Summary
- PlayStation has several games, like Rubber Bandits and Sportsfriends, that can fill the gap for Super Smash Bros. Fans who want similar party and platform fighting experiences.
- Mortal Kombat 11 offers a gory and intense fighting game experience with new gameplay elements and a mix of single-player campaign and multiplayer modes.
- Other games like Soulcalibur 6, WWE 2K22, and Guilty Gear Strive provide unique fighting experiences with weapon-based combat, wrestling, and updated gameplay mechanics.
Super Smash Bros. Has long been a beloved franchise on the Nintendo family of systems. The classic platform fighter pits characters from different Nintendo properties and others from around the video game world against each other in an ultimate battle on stages that are themed and sometimes multi-tiered.
Unfortunately, it has been hard for other consoles to come up with a great equivalent to Super Smash Bros. PlayStation released PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale on the PlayStation 3, but it failed to reach the heights of its clear inspiration. Fortunately, the PlayStation 4 and its successor have a handful of games that players can try if they like the idea of or have played Super Smash Bros.
Updated August 26, 2023, by Chris Birsner: It has been nearly 11 years since PlayStation tried its hand at its own version of Super Smash Bros . To this day, there has been no sign that the publisher will take another crack at it. Luckily, it doesn't necessarily need to make its own Super Smash Bros since there are so many PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 games that can fill that gap in the consoles' libraries quite well. Even though not all of them are crossover platform fighters, many of them are perfect for everyone to come together and have fun duking it out in some sort of unique battle. There are so many fun action-packed party games to choose from if players want a PS4 or PS5 game like Super Smash Bros .
18 Rubber Bandits
The more elaborate stages may not be a preference for those who play Super Smash Bros, but they are an iconic part of what makes the franchise so fun. Games like Rubber Bandits put a lot of thought into its level design, especially since the game is all about messing with other players in creative ways.
This physics-based beat 'em up invites one to four players to collect as much money as they can while attempting to take out their opponents. There are numerous modes to choose from, from Dodge Bomb to Pork Pursuit, that players can spend hours of time running around and wreaking havoc.
17 Mortal Kombat 11
Fighting games are split into many sub-genres, from platform fighters to arcade fighting games. One of the most iconic of the latter is Mortal Kombat, a game that has continued to be released since 1992 and is known for being excessively gory. Arguably, the best installment of the franchise is also the series' latest: Mortal Kombat 11.
There are two major elements of Mortal Kombat 11: the main campaign and casual multiplayer play. The campaign picks up after Shinnok's defeat, which happens at the end of Mortal Kombat 10. New gameplay elements include Fatal Blows and Krushing Blows, both of which add new moves and cinematics to a fight.
16 Soulcalibur 6
Most games in the fighting genre focus on characters using their fists or built-in powers to take on enemies. However, the Soulcalibur games have always been about their fighters using weapons to battle against their foes. The latest entry in the franchise, Soulcalibur 6, continues to embrace this idea and also ushers in some recognizable faces from other franchises.
Soulcalibur 6's gameplay revolves around two characters moving around a 3D space and beating each other up using the weapons in hand. While there are a lot of returning characters from the previous entries in the franchise, new characters are introduced including Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of The Witcher series.
15 Sportsfriends
There have been some indie attempts to replicate the feeling of playing Super Smash Bros. On other consoles. One of the recent releases to try this is Sportsfriends, a party game developed by Die Gute Fabrik. This was a collection of different sports games, but the one segment that may be familiar to Super Smash Bros. Fans is BaraBariBall.
Games could be played with up to four players. The object of each match is to get a ball into another team's water to score points. One player will have the ball at a time and opposing players will have to use direct combat to knock the ball out of their hands. It is a platform fighter and the game allows the player to jump up to eight times while still in the air.
14 Gang Beasts
Physics-based games can be absolutely hilarious, especially if players are trying to go after each other in them. Gang Beasts is an iconic indie known for its absurd situations that they put players into, tasking everyone to take each other out and be the last one standing.
Reminiscent of playing a one-stock match in Super Smash Bros, the primary gameplay of Gang Beasts involves players being put into a level and having to knock each other out until one person remains standing. After several levels, the person who is the last one standing the most wins.
13 WWE 2K22
While it is more of a simulation than a normal fighting game, WWE 2K22 is all about capturing what makes professional wrestling so special to so many fans out there. And, with the latest Super Smash Bros. Game embracing the idea of "Everyone Is Here," so too does WWE 2K22 with both its normal roster and its community creations.
On top of making the game a sandbox for creating fake events and pitting wrestlers against each other, there is also a revamped career mode that allows players to carve their path on how their storylines evolve over time. Those who love wrestling will also enjoy playing through the Showcase mode, which brings to life previous moments in WWE history.
WWE 2K23 builds upon its predecessor well. While the gameplay is largely the same, the sequel is arguably a superior overall package.
12 Guilty Gear Strive
Arc System Works is known for making some of the best fighting games out there. One of their more recent entries was Guilty Gear Strive, the seventh main entry in the franchise's history and the 25th one ever made. It's also considered one of the franchise's strongest installments.
With Guilty Gear Strive, Arc System Works decided to build the game differently from the ground up. While the game still preserves its classic Instant Kills, many of the core mechanics have been changed for the better. There is also a story to the game, with the campaign picking up after the events of Guilty Gear Xrd.
11 Move Or Die
When thinking about games like Super Smash Bros., players may be looking for a party experience that is both competitive and hilarious as well. Move Or Die is a great example of a game that does both of these things, and also incorporates platforming like Super Smash Bros. Does.
This local and online multiplayer experience can pit up to four players against each other in a round filled with 20-second challenges. While the theme of the challenges differs greatly from one another, the most important part is that players must move at all times. Otherwise, they will perish, just like the title of Move Or Die says.
10 Dragon Ball FighterZ
One of the many things Super Smash Bros. Has done well is capitalizing on using multiple properties in an impressive way. However, that doesn't devalue the greatness of a game that embraces a single IP and immerses fans into its world. Dragon Ball FighterZ may be one of the best to do that.
Another game developed by Arc System Works, Dragon Ball FighterZ puts a unique twist on the arcade fighter format. Instead of a normal 1-on-1 battle, players create a team of three characters and pit them against another team of 3. While players can only use one fighter at a time, they can switch between fighters at any point in the battle.
9 Injustice 2
Anyone who loves comic books and superheroes knows how cool it is when all the best superheroes under one brand come together and fight back against the evil in the world. But what if players had the ability to have two heroes fight tooth and nail against each other? That's the loose premise of Injustice 2.
Based in the DC Universe, Injustice 2 is another 2.5D fighting game with settings that are pulled directly out of the comics. Fighters include both heroes and villains of the DC Universe, with a campaign that revolves around Batman. In addition to the DC characters, there are also appearances from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Hellboy.