Part of the reason I love Smash so much is that I have an idea of what every game is about when they come into Smash. I’ve played a game from every franchise currently with a playable character in Smash, save for Dragon Quest, which will change once I get DQXIS in the mail.
That’s Mario, Zelda, DK, Pokémon, Splatoon, Metroid, Kirby, Fire Emblem, Pikmin, Kid Icarus, Ice Climber, F-Zero, Earthbound, Sonic, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, Bayonetta, Street Fighter...whichever I’m missing. Each of those games is so different from the next, yet I’ve found enjoyment in each and every one of them that’s i could go on about a variety of games.
Prior to that challenge I set for myself, I’d mainly be obsessed with Mario and Sonic. And Pokémon. I didn’t play Ocarina of Time until I was a junior in high school. However, I’m a very different person now, and I attribute that to trying new games and learning more based on Smash.
I tried Metal Gear because of Smash. I played Metroid and Zelda because of Smash. I love them all for their own reasons.
The only games I haven’t played regarding specific Smash characters would be Shadow Dragon (Marth) Mother 3 (Lucas), Castlevania (Simon), The Binding Blade (Roy), Gyromite (ROB), and Dragon Quest (Got DQ8, DQ4, and have DQXIS on preorder)
It’s really worth trying out new stuff.