well considered reply, thank you! I really wish I got its nuances, I might persevere a bit longer with Ultimate.

This puts the "pathetic" in "Apathetic"