As an insider of the Smash community (a player, a writer, a fan etc.), I have been asked countless times to share my thoughts on whether or not Super Smash Bros for 3DS/ Wii U should be considered a competitive game. Many people approach me with this question expecting a quick yes or no response while others ask deeper questions such as: “What would make this game more competitively viable?” and “Why does (x) character suck? Why don’t they just nerf/buff them?”
The truth of the matter is that I couldn’t answer these questions with a simple yes or no. The reason for this is because there is no definite answer. Smash Bros has always been a game that is incredibly difficult to judge when it comes to how competitive it is. This is because, on one hand, Smash Bros has always been a very casual game. On the other hand, it has also been a game that has had some of the most dedicated and passionate players in the history of competitive gaming.
What are the differences between Smash 4 and Melee?
One of the main arguments that people use in order to say that Smash 4 isn’t a competitive game is that it doesn’t have the same level of depth as games such as Street Fighter or Melee. This argument is flawed for a few reasons. The first reason is that, while it is true that Smash 4 doesn’t have the same level of depth as Melee, this doesn’t mean that it is suddenly a bad game. On the contrary, there are many gamers out there who actually prefer Smash 4’s level of depth because they feel like it adds to the game’s charm and makes it more approachable/accessible for casual players.
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Another argument that people tend to use in order to claim that Smash 4 isn’t a competitive game is that it lacks wavedashing/wavedropping and other advanced movement techniques. This argument, while true, doesn’t necessarily mean that Smash 4 is a poor competitive game. The reason why this argument doesn’t hold much weight is because wavedashing/wavedropping are not what make a game competitive. Instead, it is the level of strategy and tactics that a game has that determines how competitive it is.
How much does it cost to buy a copy of Smash 4
This brings me to my next point: many people argue that Smash 4 is a bad competitive game because it is too heavily reliant on chance and luck. While it is true that chance and luck can play a role in the outcome of a match, this doesn’t mean that the game isn’t skill-based. After all, games such as Street Fighter and Melee are also reliant on chance and luck. The difference, however, is that these games have a much higher level of skill required in order to play them at a competitive level.
Why does Bowser suck?
With that being said, there are still some things about Smash 4 that make it a poor competitive game. One of these things is the fact that there are a few characters in the game who are simply too powerful and require very little skill to use. This is why many people have been calling for Nintendo to nerf/buff these characters in order to make the game more competitively viable.
Conclusion
With all of this in mind, it is my belief that Smash 4 will never live up to Melee’s competitive potential regardless of whether or not Nintendo makes changes to the game. This is because, regardless of how much effort Nintendo puts into balancing Smash 4, there are always going to be common complaints about certain characters being too good/too bad. The only way that Smash 4 could ever live up to Melee’s standard would be if Nintendo decided to make it an eSport.