Here’s all you need to know about Super Smash Bros Ultimate, from the release date to the latest gameplay details.
2018 is a solid year for Nintendo Switch gamers, with a roster of exciting games including Pokemon Let’s Go! Pikachu & Eevee. While that’s impressive enough, a rumour that appeared in early February suggested that Nintendo was also planning to launch Super Smash Bros Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch this year.
Then, in a March 2018 Nintendo Direct, the company confirmed that the rumour is true and that Super Smash Bros Ultimate is headed to the Nintendo Switch later on in 2018. Will it be enough to make it one of the best Nintendo Switch games of the year ?
Here’s everything we know about Super Smash Bros Ultimate, from the release date to gameplay details and the latest trailers. Meanwhile, head to our hands-on Smash Bros. review to find out what we thought when we played the game at E3.
While Nintendo decided against unveiling the release date at the initial announcement of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, the company announced more details and the game’s release date at E3 2018. The game is set to be released on 7 December 2018 – that’s not too long to wait!
If you couldn’t already tell, Super Smash Bros, like much of what is developed by Nintendo, is a platform-exclusive.
After all, the Nintendo-exclusive game is already available on the Wii U and 3DS so the company doesn’t feel the need to re-release the older games alongside the Switch variant.
So, what should we expect from the Nintendo Switch port of the hugely popular Wii U and 3DS games? During the initial reveal for the game during Nintendo Direct, we were treated to a small teaser trailer and not much else. The trailer featured favourites like Mario alongside more recent superstars like Inklings from the Splatoon series. That trailer is available to watch at the top of this page!
There were leaks suggesting that it’d be the base game available on older consoles along with newer content to make it appealing to Switch owners, and largely, that turned out to be correct.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate will feature every single character that has ever appeared in a Super Smash Bros title. According to Nintendo, there will be 65 playable characters in the game including crossover characters like Sonic and Solid Snake. There are also brand new additions to the Switch game; the Inkling from the Splatoon series, Ridley from Metroid, Simon Belmont from Castlevania and King K. Rool from Donkey Kong Country.
The Inkling will be available to play in both boy and girl form (with customisable clothing and style) with the attacks being focused on the variety of paint-fuelled weapons available in Splatoon 2. As a plus, inked characters will take additional damage from attacks by the Inkling.
While Simon Belmont and King K. Rool were both revealed during an August 2018 livestream, it wasn’t until Gamescom 2018 that we got our first look at gameplay. You can check out the brief 1v1 match between King K. Rool and Snake below:
As well as the 1v1 match, we got our first look at not only Dark Samus and Ridley in action, but the new Stage Morph feature that changes the environment mid-match. You can see that in action here:
Ridley’s abilities are still relatively unknown, though a brief appearance in the E3 Direct livestream suggests that he’ll be an aerial-focused character with dive-bomb capabilities.
Classic characters like Mario, Fox and Falco have also had combat overhauls for the Switch release, breathing new life into veteran characters. While there are more to come, here’s a glimpse at some changes showcased at E3:
While the only way to unlock a Final Smash in previous Super Smash Bros games was to break open the Smash Ball, Nintendo has introduced a more traditional way for characters to access their ultimate abilities. In addition to breaking Smash Balls, players also have a charge meter that’ll slowly fill up during battles, providing access to a weaker version of the Final Smash.
Nintendo has also confirmed that the game will feature a whopping 103 stages. Each stage has three modes; Standard, Final Destination (along platform) and Battlefield (a long platform with three smaller platforms above), and for the first time, stages can now transition to other levels during a match.
One of the confirmed new levels is New Donk City Town Hall from Super Mario Odyssey, and Nintendo has also promised the return of old favourites including Fountain of Dreams and Gamer.
There’s also a huge catalogue of music available; 800, to be exact, totalling more than 28 hours of music. You’ve got new music organisation tools too, allowing you to browse songs by series (like Kirby or Super Mario) instead of on a per-stage basis.
Nintendo has also confirmed that you’ll be able to play the game with a GameCube controller, but is yet to reveal a controller adapter that offers the ability to connect to Switch.
For more information about Super Smash Bros Ultimate gameplay, take a look at the deep-dive below from Nintendo’s E3 2018 presentation.
Being months away from release, we’re sure we’ll hear more about what Super Smash Bros Ultimate has to offer ahead of release. We’ll be adding the latest news to this article as we receive it, so make sure you check back soon for the latest Super Smash Bros Ultimate news.
