“Super Smash Brothers” (Smash) is one of the most famous platform fighting game series, and even though it takes the spotlight more often than not, there are others that are just as popular. Some other games that might come up when talking about platform fighters include “Nickelodeon All Star Brawl,” “Brawlhalla” and of course, “Rivals of Aether.”
“Rivals of Aether” (Rivals) is similar to Smash in a few ways. It has a roster of original characters and maps ready for players to battle with. It uses a stock and percentage system, the method of winning and damaging opponents. Each character has a full moveset composed of three tilt attacks, a jab, three smash attacks and four special moves. However, the gameplay varies quite a lot from Smash: every character has their own gimmick, their own special way to come out on top and stand out in the crowd. The main reason that people would choose to play Rivals over Smash would be the modding potential.
Unlike Nintendo, which famously hates modding and homebrew content, as explained in howtogeek.com, the creators of Rivals openly support it, with Steam workshop characters and stages being accessible from the character select screen. There are thousands of mods for the game, all varying in quality of course. Some mods are very well made, looking and playing as well as official characters with their own gimmicks, like Regigigas having Slow Start for the first minute or so of battle, lowering its strength.
Similar to “Super Smash Brothers Melee,” the gameplay of Rivals centers around chaining quick combos to deal massive damage, reading DI (directional input) and avoiding counters. Most characters play best getting a few solid combos in, and then throwing out strong smash attacks to land killing blows on the opponent.
“Rivals of Aether” is only $30, as compared to the $60 price tag of “Super Smash Brothers Ultimate,” and does not require a faulty subscription service to play online, with Smash lagging often, and sometimes even crashing mid-game, as seen in Hungrybox lag issues. However, online battling is prone to lag spikes, and may occasionally crash, just like playing Smash online. Overall, it is definitely worth giving it a look.
