Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

@Nintoz @westman98 Maybe it could be like the Switch era where Mario Kart and Smash have separate phases. Smash Ultimate fighter reveals was used as a big source of Direct hype but then once that ended, the MK8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass took its place. After the BCP ended, Smash Ultimate had the surprise bonus spirits.

Granted this idea applying to Switch 2 works on the principle that MK World gets post-launch support though.

@Grumblevolcano
Mario Kart and Smash have different development teams with mininal overlap. The reason why the Booster Course Pass happened after Fighter's Pass concluded was because it took a while for Nintendo to integrate Mario Kart Tour (a 2019 game) content into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and it just to happened to occur right after Smash Bros Ultimate DLC ended (late 2021).

This time around, Nintendo won't make another Mario Kart mobile game, so if Mario Kart World gets DLC, it'll happen much sooner, not 5 years after launch. On the other hand, the next Smash Bros game probably won't release until 2029 at earliest. Given this, we could see a situation where most or all Mario Kart World DLC is released before the next Smash Bros even launches. This isn't some master plan by Nintendo, just development times lining up to produce this particular content rollout.

I just can't wait to finally hear about Mario Kart DLC. For me, I'm fine with paying to extend this game into something with a little bit more body. Yes, controls are great, the knockout tour is great, and so are the many racers and cars. But I think adding some amazing tracks and stuff to make the open world just more interesting could really help this game become as beloved as 8.

@westman98 What I had in mind was that a coincidence in the Switch 1 era becomes an intentional strategy in the Switch 2 era because it worked so well in the Switch 1 era. The situation regarding the BCP is a result of World's vision not being able to be achieved on Switch 1.

@westman98 I kinda think, and am hopeful that the Smash Bros for Switch 2 will be the continuation of Ultimate. Whatever they do after Ultimate would probably feel like a downgrade if it got rid of any of the fighters, so I really do hope they release a Switch 2 version with 4k, 120 fps, every stage from previous Smash games that wasn't in Ultimate, and like 5 extra fighters or something as a standalone release and upgrade path. Then to stop any rights disputes, they keep selling the first two fighter passes, but if you got them on Switch 1, they carry over. Then announce Fighter Pass 3 and 4 are coming to increase hype.
I think that is the smartest and best thing for Smash going forward, and it will also mean Sakurai can make more games like new Kid Icarus, etc.
EDIT: They could even chuck in a more Subspace Emissary-type little story expansion to Ultimate, exclusively on Switch 2. But maybe that's just me dreaming.

Honestly wouldn't mind a new Smash with a fraction of the roster. Ultimate suffers from too many fighters, so newcomers get overwhelmed and have no chance learning all the quirks and patterns while getting to grips with the game. I'd rather have quality over quantity next time around, not that Ultimate isn't quality, but a lot of fighters feel half-assed.

@AStupidID I hear chatter about an SSBU S2E quite often, and I really don't see - for the same reason I don't think Splatoon Raiders ever had a shot at being a Splatoon 3 S2E pack-in, actually. See, both games are very reaction-based, meaning that allowing players to play together on two different systems (one with exponentially higher refresh rates and all that jazz) would make the player base essentially have to either upgrade their console for the better one, or deal with having a handicap. It just doesn't make sense, even though I get where people are coming from when they suggest it.

@CaleBoi25 @AStupidID The biggest thing that makes me question a Switch 2 edition is licensing. Smash Ultimate has lots of 3rd party content and I doubt the licenses are forever so someday the game would get delisted from the eshop. Brawl had the luxury of being physical only meanwhile Smash 3DS/Wii U were only 8 years old when the 3DS/Wii U eshop was shutdown so we don't have an idea of how long the licenses for those were.

Oh my gosh... a scenario where Smash Ultimate (my second favorite game of all time, btw) gets delisted would not be fun for me, even though I'd probably be able to redownload the digital copy saved to my Nintendo Account forever, at least, simply because I just don't like the idea of one of my favorite games being digitally delisted. I never thought of that before until I read the post above mine 😨.

@ShieldHero Regardless of delisting, the servers will presumably be shutdown eventually for online play.

People are going to hate me (what's new for some) but personally I wouldn't mind if we don't get a Switch 2 Smash Bros. Just roll out a Switch 2 update that bumps up the resolution and call it a day

To be fair, I did also say this about Mario Kart before World was announced. I feel I was wrong about that, World did expand the idea of what Mario Kart could be. Some surely disagree with that. But for Smash Bros, is there really THAT much difference between Smash Bros for Wii U and Ultimate? What are we really expecting from a Switch 2 Smash that we don't already have? New fighters and stages? Do we not have enough?

Personally I'd rather see that development effort be put into something entirely different. Something new. Although given how well Smash always sells and given that even I will surely buy whatever has Smash on the box I expect we'll get another Smash Bros

My long-term hope for the future of Smash is a SSB MOBA, to do for the MOBA genre what SSB already has for the fighting game genre. That's just a crazy fever dream, though. I'm fine with Smash on S2 just being balance patches and spirit drops for Ultimate. I play the game semi-competitvely, and I feel like it just needs a few tweaks and it'll be completely fine for the current generation.

Relegating Smash Bros on Switch 2 to Smash Ultimate NS2E and calling it a day isn't going to happen, Super Smash Bros is an incredibly important IP to Nintendo and they will not go the entire Switch 2 generation without releasing a new entry.

Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of old games have not sold anywhere near as much as actual new games as we have seen with the NS2Es of Zelda BOTW/TOTK, Mario Party Jamboree, and Kirby Forgotten Land. All of those IPs are going to receive new entries on Switch 2, and so will Smash.

@skywake I totally agree there! A resolution boost and load time decrease would be great. I just don't think we'll see full S2E for it

@westman98
I agree from a Nintendo corporate bottom line perspective. Smash Bros is one of their best selling franchises so it's almost surely getting a new version. Guaranteed sales even if it was literally just Smash Bros for Wii U for the third time now with more different stages and characters

But from a gamer perspective I'm not particularly fussed. I'm fine with just a free update resolution bump for Ultimate and nothing else. I'd prefer it even if it meant those resources were being put into something else. Like Air Riders. Or another Kid Icarus game. Or something entirely out of left field

@skywake Well there is one thing they could do with Smash that would be different and that's go 3D. But I'm not sure if they'll want to. Other than that, yeah, it's hard to see where else Smash can go and it's more a matter of adding new characters and stages their games come up with rather than doing anything to build on the gameplay.

@westman98 To be fair, you could've said the same for Mario Kart and yet the Switch went without an original, main series Mario Kart game. Smash could absolutely share a similar fate. Ultimate is good enough of an entry that a S2E that just gets even MORE new characters and stages could sell evergreen numbers and they might struggle to come up with a good concept for Smash 6 (see what I just said to skywake, we know there's going to be less characters, so it has to stand out in some other way, what way would that be?) to the point where it gets pushed to next gen.

Absolutely agree with Smash just getting a bump on resolution and loading times. Perhaps a fighter-pack, but nothing groundbreaking necessary.
I would love to see some more gimmicks return. Personally, I loved the potential of the customizable movesets they did for the 3DS/Wii U games.

@skywake I actually think that's the most likely outcome. If not for the fact that some of the menus where there are lots of tiny images like the stage and character select screens look a little rough in handheld mode and in Classic Mode (I believe), the speed of the Switch 2 makes the opening graphic for each stage go by unaturally fast leaving no time to take it in.

That being said, I really hope Nintendo gets a move on with these free updates which they're supposedly continuing(?). Hopefully it'll be something that's brought up in the coming investors meeting.

@Bolt_Strike
Switch 2 and Switch 1 aren't in the same situation, a Switch 2 Edition re-release of an old Switch 1 game doesn't have anywhere near the same selling potential as a port of an old Wii U game on Switch.

The 2nd Kirby Air Riders Direct is confirmed for October 23rd, this time it's an hour long: