Almost 5 years have passed since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate first hit the shelves. Time flies, doesn’t it? People still talk about this game to this day and it’s pretty clear to see why. As the third best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time, its popularity is nothing to be sniffed at, but what specifically makes it so great?
10. The Character Roster
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The most obvious thing that sets Smash apart from other fighting games is its characters. The series initially started as a humble crossover of Nintendo franchises, with the roster gradually expanding with each entry. Naturally, this means that Smash Bros. Ultimate’s selection is the largest in the series. Every single character from the previous entries has returned, including Young Link and Pichu after a 17 year hiatus!
Additionally, no Smash game is complete without a batch of newcomers and Ultimate crushed it here. Fan-favorites like Chrom and Ridley finally joined the cast, alongside some unexpected third-party additions such as Sora and even Steve from Minecraft! It’s an all-star lineup and one most befitting of a game as momentous as Smash Bros. Ultimate.
9. The Animations
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To have an impressive roster is one thing, but to have wonderfully crafted movesets for each individual fighter is another. Almost every character in Smash Bros. Ultimate has a set of attacks which both represents their source material and feels cohesive to use.
Each character feels like a love-letter to fans of their respective series, with moves that serve as a greatest-hits collection of their past adventures. All of the attacks are beautifully animated and frame-by-frame, it’s clear to see how much passion was put into them. Between Banjo & Kazooie, King K. Rool and Incineroar, these guys practically ooze personality and watching how expressive they are never gets old.
8. The Soundtrack
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With over 1000 tracks to listen to, Smash Bros. Ultimate has the largest music selection in the entire series. Many are directly taken from existing games, while others are brand new remixes made specifically for this game. Some of these are absolute earworms, from Gangplank Galleon, to Last Surprise, to even Megalovania!
As the game represents such a wide spectrum of franchises, there’s music to be found from almost every corner of the gaming universe. This means that no matter which series you love the most, you’re bound to find some catchy tunes to jam out to.
7. Graphics and Performance
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To feel fun to play, fighting games hinge on consistent performance and fortunately, Smash Bros. Ultimate is no slouch in that department! The game runs at a rock-solid 60fps, meaning that matches always feel smooth, not a frame drop in sight! In terms of resolution, it plays at 1080p in docked mode and 720p in handheld mode, making it a treat to look at both at home and on the go.
Graphically, Ultimate also looks fantastic. While its art-style is similar to that of Smash Bros. 4, the lighting and shadows have been vastly improved. Textures have also seen an upgrade, with stages from earlier entries in particular receiving large visual overhauls. Fountain of Dreams has never looked better!
6. Single-player Modes
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While Smash is primarily a multiplayer-focused series, there have always been a few single-player modes to keep you distracted. In the past, we’ve seen ideas such as Classic Mode and Home Run Contest, both of which return in Smash Bros. Ultimate. What sets Ultimate’s single-player apart from other entries, however, is its take on a story mode: World of Light.
In this brand new adventure, you travel around a sprawling overworld map, encountering various fighters empowered by Spirits along the way. These are said to be the unfortunate souls of those who lost their bodies when Galeem attacked, or in simpler terms: they’re PNGs of characters from various franchises who provide unique buffs to enhance your attributes. While the gameplay loop here can feel a little repetitive, there are so many hours of content and it’s the most expansive single-player experience in the series to date.
5. It’s fun regardless of your skill level
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Many people often look at the Smash Bros. series from a purely competitive standpoint, but that’s not the only way to play the game! Irrespective of whether you’re playing at a casual or professional level, you can still have fun with Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The game allows you to customize its rules to a very large extent and the biggest example of this is the item selection. Items are typically turned off in tournament regulations, but they can add some real chaos to a match if you’re just playing for fun! There are also a whole host of stages to play on, all with their own gimmicks and hazards. Alternatively, if you want a more serious match, each stage has its own Omega and Battlefield variant, which provide some aesthetic variety when compared to just playing on Final Destination over and over again!
4. Playing with friends
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Playing Smash with your pals has never been easier, with many options to keep you occupied. First and foremost, you have the tried-and-tested local route, perfect for capturing that couch multiplayer experience. However, if this isn’t an option for you and your buddies, then look no further than Battle Arenas! These are essentially private lobbies that you can host to allow people on your Nintendo Switch Friend List to join, a great option for online gaming sessions!
If you’re tired of fighting each other and instead want to team up and take on the world, Smash Ultimate still has you covered. With the addition of the new Co-Op mode, you’re able to pair up with a buddy and fight against fellow duos online. The 2-on-2 format can be a refreshing change of pace from 1-on-1 showdowns, so it’s worth a try if you’re ready to put your teamwork to the test!
3. Online Play
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Since its launch in 2018, one of the most controversial aspects of Smash Bros. Ultimate has always been its online play. Let’s start with the positives: finding a battle is always quick, the opponent you’re matched with is usually at a similar skill level to you and more often than not, you’ll end up with your preferred ruleset.
The cracks start to show when you consider lag. 9 times out of 10, your matches will run without a hitch, but those other times, you might run into some input delay or disconnections. These problems can usually be solved by investing in a LAN adapter, but of course there’s no guarantee that your opponent has done the same. It’s an unfortunate issue that can put a small damper on an otherwise well-built game.
2. Shared Content
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We all know that Smash Ultimate has its own purpose-built selection of characters and stages, but what’s interesting is that you can actually make your own! Thanks to the game’s Stage Builder feature, you can let your creative juices flow and make your own maps to play on. You’re even able to add in your own Miis as playable characters for another layer of customization.
The best part, however, is that you’re able to share your creations online, under the “Shared Content” section. This means that you can download Stages and Miis crafted by other players, and while some of them are… questionable at best, you can still find some really neat stuff here! Take “SmashketBall”, which is exactly what it says on the tin: a stage where the aim is to dunk the opponent into cannons and launch them off-stage. The possibilities are truly endless and it’s fantastic to have such a broad spectrum of content at your fingertips.
1. The Competitive Side
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When compared to its predecessors, Smash Ultimate is a very well-balanced game thanks to the many patches it’s received in its lifetime.
While some characters are inevitably more viable than others, the playing field is still relatively even, which has done wonders for the game’s competitive scene. This is helped by the fact that Ultimate is very accessible to new players. While admittedly, the game does have a very high skill-ceiling, it’s pretty easy to get into and you don’t need to learn any particularly advanced techniques to stand a chance in battle – no Wavedashing or L-Canceling to be seen here, folks!
If you’re looking for a fighting game to get good at, it’s never been easier than with Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Hailing from the land of tea, crumpets and horrible weather, this British gamer has mastered the art of stomping Koopas, saving princesses, and defeating evil with nothing but a sword and shield.
