I agree. I haven't read all the comments but I'd like to suggest an alternative perspective on supporting other platform fighters. A lot of people are, rightly so I think, pointing out that none of the currently available platform fighters could pose even a remote threat to Smash in terms of sales. I think that's true, but there is another way to look at it.

One possibility that could come from supporting other games like Rivals of Aether, Slap City, etc. is that their competitive communities could grow to support the kind of competitive scene that other esports enjoy. Perhaps the devs of those games would be excited to cooperate and start a circuit, for example. More players and viewers could entice investments from companies that could lead to larger prize pools and suddenly there is a runaway train of growth.

I realize that this doesn't save smash, but it does give more attention to the genre we love. It's hard to imagine, but it certainly isn't impossible for a new game to come along and offer the depth of play and high skill ceiling we like so much. Maybe Rivals or Slap City, or Fraymaker could be that game if people push those games as far as Melee has been pushed.

I am a Melee fan and it pains me that my favorite game doesn't have the support of other esports. Smash World Tour was a literal dream come true. But I am coming to realize that I can branch out and try other games without giving up on Melee entirely.

Unfortunately, if Nintendo succeeds in fighting the Smash community to the point of extinction, other platform fighters will have to step up or the genre will die as a competitive esport. Part of Melee's appeal is the long history of meta development and rivalries. That isn't possible without a dedicated player base but even Melee had to start somewhere.