Fote refers to a game of Super Smash Bros. 4 or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with items switched off. The term was coined in 4 and was later carried over to Ultimate upon its release. Fote matches are almost exclusively 1-on-1, though a rare free-for-all fote is known as a foge.
General Information
“Fotes” are played in Battle Arenas, and generally allow two to four players at a time. As with most competitive matches, the goal of fotes is to read the opponent’s movements and overwhelm them with a well-planned strategy. Games that devolve into spamming or taunting are also labeled with the blanket term foge.
Matches generally allow Battlefield, Yoshi’s Story, Lylat Cruise, Pokémon Stadium 2, Smashville, and Town & City as selectable stages. Though matches are played in a 1-on-1 setting, additional players are allowed to spectate and comment on matches while they wait to play their next game.
Metagame
Given that all fotes take place online (real-life matches are considered friendlies or tournament games), the metagame is fairly different than what players might expect. Switch is widely considered to be the strongest foter; as a result, his main – Luigi – is a powerful force. Dr. Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man are additional examples of strong characters.
The presence of lag (which is not an issue with same-console matches) makes fotes difficult. This depends on who is playing, though, and whether or not they have an ethernet adapter hooked up to their Nintendo Switch system. Lag makes certain characters more difficult to play; namely Ness and Lucas, whose recoveries can be botched from gameplay interruptions.
Trivia
- “Fote” is a corruption of the word “fight” (fight → fite → fote). It is sometimes mistaken as an acronym.
- The term was first used by Switch in early 2014; ironically, Switch is considered one of the strongest foters in the current metagame.
- When items are turned on, a fote becomes a waap. As the philosophies of fotes and waaps are in direct opposition of each other, dedicated players of each occasionally argue with each other over which is the “better playstyle”.
- When Switch and Blakers engage in a fote, the term changes to intercourse (not to be confused with intercourse). The reason behind this is currently unclear.
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