How does Playing Smash Translate to Other Fighters?
by Mario Macchiarulo (supermario)
Smash Ultimate is a platform fighter. It’s much different than the average 2D “fighter” that started the genre and is still so popular today. From Street Fighter to Tekken to Guilty Gear, there is a huge amount of competition and players. What’s not uncommon is that a player in one 2D fighter is also very solid in another 2D fighter, as the fundamental skills do not take long to translate. Why is that?
Every fighter is different but has the same fundamental concepts. You have your anti-airs, your rush down, the way you block etc. These things all translate from one fighter to another. Even in TAG FIGHTERS, which are pretty different, these aspects still translate. Jay “Viscant” Snyder is an EVO champion in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 but was also an extremely good Ultra Street Fighter IV player. What is perhaps slightly less common are smash players being multi-game competitors between smash and other fighters. Perhaps even less common, have you ever seen a veteran street fighter player suddenly switch to Smash?
This likely is not a “mold” that needs to be broken. Competing in multiple games is very difficult. Additionally, players simply play the games they enjoy, and smash is very different than a 2D fighter. But I wanted to take some time to evaluate how, despite the vast differences, playing smash can be helpful for picking up a fighter.
I’ve been competing on an off in Ultimate since late 2022. I was a standard 2-2er with a couple decent wins and set performances. The first fighter that I really pursued and committed to playing was Guilty Gear Strive. I started playing it using the “Remote Play Together” feature on steam in early 2023 and fully bought the game in July 2023. I played it relatively casually as a 7 floor Testament (back then there was no ranked matchmaking) and it took a backseat to smash. Only recently in this past November/December, when picking up Baiken, and putting smash on the backburner, did I see a big jump of progress in my play. What got better was my general execution of buttons as one need, but what I think helps is the prior fundamental knowledge that playing a game like smash gives you. Maybe it’s obvious, but things like reaction time, patience, and most importantly, understanding the fighting game Rock-Paper-Scissors psyche helped a lot.
This got reinforced again when I picked Street Fighter 6 last week. After learning some basic combos and getting used to mechanics, I was able to jump from low Silver to Platinum very quickly as Cammy. It interests me because I think that this relative efficiency is due in part to my experience playing smash. And when I do go back to smash, how will these new skills translate?
I think this is a subject that we can continue to evaluate. I do think that despite the large differences smash has to other fighters, things definitely translate between them. It’s a new way to look at individual competitive growth. If you’re feeling some slight burnout from smash, take a break, and pick up a fighter! Try something new out. It may give you a new outlook on how you play games competitively and how you think of fighters. I recommend Street Fighter 6 as more beginner friendly but Strive is also a great choice too. Happy fighting!
The Ultimate Street Fighter Guide for 2026:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK-AJyD1XKk
