- For the Colombian tournament, see Tournament:Smashdown
Smashdown (全員バトル, Everyone Battle) is a multiplayer mode in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It consists of a series of matches, and after a character has been used in a match that character is not able to be chosen again until the series of matches is completed. It is one of three modes in the game's Special Smash mode, the other two being Custom Smash and Super Sudden Death.
Overview
Each player chooses a different character and participates in a standard Smash battle. After the battle ends, the characters used disappear from the roster for the rest of the match. Mii Fighters are not available in this mode and, just like Squad Strike, Echo Fighters are always displayed and counted as a separate character from their parent, even if the player chooses to merge. Also, the number of battles played before the game ends can be adjusted (the maximum number of battles depending on how many players take part in it, ranging from 41 two-player matches to 10 eight-player matches), and enabling the Mercy Rule will cause the game to end if a player has won enough battles to make losing impossible. Replays can't be saved in this mode.
In competitive play
While not as popular as other modes, Smashdown can occasionally be seen as a side event at tournaments. Due to how the mode is structured, a traditional bracket is often seen as impractical, so a version of the round robin style is used where the player(s) with the most wins by the end is declared champion. Typically only 2-8 players are placed in their own tournament for easier logistics, and they play each other until the game declares a winner. This means multiple of these micro-tournaments can be active at once, and a grand finals of sorts can later be played with all of the winners. The mercy rule is usually turned on, but this is at the discretion of the tournament director.
Fighters are usually picked on the spot, which allows for some unique mind games. If a player knows the main of their opponent, they can pick that fighter early on to eliminate them from later fights. This strategy may not necessarily benefit the player in the short-term, but it will hurt their opponent in the long-term. Also, players could intentionally mislead their opponents by picking characters they have little experience with to put them under a false sense of confidence by easily defeating them with their mains early on, only for the tables to turn later on by the player using their main against the opponent with a fighter they have little experience with. However, this will inevitably create situations where multiple players want the same fighter, causing a dispute that could slow down the tournament. The most common solution is for players to claim fighters ahead of time.
Gallery
The rules screen in Smashdown.
The victory screen in Smashdown.
The character selection screen during Smashdown, excluding DLC characters.
The character selection screen during Smashdown, with DLC characters.
Trivia
- Smashdown has been compared to a Full Roster Ironman due to its similar structure.
- The Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 indirectly featured this mode, as its main rule was that, after a player used a character, they could not use that character again.
- This is the only mode where two players can't be the same character.
- Smashdown is the only way to have a character select screen without Kirby on it, as he is the only character available at the start of World of Light, as well as a starter character.
- The highest number of fighters that can take place in a Smashdown session is 82 (on account of the maximum of 41 one-on-one matches). Therefore, for players that have purchased all DLC fighters, it is impossible to organize a session with all characters present since Sora occupies the 83rd slot of the character select screen.
See also