Universe
A universe (also referred as franchise, officially known as series) is a term used by the Smash Bros. community to collectively refer to all the particular characters, stages, items, music, and other properties appearing in the fighting games that are thematically featured in another game franchise.
Primary Universes
These are the video game series and franchises that the Super Smash Bros. games classify as major enough that they assign each franchise its own unique symbol that appears with characters and stages belonging to that franchise. These franchises generally have characters, stages, items, and other properties that all appear in Smash Bros. games as part of their primary content. However, the minimum requirement for a symbol is to contribute one stage or one character to the games. Universes that only contribute a stage, with the sole exception of Animal Crossing in Brawl, do not get a separate universe listing in the trophies pages and items are not tagged with the symbol. (examples: Golden Hammer is listed as a Mario Item and the Rocket Belt is listed under others.)
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Secondary universes
These are the various franchises that have not been recognized as primary universes by any Smash Bros. game, and this is indicated by the fact these franchises do not carry their own universe symbols. As a general rule, such universes lack any playable characters or stages in the games, but if any of the following franchises contribute an item, assist trophy, music, or some other minor element to a given Smash game, the game assigns the property and its respective franchise the default Smash Bros. universe symbol. These universes contribute elements to the gameplay itself i.e. assist trophies, enemies, items or attacks.
- ARMS: A fighting game released on the Nintendo Switch about a group of colorful characters with extendable arms who all compete in a tournament. The game's mascot, Spring Man, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate. Ribbon Girl also appears in Ultimate as a Mii Fighter costume.
- Art Academy: A series of art training games released for the DSiWare, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, retail Wii U (Japan and PAL regions only), and Wii U eShop. The game also had spin-off crossovers with the Pokémon series and The Walt Disney Company for the Nintendo 3DS called Pokémon Art Academy and Disney Art Academy, respectively. The player's art teacher, Vince, appears as a collectible trophy in Smash Wii U, and later an Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
- Brain Age: A series of games released for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS where the player is tasked with multiple tests to help improve their brain. Music from this game appears as a My Music option in PictoChat in Brawl. The host, Dr. Kawashima, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
- Bomberman: A series of maze games by Konami (Formerly Hudson Soft before their merge with Konami) in which the main objective is to blow up the opponents by placing bombs. Bomberman, the main character of the series, will appear in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy.
- Clu Clu Land: An NES game where the player must swim around a maze to uncover all of golden Ingots in a level. The main character, Bubbles, cameos as a collectible trophy in Melee. Additionally, a music track with the same name as the source game appears in the My Music for the stage Summit, as well as Unira making an appearance as an item in Brawl and Smash 4.
- Color TV-Game: A series of dedicated consoles released by Nintendo from 1977-1980, making it the oldest universe in the Super Smash Bros. series, older than Game and Watch. A representation of Color TV-Game 15, a pong-like game, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
- Custom Robo: A series of action role-playing games, developed by Noise, in which the player battles opponents by using various toy robots with customizable parts. Three robot combatants, Ray MK II, Bayonette, and Annie, cameo as collectible trophies in Melee. Ray MK III, the main robot used by the main protagonist of Custom Robo Arena, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, as well as having a couple of trophies and a ton of stickers. Ray MK III appears as a Mii Fighter costume in Ultimate, as well as Ray MK II and Flare as Spirits.
- Devil World: A Pac-Man-like NES game where the player must go through a maze to defeat a blue devil, who will move the entire maze around to squish the player. The game is notable for being one of the few Miyamoto-designed games to never release in North America (Only ever being localized in Europe), due to the game having heavy religious icons (Such as crosses and bibles), which went against Nintendo of America's policies. Tamagon, the game's protagonist, appears as a trophy in Melee, though it is only obtainable in the Japanese version, as it cannot be obtained unless the game is hacked in the North American version, and it is completely absent from the PAL version. In addition, the Devil from the game is an Assist Trophy in Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate.
- Dig Dug: A game series developed by Namco based around defeating underground monsters with an air pump. The common enemy, Pooka, appears as a Smash Run foe and as a cameo in Pac-Man's up taunt.
- Dillon's Rolling Western: A western-style action/tower defense series, developed by Vanpool, set in a world of anthropomorphic animals in which the titular character must defend various villages from a group of rock monsters called "Grocks". The first two installments were released exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. A third game, titled Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers, has a post-apocalyptic setting instead and was released as a physical Nintendo 3DS game (Though it is still a Nintendo eShop exclusive in North America). The main character, Dillon, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
- Drill Dozer: A game released for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Game Freak, that follows Jill, a girl who replaces her severely injured father in a bandit gang called "The Red Dozers", who must advance through several levels by using her titular machine in order to retrieve the Red Diamond from a rival gang called "The Skullkers". Jill, along with her Drill Dozer, appears as one of the Assist Trophies in Brawl.
- Excite: A series of racing games that had its start as a motorcycle racing game on the NES, before venturing into other vehicles, such as monster trucks in Excite Truck and robotic vehicles in Excitebots: Trick Racing. A depiction of a motorcyclist racer is a collectible Trophy in Melee and Smash 4, as well as an Assist Trophy in Brawl.
- Fatal Frame: A series of horror games involving taking photos of ghosts. Mio and Mayu Amakura share a trophy in Smash Wii U, and Maya from the augmented reality-based spin-off Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir has a trophy in Smash 3DS. Yuri Kozukata, one of the main protagonists of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, also appears as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, along with Mio and Maya Amakura appearing as a shared Spirit.
- Galaxian: A series of famous fixed shooters developed by Namco that revolves around the player in a spaceship who must shoot all of the enemies of an alien swarm. The Boss Galaga from Galaga appears as an item since Smash 4.
- Golden Sun: A series of fantasy RPGs for Game Boy Advance, developed by Camelot Software Planning and thematically based on the four classical elements. The first game's silent protagonist, the young Earth-based warrior Isaac, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl and Ultimate. In addition, the music track Battle Scene / Final Boss (Golden Sun), based on two battle themes from the second game, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, can be unlocked for the My Music selection for Norfair. An additional music track, Weyard is also unlockable in Smash 4.
- GoldenEye: A series of first-person shooter games based on the 1995 film of the same name, the 17th film of the James Bond film series. The first game for the Nintendo 64, developed by Rareware, helped popularize the FPS genre and would later get a Wii remake in 2010, published by Activision in western territories and Nintendo in Japan. The design of the Motion-Sensor Bomb in Smash 64 and western releases of Melee is based on the Proximity Mine from the Nintendo 64 title.
- Hogan's Alley: An NES game compatible with the NES Zapper that involves the player shooting cardboard cut-outs of various criminals, while avoiding to shoot cut-outs of ladies, policemen, and professors. Duck Hunt's neutral special move, Trick Shot, involves the dog kicking a can from the minigame in Hogan's Alley of the same name. The criminal cut-outs also appear as a part of Duck Hunt's Final Smash, NES Zapper Posse. Cardboard cut-outs of a criminal, lady, and policeman share a Spirit in Ultimate.
- Jam with the Band: A series of music games that features a variety of music, ranging from video game music to singles released from various artists to songs from TV shows or movies. The series also lets the player create their own custom music. The series is released mostly in Japan only, though the second installment was released in Europe. Barbara the Bat, the manager of the store in the series, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, where she plays her guitar that sends out damaging shockwaves.
- Joy Mech Fight: A Japan-only fighting game released for the Famicom in 1993 which features limbless robots fighting each other. Sukapon, the main robot from the game, appears as a Sticker in Brawl, as well as a snippet of the menu theme appearing in the Famicom Medley. Sukapon will appear in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy.
- Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (Translated as "For the Frog the Bell Tolls"): A Japan-exclusive Game Boy title in which the main character must save the Princess Tiramisu from the evil King Delarin, who has invaded the Mille-Feuille Kingdom. The unnamed main character, the Sablé Prince, appears as a Sticker in Brawl, as well as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
- Kururin: A series of puzzle games, developed by Eighting, in which a titular young bird must navigate through tight stages with his helicopter-like vehicle in order to save his family. The Helirin (mistranslated as "Heririn"), the vehicle used by Kururin, cameos as a collectible trophy in Melee. The Helirin also appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, where it acts as a rotating platform that characters can stand on.
- Monster Hunter: A series of action role-playing games by Capcom in which the player must hunt several monsters of various sizes and species. The Rathalos appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, as well as a boss character.
- Nintendo Badge Arcade: An app for the Nintendo 3DS eShop where the player can earn various badges for their Home Menu by playing a claw crane game, which the player usually needs to pay real-life currency in order to play. The Arcade Bunny will appear in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy.
- Nintendo Wars: A series of war games, developed by Intelligent Systems, similar to Fire Emblem (Another series developed by Intelligent Systems) in which the player takes control of an army and must strategize in order to defeat the opposing army. Various soldiers and tanks from the series appear as an Assist Trophy in Brawl and Smash 4 where they fire projectiles at foes.
- Panel de Pon: A long running series of puzzle games, developed by Intelligent Systems, in which the puzzles must be lined up in order to get a score, which getting a high enough score can cause the player to give their opponent unwanted "garbage blocks". The series only saw a western release after rebranding with other Nintendo mascots, such as Yoshi or Pokémon, typically under the name Puzzle League. Lip's Stick, the staff used by Lip and her counterpart in Nintendo Puzzle Collection "Furil", has appeared as an item since Melee. Lip's Theme is also a music track on PictoChat in Brawl. Lip appears in Ultimate as a Spirit.
- Perfect Dark: A series of sci-fi stealth-based FPS games developed by former second-party Nintendo developer, Rareware (now known simply as "Rare"). The Motion Sensor Bomb (Only in Japanese versions) and Cloaking Device, featured as items, were listed as based on this series in Melee, though they are considered non-universal in localized versions.
- Rhythm Heaven: A series of music games from the same team behind the WarioWare series where the player must tap along to the rhythm of a song while quirky situations play. A character from one of the games "Sneaky Spirit" appears as a Smash Run enemy in Smash 3DS. In addition, Karate Joe and the Chorus Kids appear as Trophies in Super 3DS, while Marshal, Miss Ribbon, and Cam, as well as Wrestler & Reporter from Fever appear as Trophies in Smash Wii U. Several characters throughout the series also appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
- Sheriff: A 1979 arcade game in which the titular character must defend a village from a group of bandits. The main character and enemy sprites cameo together in a collectible trophy for Melee. The titular Sheriff also appears as an Assist Trophy in his sprite form in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
- Shovel Knight: An independently-developed platformer game developed by Yacht Club Games that pays homage to classic NES games. The titular character, Shovel Knight, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
- SimCity: A series of city simulation games by Maxis (Now owned by Electronic Arts) in which the player can freely build their own city. Dr. Wright, the assistant from the SNES adaptation, cameos as a collectible trophy in Melee. He also appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate.
- Sin and Punishment: A series of rail-shooters, developed by Treasure, in which a group of gunners must save the planet from various threats. Saki Amamiya, the main character of the first installment, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl and Smash 4.
- Steel Diver: A series of submarine simulation games for the Nintendo 3DS, co-developed by Vitei, in which the player controls a submarine to partake in various missions. An item based on one of the playable submarines in the first game, the Blue Shark, appears in Smash 4.
- Swapnote: An app available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in which the player can draw pictures to send as messages to friends. The game later got a spiritual successor called "Swapdoodle". Nikki, the host of both games, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
- The Legendary Starfy: A series of platform games, developed by TOSE, in which the titular character must traverse through various levels, many of them taking place underwater. Starfy appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate. He uses spinning attacks to damage his foes, but is also one of the few Assist Trophies that can be knocked out of the arena.
- The Mysterious Murasame Castle: A formerly Japan-exclusive game released exclusively for the Famicom Disk System, in which a young samurai must save a castle in Edo Japan from an evil alien creature. Takamaru, the main character, appears as a sticker in Brawl and as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
- Virtua Fighter: A long-running series of fighting games from Sega, notable for inventing the 3D fighting game. Akira Yuki, the main protagonist of the series, as he appears in the first Virtua Fighter game, and Jacky Bryant as he appears in more recent games, appear in the form of Mii Fighter costumes as DLC in Smash 4. Akira also appears in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy.
- Wild Gunman: An NES game compatible with the NES Zapper where the player has to shoot a series of gunmen, but they cannot shoot them until shortly after they yell "FIRE!". The series was first represented in Brawl as a Sticker. All 5 of the enemy gunmen would later appear as as a part of Duck Hunt's down special move (Called Wild Gunman), as well as appearing in Duck Hunt's Final Smash, NES Zapper Posse.
- Xevious: An arcade game produced by Namco in which the player must defeat an alien group from the titular planet. Bacuras appear as indestructible foes in Smash Run.
Minor universes
- Main articles: List of minor universes, List of Namco universes
Many other series are represented in smaller forms, such as trophies, stickers, spirits, music, or Mii Costumes.