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 (for example, Golden Hammer is listed as a Mario Item and the Rocket Belt is listed under others).

The Super Smash Bros. universe: The "default" universe, this represents the Smash Bros. games themselves and accompanies all appearances of characters and stages that are thematically original to the fighting games themselves. Many original characters have been introduced here, but none thus far have been actually playable, with most serving as enemies and bosses in single-player content. The universe symbol seen here is also used as a "placeholder" by the games to indicate a minor universe without its own symbol until Ultimate, where an ellipsis is used instead. In Super Smash Bros. 4, the Super Smash Bros. universe gets its own character representation by the Mii Brawler, Mii Swordfighter, and Mii Gunner, but officially, they haven't been in any Smash game before their debut as playable in the Super Smash Bros. universe, not to mention that Miis have appeared in various other games, such as the StreetPass Mii Plaza games, including Find Mii.
Metal Mario’s universe: The universe where Metal Mario is fought on Meta Crystal in Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64. Although Metal Mario is based on a Mario character, he is given his own universe in Super Smash Bros. 64
Special Stages: The series that represents Battlefield and Final Destination on Melee (although Final Destination uses the Smash Bros. symbol, it is labelled under Special Stages). Not much is known about this universe, except that the Fighting Wire Frames, Metal Mario, Metal Luigi, Master Hand, Crazy Hand and Giga Bowser are always fought here (unless one executes the Name entry glitch).
Subspace: A sort of sub-universe of the greater Smash Bros. universe, Subspace encompasses Tabuu and his Subspace Army, as well as the realm of Subspace itself and other original content restricted to the Subspace Emissary. In Ultimate, Galleom returns as a boss while other members of the Subspace Army appear as spirits.
Custom Stages: The series that represents custom stages in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
World of Light: A type of sub-universe of the Super Smash Bros. universe. Includes characters appearing in Ultimate's adventure mode. The two boss characters Galeem and Dharkon are from this series.
The Mario universe: Nintendo's flagship video game franchise. The company mascot at the head of this multi-genre series, Mario (the mascot of Nintendo and who appears on all Nintendo systems), is a primary playable character in Smash Bros. games, and has been accompanied by his brother Luigi (both since Smash 64), his alter-ego Dr. Mario (Melee and from Smash 4 onwards), the Mushroom Kingdom princess, Peach (since Melee), the villainous king of the Koopas Bowser (since Melee), his mischievous son Bowser Jr. (Smash 4 onwards) (who also has the seven Koopalings join him in the form of alternate costumes), the cosmic guardian Rosalina along with her child Luma (Smash 4 onwards), the reigning princess of Sarasaland, Daisy (Ultimate), and a feared enemy of the kingdom, Piranha Plant (Ultimate [albeit as DLC]) as playable characters. Brawl also started to treat Mario Kart as a partially separate universe, containing two stages and a collection of music tracks, though it still uses the main Mario series symbol. Since Ultimate, it has overtaken Pokémon to become the most represented universe, excluding its many sub-universes. (However, when counting the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon as separate characters, Pokémon still has one more fighter than Mario)
The Donkey Kong universe: A franchise which the Mario series was partially spun-off from. The direction of British company Rareware (now known as Rare Ltd.), focusing on Donkey Kong and his many simian relatives and reptilian nemeses. Donkey Kong himself has been a playable Smash Bros. character throughout the entire series, while his monkey nephew Diddy Kong has been playable since Brawl. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Kongs' long standing arch-nemesis, King K. Rool, finally joins the roster as a playable newcomer.
The Yoshi universe: Referred to as the Yoshi's Island universe by PAL versions of Brawl, the Yoshi universe is based on the more colorful and saccharine subset of Mario video games starring the dinosaur Yoshi, who is the main (and thus far only) playable character of the series in the Smash Bros. games. Several properties seen in Smash Bros. games can be identified as strictly belonging to this universe instead of the Mario universe.
The Wario universe: Referred to in NTSC versions of Brawl as the WarioWare universe, and as the WarioWare, Inc. series by PAL versions, the Wario universe is a sub-series of Mario games whose main character is Mario's ill-mannered and nefarious anti-hero counterpart, Wario. The games in this series are either platforming titles or (more prominently) microgame collections, and Wario as he appears in both of these two genres of games within his series is the one playable character.
The Wrecking Crew universe: A curious NES puzzle/platform game starring Mario and Luigi as demolition workers, trying to destroy old buildings while avoiding sentient wrenches, Foreman Spike and the infamous Eggplant Man. Previously classified as a Mario game, the sub-series was given its own symbol and stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate.
The Legend of Zelda universe: A series of adventure titles portraying several incarnations and continuities of its main characters, primarily the young Hylian hero Link (who is accompanied by Young Link in Melee & Ultimate, and Toon Link since Brawl), the eponymous princess Zelda (since Melee), and the dark lord/warlock Ganondorf (since Melee). These four, as well as Zelda's ninja-like alter-ego Sheik (since Melee), are playable characters.
The Metroid universe: A science fiction series in either the side-scrolling platforming or the first-person adventure genres. The series' formerly silent protagonist, female bounty hunter Samus Aran clad in a versatile power suit (as well as without it in an alternative guise named Zero Suit Samus), is the primary playable character. In Brawl, another character from the universe appeared as a boss in the form of Ridley, and later as Meta Ridley. In Smash 4, Ridley appears as a stage boss in the Wii U version. However in Ultimate, Ridley finally becomes a playable fighter on his own accord. Also in Ultimate, Dark Samus - the bounty hunter's arch-rival from the original Prime trilogy - joins the fray.
The Kirby universe: The game franchise headed by Masahiro Sakurai prior to and alongside his directorial involvement in his Smash Bros. series. The titular pink spherical hero Kirby (since Smash 64), his menacing rival Meta Knight (since Brawl), and the greedy King Dedede (since Brawl) have all been featured as playable characters.
The Star Fox universe: A series of space shooting games that got its start as among the first games to popularize 3D polygonal graphics in the Super Nintendo era. All the games' characters are anthropomorphic animals. The de facto leader of the "Star Fox" team Fox McCloud has been available for the entire series. Ace wing man Falco Lombardi was added to the list in Melee and has been in every game since. Wolf O'Donnell, Fox's rival and leader of the mercenary group "Star Wolf", has been playable in Brawl and Ultimate.
The Pokémon universe: One of video gaming's most lucrative franchises, this multi-genre franchise emphasizes handheld role-playing games that focus on the training and battling of 809 distinctive species of creatures called Pokémon, from which the series derives its name. Playable characters consist of electric mouse mascot Pikachu (since Smash 64) and its younger form Pichu (Melee and Ultimate), the hypnotic pink puffball Jigglypuff (since Smash 64), psychic feline humanoid Mewtwo (Melee and Smash 4 onwards), the jackal-like Lucario (since Brawl), a generic Pokémon Trainer (Brawl and Ultimate) who commands his three Pokémon (Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard, although Charizard reappears by itself in Smash 4) from the background to do battle in the foreground, the speedy ninja frog Greninja (Smash 4 onwards) and the pro-wrestler wildcat, Incineroar (Ultimate). It is the most heavily represented universe in terms of playable characters; however, if the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon do not count as separate characters, it still has one less character than Mario.
The F-Zero universe: A futuristic racing game series featuring anti-gravity racing machines that zoom at extremely fast and intense speeds, with game play emphasizing speed boosts, cornering, and physically ramming each other's machines to lower life meters. The superhero-like bounty hunter Captain Falcon serves as the most recognizable racer and "mascot" of the series and is a playable character throughout the Smash Bros. series.
The EarthBound universe: Also referred to by its Japanese title, the Mother series. A postmodern, satirical, and psychedelic take on role-playing conceived by Shigesato Itoi, with three games in the series. The protagonists of the second and third games, EarthBound's Ness (since Smash 64) and Mother 3's Lucas (since Brawl) respectively, have been playable as characters.
The Ice Climber universe: A classic NES game focusing on a pair of parka-clad mallet-wielding children named Popo and Nana as they infinitely scale platformed mountains to retrieve vegetables from a Condor. The Ice Climbers feature together as one playable character in Melee, Brawl and Ultimate.
The Fire Emblem universe: A long-running series of tactical role-playing games set in sword-and-sorcery medieval fantasy settings and portrayed with numerous anime character designs. Formerly a series released only in Japan, it gained enough popularity in its appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee that the franchise turned international from then on, and has proven quite popular as such. Main heroes from the various unrelated installments in the series, including Marth (since Melee), Roy (Melee, Smash 4 and Ultimate), and Ike (since Brawl) have been featured as playable characters. In Super Smash Bros. 4, Lucina, Robin & Corrin were also added as representatives of this universe. In Smash 4, Chrom only appeared as part of Robin's Final Smash as well as a trophy; in Ultimate, however, Chrom finally got his chance to take on the world. It is the only series with characters that made their debut in a Smash Bros. game (specifically Roy).
The Game & Watch universe: The Smash Bros. games' representation of one of Nintendo's earliest digital products, which is a series of LCD handheld consoles named "Game & Watch". A previously unnamed black-and-white character in several of these games has been featured as a playable character under the name Mr. Game and Watch since Melee.
The Kid Icarus universe: An old classic NES game released alongside the original Metroid. It is the story of a young angel knight named Pit as he battles to save the goddess Palutena from the forces of the evil Medusa, which was revived by Masahiro Sakurai. Pit appears with a major graphical redesign as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl onwards and Palutena makes her debut as a playable character in Smash 4. Dark Pit, a major character in Kid Icarus: Uprising, also debuts as a playable character in Smash 4.
The Pikmin universe: A real-time strategy game series that started on the GameCube. The main character, Captain Olimar, and the titular creatures, the Pikmin, cameo as separate, collectible trophies in Melee. The five different Pikmin types, red, blue, yellow, purple, and white, along with Captain Olimar, are combined into a playable character known as Pikmin & Olimar in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4. Alph, the protagonist of Pikmin 3, appears as a playable character in Smash 4 and Ultimate as four of Olimar's palette swaps.
The R.O.B. universe: Also known as the Robot universe. Not much is known about this universe, other than the fact that its symbol is a Gyro from Gyromite, and its only contributions are the character R.O.B., R.O.B.-based enemies in the Subspace Emissary, a piece of music, Gyromite, and a few spirits.
The Animal Crossing universe: This is a series of colorful life simulation games where the player's avatar lives in a woodland town featuring anthropomorphic animals as the town's residents and neighbors. It was introduced to the Smash Bros. franchise in Melee, with three trophies — K.K. Slider, Tom Nook, and Mr. Resetti. In Brawl, Animal Crossing was more prominent, with a stage, an item, an assist trophy, and many stickers and trophies that originated in this universe. In Smash 4, it became even more noteworthy, with a Villager added as a playable character, as well as Isabelle tagging along as an Assist Trophy. Isabelle would later become a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The Wii Fit universe: Nintendo's recently successful Wii Fit series introduced Wii Fit Trainer as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Ultimate. The Wii Fit Studio, where Yoga and Strength Training are performed in Wii Fit, appears as a stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
The Punch-Out!! universe: A series of boxing games, best known for the large cast of colorful (yet stereotypically depicted) characters. The main character of the NES and Wii games, Little Mac, appears in Brawl as an Assist Trophy and as a playable character in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
The Xenoblade universe: A JRPG series with a combat system styled after MMOs. Shulk, the protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles, wields the Monado, a unique sword, in battle against the mysterious "Mechon" enemies. He appears as a playable character in Smash 4 and Ultimate. Gaur Plain is a stage in both versions of SSB4, and Ultimate.
The Duck Hunt universe: A classic NES title using the Zapper Gun peripheral that has the player shooting ducks. The Duck Hunt dog, with the ducks, appear as a single playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Ultimate, as well as a stage also named Duck Hunt. In SSB4, two other games that use the NES Zapper, Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman, are listed with Duck Hunt as part of the 'Light Gun Series' in the Trophy Box.
The Splatoon universe: One of Nintendo's hottest new IPs, Splatoon follows the adventures and battles of a race of evolved sea creatures known as the Inkling and their efforts to rescue the Great Zapfish from their most hated enemies, the Octarians. The Inkling made their debut in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable newcomer alongside the Squid Sisters as a new Assist Trophy and Moray Towers as an all-new stage.
The Metal Gear universe: A third-party franchise. A series of stealth and espionage shooting games set on a fictional take of real-world Earth in somewhat apocalyptic time periods in the future where nuclear deterrence and various moral issues are dealt with as social commentary by the games themselves. The series' main star, Solid Snake, is a playable character in Brawl and Ultimate.
The Sonic the Hedgehog universe: A third party franchise, one of SEGA's primary franchises, and a longtime rival franchise to Nintendo's Mario in the years before SEGA became a software developer for Nintendo and other companies. This world with anthropomorphic characters is the setting of many games covering multiple genres. Its eponymous mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, is a playable character from Brawl onwards and was highly anticipated.
The Mega Man universe: Capcom's long-running series is another third-party universe with a playable character, the titular Mega Man. A franchise spanning at least five different series, the main concept for each one being the robotic protagonist fighting colorful enemies and taking their powers. Wily Castle appears as a stage in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Ultimate.
The Street Fighter universe: Announced via a leak as the first ever DLC third-party franchise in Smash history via the introduction of the wandering World Warrior called Ryu and an updated version of his stage from Street Fighter II, this long-running fighting game series tells the many tales of these combatants out to prove themselves as the greatest fighter on the planet. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, his rival and best friend, Ken Masters also joins the roster.
The Pac-Man universe: A third party franchise, Bandai Namco's long running series about a yellow, spherical creature named Pac-Man, and his many adventures in "Pac-World". The eponymous character appears as a playable character in Smash 4 and Ultimate, accompanied by characters and elements from other Namco Arcade games.
The Final Fantasy universe: Another new third-party series joining Smash, Square-Enix's long-running RPG franchise tells the stories and legends surrounding a group of heroes who go out on a epic quest to stop supernatural evil forces from taking over their world. Cloud Strife, the main hero of the most popular entry of the franchise, Final Fantasy VII, was announced as a new DLC character along with his stage based on the city of Midgar from the same game.
The Bayonetta universe: Another third-party franchise, this series tells a rather dark, twisted and deadly tale about an ancient war between angels and demons in a modern world of fear and deception and the story about an angel hunter who sets off to find her lost memories of her past and rid herself of the war once and for all. The lead titular character, Bayonetta, as well as the opening scene of the original game, Umbra Clock Tower, enters Smash as a new playable character and stage respectively.
The Castlevania universe: One of Konami's most praised franchises in its long, storied history, this series spans a saga through the millennia of the legendary Belmont clan who swore a never-ending curse to destroy the evil that is the dreaded Count Dracula 'till the end of time. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this is the first new third-party franchise with Dracula's Castle appearing as a new stage, the count's son, Alucard joining as a Assist Trophy, and Simon and Richter Belmont debuting as newcomers.
The Persona universe: Atlus's long running series of turn based RPGs set in Modern Day Japan and various metaphysical realities. Like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy, games are their own individual stories with elements and recurring themes shared between them. Joker, the main character from Persona 5 appears as Ultimate's second downloadable character.
The Dragon Quest universe: The second franchise hailing from Square-Enix's massive library, this RPG series follow various groups of nobody castaways on a epic quest to slay monstrous demons and evil, corrupt villians to prove themselves as true champions of justice. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, various different main protagonists from this series makes their debut under the generic term of Hero, with the default one hailing from Dragon Quest XI.
The Banjo-Kazooie universe: After so many years of waiting, Rare's most beloved original IP finally enters into the world of Smash. In this iconic 3D platformer series, a bird and bear duo known as Banjo & Kazooie team up to rescue Banjo's sister, Tooty, from the evil, malevolent witch Gruntilda who wants to steal Tooie's beauty to make her look young again. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the beloved pair finally makes their long-awaited Smash debut as a single playable fighter.
The Nintendo DS universe: Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4 and Ultimate dedicate an official universe symbol to what is merely the Nintendo DS platform itself. No characters appear in the game, and the only things that this universe has are two stages named PictoChat (Super Smash Bros. Brawl only) and PictoChat 2 (Super Smash Bros. For 3DS and Ultimate).
The Electroplankton universe: Likewise, a stage named Hanenbow is the main and only representation of this "universe" based on the Nintendo DS musical "toy" game, Electroplankton.
The Balloon Fight universe: A stage titled Balloon Fight in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Ultimate is the main representation of the universe, in which a balloon-propelled man flies through the air and pops the balloons of other enemies, though there were trophies, music, and items in Melee, as well as music and a stage hazard in Brawl prior. Balloon Fight is also referenced by Villager's Up Special, Balloon Trip.
The Nintendogs universe: The Living Room stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS serves as the main representation of this universe, consisting of several pet simulation games. The other representation is an Assist Trophy since Brawl, Nintendog.
The Mii universe: A collection of games that all share Miis as the main playable character. While no characters bear this universe's symbol, Mii Fighters get spirit match boosts from equipping the spirits of them.
The StreetPass Mii Plaza universe: A stage, Find Mii, in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Ultimate is the only representation of this universe, which is made up of a two-part game built into the Nintendo 3DS, featuring the player using StreetPass to collect Miis to save the player's Mii from ghosts.
The Tomodachi universe: The Tomodachi Life stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Ultimate is the main and only representation of this universe. The universe is made up of simulation games featuring the player's Miis.
The Pilotwings universe: Besides stickers in Brawl, the stage Pilotwings in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate, and the Rocket Belt item in both versions are the only known representations of this universe, made up of games allowing the player to fly planes across unique environments.
The Wii Sports universe: A series of sports games released to demonstrate the Wii's motion-sensing capabilities. It received one music track in Brawl before receiving its own stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate.
The Miiverse universe: The Wii U's and 3DS's social network. It has one stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

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. This was changed in Ultimate, where those universes received a new symbol to represent them in the from of a ellipsis. 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 and a Mii Fighter costume in Ultimate. Ribbon Girl 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 an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, as well as a trophy in Smash Wii U. A music track titled Swan Lesson appears in Smash Wii U, playing on the Duck Hunt stage.
• 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. The host, Dr. Kawashima, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate. There are two music tracks from the series. Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, from the first game, plays on the PictoChat stage in Brawl and Wii Fit Studio in Smash Wii U, while Menu (Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!), from the second game, also plays on the Wii Fit Studio stage in Smash Wii U.
• 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, appears 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. Unira, the main enemies of the game, appear as an item since Brawl. The main character, Bubbles, appears as a trophy in Melee. A music track, called Clu Clu Land, plays on the the Summit stage in Brawl and the Duck Hunt stage in Smash Wii U.
• 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. Ray MK III, the main robot used by the main protagonist of Custom Robo Arena, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl. Three robot combatants from Custom Robo V2, Ray MK II, Bayonette, and Annie, appear as trophies in Melee. Two shared trophies of several Custom Robos and Jameson & A.I.R.S., as well as a ton of stickers, appear in Brawl. Ray MK III serves as the basis for a Mii Fighter costume in Ultimate, along with Ray MK II, Bayonette, and Flare appearing 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. The Devil from the game appears as an Assist Trophy since Brawl. 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. Tamagon returns as a sticker in Brawl and as a Spirit in Ultimate. The title screen theme appears as part of the Famicom Medley music track in Brawl.
• 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 enemy in Smash 3DS and as a cameo in Pac-Man's Namco Roulette taunt in Smash 4. The level start theme, main theme, and level complete jingle from the original arcade game all appear as a part of the Namco Arcade '80s Retro Medley 1 music track.
• 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. A music track titled Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger, from the second game of the same name, appears in Smash Wii U, playing on the Pilotwings stage. A second music track, Frontier Battle, from Dead-Heat Breakers, appears in Ultimate, with Dillon and Russ, Dillon's partner, being Spirits.
• 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 an Assist Trophy in Brawl. Two stickers of Jill (One in her Drill Dozer and the other outside of it), as well as a sticker of Grutch, appear 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 appears an an Assist Trophy and a sticker in Brawl, as well as a trophy in Melee and Smash 4. A trophy of the Boulder monster truck from Excite Bike, as well as stickers of it and the Wolf, Firefly, and Rad monster trucks, appear in Brawl. The title theme from Excitebike appears as part of the Famicom Medley in Brawl, in addition to a music track called Excite Truck, which plays on the Mario Circuit stage in both Brawl and Smash Wii U.
• Fatal Frame: A series of horror games involving taking photos of ghosts. Yuri Kozukata, the central protagonist of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate. Mio and Mayu Amakura from Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly share a trophy in Smash Wii U, while Maya from the augmented reality-based spin-off Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir has a trophy in Smash 3DS. Mio and Maya Amakura both return as a shared Spirit in Ultimate.
• 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. A music track called Battle Scene / Final Boss (Golden Sun), based on two battle themes from the second game, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, appears in Brawl and Smash Wii U, playing on the Norfair stage. An additional music track, Weyard from Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, appears in Smash Wii U, playing on the Palutena's Temple stage. Several characters from the series appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
• 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. Barbara has not reprised her role since Brawl, but has appeared as a trophy in Smash 3DS and a Spirit in Ultimate. A music track called PERFORMANCE from the second game appears in Smash Wii U, playing on the Gamer stage.
• Joy Mech Fight: A Japan-exclusive fighting game released for the Famicom in 1993 which features limbless robots fighting each other. Sukapon, the main robot from the game, appears in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy, as well as a Sticker in Brawl. A snippet of the menu theme appears in the Famicom Medley music track in Brawl.
• 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 an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate. Sablé Prince has previously appeared in the Smash Bros. series as a sticker in Brawl, whom which he shares with the frog versions of Prince Richard and Jam the thief.
• 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, the vehicle used by Kururin, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, as well as a trophy in Melee (mistranslated as "Heririn"). Kururin, the main protagonist, appears as a sticker in Brawl, along with a sticker of Helibokaan, in which the later appears as part of a shared trophy of several Helirins called "Action Helirins" in Brawl.
• 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. Two Mii Fighter costumes based on a Monster Hunter (One based on the Hunter's Armor Set and the other based on the Rathalos Armor Set) appear as DLC in Smash 4.
• 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 appears 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. The three main Commanding Officers (Andy, Max, and Sami) from the first three games, as well as Dual Strike protagonists Jake and Rachel, and Black Hole CO Hawke, appear as stickers in Brawl.
• 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. The protagonist of the first game, Lip and her series has referenced several times in the Smash series since Melee from her garbage block in one of Kirby's random Stone transformations and her staff (also used by her counterpart in Nintendo Puzzle Collection "Furil"), Lip's Stick. Stickers of Furil, Pure, Sala, and Cecil from Nintendo Puzzle Collection appear in Brawl (all of whom are mistranslated as Lip, Ruby, Seren, and Elias respectively, their counterparts in the original). The titular puzzle pieces of the series, Panel also appears as a sticker, which has been referred to as Blocks within localizations of the series after Tetris Attack. in A remix of Lip's Theme appears as a music track on the PictoChat stage in Brawl and Wrecking Crew in Smash Wii U. Lip appears in Ultimate as a Spirit and the basis for a Mii Fighter costume.
• 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. A trophy of Karate Joe and a shared trophy of the Chorus Kids appear in Super 3DS, while a shared trophy of Marshal, Miss Ribbon, and Cam, as well as a shared trophy of the Wrestler & Reporter from Fever, appear in Smash Wii U. Two songs, Blue Birds from Rhythm Heaven and Monkey Watch from Fever, appear as DLC music tracks, both playing on the Miiverse stage. Several characters throughout the series 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 titular Sheriff appears as an Assist Trophy in his sprite form in Smash 4 and Ultimate. The titular sheriff and three enemy sprites share a trophy in Melee.
• 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, appears as an Assist Trophy since Brawl. He also also appears as a trophy in Melee.
• 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. In Ultimate, Saki does not return as an Assist Trophy, but appears as a Spirit and the basis for a Mii Fighter costume.
• 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 called Steel Diver, based on one of the playable submarines in the first game, the Blue Shark, appears in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
• 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 since Brawl. Starly appears as a trophy in Brawl, in addition to several stickers. Starly returns as a Spirit in Ultimate.
• 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 an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate, as well as a sticker in Brawl. A music track titled Douchuumen (Nazo no Murasamejo) plays on the Mario Bros. stage in Brawl. An additional music track, titled The Mysterious Murasame Castle Medley, appears in Smash 4, playing as a Smash Run track in Smash 3DS and on the Duck Hunt in Smash Wii U.
• 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, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate. Akira, as well as Jacky Bryant as he appears in more recent games, both serve as the basis for two DLC Mii Costumes in Smash 4
• 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!". 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. The series was first represented in Brawl with a sticker called "Wild Gunman".
• 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. Both the Salvalou and Andor Genesis appear as a cameo in Pac-Man's Namco Roulette taunt in Smash 4, though the later only appears in the Wii U version.

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.