Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as Dairantō Smash Brothers (Japanese: 大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ Hepburn: Dairantō Sumasshu Burazāzu?, lit. "Great Melee Smash Brothers"), is a series of crossover fighting games published by Nintendo, featuring characters from established video games. The gameplay differs from traditional fighters for focusing on knocking opponents out of the stage instead of depleting life bars. The original Super Smash Bros., released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, had a small budget and was originally a Japan-only release, but its domestic success led to a worldwide release. The series achieved even greater success with the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee, released in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube, becoming the best-selling game on that system. The third installment, Super Smash