Skip to main content

‘Smash Bros Ultimate’ will feature every character from previous games

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - E3 2018 - Nintendo Switch

During Nintendo’s E3 2018 livestream, we caught a sneak peek of the upcoming Super Smash Bros Ultimate, though it wasn’t as much a “peek” as it was a full reveal. During the stream, Nintendo threw back the curtain and gave us a full preview of what we can expect from the upcoming game, from the roster of fighters right down to small tweaks made to the gameplay.

Recommended Videos

First, for you Smash Bros fans out there, who is your favorite fighter? Well, no matter who you picked, you’re in luck — Super Smash Bros Ultimate will feature every single fighter from previous games. That’s right, all of them are making a comeback for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, even Mr. Game & Watch. And Solid Snake. And about a million different Kirbys.

On top of the full roster from previous games, we will see a number of new characters joining the fight, giving the game more than 60 fighters to choose from. As we saw in the original teaser, Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy, from Splatoon 2, will be in the new Smash Bros, along with an enormous wardrobe of skins and accessories. But we’ll also see Metroid Prime series villain Ridley joining the fight. Not space pirate Ridley, but giant-monster-alien Ridley.

The event was jam-packed with information so we’re just giving you the highlights here, and one big highlight was the fact that Smash Bros Ultimate will feature support for GameCube controllers, for all you traditionalists out there.

Details like these clearly illustrate just what a labor of love this game is for the developers. Not only is it built to be everything die-hard fans would want out of a Smash Bros title, but it’s built with the average player in mind too, series newcomers and original game adherents alike will find something to enjoy here.

During the presentation, designer Masahiro Sakurai not only walked us through what we can expect but also his thought process behind bringing in the full roster of characters.

 

Speaking with The Verge, Sakurai went into what it was like to pitch his ambitious plan to include every previous fighter, give them a makeover, and revamp their entire skill set to bring each character into the game with perfect balance.

“From where I stood, all I heard was dead silence,” Sakurai said, describing the moment when he informed his team what he wanted out of the next Smash Bros game. “I speak from the depths of my heart when I say it’s a lot of work.”

But the big reveal clearly illustrates that the hard work Sakurai and his team put in will most certainly pay off, as Super Smash Bros Ultimate heads to store shelves for Nintendo Switch on December 7.

Jaina Grey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jaina Grey is a Seattle-based journalist with over a decade of experience covering technology, coffee, gaming, and AI. Her…
Nintendo introduces a new Super Smash Bros. Switch OLED for Black Friday
Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Switch OLED.

Nintendo unveiled all of the Black Friday deals and bundles it plans to offer in the coming weeks. These offerings are headlined by a brand new Nintendo Switch bundle with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that has never been available before.
The Nintendo Switch -- OLED Model: Super Smash Bros. Ulitmate Bundle costs $350 and comes with a code for the fantastic 2018 crossover fighting game as well as three months of a Nintendo Switch Online Membership. The bundle's Joy-Cons feature a design based on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Unfortunately, this deal includes neither Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Fighter Passes nor the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Nintendo says this bundle will be released on November 19, although they've already been spotted in some stores.
The other big new offering from Nintendo this holiday season is the Super Mario Party + Red & Blue Joy-Con Bundle. It costs $100 and includes a download code for Super Mario Party in addition to Red and Blue Joy-Con controllers. Keep in mind that this bundle includes 2018's Super Mario Party, not 2021's Mario Party Superstars, which remastered a lot of content from the series' older games.
https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1721527869355049300
Nintendo also plans to offer bundles that have been available before, like the Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle and Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch Lite.
Various game discounts for Switch games will also go into effect on November 19. In terms of Nintendo-published games, people can expect Everybody 1-2-Switch! and Nintendo Switch Sports to be discounted by $10, titles like Luigi's Mansion 3, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to have $20 discounts, and for Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Mario Strikers: Battle League, and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes to all be available $30 cheaper than usual. Sadly, it does not look like Nintendo itself will offer any major deals surrounding this year's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
All of these bundles and deals will become available on November 19.

Read more
It’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s subtle changes that make it special
The flagpole is knocked away in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

While I’m only partway through Super Mario Bros. Wonder, I’m already utterly in love with the game.

As our glowing review outlined, it’s a highly polished 2D platformer that’s approachable for anyone to play and elicits a joyous and vibrant sense of wonder. But for me, what makes Super Mario Bros. Wonder special aren't so much the wild Wonder effects or elephant transformations. It's the subtle touches. These elements might not be immediately noticeable or relevant to most, but they all work together to create an experience that’s a step above most other platformers.
Changes enhance enjoyment
Super Mario Bros. Wonder isn’t afraid to show that it’s different from previous Mario games through small moments and changes. One instance that illustrates this early on is in one of the first Bowser Jr. fights. It starts like all his New Super Mario Bros. boss fights do, with him getting in his shell and spinning toward Mario. At first, I was disappointed that Nintendo was just doing the same thing again, but after the first hit, that changed. Bowser Jr. activates a Wonder effect and changes in size for the following two stages of his fight. It's a moment of surprise that subverts my expectations, which are based on decades of Mario games. This is a small moment and reference that many Super Mario Bros. Wonder players probably won’t even internalize. Still, it is a smart way to show how the platformer differs from what came before.

Read more
Super Mario Bros. Wonder has some of Nintendo’s best online features
Wiggler in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

When it comes to multiplayer integration, Nintendo can be wildly unpredictable. Unstable online servers and disappointing co-op experiences built for young players can leave its games lacking. Thankfully, that's not the case with Super Mario Bros. Wonder. In fact, the new 2D adventure might just contain the best Nintendo multiplayer experience on the Switch next to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

At any point while playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder, players can bring their game online with the press of a button in the main menu. Doing so will unlock several multiplayer features at once. For one, there's traditional online multiplayer. Simply press a button to "play with friends" and you'll be able to explore both the overworld and levels co-operatively. Like the New Super Mario Bros. series, four players can work together to complete levels (which can be very hectic fun).

Read more