Setup
A setup refers to a "station" that can allow two or more players to play a game, especially within tournaments. At its core, a setup requires a console and a screen on which to display the game. However, the specifics for each game can change what may be required for a setup. Setups need to sufficiently accommodate players, and sometimes livestreams as well. Entry fees and donations from tournament goers typically help offset the sometimes expensive prices for adequate setups. At many events, tournament organizers will give an incentive for contestants to bring in setups, often by offering a discount to the venue fee or sometimes waiving it entirely.
Television or monitor[edit]
Tournaments for Smash 64, Melee, Brawl, and Project M prefer the use of a cathode ray tube television, owing to concerns over input lag that modern televisions can introduce, especially in tandem with composite video cables used for the Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Wii. However, as Smash 4 and Ultimate do not support 4:3 ratios, the use of widescreen televisions is accepted in their respective tournament scenes, though such TVs may require the use of a "Game Mode", or be specifically designed for gaming. This is done to mitigate display lag as much as possible.
In a majority of tournaments, both players sit side-by-side, sharing the same television set; some tournaments, however, may use more sophisticated setups where all players have their own screen. This can typically be seen on a sort of stage in front of a live audience at large or national tournaments.
Console[edit]
A complete setup includes a console for the relevant game (Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, or Nintendo Switch). In a majority of cases, the original console and game are used, though emulators such as Project64k and Dolphin have sometimes seen use in tournaments.
The console must also have its power adapter and appropriate video cable (typically composite video or HDMI), as those are required for the console to function.
Controllers are not required for a setup, as players are expected to bring their own controller, though special adapters are required to use certain compatible controllers and thus are expected to be available.
Save files or memory cards[edit]
All consoles are required to have all characters and all relevant, legal stages unlocked and available for use, whether from save data or by using cheat devices. Available content not required for gameplay do not need to be present, but some are recommended for presentational purposes and being required for specific side events.
Mods[edit]
While all entries in the series can be hacked or modded to some degree, any hacks that modify the gameplay of the base game are not allowed without express permission, as they can create discrepancies in how players play the games. Some tournament organizers require that every setup has certain mods installed and will inspect each one for said mods. Other TOs put a blanket ban on all mods, as the logistics issues that arise from necessitating all setups to use the same hacks makes such tournaments infeasible to run. Some tournaments are based entirely around certain gameplay mods, such as Project M. Mods that only modify the appearance or music of the game are occasionally considered acceptable, provided such modifications are not considered distracting to players, such as by playing loud, distracting music or by radically changing the appearance of characters or stages.
In competitive play[edit]
As a setup of some kind is required to play the game, they appear at every single tournament. There is no universal list of requirements for what a setup can and cannot have. This step is usually decided by the tournament organizers before an event starts. Larger tournaments typically inspect each individual setup before the event starts to ensure everything is in order. This is done to make sure all games are played with the same settings and to prevent potential acts of cheating. In the case of an event allowing event goers to donate setups, they may be turned away if the provided setup does not meet all requirements.
Game-specific considerations[edit]
Super Smash Bros.[edit]
While the use of a Nintendo 64 is common at Smash 64 tournaments, setups that use emulators are also widely accepted in tournaments, owing to the popularity of such emulators for playing Smash 64 outside of tournaments. The Virtual Console release of Smash 64 is rarely used because of concerns over frame skipping.
Smash 64 tournaments may require an external clock or stopwatch to be present alongside a setup, as Smash 64 cannot allow for a match timer in stock matches. The external clock allows TOs to gauge when the match ends.
Although the NTSC-J and NTSC-U versions of SSB are the most commonly used versions in tournaments, the actual version used is up to the tournament organizer with little regulation, as the gameplay changes are generally not considered significant enough to warrant such a restriction. That being said, a tournament should be consistent in the regional version of Melee being used, as players suddenly playing with balance changes without warning can be detrimental to their performance and tournament placing. Mixing of regional variants is typically avoided for this reason.
Since the release of 19XXTE in 2015, using the hack on setups has been allowed, as it features a number of enhancements that can improve how tournaments are run, most notably by adding a timer to stock matches.
Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
No specific requirements beyond a television and a console are required for setups involving Melee. Tournaments generally prefer the use of a GameCube, as it is easier to startup Melee on it versus a Wii, though tournaments rarely ever ban the use of the Wii; in tournaments where Melee is played alongside Brawl or one of its gameplay mods, the Wii is then sometimes preferred, owing to its backwards compatibility.
Although NTSC version 1.2 is the most common version of Melee used in tournaments, the actual version used is up to the tournament organizer with little regulation, as the gameplay changes are generally not considered significant enough to warrant such a restriction. That being said, a tournament should be consistent in the regional version of Melee being used, as players suddenly playing with balance changes without warning can be detrimental to their performance and tournament placing. Mixing of regional variants is typically avoided for this reason.
Consoles which feature variants of 20XX are allowed in tournaments, provided all of its available gameplay hacks are disabled.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
No specific requirements beyond a television and a console are required for setups involving Brawl and its gameplay mods.
Tournaments for Brawl and its gameplay mods, such as Project M, strictly use the Wii over the Wii U, owing to the presence of controller ports for Nintendo GameCube controllers that a majority of players use; furthermore, the adapter which is used on Wii U for GameCube controllers is not compatible with the Wii U's Wii Mode.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
The only "setups" required for a tournament specifically featuring the 3DS version is a Nintendo 3DS per entrant. This makes 3DS tournaments the most flexible in the series.
As each player uses their own 3DS to play, they are not required to have any DLC characters or stages present. However, each 3DS system must have downloaded the latest update.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
All tournaments specifically featuring the Wii U version require that a setup have a Nintendo GameCube adapter, owing to the ubiquity of the Nintendo GameCube controller at Smash 4 tournaments. This does not necessarily restrict controller choice, however.
All DLC characters must be present on setups for anybody who wants to play as them. While having all DLC stages is recommended, Dream Land must be made available since it is a counterpick stage in the current ruleset.
When the Official Custom Moveset Project was still active, setups were required to have all custom moves unlocked, as well as have all legal movesets from the project on their Wii U; this was done often by "tethering" a separate Nintendo 3DS to the console. In some tournaments, Mii fighters are still required to have their custom moves made available to anybody who wants them, but usually only default special moves are allowed.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
All Ultimate tournaments only allow games to be played on a Nintendo Switch in docked mode, as playing on handheld mode through local multiplayer can cause complications in logistics. A Nintendo GameCube adapter is once again required for those that wish to use the controller, though the use of said controller is significantly less common than in previous games.
All DLC characters must be present on setups for anybody who wants to play as them. As all purchasable DLC stages are sold alongside DLC characters as a package, buying all characters makes the stages available too.
Mii fighters are still required to have their custom moves be made available to anybody who wants them. Some tournaments require the Mii fighter's name to contain the numbers given to the special moves being used to not surprise opponents during the game.
