SMASH- A party game or Fighting Game?

[virtuaPAI]

I have been reading a couple of threads about this subject, and I find it to be very interesting. In its conception, Smash was intended to be a party game. However, it had components that allowed the series to be competitive. IMO, once the community decided to focus on this competitive side, Smash became more than just a "party game", but a fighting game.

What are your thoughts on this subject matter?

 

[The HuBBs]

IMHO its whatever you want the game to be. If you want to take it seriously for competition then its a fighter. But the premise of the game is that of a party style fighter.

 

[JamoDOA]

It's highly debatable as it doesn't follow a traditional formula but really that shouldn't keep it from being considered a fighter. Good players can win consistantly so... something was done right. Though I just play for fun.

 

[virtuaPAI]

I agree. I think too many OG players cannot stand change. Thus why they bicker and complain about anything new or just outright different.

 

[Matt Ponton]

Street Fighter (and the 2D/3D fighters for that matter) are always presented synonymously with a "Martial Arts Tournament". Where one person must be left standing after fighting with fists and kicks.

In that same vein, I always put Smash in as a "Sumo Tournament". Where the objective is just different: Not to take out the "life" meter, but to wear down your opponent until they are knocked out of the ring. Not every place has to have a Sumo Tournament, but Sumo is a viable sport and at least one country loves it.

 

[Hurricane Rev]

Smash is more of a party game rather than a fighting game. The maker of the game did not want smash bros to be a competitive game. I used to play brawl seriously but I stopped playing it because here in the UK, the smash scene only focusing on melee.

 

[Matt Ponton]

That's probably because Melee is the more competitive of the two.

It's almost the opposite of DOA, where originally the creator didn't care if it was "competitive" or not and was just looking to get his company some money by throwing in beautiful graphics with bouncing breasts. Then, once he found there were people trying to play it competitively, he tried taking steps to make it more of a competitive game (whether you like the steps he took or not, doesn't matter).

 

[Game Over]

I'd say the best way to describe Smash is as a hybrid of a party and competitive fighting game since it has elements qualifying for both.

 

[The Alpha Male]

Its fun, competitive and accommodates multiple players.

Its whatever you want it to be. I've seen people playing Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory at parties, granted these parties don't usually involve dudes pissing themselves and never end in a fight or orgy (Sad face) but it happens.

Shit, I played Zelda: OOT as a show and tell project in 8th grade. You can make anything into anything you want.