Tier list

In gaming, a tier list is a list that ranks all characters/builds in a game based on their viability in competition at the top level of play. Tier lists are most commonly seen in the fighting game community, though it's not unheard of for other genres, such as RPGs and first-person shooters, to have their own tier lists.

In the context of the Super Smash Flash series, a tier list is a representation of the power levels of each character given an optimized playstyle based on the meta knowledge gathered at the time of the tier list's creation. Super Smash Flash tier lists are based mostly on theorycrafting, as the game itself is not competitively viable primarily because the camera only follows player 1, giving player 2 an unfair disadvantage that breaks the symmetry necessary for true competition. Super Smash Flash 2, on the other hand, enjoys a healthy competitive scene with frequent tournaments and a backroom based out of the SSF2 Alliance that releases tier lists occasionally.

Tier list creation
There are four primary factors that go into creation of a tier list:
 * 1) The game's meta
 * 2) The characters' metas
 * 3) Matchup charts
 * 4) Tournament results

The metagame
The metagame consists of the various factors, such as characters, stages, techniques, and strategies, that make up the most common decisions made in tournament play. These factors can help determine how viable a character may be based on the popularity of certain trends that may either help or hinder them in competitions. There may exist variance in people's perception of certain characters based on whether or not they emphasize player-driven meta development over the common rulesets used by TOs. In general, slower, tankier characters are typically ranked lower on average, whereas faster, more aggressive characters are ranked higher. In Super Smash Flash 2's case, the metagame can shift around wildly due to the game undergoing frequent patching.

Character metas
A character's meta is determined by how players use said character within a tournament setting. In general, characters with many viable options are said to possess "depth" that gives them a competitive edge over characters that have "shallow" metas with less options.

Matchup charts
A matchup chart is a quick visual indicator for how well a given character performs against other characters in the current meta state. Usually, high-tiered characters have more matchups that skew in their favor compared to lower tiered-characters. However, not all matchups are rated equally; generally advantageous matchups against higher-tiered characters are considered to be of greater importance than weaker matchups against lower-tiered characters.

Tournament results
Tournament results can be used as another metric for how strong a character is perceived, as higher-tiered characters have a tendency to place higher overall than lower-tiered characters. While some people believe tier lists can be compiled entirely from tournament results, the end result can be highly skewed by the lack of representation of unpopular higher-tier characters or the overrepresentation of popular lower-tier characters.

Super Smash Flash tier list
This is the current tier list for Super Smash Flash 2, as of May 25th, 2019.

Super Smash Flash 2 tier list
This tier list for version 1.3.1.2 of the game was released on November 24th, 2022.