A significant event occurred recently, with numerous people attending the performance of Rihanna at State Farm Stadium and millions more watching it on TV from different parts of the world. Along with the version, men were carrying an egg and various advertisements. Rihanna’s stage was intricate, featuring movable platforms that could be raised and lowered.
The unexpected and exciting performance by Rihanna during a match between a team from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and a city from “The Last of Us” in the latest episode of the event pumped up the viewers. The suspended platforms on the stage caught the audience’s attention as they looked familiar to a stage from the popular video game Super Smash Bros. As a result, there was speculation that the Super Bowl 2023 might have been a grand reveal for Rihanna as the upcoming fighter to be added to the Smash Bros. Ultimate. The resemblance between the stage in the Super Bowl and the one from the video game fueled these speculations.
Many people observed the Super Bowl halftime show by Rihanna to resemble a stage from the popular video game Super Smash Bros. Even though it was an apparent similarity, many people still made the same joke and pointed out the likeness between the two.
In all honesty, it was not a joke but a statement of the obvious. The resemblance between Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show and a stage from Super Smash Bros. was so clear that it did not require any comedic twist to make it noticeable. The only missing element was a backup dancer being punched into space, a typical occurrence in the video game.
Her extensive catalog of songs distinguishes Rihanna as a musician from her peers, which has always been her strongest suit. Although other artists may possess more exceptional vocal or dance skills, Rihanna’s record of having the second-most number-one hits among living artists, just behind Mariah Carey, sets her apart and makes her an exceptional performer. Therefore, it was a reasonable choice for Team Rih to try and pack as many of her hits as possible into her 13-minute Super Bowl Halftime Show. Nevertheless, this trip down memory lane came at the cost of other crucial showmanship elements.
While Rihanna’s halftime performance was widely praised, some people noticed a particular aspect of the show that stood out. Dancers were seen performing on a group of raised platforms. While this may have appeared visually impressive to the average viewer, fans of Nintendo’s popular fighting game franchise were immediately struck by the similarity to one of its stages. The halftime show’s platform layout resembled a stage from the game where players could jump onto different platforms and battle opponents to knock them off the side and emerge victorious. It is unclear whether this similarity was intentional in the design of Rihanna’s performance, but it would not be surprising given the game’s popularity and cultural impact.
Rihanna began her performance by standing on one of the impressive floating stages above the field. While delivering her famous song “Bitch Better Have My Money,” she put on an impressive display, which became the highlight of the performance. The stage’s visual effects were breathtaking and left a lasting impression on the viewers.
Although many artists performed while suspended in the air during the Super Bowl halftime show, Rihanna used the space more effectively. She had a confident smile, characteristic of her “Bad Girl Riri” persona. It was a pleasant reminder of what fans have been missing since her last album was released seven years ago.
Dave Itzkoff, a journalist and author, made an amusing observation about the Super Bowl halftime show. He noted that the stage layout resembled the classic arcade game “Donkey Kong,” in addition to the “Super Smash Bros.” reference many others had made. Itzkoff shared a clever image that showed Rihanna standing atop the construction site from the game. It was one of the most entertaining responses to the halftime show.
On Twitter, most content related to the Super Bowl Halftime Show involved edited images with characters from Super Smash Bros. One fan, however, went beyond this trend by creating a video clip featuring elements from the game, such as its music, countdown, and health bar, all themed around Rihanna. Although the creator’s efforts were impressive, it should be noted that the game’s creator, Masahiro Sakurai, has already stated that no additional characters will be added to the game. Despite this, some fans believe that Nintendo should make an exception for Rihanna and incorporate her into the game with an umbrella as her signature weapon.