Easily one of the greatest flagship Nintendo franchises thousands of people know even by name, last year's Smash Bros. was the most elaborate and jam-packed with characters yet. Not only that, but when you factor in the all-new eight player mode that lets you combine controllers from both the Wii, Wii U and Gamecube to get a group together, it's one of the most ridiculous and frenetic gaming experiences you'll ever have with company. The series' core formula remains the same outside of this, in that anyone from younger siblings to your grandparents can pick up a pad and get smashing, but there's a surprising few layers to the combat such as redirecting yourself in mid-air or timing your block that make it worth coming back for diehards. This sort of thing often doesn't get a mention thanks to the general look of gameplay being a very sporadic mess of special moves and animations, but it's no less vital to the enduring appeal of Smash Bros. over the last now-16 years. Everyone from new and old Pokemon to hidden franchises-favourites like Solid Snake or Star Fox's Falco were thrown in to spice things up, and as an immediately rewarding explosion of perfect animation populated by loveable childhood-encapsulating characters, Smash Bros. is more enjoyable now than it's ever been.
