Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Softonic English

The 4 best games like Super Smash Bros. on PC

Looking for a Super Smash Bros. clone? We’ve got four great ones!

With the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the horizon, it can be hard to think about anything else. The massive popularity of Smash has inspired countless imitators with varying degrees of quality. While Nintendo is still hard at work developing Smash, fans of the game have gotten older and are developing their own unique Smash-like games. If you’re a computer gamer who’s trying to Smash but doesn’t know where to start, look no further.

4 best PC games like Super Smash Bros.

Honorable mention: Gang Beasts

We couldn’t add Gang Beasts to the list since it isn’t similar enough to your typical Smash game, but it’s still worth a mention. Gang Beasts is basically a fighting game with characters that feel like they’re from Human Fall Flat. You fight against others in both online or local multiplayer. You pummel on each other until a player wins by ringing out every other player.

It’s nothing like a Smash game like Super Smash Bros Brawl, but it’s still worth checking out!

Gang Beasts Download now ►

Slap City

Slap City is a hilarious and inventive Smash clone made by Ludosity Games. It is clearly a game developed by fans of the Super Smash Bros. franchise. The game may not take itself super seriously with its oddball characters and goofy presentation, but the gameplay is sharp and responsive. Feeling like a cross between Super Smash Bros. Melee and Smash 4, the game feels fast-paced without being overwhelming.

Unlike most other Smash-like games, the characters in Slap City are not based on popular Smash archetypes like Marth, Fox, or Captain Falcon. Instead, the characters are wholly unique.

Fishbujin is a hulking fish-man monstrosity who uses dumbells, super armor, and wrestling moves to smack down the competition.

Business Casual Man screams business buzzword nonsense while smacking opponents with water coolers and rolling chairs, gaining money that powers up his attacks.

The game includes a robust online matchmaking system that worked well when tested. If you need to take a break from fighting, you can try the amazing Slap Ball mode, a brutal cross between basketball and volleyball that sees players beating the snot out of each other in an attempt to hit a ball into a basket.

Slap City Download Now ►

At $6, the game may be cheap but it certainly doesn’t feel cheap, as a lot of charm and care clearly went into its development. A trailer for Slap City can be viewed below.

Rivals of Aether

Rivals of Aether is the most unique Smash clone out there, both in terms of presentation and in gameplay. Unlike most Smash clones, Rivals uses 2D sprites, which are detailed yet simple, clean, and beautifully animated. The soundtrack is filled with electrifying and uplifting 8-bit melodies that stay buried in your head for days.

Gameplay-wise, Rivals simplifies and modifies Smash’s formula to give it its own unique identity. Most of the standard Smash staples, like standard attacks and one-button special attacks, are present. However, Rivals upheaves many Smash mechanics to stand out from its inspiration. Unlike Smash, ledges are not grabbable. Instead, every character can wall-jump, and each character can use their recovery again after wall-jumping once.

Additionally, shields and spot-dodges have been replaced entirely with the parry system. When a player presses the parry button (by default mapped to the triggers) their character will briefly glow blue. If this another character hits them while they are glowing, the attacking character will be briefly stunned, opening them up for combos. Parries can also be used to reflect combos. Parrying is risky and if mistimed can lead you vulnerable, but the payoff is worth it. Despite the loss of shields, rolling and air dodging is still possible (and yes, you can wavedash).

Rivals of Aether Download now ►

Each member of the roster is based on one of four elements (fire, water, earth, and air). Every character has an elemental gimmick that lets them turn the tide of battle. For example, the whale-dog creature Orcane can splash a puddle of water onto the stage. From this puddle, Orcane can summon a storm of bubbles, power-up his strong (smash) attacks, and teleport.

Manipulating the stage with your element is key to victory in Rivals. The character’s gimmicks are unique and lead to a lot of different combo and setup possibilities without being too overpowered. The character roster is balanced beautifully, with no character coming close to being overpowered over the rest.

Rivals is frequently played as a side event at Smash tournaments. The in-game matchmaking service is constantly populated and the developers work on balancing issues and glitches very quickly. As of now, it is currently by far the most polished, unique, and inventive Smash clone on the market and we highly recommend it. Watch the trailer for Rivals below.

Everything we know so far about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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Icons: Combat Arena

For the Melee diehards out there, Icons: Combat Arena was made for you. Developed by Wavedash, the game was built from the ground up to build off of and subvert Melee’s metagame. The characters are hyper-stylized, with futuristic, busy designs similar to Overwatch. Most of the characters included are based on top-tier characters from Melee. For example, Kidd the space goat is an obvious homage to Fox, as he has a blaster, multipurpose reflector, and directional recovery.

Those who enjoy competitive Melee will find a character that’s similar to their main but is different enough to be fresh. The gameplay and physics are basically 1:1 with Melee, with little to no changes from the core gameplay. If you want a fresh twist on Melee with online play and new character designs, this is your game.

Icons: Combat Arena Download now ►

Icons is free-to-play but, it does not come with all the characters unlocked. To unlock more characters players must either spend real-life money or use in-game currency, which can also be spent on emotes, taunts, holograms (think sprays from shooting games), and skins. All of these can also be found in loot boxes. While the loot box economy of the game is cause for concern, hopefully, the developers create a system that is rewarding and fun instead of greedy. The trailer for Icons can be seen below:

Super Smash Flash 2

Sometimes when you want to play Smash, only Smash will do. As the name suggests, this fan-made Smash game was made entirely in Flash. The game is playable in-browser and is also downloadable. The gameplay is very similar to Smash 4, and any Smash fan should be able to jump in and pick up the game easily. It’s also a really fun party game to play with friends!

The game includes a large portion of the Smash cast, such as Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong, who play very similarly to their Smash 4 counterparts.

Also included are many characters highly requested by fans to be in the next Smash, including Bandana Waddle Dee, Chibi-Robo, Bomberman, and Isaac. Here’s hoping Shovel Knight gets added soon!

Most interestingly, Super Smash Flash 2 includes a few characters that come from anime rather than video games, such as Goku, Luffy, and Naruto.

Super Smash Flash 2 Download now ►

The game is impressively polished, especially for a fan-game. Character sprites are detailed and smoothly animated, making them familiar to play. The new characters have incredibly creative movesets that pay homage to their sources. Bomberman, for example, is a trap-based character who can litter the battlefield with bombs that he can detonate at will. Anime characters fit in well with the rest of the cast, using special moves and voice clips straight from their shows.

The stage list is similarly impressive. The game includes many fan favorites such as Hyrule Temple and Corneria, while also including creative new ones such as a giant 3DS, Pokemon Gold and Silver’s Lake of Rage, and Donkey Kong Country’s Gangplank Galleon. It’s clear that the game was made by people who are incredibly passionate about Nintendo and the Smash Bros series.

The game has a decently large competitive player base and online matchmaking scene. Check out this trailer below:

Why Switch gamers should get a pro controller

If you want to be the best at Super Smash Bros: Ultimate, you’re going to need a pro controller!

Switch gamers, you gotta get a pro controller.

We went on a long journey through games before discovering that controllers matters. Admittedly, when we were kids, there was always “The Controller,” the one everyone wanted! You remember that controller, right? Whether it looked cooler, felt good in your hands or was just plain reliable, the kiddos would fight over it before every local game of Halo, Street Fighter, or Super Smash.

Recently, we had a revelation: the pro controller is the definitive way to play on the Nintendo Switch.

After using the pro controller for an especially long time, we switched back to the regular joy-con. This is what we learned: while joy-con’s have more versatility, they can’t stand up to the pro controller! So, let’s discuss…

Why Switch users should get a pro controller

It looks great

PS4 controllers look smooth and high-tech, which meshes perfectly well with their robust system. Xbox controllers are angular, sleek, and light, implying the system’s adaptability.

Nintendo controllers look like they were designed by a Splatoon Inkling, with shiny, round edges, and the overall Nintendo eye for design. Both versions sold at this time – plain gray and Super Smash logo – have great minimalist looks that we love. Also, much akin to the original Game Boy Colors, their clear cases also reveal some of the inner mechanisms, which never fails to be a fun design choice (in our opinion).

Nintendo Switch gets two new models

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It feels great

Using a PS4 controller feels like you’re grabbing onto a spaceship console: it’s precise and designed for comfort. Xbox controllers feel the wheel of a race car: they’re light, make quick turns, and are more excitable.

The Pro controller feels like chocolate. Or, you know, whatever tactile image you equate to smoothness: a tranquil pond, a hot knife through butter, the touch of a lover, whatever.

A few aspects to note: buttons are well-placed and the left thumbstick isn’t located too far away from your hand, which we greatly appreciate. It has a comfortable weight like the PS4 controller. Joy-cons and Xbox controllers are far lighter, which makes them go back and forth between feeling breakable and playfully weightless. Good and bad.

Finally, most importantly, the joysticks are a dream to use. As Xbox users, we find Microsoft’s controllers to be severely lacking in this respect: the pro controllers have smooth thumb resistance, and the dead zone (how far the stick goes before moving the character) is well-placed. In games where aiming matters – like Fortnite – this can make a huge difference.

It works great

Licensed Nintendo products, unlike the knockoff accessories, almost always have a reliable level of quality. The pro controller is no different.

Expect an excellent charge. We’ve used the controller for hours without having to plug it in, and even when that happens it charges quickly enough that you won’t be bothered by the cords restriction for too long.

Aside from that, this thing is tenacious. We’ve dropped it one too many times, but it still keeps going. You won’t get that toughness from a third-party retro GameCube controller that literally breaks after a few minutes of regular use. Not that we’ve had that experience or anything…

Finally, it has a built-in Amiibo reader. Now you can scan Amiibo during the heat of the game next time you play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gets a sequel

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And all that means…

Really, what’s so bad about joy-cons?

The answer is: nothing. In fact, joy cons are completely necessary for the Switch. They’re an integral part of the console’s experience. You wouldn’t have nearly as much fun playing Mario Odyssey without being able to actually “throw” your friend Cappy!

But sometimes, there are games that require a little more finesse, games that require a regular controller and simply aren’t done justice by the joy-con charging grip. In those situations, when you want a good-looking controller that stays charged for an excellent amount of time, feels good in your hands, and maneuvers like a professional soccer player, we recommend picking up the pro controller.

If for no other reason, grab one because it makes beating your friends in Super Smash: Ultimate approximately 1,000 times easier!

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, it’s your choice whether or not you want a Switch Pro Controller. We believe them to be one of the best console controllers made, and it appears others agree: they have a considerable 4.5 stars with thousands of reviews on Amazon!

Coolest future gaming tech from E3 2019

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Banjo-Kazooie, Dragon Quest heroes are coming to Smash

The bear and bird have abandoned hunting Jiggies, and have decided to duke it out in Smash!

CODE BLUE! BANJO-KAZOOIE IS IN SMASH! REPEAT, CODE BLUE!

Toward the end of Nintendo’s E3 presentation today, the company announced that Banjo-Kazooie is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!

That’s right, the bear and bird duo will be shooting eggs, bird-slamming, and beak-lunging at the competition. If you don’t know who Banjo and Kazooie are, please educate yourself:

Along with bringing the tools of their trade from Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, it appears that there will be a Spiral Mountain stage and a Gruntilda’s Lair stage. Also, Gruntilda herself looks like she will be making an appearance as an assist trophy.

Fans have wanted Banjo Kazooie in Smash for YEARS. The fact that Nintendo has made it happen is bringing tears to our eyes. To make things even better, This wasn’t Nintendo’s only character announcement for the day!

How Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can repair Nintendo’s rocky history with eSports

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Dragon Quest 11 heroes join the fight

Heroes from Dragon Quest 11 will be playable in Smash Ultimate as well. The trailer doesn’t quite specify if each hero will be their own character or just a skin under the name “The Hero.” However, given that Smash already has so many swordfighters, we can’t see them adding four more.

The characters look amazing. They are designed by legendary manga creator Akira Toriyama. Although fans have wanted Toriyama’s pride and joy Goku to join Smash, this is probably going to be the closest we will ever get.

The Hero will have a list of abilities to unleash on the battlefield. This includes a spell to put people to sleep, turning into iron, and even a massive kamikaze explosion. The abilities are similar to Shulk’s Monado Arts but are one of the most unique traits of any Smash fighter.

Honestly, we can’t wait to see what both of these characters will do to the competitive scene. Luckily, we will get to find out this fall!

What to know before your first Smash Ultimate tournament

Read now ►

Who’s next?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We don’t want to be greedy, but we can’t help but think of who we want to see next!

With so many more potential characters to add to the mix, we would love to see more characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Also, cut Waluigi some slack and throw him in there!

Who were you most excited to see today? Also, who do you think should still be in Smash? Let us know in the comments below!

Best exclusive games for each console

Some people like Nintendo, some like Sony. But when it comes to the big three consoles, who has the best exclusives?

The grass is greener on the other side… or is it?

Some people buy consoles for the tech specs. They want the PS4 because the graphics look crisper They want the Xbox because the user interface works like a charm. They want the Switch because it’s portable and versatile.

When it comes down to it, tech specs aren’t always the game changer. In the end, whatever console you choose comes down to one thing — preferences.

This may be controversial, but we believe exclusive games are the real difference between consoles! In fact, they’re so important we almost find ourselves annoyed by the disparity. PS4 players are clearly hogging God of War and Spider-Man. Thank goodness Xbox has Halo and Forza!

So, to see where the grass grows greenest, we compiled each main consoles’ three best exclusives in one place.

Best exclusive console games

PlayStation 4

Sony’s PlayStation 4 appears to have some of the biggest exclusives by far. We were hard-pressed to sort through honorable mentions like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Bloodborne to choose the greatest among them.

We should note: these exclusives are suspiciously only single-player, story-driven games. It seems the best multiplayer exclusives lie elsewhere…

Okay, we’re just trying to be fair to the others; this lineup rocks!

god of war 4

God of War 4 received universal acclaim for its storyline, gameplay, graphics, and more. It was voted Game Award’s Game of the Year, a coveted title.

If you’re unaware, the story goes a little something like this: After the death of his wife, Faye, the god-killing Spartan warrior Kratos journeys with his son Atreus to the “highest peak of the nine realms.” From there, they plan to spread her ashes and complete her last wish.

On the way, they get into a bit of a tussle; the world serpent Jörmungandr shows up, Norse gods stop by to party, it’s a whole thing.

Kratos swings around his mighty ax, making you feel like Thor swinging around Mjolnir. If action games are your jam, this is the game for you.

This one is well worth the price, and you will not be disappointed.

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marvel’s spider-man

We loved Spider-Man games ever since we tried our first on the GameCube! Swinging through New York City, fighting bad guys, and inevitably jumping off the Empire State Building was a blast!

If you haven’t jumped off the ESB, have you really played Spider-Man?

Fast forward 16 years: in the midst of the MCU adventure, Insomniac Games creates a PS4 exclusive with all the majestic charm of the MCU. Swing through the streets of a Manhattan and fight bad guys!

This time, Peter Parker is dealing with a convoluted conspiracy that centers around the bioweapon Devil’s Breath. Naturally, everyone wants it: from Kingpin to Osborne to Doc Ock. Good luck with all that, Parker!

Marvel’s Spider-Man gives you all the tools you need for your web-slinging experience.

uncharted 4: A Thief’s end

Nathan Drake, the infamous thief, goes on one last journey.

Metal Gear games are known for being cinematic experiences that play out like a James Bond flick, where the player gets to be the spy. Uncharted thrusts the player into a similarly movie-like experience, However, rather than venturing into a military melodrama, you go on an adventure with all the swashbuckling excitement of Indiana Jones!

Drake’s brother, Sam, reappears after years of imprisonment and asks Nate for help. They must retrieve the treasure of the pirate captain Henry Avery or he will be killed by a drug lord. Together, they race to find the loot against their former financier and the cause of Sam’s imprisonment.

The epic end to a legendary story doesn’t disappoint! The story is thrilling, the combat is fluid is fast-paced, and the exploration has never been better!

honorable mentions

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Bloodborne
Shadow of the Colossus

Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch doesn’t have as many exclusive titles as we’d like. However, we are excited for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, coming out later this year.

5 things Game Freak must add to Pokémon Sword and Shield

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The Switch is unlike anything on the market. Players can play games from home or on the go all on the same console. If you want, you can play something like the L.A. Noire remake or Saints Row: The Third remake at home, or race against friends in Mario Kart on the go!

The Legend of zelda: breath of the wild

Throughout time, many heroes by the name of Link fought to defend Hyrule and its princess, Zelda, from the evil Ganondorf. Each of them succeeded in warding off the darkness after a great journey…

Until now.

After 10,000 years of safety, Calamity Ganon reappears and turns Hyrule’s ancient, advanced robotics against them. Link falls in battle, and their heroes are killed. As a result, Zelda has to use the power of the gods to hold Ganon at bay for a long, long time…

Then Link wakes after 100 years of recuperation in a stasis chamber and begins his quest anew. Monsters roam the land, the robotics still control Hyrule’s capital, and Zelda’s power won’t hold much longer.

He failed once, but the hero is back in the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a massive open world game. The developers allow the player to play the game however they want to. Players can complete dungeons in whatever order they want in this very non-linear game. If you want, you can grab the Master Sword and all of the best armor you can find. However, you can also collect all the tree branches and rusty swords you can find and challenge Ganon in your undies.

The choice is yours.

super mario odyssey

Yep: Mario loses Peach again.

In order to save her this time, he joins a sentient hat named Cappy, whose sister has been stolen by Bowser for use as Peach’s wedding tiara!

However, Cappy has a few tricks up his sleeve… if hats had sleeves.

Cappy has the ability to let Mario take control of nearby creatures. When under Mario’s control, you have full access to their abilities. You can become a T-Rex and destroy everything in your path. You can become a Hammer Bro and throw an onslaught of hammers at enemies. The choices seem nearly endless.

There are a ton of worlds to choose from and a ton of things to do. Cappy’s introduction adds a fresh level to the game, and the new worlds and enemies all have the familiar Nintendo charm.

This addition to the Mario Bros world holds up so well. In fact, many would argue it belongs higher than Breath of the Wild. If you agree or disagree, let us know in the comments!

Will Mario games ever go out of style? We hope not.

super smash bros: ultimate

This is the definitive party multiplayer. Got an argument? “Settle it in Smash.”

Oddly enough, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate performs double-duty here. Not only does it reach the top 3 for Nintendo exclusives, it champions every single one of their other characters and games.

You can play as characters from Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Star Fox, Xenoblade Chronicles, Pokémon, Kirby, Animal Crossing, and more!

Smash Bros. players range from the pros who compete in huge tournaments, to newbies who mash buttons and hope for the best.

The game now also features customizable stages. However, those are another story…

The best custom stages in Smash Ultimate so far

Read now ►

All of these characters blend perfectly in one of the greatest titles of our favorite fighting game series! (No offense to Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter fans.)

Honorable Mentions

Octopath Traveler
Splatoon 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xbox One

Xbox has some of the most surprising games. These are titles you wouldn’t immediately think of when someone says “exclusives.”

Except Halo. Everyone would think of Halo.

Xbox is a bit tricky. Most of their exclusive titles aren’t necessary console exclusive. They are exclusive to Microsoft but can be played on both home console and with Windows 10.

halo 5

Oh yeah.

When the super-soldier Master Chief, goes rogue in pursuit of his AI friend Cortana, an elite team called Spartan Locke goes on a mission to track him down. Through their collective adventures, we gain insight into the mysterious happenings surrounding the Guardians, huge beasts controlled by an artificial intelligence network known as the Domain.

Aside from quick-moving, futuristic, first-person shooter gameplay, you can find one of the greatest video game storylines here. We even like the book series, which continues to release novels yearly!

The world still feels great, and we’re excited for Infinite!

gears of war 4

Years after the defeat of the Locust, a new aggressor arrives: The Swarm.

Gears of War 4’s oddly emotional storyline shouldn’t mesh so well with the violent, chainsaw-borne violence. Somehow, it does, and it does really well.

This time, the Lancer falls in the hands of Marcus Fenix‘s son, J.D. The only appropriate response to a new invasion is to buckle down, crouch behind the ubiquitous shoulder-high walls, and keep firing!

forza: horizon 4

This is one of those games that your grandfather will confuse with a movie or real-life sporting event. In all honesty, it has tricked us, too.

Forza has long been lauded as an excellent, realistic driving simulator with all the safety benefits of being a video game. This basically means if you’re still too much of a kid at heart to drive between the lines, you can crash some of the nicest cars known to man!

Forza Horizon 4 Download now ►

honorable mentions

Rare Replay
Sea of Thieves
Crackdown 3

Wrapping Up

“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” Or, in this case, exclusives lead to jealousy, jealousy leads to hate, and hate leads to the console wars! Don’t be a console crusader, friend.

When it comes down to it, we wish every one of these titles were available for every console, even though such a move wouldn’t make any sense from a business standpoint for developers. Still, could you imagine playing Breath of the Wild with the controls and graphics the PS4 can offer?

Exclusives bring business. To play them all, you’ll just have to buy more consoles or borrow from friends. While you’re at it, whoop their butts at Smash Bros. real quick.

The best custom stages in Smash Ultimate so far

With Stage Builder’s triumphant return, which fan-man stages are the best ones for pummeling our pals?

The fan-favorite Stage Builder feature is finally back in Smash Ultimate. The feature has been significantly revamped from its Brawl and Smash 4 incarnations. It now allows multiple decorative layers, custom moving platforms, black holes, bombs, and more.

The sky is the limit in terms of stages. Despite only being out for a short time, the Smash community has created hundreds of amazing (and bizarre) new fighting arenas. Here are some of our favorites:

The best custom stages in Smash Ultimate so far

5. Waluigi’s Tears

Many Nintendo fans were disappointed about Waluigi being left off the Smash Bros roster once again. Fans of the purple trickster made their displeasure known by spamming Twitter, gaining the annoyance and curiosity of the Smash fanbase at large. Now, Waluigi finally joins the battle… as a stage. While crying. Take it or leave it.

Name: Crying Wal
Creator: Liggy
ID: 6XT2LXCQ

4. Metal Cavern

A remake of the Metal Mario boss stage from the original Super Smash Bros, Metal Cavern is a fun stage to play in its own right. The jagged design and floating platform make this stage a fun pick for competitors and casual players alike. Combined with the rockin’ Metal Cavern music, this stage will make you want to bust out your Nintendo 64. Still, the stage isn’t quite complete without Metal Mario’s CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG…

Name: Metal Cavern
Creator: Torterra13
ID: 5F3N6NPB

3. Smash 64 Intro Desk

3..2..1..GO!

The desk from the beginning of the iconic Smash 64 intro is finally a playable stage.

The stage uses background and foreground layers very effectively to accurately recreate the layout and color palette of the desk. Though Master Hand is nowhere to be seen, this stage is a nostalgia-fueled blast.

Name: Smash 64 Desk
Creator: G-SUS
ID: BY4K8Y68

2. Snakes and Ladders

The classic board game Snakes and Ladders has been creatively remade in the Stage Builder. Using the bomb block as both a switch and a spinner, players can actually play through a version of the game.

This stage is a testament to the creativity of the Smash community, and we can’t wait to see what else they’ll come up with.

Name: Snakes & Ladders
Creator: Rainter
ID: LW8WDS70

1. Smashketball

This Stage Builder classic has come in many forms, but we think Luke’s version is the most fun take on the Smashketball idea. In Smashketball, players try to launch their opponents into the hoops (cannons) to score points.

Smashketball provides a fun spin on the traditional Smash experience, and there’s nothing more satisfying than slam dunking your friend to their doom.

Name: Smashket-Ball
Creator: Luke
ID: 1CPHDTB0

Game Set

What Smash Ultimate custom stages are your favorite so far? Have you made any? Let us know!

What to know before your first Smash Ultimate tournament

Ready to play with the big boys? Here’s what you need to know.

Since Smash Ultimate’s release in December, thousands of new players have joined the Smash competitive scene. With dozens of balanced characters, improved gameplay mechanics, and hundreds of tournaments popping up, there never has been a better time to try getting into competitive Smash. For players that wish to join the scene, it’s understandable to be a little intimidated by the concept of playing Smash competitively for glory and money. If you’re interested in diving in, here are a few tips to get you started.

Pick one or two characters and stick with them

With over 74 playable characters, it’s difficult to narrow down a favorite in Smash Ultimate. Play around online or with your friends and try out plenty of different characters in order to find your main. It’s common for newer competitive players to list off 10 or so characters as their favorites, which is fine, but if you’re preparing for a tournament you should try and narrow it down to two characters at most. This allows you to focus on getting better with these characters instead of splitting your efforts fruitlessly between many.

It should be noted that the characters in Smash Ultimate are balanced very well, so you can take any character you want to a local tournament (tier lists don’t really matter much at a lower level of competition, they only start really mattering once you go to larger national tournaments).

If you choose two characters instead of one, try to pick characters that cover each other’s weaknesses. For example, I mostly play as Incineroar, a slow, heavy hitter who does fine against most of the cast but struggles against hit-and-run characters like Sonic. For those situations, I have a practiced Mewtwo ready to go who can hunt down the quicker characters.

Don’t be afraid to drop a character and pick a new one if you think they aren’t working out for you, it’s very common.

Know how to practice

Knowing how to practice properly is just as important as practicing itself. The first rule you should be aware of is do not practice against the CPU. We cannot emphasize this enough. Playing exclusively against the CPU will ingrain bad habits into you and leave you unable to practice the human elements of Smash, like mind games and making predictions based on patterns.

Second, go into training mode with your character(s) of choice. Practice combos and kill setups, and take note of which percentages your opponents get KO’d at. Practice various combos to see when they kill light, medium, and heavy characters. This could save you in tournament because you’ll know “Oh, my opponent is playing Pichu and I know my up throw will kill at 100% and I should go for that.”

Third, try and practice with people in person or in online battle arenas. We already talked about CPU’s, but practicing online against random people can be a frustrating and unhelpful experience. Not only do you have to worry about lag, but people often use weird rulesets that force you to play the game in an unusual way. Elite Smash and GSP are not good representations of how skilled you are, and focusing on them will only frustrate you.

If you don’t have anyone to practice with in person, join online Smash communities on Reddit, Smashboards, and Discord and exchange friend codes. One of the best ways to find other players is through Facebook. Nearly every major U.S. city has a Smash Facebook group, so join the one relevant to your area to keep up with tournaments and find others to practice with. Practicing in private online battle arenas let you face a wide variety of people without all of the nonsense that comes with public matchmaking.

Treat your first tournament as a learning experience

Dr. Mario smash ultimate — Pictured: Dr. Mario thinking hard (just like you should be doing at your first tournament!)

It’s perfectly ok for you to be nervous heading into your first tournament. Be prepared to encounter players who are much better than you. Instead of being discouraged by losses, make sure to treat every match as a learning experience. Tournaments add a whole new set of variables to Smash that can’t be replicated at home on the couch. Nerves, mental exhaustion, and other factors happen to every player, even experienced ones. Learning how to deal with these factors is one of the biggest hurdles for new players, and they can only be overcome by continuing to go to tournaments.

The vast majority of players I’ve met at tournaments have been very kind and supportive people. They will act respectfully and give you gameplay tips if you ask them. Players who are rude, excessive, or otherwise unpleasant to be around are not tolerated in the community, so don’t worry about some clown insulting you. Be sure to network with people because you’re all Smash fans. It’s likely that you’ll make new friends, practice buddies, or maybe even doubles partners.

What to bring for your first tournament

You should bring a small bag or knapsack to your tournament. Some useful items you could bring include:

Your controller of choice. Tournaments do not supply controllers, so it is essential that you bring your own.
A water bottle/jug. Venues can get crowded and hot, and staying hydrated will keep you at the top of your game.
A portable phone charger. Tournaments can often run for hours and hours so it’s important to keep your phone charged.
If you feel like it, bring your Nintendo Switch to get some practice in if the TVs are occupied. You can also use it to quickly exchange friend codes with other players.

Do you find this advice helpful? Is there anything else you’d like to know about getting ready for a Smash Ultimate tournament? Let us know!

Here’s what competitive Smash Ultimate looks like so far

Catch up with tips, tricks, and strategies to win Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

The release of Super Smash Bros Ultimate last December brought thousands of new players to the competitive scene. The game builds on 2014’s Smash 4 with an expanded roster of characters and significant gameplay improvements, causing the game to become the quickest selling entry in the franchise.

Now, over three months after its release, Smash Ultimate is enjoying a thriving competitive scene. Here’s a quick look at how this early meta is developing.

Competitive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2019

The top characters

Competitive Smash players can rest easy; so far, the game’s roster of characters is by far the most balanced in the series. The balance of past Smash games hasn’t exactly been stellar, but so far Smash Ultimate has no definitive best character. Tournament results are far more spread out throughout the cast (over 91% of characters have had at least decent tournament placings), which is extremely impressive given that the game features 74 playable characters.

There are a handful of characters who have had poor competitive results, however. Kirby, Little Mac, Bowser Jr., and Mr. Game & Watch, among a few others, struggle to keep up with the rest of the cast. While these characters have their dedicated mains, hopefully, the dev team will buff these characters to bring them in line.

While the meta is still young, there have been no characters or strategies that are overcentralizing or excessively powerful. In Smash Ultimate, characters are balanced to better use their entire movesets as opposed to overcentralizing special moves or guaranteed combos like in Smash 4, which gives Ultimate significantly more gameplay variety. Here are a few of the characters in Smash Ultimate that have gotten the most tournament success (and how to beat them):

Pichu

Don’t let its cuteness fool you: Pichu is one of the biggest threats in Smash Ultimate. Pichu being so good comes as a surprise to those who played them in Super Smash Bros Melee, as Pichu was designed to be the worst character in that game (though in practice, Kirby and Bowser are actually worse). After 17 years of training, the baby mouse came back with a vengeance in Smash Ultimate.

Pichu’s tiny body and incredibly fast ground and air speed allow it to dodge enemy attacks with ease. Its incredible special move, Thunder Jolt, allows it to zone out opponents and rack up damage. The projectile moves slowly enough for Pichu to chase after it and grab shielding opponents. Pichu’s moves all have shockingly quick startup and endlag, giving it one of the best combo games in the entire cast. Combined with an excellent and nearly uninterruptible recovery, a deadly edgeguarding game, and potent kill options, Pichu is a threat that every competitive player must prepare for. Pichu is basically a minmaxed version of Pikachu, and is, so far, the game’s deadliest glass cannon.

Pichu’s biggest weakness by far is its survivability. It damages itself whenever it uses an electric move, which, combined with its incredibly low weight, allow it to be KO’d by a light breeze. Put some distance between yourself and Pichu and play defensively. This will force Pichu to rack up damage on itself while allowing you to KO it with a single strong attack.

The best Pichu players in the world are currently VoiD, Nietono, Captain L, and Yetey.

Wolf

Returning from Brawl to take his revenge, Wolf is a force to be reckoned with in Smash Ultimate. One of the most versatile characters in the game, Wolf can successfully combo, kill, zone, and pressure. Unlike other all-around characters like Pit (who is decent at everything but great at nothing), Wolf excels in nearly every offensive department. Though his ground speed is slow, he surprisingly has an incredibly fast air speed, allowing him to quickly follow up on aerial combos and punishes.

Speaking of Wolf’s aerials, his forward aerial can both combo into itself and kill, similar to Mewtwo. Despite moderate startup lag, his back air is his most consistent killing move, possessing a powerful sweetspot in his foot. Up aerial can combo at a wide variety of percents and even kill while near the top of the screen.

On the ground, Wolf is even better. His neutral B, Blaster, is one of the best projectiles/neutral tools in the game. The projectile flies slowly, inflicts a lot of damage, and has transcendent priority (meaning that it will beat out all other attacks and cannot be interrupted, much like Fox’s/Falco’s Blaster). Blaster more than makes up for Wolf’s slow dash speed, as it forces opponents to either approach or jump (allowing them to fall victim to Wolf’s fantastic aerials). Wolf is a character that not only succeeds in all areas of offense, he excels. His versatility makes him an unpredictable opponent that skilled players will push to the moon.

Wolf isn’t a perfect character, however. Defensively, Wolf is severely lacking. Though he is a heavy character, his survivability is incredibly poor due to his abysmal recovery. Fire Wolf and Wolf Flash are both linear and predictable, and unlike Fox and Falco, both moves put him in a helpless state (when the character blinks and is unable to do anything but shift left or right). Additionally, his fast falling speed, tall frame, and high weight make him perfect combo food. When facing Wolf, close the gap on the ground as much as possible and don’t give him a chance to use his Blaster or fight in the air.

Wolf is currently the most commonly picked character in tournament play. The best Wolf players are currently Zackray, Tweek, VoiD, and MKLeo.

Peach/Daisy

Note: For all intents and purposes, Peach and Daisy play exactly the same. There are very, very minor differences to their size and certain animations but these have hardly any effect on gameplay. Therefore, Peach and Daisy are interchangeable characters.

Peach has never been bad in a Smash game, and Ultimate is no exception. Simply put, everything that was good about Peach in past games is now better. Her main strength is in her fantastic aerial game. Peach’s ability to float in mid-air gives her amazing horizontal aerial pressure, and floating removes the damage penalty that normally applies to short hop aerials. Though her mobility is still slow, it has been improved from Smash 4. Her air acceleration is the second highest in the game (tied with Wario), which allows her to chase down and punish opponents with her float.

Peach’s ground game has also improved. Her down tilt is an incredible combo starter that launches opponents into the air. Her Vegetable projectile is now plucked faster, flies faster through the air, and does more damage, which (combined with her float) gives Peach some of the best horizontal stage control in the game.

Peach’s biggest weakness is her survivability. Her tall frame makes her easy to juggle in the air (though her low weight and falling speed prevent her from getting comboed too hard). Additionally, her vertical recovery is weak, though horizontally she can recover from afar using Peach Bomber and her float. Peach is an unorthodox character, so fighting her can be difficult. Focus on staying below her and juggling her in the air. If your character has good projectiles, zone her out as much as possible. She’ll have a hard time avoiding fire due to her low mobility.

The best Peach players are currently Samsora, CaptainZack, Zinoto, and Meru.

The top players

While a good portion of the top players in Smash Ultimate came over from Smash 4, many Melee players and brand new players have also placed high in tournaments. Here are a few of the current top players:

MKLeo

After top player ZeRo’s retirement, MKLeo was widely considered the best Smash 4 player in the world. Things haven’t changed in Smash Ultimate; MKLeo is currently the best player in the world (at only 18 years old!). At Smash Ultimate’s first supermajor tournament, GENESIS 6, MKLeo had an insane comeback run through loser’s bracket, eventually double eliminating VoiD to win the tournament.

MKLeo is famous for his aggressive-yet-intelligent playstyle, focusing on pressuring the opponent into making a mistake and brutally punishing them. He is known for playing sword characters and in Smash Ultimate he prefers Ike, Cloud, and Lucina. He used Ike throughout GENESIS 6, which was a surprising move as Ike wasn’t seen as an especially dominant character at the time. MKLeo’s performance with Ike reinvigorated interest in the character, and he’s now seen as a high tier by most competitive players.

Tweek

From humble beginnings as Smash 4’s best Bowser Jr to becoming one of the best overall players in the world, Tweek has risen to become one of competitive Smash’s top stars. He has already placed first at numerous tournaments, including Glitch 6. Tweek and MKLeo frequently go toe to toe with MKLeo barely edging him out. In the past, MKLeo has called Tweek’s playstyle his least favorite to go up against due to how calculating, punish-heavy, and grab-focused it is.

Tweek has a variety of characters under his belt that he pulls out for various matchups. He is an incredible Wolf and Chrom player, in addition to being so far the best Wario and Donkey Kong player in the world. He even used Young Link frequently at Glitch 6, a character who he said he only played for three days prior. Though Young Link is a strong character, he is infrequently seen in tournaments, which Tweek used to catch his opponents off guard.

Here is the grand finals set of Glitch 6, which features both Tweek and MKLeo. The set is an amazing showcase of the current Smash Ultimate metagame.

How are you enjoying Smash Ultimate so far? Are you planning on competing? Let us know!

Get 12 months of Nintendo Switch online free with Amazon Prime

Play your favorite Nintendo Switch games online for free with Amazon Prime.

Amazon just made trading and battling Pokémon online way cheaper.

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can now claim a new offer of 12 free months of Nintendo Switch Online with a Prime member account. You can get the first three months when claiming the offer, and the other nine months 60 days after making the first claim.

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The offer is worth $20 and is available for download from Amazon through Twitch Prime. The 12 months will stack on top of whatever time you may have already purchased for Nintendo Switch online.

This is one deal in a long line of offers Amazon has made with gamers through Twitch and Amazon Prime.

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Nintendo has several games that utilize online capabilities available in its store including Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, Super Smash Bros: Ultimate, and Fortnite. With Nintendo Switch Online, you also get access to classic games from the Nintendo Entertainment System’s vast library.

Top 5 most overpowered fighting game characters in history

Some characters just aren’t fair. And some are absurd. Here are the most unbalanced fighting game characters in history.

Cheap characters have been a thing as long as fighting games have existed. Your friends will scream and whine at you for picking these characters, accusing you of being unfair, spammy, or a cheater. While sometimes your friend is just acting like a sore loser, there have been many fighting game characters that have been so overpowered that they completely break the game. Oftentimes, the only way you can beat these characters is by pausing the game and beating up your opponent IRL. Here are some of the most hilariously cheap characters in fighting game history.

Top 5 most overpowered fighting game characters in history

5. Akuma – Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo

Goldeneye has Oddball, Pokémon has Mewtwo, and Street Fighter has Akuma. The OG cheap fighting game character, Akuma debuted in Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo as an unlockable boss and hidden playable character. He makes his startling debut by killing the already overpowered final boss character M. Bison. Provided you are the Devil himself and you want to put your friends through hell, you can play as Akuma using a cheat code on the character select screen.

Akuma’s moves are basically Ryu’s on steroids, plus an air fireball and a teleport. His Shoryuken can take off a third of your health. His air fireball is the only aerial projectile in the game, and its diagonal trajectory makes it extremely difficult to dodge. His only real weakness is his sub-par mobility, but he can easily mitigate that with a super-fast teleport. For the cherry on top, Akuma has the strongest Super Combo in the game, plus it’s unblockable!

In most competitive tournaments, Akuma is flat-out banned, and if he isn’t, most players choose not to pick him as an honor rule. He’s consistently been a high tier in every game he appears in, including games outside his own series like Marvel vs Capcom or Tekken. Thankfully, Capcom at least toned him down by reducing his health and turning him into a glass cannon.

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4. Meta Knight – Super Smash Bros Brawl

While Brawl is a fantastic game with loads of content, it’s something of a black sheep among the competitive Smash community. It’s very slow and floaty to play, lacking the blistering speed and combos of Melee and the quality of life improvements and balanced roster of Smash 4. And while each Smash game has their overpowered characters, Brawl’s Meta Knight makes Melee Fox look like a Nintendog.

Even in a game with plenty of overpowered characters like the Ice Climbers, Snake, and Diddy Kong, Meta Knight still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast as the best character. His moves are extremely quick on startup, and he’s the only character in the game who has standard moves (A moves) with transcendent priority. This means that these moves cannot clash with other moves, going right through them and beating them out.

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If that wasn’t bad enough, Meta Knight has not only one, but two of the unquestionably best special moves in the game in Mach Tornado and Shuttle Loop. The Mach Tornado is a dreaded hurricane of death that protects Meta Knight, helps him recover, allows him to get vertical KO’s, and is a safe approach option. Shuttle Loop is Meta Knight’s recovery move that functions as a glide and a kill move, being relatively brain-dead to spam off stage to edgeguard your opponents and make it back to stage safely.

The debate on whether or not to ban Meta Knight caused a civil war within the already small Brawl competitive scene. Some tournaments banned him, but most didn’t. However, in the places where he was banned, an arguably even more horrifying character dethroned him: the Ice Climbers. These Eskimos from Hell could chaingrab you back and forth and the only counterplay was divine intervention.

3. Marvel vs Capcom 2 – Sentinel

Marvel vs Capcom 2 is arguably the most imbalanced fighting game that Capcom has ever made, but despite this, the game still has a special place in gamers’ hearts as a fast, chaotic, and technical fighter. Part of the game’s charm is that the top 5 or so characters are so overpowered that learning how to play them becomes a game in and of itself. Even among those characters, Sentinel stands out as the most broken character in the series.

The mutant-hunting machine of death has one of the highest health counts in the game, making killing him a war of attrition. Though his hitbox is huge, all of his attacks are surprisingly fast and have enormous range, allowing him to shut down opponents and trap them in the corner.

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Additionally, he’s the only character in the game whose normal attacks cause chip damage, which means they damage opponents even if blocked. He can even fly, chasing down pesky top-tier mutants like Magneto or Storm and pummeling them back into the ground with his aerial combos. Even on the bench, Sentinel has some of the best assist attacks in the game, filling the screen with missiles and shutting out the opponent. Every MVC2 player has had nightmares at some point about a killer robot screaming “ROCKET PUNCH ROCKET PUNCH HYPER SENTINEL FORCE”.

Eddy – Tekken 3

Eddy Gordo is a Brazillian Tekken character who fights using capoeira, an Afro-Brazillian martial art that combines fighting with rhythm and dance. He is one of the most polarizing characters in fighting game history due to his extremely simple fighting style. And by “simplistic,” we mean “press both kick buttons over and over to win.” Eddy’s stylish kicks send him flipping and spinning across the screen, changing stances and keeping the opponent locked down. Tekken is already known for being a button masher among casual players, and Eddy’s acrobatic antics only cements this further. While pro players have a significantly easier time dealing with Eddy, picking Eddy while playing against your friend casually is an easy way to get a PlayStation controller thrown into your face.

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1. Ivan Ooze – Power Rangers: Fighting Edition

While Power Rangers may not come to mind when it comes to iconic fighting games, Power Rangers: Fighting Edition on the SNES is infamous for featuring by far the most overpowered character in fighting game history: Ivan Ooze. Ooze is the final boss of the game, and can be unlocked by winning the story mode on the hardest difficulty.

In most fighting games (especially SNK ones) if a boss character is playable, their moveset is significantly toned down in order to bring them in line with the rest of the cast. The developers, assumedly in a fit of temporary insanity, forgot this basic tenet of game design and left Ooze untouched as a playable character. What resulted is the most hilariously broken and frustrating character to ever grace a TV screen.

Seriously, we don’t even need to say much here, just watch the video. Ooze can fly, rendering him completely invulnerable to low and throw attacks. Nearly all of his moves feature no startup and allow him to fill the screen with fireballs, pillars, and other nonsense. He even has a move that gives him a force field and fires a bunch of homing projectiles which he can activate at any time, even while being hit. Ironically, Ooze is the only character in the game who can’t block, but even that doesn’t hold him back from being the most unfair character in fighting game history. As they say, the best defense is a good offense.

Did we miss a character? Let us know in the comments below!

The 5 best video game glitches of all time

Did you survive the Corrupted Blood Plague?

For the most part, gamers don’t want to see glitches. They can delete saved data, cause crashes, or otherwise ruin an otherwise fun experience. There’s nothing worse than playing Skyrim and getting deeply immersed in a questline only for a crucial NPC to glitch out and die for no reason.

Sometimes though, a glitch can be so bizarre, rewarding, or mysterious that it actually enhances the gaming experience. Here are some of the craziest, weirdest, and coolest glitches in gaming history.

The best video game glitches of all time

5. Missingno – Pokémon Red and Blue

This disturbing blob of pixels and code is actually a Pokémon! Well, a glitch Pokémon to be exact. Players can encounter this glitch pretty easily in the Gen 1 games, including the 3DS remakes. To find Missingno (which stands for “missing number”), all you have to do is talk to the old man in Viridian City that teaches you how to catch a Pokémon. After this, immediately fly to Cinnabar Island and surf along the coastline. Missingno will then appear.

Missingno is a normal/bird type Pokémon. No, not flying, bird. It has the move Water Gun twice for some reason and has the highest base attack stat in the game, as well as the lowest base defense stat. This makes the blocky glitch a potent sweeper that could help you wipe the Elite Four if they’re giving you trouble. More importantly, catching Missingno glitches your trainer bag, duplicating whatever item you have in your sixth item slot hundreds of times. Want hundreds of Master Balls or Rare Candies? Missingo’s your man…..bird.

Pokémon Red and Blue came out at a time where playground rumors were rampant. There was no internet to debunk rumors, so kids could make up Pokémon like Mewthree or Pikablue that often had ridiculous catching methods. Missingno was one of those weird glitches that were actually true, and actually fairly easy to encounter. Though the freaky glitchy blob understandably freaked out younger players, it’s one of the many oddities that make Pokémon Red and Blue special.

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4. Ermac – Mortal Kombat

The early Mortal Kombat games were known for their secrets almost as much as they were for their violence. Even in the very first arcade game, the green ninja Reptile would appear and offer cryptic hints to the player on how to fight him. Intrigued players tirelessly scoured the game for other hidden fighters. Occasionally, the game would glitch out when Scorpion or Sub-Zero would be chosen, giving them a red color palette and renaming them to Ermac (which stands for error macro). While this is a glitch, it was understandably mistaken for a secret character. Rumors quickly spread how to fight and unlock the mysterious red ninja Ermac. Cheeky arcade owners cashed in on the phenomenon by posting fake lists of players who defeated Ermac.

The Mortal Kombat developers at Midway were highly amused by all of the commotion, and added to it by spreading fake rumors within the game itself. Finally, with the release of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Midway threw players a bone by including Ermac as a legitimate playable character. Ermac has been a series staple ever since, clad in red and fighting using magic and summoning souls. Ermac’s legendary rise from glitch to urban legend to playable character is emblematic of the Mortal Kombat team’s dedication to its fans.

3. Wavedashing – Super Smash Bros. Melee

Super Smash Bros. Melee is easily the most popular game in the series among competitive players. The physics engine allows for fast, fluid combos. This, combined with advanced techniques like L-canceling, shield dropping, and SHFFLing, create a fighting game experience like no other. Melee’s most famous advanced technique, however, is the wavedash.

Wavedashing is not technically a glitch, it’s a physics exploit. Melee features directional air dodges, and if you air dodge into the ground your momentum is carried, causing you to slide. If you jump off the ground and immediately air dodge into the ground at a diagonal air dodge, you will wavedash, sliding across the ground like in the gif above.

While the timing is tight and can be difficult for newer players, wavedashing is an incredibly valuable technique in competitive play. Wavedashing allows you to approach or retreat while in your standing stance, allowing you to jab, grab, and use tilt and smash attacks. This is often preferable to simply dashing, as while dashing your character can only dash attack, jump, shield, or grab. Wavedashing opens up new options in your approach, allowing you to fake out and mix up your opponent. Characters who benefit from wavedashing most are characters with low traction like Luigi and the Ice Climbers, as they can slip around the stage at high speed while keeping their options open.

Wavedashing is a beloved and iconic part of Melee. While directional air dodges have returned in Smash Ultimate, it looks like wavedashing is, unfortunately, not possible.

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2. The Minus World – Super Mario Bros.

Look at the world counter on top. It says you’re at World -1!

The Minus World is an entire level in Super Mario Bros that is glitched. To access the Minus World, the player must stand on the lip of the pipe at the end of World 1-2 and duck jump into the wall. If done correctly, Mario should automatically slide through the bricks into the Warp Zone. If the far left pipe is entered, Mario will enter the Minus World.

The Minus World is an endless watery grave for our beloved plumber. The world is a simple water level that repeats endlessly when Mario reaches the end pipe, trapping him until he gets a game over screen.

The Minus World is a mysterious and cool glitch that’s held gamers’ attention since the 80s. It’s so popular that Nintendo themselves have referenced the glitch in multiple games, including Super Paper Mario, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

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1. The Corrupted Blood Plague – World of Warcraft

The Corrupted Blood Plague caused untold destruction throughout Azeroth

The Corrupted Blood Plague was a 2005 incident that happened within World of Warcraft. In early September of that year, Blizzard released a new raid that included a boss named Hakkar the Soulflayer. Hakkar cast a debuff spell called Corrupted Blood on players, causing them to rapidly lose health. Players spread the disease to nearby players, causing them to become afflicted too. While the spell was intended to be contained only within Hakkar’s dungeon, players quickly found out that their summoned pets could contract the disease. By summoning their pets outside the dungeon, they could spread the disease to the outside world.

What happened next was pure pandemonium.

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The infection spread like wildfire, killing low-level players within a few seconds. Populated cities like Ironforge were hit the hardest, as players quickly spread the disease to one another. NPCs could also catch the disease, though they didn’t display symptoms, causing them to become asymptomatic carriers. Normal gameplay became impossible, as cities became littered with bodies and players avoided each other as much as possible, often fleeing to the countryside.

Some benevolent players made makeshift hospitals, using healing spells in an attempt to save as many people as possible. Other more mischevious players attempted to spread the plague as much as possible, infecting themselves and traveling to major locations to start an outbreak. The epidemic lasted a whole week before developer Blizzard hard reset the servers and prevented pets from becoming infected, isolating the plague to Hakkar’s dungeon as originally intended.

The event fascinated social scientists and epidemiologists, as it was the first example of a widespread unintentional plague within a digital place. Researchers compared players who spread the disease on purpose to bioterrorists, saying that their behavior mirrored that of those who experienced real life plagues like SARS. Epidemiologists also mapped out the spread of Corrupted Blood throughout the world of WoW, noting that the spread resembled real-life disease maps.

The Corrupted Blood Plague is one of the most iconic moments in MMORPG history, and it’s crazy to think that it was unintentional. The plague fascinated researchers by providing a model of panic and disease for the real world in a virtual space.

Have you tried these glitches? Any big ones we missed? Let us know!