Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: December 7, 2018
Platforms: Switch
Rating: E10+
Genre: Fighting
So Many Bros
Written by Jesse Seilhan
Super Smash Bros is consistently one of the most sought-after franchises for fans with a shiny new Nintendo console. There is only one per system release, each bigger and bolder than the last. This year’s version, exclusive to the Switch, is no different: a roster of 74 characters fight across dozens of stages, with hundreds of classic tunes, thousands of items, and countless memories. That’s every fighter ever to appear in an SSB game, including a few new characters, with DLC champions coming down the pipeline. And while this game is for the Switch, the Gamecube controllers some fans die to use are compatible, as are a host of 3rd party peripherals to ensure your experience is just how you remember it, be it on the N64, Gamecube, or Wii. But does all of that nostalgia work or does the game randomly trip and fall?
If it works or not may be a moot point, as the game sold over five million copies within the first three days of release. But for those not ravenously hunting for the next big Nintendo brawler, we’re happy to report that there is still something for you to enjoy. The biggest change to this game is the single-player content, which is absolutely massive. We’re talking a 30+ hour campaign that spans the entirety of Nintendo’s history and then some. It’s called World of Light and it puts you in the (probably gross) pink shoes of Kirby, the surviving member of an alien invasion, tasked with retrieving the souls of his comrades. He does this by fighting the “spirit” version of them with some wacky modifier, like a poison floor or a stage where bombs rain from the sky. It gets really nuts when they tie in classic video game themes, such as fighting four Jigglypuffs, all different colors, to unlock the spirit of Dr. Mario. It goes places even weirder than that, but all in an effort to get you acquainted with the roster in a slow but sure way.
That’s going to be the rub for longtime fans, as only eight characters are unlocked from the beginning: Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, and Pikachu. The others come randomly and in a slow drip, requiring a couple of minutes of game time before you get the opportunity to challenge a new fighter. Once defeated, they permanently join your roster, but don’t fret if you fail: there is a way to battle them again using a different character to add them to your stable. Collecting all 70+ will take dozens of hours, but leaves you coming back for more if you are just trying to unlock that damn one you are actually good with! Playing the normal Smash mode, either online or off, usually triggers a fight but sometimes it takes a little longer than you’d like. Other modes include a classic Arcade-style battle (face a series of foes) and some team fights, but almost everything has totally customizable rule sets to make it just the way you like.
Most people playing Smash do so with friends and will probably skip the entirety of the single player campaigns. For them, the game is just as good as ever. The fighting is frantic but well balanced, lacking some of the overpowered nonsense from years past. New additions like King K. Rool and Ridley range from awesome to kinda bland, but future patches are sure to shake things up, as is the case with almost all fighting games. Nothing really “new” has been added to the core game: no new meters or systems. But the game has a delicate balance it attempts to maintain and adding something like that would drastically change the DNA of Smash. Syncing multiple Switch controllers can be a pain in the ass, so going with wired Gamecube ones isn’t a bad idea, especially if alcohol is involved with your Smash night and patience is not on the menu.
Smash Bros is nearly the perfect “for everyone” kind of game. It has Nintendo, Sega, and third-party heroes from all of gaming’s history. It has easy and intuitive controls for pick-and-play fun. The music, levels, color swaps, and more will make your nostalgic heart grow three sizes. The only thing it’s really missing is a robust online suite of modes and an unlocked roster from the get-go. If those two things really bother you, buy it anyway, because Smash is best played with friends on a couch and you’ll be unlocking those character in no time. Once again, the Switch has put out an incredible first-party game so soon after release and has added another must-own to its growing collection.