Nintendo’s long-running Super Smash Bros. series has come to every Nintendo home console (and one handheld) since its Nintendo 64 debut in 1999. It’s almost the Nintendo Switch’s turn for the brawler phenomenon.Super Smash Bros. Ultimatelaunched on Switch on December 7.
From what we’ve seen and heard so far, it’s poised to be the most comprehensive entry in the franchise to date. Here’s everything you need to know aboutSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, from the huge character lineup to new gameplay tweaks to stages.
Fighter lineup
Smash Bros. Ultimatewill havemore fighters to choose fromthan ever before. You’ll start off with the 12 characters from the N64 original: Mario, Donkey Kong, Samus, Fox, Link, Kirby, Yoshi, Pikachu, Luigi, Captain Falcon, Ness, and Jigglypuff. Most of the characters will have tobe unlocked. It’s not expected to take as long to unlock characters in Ultimate. Here’s a full list of the 75 fighters we know of so far.
*Boldindicates new to the series
What are echo fighters?
As you can see above, six characters are dubbed “echo fighters.” Essentially, these characters have very similar moves to the fighter they are based on. So expect Daisy to play similarly to Peach, Dark Samus to have similar skills as Samus, etc.
Spirits add even more characters to the fight
During themost recent Nintendo Direct, Nintendo outlined Spirits, a new feature in Ultimate. Spirits are essentially power-ups, all of which hail from the same series as the fighter. Each fighter can have one primary Spirit assigned at a time. For instance, Cappy from Super Mario Odyssey is appropriately Mario’s primary Spirit, and Hal from Metal Gear Solid is Snake’s primary Spirit. Primary Spirits essentially act as a teammate when activated. They have one of three types of special moves that include either an attack, grab, or shield move. Spirits are also split up into four rankings: Novice, Advanced, Aces, and Legends.
Additionally, primary Spirits can have multiple secondary spirits attached. The system sounds similar to assist trophies, but it seems a bit more nuanced and strategic. Spirits have to be unlocked before you can use them in battle. Like character unlocks, you’ll have to first beat each Spirit in battle and then complete a unique challenge to attach them to your fighter. Taking the time to unlock Spirits sounds worth it for a number of reasons. First, they can help you in battle, but they can also be sent off on training exercises to earn you treasure and rewards. Spirits can partake in these missions even when you aren’t actively playingUltimate.
Spirits have their own adventure mode called “World of Light”
While not a full story mode, the new Spirits feature plays into the adventure mode, dubbed “World of Light.” The adventure mode will have some voice acting and cut scenes between battles. Kirby, not Mario, appears to be the star of the adventure mode.
103 stages
Along with the massive roster list, there will also be a huge number of stages to battle on. Many of these stages hail from earlier games and will have to be unlocked through play. Based on trailers andinformation provided by Nintendo, the following are stages that have been confirmed thus far.
You choose the stage before your character
In a move that is sure to lead to new strategies, inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the stage is picked before you choose your fighter. Some stages are obviously set up better for certain move sets, so this is an interesting change that indicates that Nintendo is paying attention to how competitive players play.
Sometimes you’ll play multiple stages in one match
One of the biggest new features inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateis called Stage Morph. Throughout a match, a stage can literally morph into another, which can completely change the match. Many Super Smash Bros. stages already go through changes throughout a fight, so this is just the next step in that evolution.
New brawling mechanics
Besides the jump from the original toMelee, Super Smash Bros. has largely retained its core mechanics. While professional players would likely argue there are huge differences between each entry, the casual player (the brunt of the audience) probably doesn’t notice too much change between iterations. That said, some new and tweaked mechanics hark back toMelee, a game that still retains a huge following in the competitive scene today. So far, these are the new gameplay features we know about.
New gameplay modes
While we imagine most Smash players are content with Classic mode (the single-player gauntlet) and standard versus modes, there are several new modes coming toSmash Bros. Ultimate.
Part of the fun of Smash Bros. comes from experimenting with the array of items that drop onto the battlefield throughout a fight. While you may expect to see plenty of familiar items, ahandful of new itemshave also been revealed.
Assist trophy items
There will be 59 Assist trophies in all. These are the ones we know of so far.
Can you use GameCube controllers?
The GameCube controller has been kept relevant solely because of its popularity within the Smash community. Like the previous two iterations, you will be able to use GameCube controllers to play Ultimate. You will need aUSB adapter to do soand if own the Wii U GameCube adapter already, that will work just fine.
‘Smash Bros. Ultimate’ supports up to eight players
You can play with up toeight players locally and onlineinSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Pro controllers, GameCube pads, and Joy-Con can be used to play.
Matchmaking tries to set you up with likeminded players
When you jump online for the first time, you’ll create your own Smash Tag. You’ll get the Smash Tags of every opponent you beat online. Before you search for a match online, you may set your own rules just as you would locally. Matchmaking will then look for players with similar rules, and then one participant’s ruleset will be chosen at random. Your Global Smash Power, the rankings system and leaderboards, will also affect who you are matched up with online. The system will try to locate players in the same region as you, so don’t expect to play very many matches against users from other countries.
The Battle Arena lets you find a match, play with friends, or watch your friends’ matches in spectator mode. You and a friend can make a two-person team on a single console and play matchmaking online. While online, you can send short messages to other players similar to the system inMario Kart 8 Deluxe.
As you move up the Global Smash Power ladder, you will be able to partake in “elite” battles with other highly ranked brawlers.
Will there be DLC?
Nintendo has confirmed that there will be paid DLC fighters post-launch. These will be completely original fighters (not echo fighters). For $6 a pop, you’ll get a new fighter, their stage, and numerous music tracks. Alternatively, you’re able to buy the Fighters Pass for $25, which includes five fighters/stages and all of the songs.
The first DLC fighter, Piranha Plant, will be released in February 2019 but will not be counted as one of the five fighters since it is free.Joker fromPersona 5was also announced and will be the first of the five to be released, though he doesn’t have a launch date as of yet. It’s possible that it will take a year before all five fighters are released.
Limited edition console bundle, special edition, and Pro controller
Nintendo is releasing aSuper Smash Bros.-themed Switch consoleon November 2. The cast from the original game appears on the front of the dock. The $360 console comes with a digital copy of the game (you cannot play it until December 7, though).
There’s also a$140 Special Edition, currently only in stock at GameStop, that comes with a copy of the game and theSmash Bros. Ultimate-themed Pro controller. You can also buy thePro controller separately for $75.
Amiibo support
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, like all first-party Nintendo Switch games, will support Amiibo. Three new Amiibo have been announced in celebration of the game, each of which launches alongside the game:
Nintendo has also said additional Amiibo forUltimatewill arrive in 2019, including a Piranha Plant Amiibo releasing in February.
It has a ridiculous soundtrack
In a game brimming with content, perhaps the most impressive stat aboutSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatecomes from its soundtrack. Boasting more than 800 tracks, you will be able to customize your playlist for each stage with the “My Music” feature.
‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’ launch date and pre-order bonuses
Super Smash Bros. Ultimatelaunches on Nintendo Switch December 7. It will be available both in stores and through the Nintendo eShop.
If you buy the game before the end of January, you’ll get Piranha Plant as a playable fighter (yes, really). Hailing from Super Mario, the Piranha Plant spews poison and spike balls and is more of a long-range fighter. Piranha Plant’s Final Smash move turns it into Petey Piranha. Yes, it’s weird that it isn’t Petey Piranha to begin with. Piranha Plant won’t be playable at launch, but if you register your My Nintendo points after purchasing the game, you’ll get it automatically when it arrives.
