Music in the Stages of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Abstract

This article examines the functional role of music in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) and its influence on player experience through an analysis of three emblematic stages: Final Destination, Hyrule Castle, and Mementos. Using a previously validated musical analysis template based on Lynn’s (1986) content validity procedures, the study combines systematic musicological description with an interpretive framework grounded in game sound studies and user experience (UX). Although the game’s musical system is nonadaptive, the findings suggest that music can be interpreted as a structuring element of player experience. Its rhythmic, timbral, formal, and affective characteristics align with dimensions that previous research has associated with perception, attention, emotional activation, and presence. In addition to affective, symbolic, environmental, and orientational functions identified in prior literature, the analysis proposes a kinetic–perceptual function, whereby stable rhythmic and formal structures support perceptual focus and motor timing during high-intensity competitive play. Methodologically, the study demonstrates how a validated analytical template can bridge musicological analysis and experiential interpretation, offering a transferable approach for research on music functionality in competitive, nonadaptive game contexts.