Rihanna's performance at the halftime show of the Super Bowl was phenomenal. However, some people can't help but notice that the stage looked a lot like a stage from Super Smash Bros., and they're not exactly wrong.
A Playful Resemblance
Super Bowl is a huge event and has hundreds of millions of people watching it. Among those crowds and viewers, many individuals have played Super Smash Bros. and probably noticed something familiar about the halftime performance of Rihanna.
People took to Twitter to point out how the daring stage looked a lot like a Super Smash Bros. stage. One user posted a pun calling the performance a "smashing" success. Another tweeted a photo and called it Rihanna's performance stage, but was a screenshot of the game.
Rhianna’s halftime performance stage: pic.twitter.com/ZUUwqaEaaI
— The GRiZ Father (@MikeBrolumbus13) February 13, 2023
Kyle Buchanan, the author of "Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road" tweeted "No items, Rihanna only, Final Destination," as seen in Kotaku. Another edited the word "Ready" in the middle of the stage to make it appear like gameplay.
this stage is wild pic.twitter.com/kPMHVpH84W
— foof (銀杏BOYZの時代) (@NoFoofNoCry) February 13, 2023
The game stage in the topic is the Battlefield stage for Multi-Man Melee if you're wondering. The arena consists of platforms as it did with Rihanna's stage, and is a setup for a multiplayer battle, and they stay in place for the duration of the battle.
It was introduced into the series in its second game in 2001, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and you wouldn't be able to unlock it until you've unlocked all the characters in the game and beaten All-Star mode, according to Twinfinite.
The Actual Performance
The similarities in the stage Rihanna and Super Smash Bros. still do not cover the fact that her performance was iconic, which is not a surprise for the artists given her record with song hits throughout time.
Although the halftime show was just 13 minutes, she managed to squeeze in many hits like "Where Have You Been?" "We Found Love," "Wild Thoughts," "Umbrella." "Diamonds," "Only Girl in the World," and of course, "B- Better Have My Money."
Her opening scene shows her standing on a floating stage. Even though other artists took advantage of the huge airspace at the Super Bowl, Rihanna's performance was still one to be remembered, as pointed out by AV Club.
The only downside to the show was that Rihanna did not have any outfit changes throughout her performance, but that could be because she was trying to maximize the time to fit more songs, and she didn't have time to spare for a wardrobe change.
Even without it, her performance was still as great as anticipated. In her career of 17 years, she doesn't really have much to prove anymore given that she's had so much success in her field. She's had 14 number-one singles over the years, reports say.
If the rumors of her being pregnant again are true, then it makes the performance all the more impressive. It can also explain why costume changes may be out of the question. But, we still expect nothing less from "Bad Girl Riri."
