Super Smash Bros. is one of the best-selling franchises in fighting game history. And while there are plenty of fighting game fans who find that annoying because they don't consider Smash a fighting game, that hasn't stopped Smash Bros Ultimate from being one of the Nintendo Switch's best-selling games.

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But sometimes people want to try something new. And there have been plenty of platform fighters and four-player brawl games over the years that weren't even made by Nintendo. Some of them aren't too great, while others are a blast to play even if they don't review well. And then there are other fighting games to branch out to for those who think only Nintendo can master the platform fighting genre.

10 Brawlhalla Has Over 50 Fighters With Plenty Of Crossovers

Koji shooting Val with an arrow in Brawlhalla

Developer Blue Mountain Games and publisher Ubisoft released Brawlhalla in 2017, and it’s been going strong ever since. The title features over fifty different characters now, each with their own weapons and stats. The game plays much like Super Smash Bros, where the players are all trying to knock one another off the stage. Brawlhalla’s popularity has allowed it to do crossovers with over a dozen different franchises including Ben 10, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Kung-Fu Panda. With a vibrant fanbase and plenty of characters available, there’s no better time to jump into this franchise.

9 Rivals of Aether Lets Players Blow Up The Stage As Part Of The Strategy

Rivals of Aether 4 player gameplay

Rivals of Aether was launched in 2017. Developed by Dan Fornace, the game was originally intended to be similar to Super Smash Bros. But there are some pretty major changes between this game and Smash Bros. To begin with, every character has special moves and abilities that don’t just attack the enemy, but they affect the stage, basically making it harder to find a balance. It also doesn’t let players simply grab the edge if they’ve been blown off, making for a more fast-paced and dangerous game.

8 Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl Collects Characters From Across Multiple Nick Franchises

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is the latest attempt at the throne. The title was announced earlier in 2021 before launching in October. Originally developed by Ludosity and Fair Play Labs and published by GameMill Entertainment, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a very... okay game.

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It features characters from several decades of Nickelodeon cartoons, from the Rugrats’ Reptar to the cast of Spongebob Squarepants. An even bigger problem though is that despite nailing the gameplay, it misses things like the music and voices of the characters, leading to an experience that isn’t nearly as fun for people who prefer more than just the gameplay.

7 Slap City Has A Small But Unique Roster

Slap City

Before the developers on Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl released that game, they were on the platform fighter Slap City. Another platform fighter, the game starts with eight unique characters that all have their own special play-style. Typically anything up to four players is allowed in global or online matches. This game really is a complete package though, as it also includes a brand-new stage mode that lets players play basketball while beating each other up. And there’s even a story mode for the time fans are looking for something less high-string.

6 For Honor Is Unlike Any Other Fighting Game On The Market

For Honor

For Smash Bros fans, they’re already into a different kind of fighting game than what’s normally on the market, and there are certainly very few games as different as Ubisoft’s For Honor. The idea is that it exists in a world where multiple different factions throughout history all exist in the same place and are at war with each other: Knights, Vikings, Samurai, and ancient Chinese Wu Lin faction.

Each one has multiple different archetypes of fighters that have their own unique way of fighting. The game allows for four versus four, two versus two, and one on one matches, meaning there’s plenty of variety available.

5 Brawlout Combines Characters From Other Indie Titles For A New Platform Fighter

Brawlout

Angry Mob Games’ Brawlout essentially took the idea behind Smash Bros’ crossovers and asked, “But what if it was done with all indie titles?” The roster is jam-packed with characters from other, more popular franchises like Guacamelee and Yooka-Laylee.

They all fight differently, but the goal with Brawlout was to make it welcoming to veteran players and complete noobs alike. This game got off to something of a rocky start, but the continued work on it pushing it to a 2.0 update seems to have made it a more entertaining experience.

4 Override: Mech City Brawl Is A Four Player Brawler With Giant Robots

Override Mech City Brawl

Tired of fighting with regular people and video game mascots? Take it to the next level with Override: Mech City Brawl, where players are controlling giant robots. Override goes all out with offering a giant robot fantasy, with a dozen different playable mecha and more added via DLC.

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Players can travel to different locations and lay waste to them with their massive mecha battles. There are plenty of customization options available so players can make the robot they choose feel like their own. And there’s even a cool co-op mode where everyone controls a different part of the mech.

3 Towerfall Ascension Has Combat Using Bow And Arrows

Towerfall Ascension

Take Super Smash Bros and shove it through a pixel-art filter, then give all the characters bows and arrows and the result is Towerfall: Ascension. Developed by Maddy Thorson, TowerFall was originally a single-player game that was expanded outward. The game involves players trying to kill one another using bows and arrows, dodging their opponent's arrows, and picking them up to replenish their own supply. It’s got dozens of maps and a ton of ways to customize every match so nothing ever has to be the same.

2 Punch Planet Is A Sleek, Well-Designed 2D Sci-Fi Fighter

Punch Planet

Punch Planet isn’t anything close to a platform fighter--it’s as traditional a 2D fighter as they come. It’s developed by three developers who went out of their way to create a deep fighter with an in-depth, science fiction story. The game’s narrative takes the player to multiple planets and has them meeting several alien races along the way. So what makes this game appealing to Smash fans?

The same thing that makes it appealing to any gamer: it’s a great game. It’s well-designed mechanically and it’s got tons of style to it’s characters and combos, and there’s no gamer anywhere that doesn’t appreciate something like that. Though the title is still in Early Access, it’s got a small but passionate and welcoming fanbase for anyone curious about getting into it.

1 Dragon Ball FighterZ Has Plenty Of Over The Top Action...And Goku

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Smash fans don’t have to automatically love every platform fighter, especially when there are plenty of other options available out there. Dragon Ball FighterZ might not have the traditional Smash Bros fun, but it’s got the one character Smash fans were begging for in Goku. Does it ever have him—six different variations of the character, no less. Dragon Ball FighterZ is over the top in its own way, with the absurd combos, gorgeous graphics, and loving references to the anime that all combine to make it one of the best fighting games to come out in the last generation.

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