Super Smash Bros

A fighting game that replaced health bars with a better idea. Damage does not kill; it increases how far you fly when hit — so a fight starts with exchanges that barely move anybody and ends with a single strike sending somebody off the screen entirely. The stage edge is the only thing that actually loses you a stock. That system makes recovery a core skill rather than an afterthought. Being launched is survivable if you can get back, and a large part of high-level play is denying that return — hitting somebody while they are off the stage is worth more than landing three hits while they are safely on it. Characters differ in weight, air control and recovery options, which matters more than their attack numbers. The original four-player chaos is what most people come for and it holds up, particularly with two people on one keyboard. There is a single-player ladder for solo play. It needs a keyboard with room for two, runs on anything, and explains its basics in a single match while taking considerably longer to play well.