Will Super Smash Bros Be Able to Live Up to the Hype?

This year’s Nintendo E3 showcase focused very heavily on one of its hit series – Super Smash Bros Ultimate.  The big reveal with this is that all of the fighters that have ever appeared in the game are coming back now.  This even includes some of the non-mainstream fighters like Solid Snake.  In total there are well over 60 characters.  The below video is a bit long, but you will get to see all of the characters, in depth:

Overall, the game includes some differences. Albeit small, but there have been some changes to the character design itself. Not only that, but Nintendo has added some new final smash attacks and even more facial expressions for all the characters.  If you’ve been playing the game for a long time, you’re likely to want to reassess your favorite characters because they have changed.  The game system itself has gone through some changes as well.  Including being penalized for excessive dodging and a new “perfect shield” technique.

What should really be noted about this game is that while it still pulls a lot out of the past games, it’s a totally new game.  As I said, all of the characters have been reworked – both in terms of how they look and how they play.  This is to provide a better fit for the modern game.  For example, Link now wears the tunic that he wears in Breath of the Wild, and he can wield remote bombs.  Mario also wears Cappy, which is the sentient hat that introduced a ton of new mechanics.

The game itself, however, wasn’t an easy build.  In fact, Masahiro Sakurai had an extremely bold vision for the game, which was to include every character from the series’ history.  That meant a lot of work to be able to cover everything, including – negotiating the rights for characters like Mega Man, as well as Metal Gear’s Solid Snake.  In addition, Sakurai’s team put in a lot of work in order to update the graphics in order to get older characters to look more in-line with the new ones.  Not only that, but Sakurai wanted to adjust each fighter in an attempt to speed up the game.  When he pitched this idea to his team, he was met with gasps, followed by everyone going quiet as they realized what exactly they had to do.

Ultimately, though, the goal was not to just create the most comprehensive version of the characters, but also to create characters that speak to the audience.  This is extremely important considering that Super Smash Brothers has an extremely dedicated, and competitive scene.  Which means hardcore payers are very cognizant (and vocal)about changes that might seem minor as these can alter a players experience.

That said, this is a big release for Nintendo.  It’s a best-seller right next to Zelda and Mario Kart.  Sakurai is really trying to find a balance, which is why he’s stuck with the franchise since it started.  It’s been a lot of work for Sakurai and his team, but that’s just how dedicated he is to his craft, and it certainly shows in this iteration of Super Smash Bros.