Anniversary: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Is Now Six Years Old

I can’t wait to see how they take this franchise up from here. We’ll just have to wait at least another 3-4 years until the next game. This time they’ll reach the 100 roster milestone.

And hopefully this time all stages from previous entries are available.

Prof. Layton
Chorus kids
Lloyd Irving
Paper Mario
Someone from Resident Evil

Those are long overdue…

Also… it’s a definite NO to a cut roster

I originally bought my Switch for this game when it was first announced.

Gosh, it’s that old? I remember that reveal trailer with the Inklings from the Direct and being so shocked when the end of the trailer revealed it was for a new Smash game, and then waiting for this game in anticipation throughout the year and having a blast with Ultimate a few days after it released. Insane to think that 2018 was just 6 years ago!

Freaking love this game, probably my most favorite fighting game of all time! It’s the best and most grandest fighting game ever, and the large fighter roster is so impressive and amazing. It was nice that even after DLC ended, that they still somewhat supported the game with more new spirits, and I still have some game sessions with it.

But, I wonder what direction the future games will go in, given that this one is big and I’d say set the bar for future entries. I am wondering if the next Smash will have to cut down the roster since that’s something I’ve heard a people discuss for a 6th entry, or if the next game will focus on being smaller instead of being bigger.

It's been a great six years being able to play it at home, on the go, casually and competitively with people.

i feel this game can easily get the MK8 deluxe treatment for switch 2 and just expand on the the game. i dont think nintendo wants to give up on ultimate just yet, no way a proper sequel will be this packed again

besides the typical new fighters/stages they could re-add fan favorites modes like smash run and target test, or (please) give online a better structure than HOPING you get the very specific ruleset you want in match making

I remember that release weekend so vividly. Probably my favourite game on Switch, it's just a masterpiece!

@boxyguy This, plus Sakurai is close to retiring, so Smash is set to change dramatically. Usually when significant change like that is warranted, Nintendo takes extra time to think about it. I wouldn't be surprised if Smash takes a generation off and just coasts on an Ultimate port for Switch 2. Leave Ultimate as Sakurai's magnum opus and start Smash 6 with someone new at the helm and see what they can do to change up the series. Because yeah, in terms of roster quantity, Smash 6 has nowhere to go but down, so it kind of has to innovate to follow up Ultimate.

Banjo Kazooie reveal and the Sora reveal are 2 top moments for me. Sephiroth was a big WTF lol

Yeah. Unfortunately, I've not played as much Ultimate as I'd have liked. Most friends who played moved on to other games, and I just sorta burned out I guess? I'd love to see returning modes. That may well be one of Ult's weakest links.

This game is an timeless game. Play it almost every week.
They can make serious money with this. More dlc, costumes for characters etc.
I wish they did that.
For the next smash i want the characters to represent their latest games. (Also their attacks, specials etc)

Jesus tip flip flappin’ crust- time flies way too quickly.

I remember being in New York for this when it was out and seeing people queuing at the Nintendo shop for it. As a European visitor I already had it on my switch with it being a UK purchase. I then proceeded to play the game all Christmas. Wonderful memories

Bought, played a little, sold it.
Not as good as Original, Melee or Brawl for single player.
Speed is at least better than Brawl!

No more costumes! Give us the actual characters!

Ultimate by name, Ultimate by nature.
What a crazy reveal, launch and following few years for Smash Ult. When you say it out loud, it is an inconceivable concept and an amazing achievement.

I totally expect and hope for a Mario Kart 8 DX version Ultimate DX to be near Switch 2 launch, with more modes, new characters and of course all the DLC + enhancements.

Day 1for me, been holding off on the DLC all this time, because I expected it would happen this gen.

@msvt I lost this along with my oled and 7 other carts when I left it on a plane to Portugal 😩. Your comment about a switch 2 version has made me reconsider replacing it right now

I’m still waiting for a Complete edition of Smash Ultimate. I love the series but there was just too much DLC this time around for me to buy the vanilla game. Reckon it might be a good shout for a quick and dirty Switch 2 launch title…

This was one of the games that pushed me to save up for a switch. I had played hundreds of hours of smash on the 3DS and when I saw the smash directs for this game it absolutely blew me away.

4 years later, this is still somehow my most played Nintendo game. I spent spent way too much time Smashing in 2020.

So how much does it cost to buy all of this 7 year old game now? Is there a complete version for like $30 labeled “Players Choice” or”Nintendo Selects”? Can you even buy the complete game on a cart?

The Switch 2 launch lineup is going to be filled with ports and DX versions of Switch games isn’t it? MK8 Deluxe DX, Smash Ultimate DX, Super Mario Odyssey DX, maybe we’ll get lucky with a 2 pack of BotW & TotK DX. Splatoon 3 Complete. 😩

@boxyguy
That and an unhinged rebalance that tosses out the awful limitations they’ve placed on a chunk of the cast so they can all be viable and competitive instead of letting a few rule the entire game.

@rjejr doubt it. The new system is gonna be backwards compatible with old Switch games, so it's more likely they'll start selling those games at a discounted price when that comes out.

And we're still playing it!
And will still be playing it until the next one. SSB is my #1 and always will be!

Between this and the first trailer for Endgame dropping, this was like the big day for crossovers.

That is crazy! This is my second most played game, my siblings and I love it! (Even tho we are all horrible lol)

Best multiplayer in the series, 2nd worst when it comes to modes and things to do. Can't have everything, I suppose.

I echo what AceTrainerBloke said. The game was (and still is) one of the biggest titles when it comes to (among other things) the modern crossover era.

I wish I felt the spark of joy with this game and Mario kart that I felt years ago. The games are bomb but I don't know if I've just moved on or if the games have just worn out for me.

2018 was pretty much the Year of Smash. I know I keep posting this, but I'm just stunned by all the characters, stages and content in general that this game has. There won't ever be a Smash game like it, and that's OK. It's truly Ultimate, or as the Japanese title says, Special.

@boxyguy This is what I think they will do. They don't need to do much more, honestly. It's Ultimate 😅

@Yoshi3 Sakurai said earlier that "if" a new Smash game is develop, it will probably be a smaller cast that what Ultimate is. But who knows, maybe we'll get them all a long with more characters

@rjejr Nah, some of these games are old enough that it feels like new entries are warranted. Mario Kart especially is just BEGGING for a new, original entry. Nintendo also typically likes to design 3D Marios around the new console's capabilities so I would expect an original 3D Mario as well. Smash may get the MK8D treatment but I think that might be the exception, not the rule.

@Khronos120 same here. I want to say it was the day after the reveal trailer with the inklings when I bought my switch. Smash ultimate is my most played Nintendo game of all time. I can’t wait for the next one!

Crazy to think I was in my mid 20s when this released and now I’m in my 30s. I love this series and every several years I experience the hype all over again. From late night matches with my friends on the 64 to joining my first official tournament a few years ago, it’s all been a blast! Great memories with a great game.

I don't speak Japanese, but I have a feeling 'Everyone is participating!' isn't quite the intended translation of that Famitsu tweet.

Anyway, yes, Smash Ultimate. Good game.

I played it for a while. It's ok. Since Melee smash has just been meh for me.

@Shiro28 it would completely go against what Ultimate is …
Imagine having a game where “everyone is here” to … “now some of them are here”
Nobody wants their main character cut.
There’s no selling point when the previous game is the superior one.
I will eat my hat if we get a cut roster which I bet we won’t.

Is Ultimate more like a refresh of the Wii U title like Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe or an actual all new game?

(Asking as a non-SmashBros-er)

And still no rollback from small indie company Nintendo.

@NintendoWife Development-wise, it kind of is a culmination of their continuous work in Smash for 3DS/Wii U.

Game-wise, it is a different game taking elements from previous games but with very few new stages. Only 4 in the base game, the rest of the new stages come with the DLC fighters plus Small Battlefield via an update.

Some mechanics are changed in regards to Smash 4, plus some combos (Down throw -> about 4 or 5 Up+A with Mario) may not work in Ultimate.

Honestly, still think we're gonna get an 'Ultimate Deluxe' either through an update or a re-release. Probably not a lot of new characters. Maybe one or two new characters but mainly better online and some modes that are missing in Ultimate (break the targets and Smash Run for instance) and some balance tweaking.

@boxyguy that would make sense, and honestly I would agree that’s what they’d do, except the Switch 2 is gonna be backwards compatible. Why would you port a game onto a console you can already play? They could add new fighters and stuff, but I feel like Sora was the culmination of that game. I don’t know why everyone’s so against a Smash 6, it’s been SIX YEARS. It doesn’t need as much content, just give it a reboot

@NintendoWife lol no. Even as someone who only has the 3DS version of Smash 4 (screw the Wii U version), Ultimate is just better in every way. More characters, more fluid movement, more single player. It is 100% an original game, despite its similarities.

Can't believe we still didn't get Season Pass 3 for the game. Where are my Alear, Impa, Noah & Mio, Geno and Akira Howard at, Nintendo!??

@HammerGalladeBro Lol I like how you replied actual Mario inputs to someone who said they don't play smash xD was that like, for you? Or do you think people who don't play fighting games knows what that means? I understand you were trying to help but that definitely made me laugh, thanks

I don't know, this is my second Smash game but it just does not click with me.
Played it for few days and never tried again.

@tourjeff This happened to a friend of mine who I've played smash with since high school. I really wish I knew why, bc he loved all the other games but he isn't really into ultimate. You like what you like, I guess.
@NFrealinkling I'm not sure if you own any consoles other than switch, but they rerelease games like this all the time. Playstation just released Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, originally a 2017 PS4 title, like 6 weeks ago. Capcom is releasing physical copies of RE2, RE3, & RE7 for PS5 in a couple weeks, even though they made PS5 versions 2 years ago & even though you could already play all three as PS4 titles on PS5 for years. Even if they neglected to give Smash ultimate any meaningful updates, I think it would probably sell well on "switch 2" as a bundle with the dlc. Probably extremely well.
@rjejr You sure like randomly guessing this stuff, huh? Mario Kart Deluxe Deluxe? Lol they definitely won't do that with MK8D, they already provide the dlc to that game for people with the premium subscription of NSO. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot if they started rereleasing all the things they've already rereleased. Plus I don't even think Odyssey had dlc. I could see an argument for Splatoon 3 maybe but after the last big splatfest it probably makes a lot more sense for a new entry for a new console. Also they will never release Smash (even by itself) for just $30 nor will they ever make BOTW & TOTK a bundle, not physically at least. If they did it'd be on the eshop for like $100 maybe. TOTK was $70 when it came out, it's not even two years old!

@yohn777 I do own some other consoles, not any other than Nintendo, though. I could see this happening if it was an older game, like if Super Mario RPG was on NSO and then they released the remake, but since the game was released just six years ago, just bundling the base game with the dlc seems like something almost nobody would buy. Six years is plenty of time to make a new game so I don’t see why a reboot is so outlandish

@NFrealinkling "Just" 6 years ago? The switch itself is still less than 8 years old lol? That's not a big time difference, smash was on switch for most of its life cycle (just like MK8 on WiiU). What about all the kids with parents who won't let their kids play an E10/PEGI12 game when they were too young? I also think you're missing the fact that smash is a monumental game in more ways than one, it's a big deal. With Nintendo being the owner of the best selling racing game (MK8) as well as the best selling fighting game (Smash Ultimate) of all time, it makes perfect sense they rereleased MK8D when they did, it's part of what made it the number one switch game. The difference in the amount of work is not comparable when it comes to porting & making a brand new video game, I'm not saying I would hate a new smash game. I am saying it wouldn't make any sense on Nintendo's part to do it that way. I'm not sure how else to convey to you that super popular games being rereleased with dlc is something that people definitely buy, cause they do it a lot these days. That's exactly why MK8D became so successful

@yohn777 I think the main reason all the ports from the Wii U to the Switch were successful is because not many people had a Wii U. As someone who did own one, I never bought MK8D until the booster course pass came because I had all the content already besides the battle stuff. The problem is forty million people already have smash ultimate and most probably have the dlc, and even if not you can just play the normal one since it’s backwards compatible. This is kind of in a Wii to Wii U territory where no games to my knowledge were directly ported. I’m not saying they can’t but rereleasing a game six years after it came out onto a system you can already play it on seems stupid and a bad business decision. I’m not a big smash fan and wouldn’t get a deluxe version (I haven’t even bought the dlc yet), and I feel like anyone who doesn’t own the game isn’t a big enough fan to want to pay extra for dlc. Sorry for the lengthy response 😉

@NFrealinkling To that, I say that I also owned a Wii U & MK8 (also the dlc at the time), then, I bought MK8D the very first day I got my switch in 2017. The releases for early switch were pretty seldom, that was the main contributing factor of MK8D sales more than anything, in my eyes. I think Nintendo can do something similar with Smash & it'll sell extremely well. Btw several Wii games were ported to Wii U, such as Metroid Prime Trilogy, Xenoblade Chronicles, Resident Evil 4, etc. They were digital not physical, but it's still like 30 or so Wii games directly ported to Wii U.
I guess we're just different! Not everyone will be into it but I guarantee there's others like me who probably would. I can't say for sure I'd absolutely be into double dipping for smash myself, but I think if there's limited first party games for the next console, that an Ultimate bundle would get decent sales. No problem at all, I think my responses get pretty long winded

@yohn777 I certainly think they could go that route and rerelease a bunch of Switch games to pad out the launch, but when there were so many ports coming in the Switch’s first few years and they received some backlash for it (except MK8 still sold well). I can’t imagine how big the backlash will be if they rerelease the switch games, especially if they’re at a higher price. If they release another Mario kart 8 I might actually explode 🤣 But honestly, I can see your side and I could see one coming, I just don’t understand why everyone seems to want that instead of a new game. There are series that need and old game instead of a new one, like Yoshi’s Woolly World coming back. It just feels like Smash Ultimate was, just like its name, the Ultimate form of what smash could be. If they added to that, it would take away of all that hype, and kinda defeat Sakurai’s masterpiece. If he’s not working on the next game, they need to find a way forward without him and reboot the franchise; redo all the character’s movesets, UI, everything about it to offer a different experience from the original pentilogy (if that’s how you say it)

@Yoshi3 if they make another version

Smash just can't continue expanding each entry. That is not financially feasible for Nintendo, unless all content in-game belongs to them. They would have to keep paying license fees, and realistically, those fees are contractually limited to a certain date, and time. Nintendo isn't going to continuous pay out.

The other problems are space limitations per whatever media Nintendo will release games on. The games inevitably have to cut some content, however to Nintendo's benefits, these concepts can be reused in the same series, and/or different series. For example, Smash trophies can exist as a separate thing on a console, from Smash, and the console user could customize what trophies they want displaying, etc.

Smash 6 may carry the entirety of Ultimate, though it's unlikely Nintendo will pay those license fees continuously to a Smash 7.

@yohn777 "You sure like randomly guessing this stuff, huh?"

They write before randomly guessing a dozen random guesses. 😂

Super Mario Odyssey had the Luigi balloon dlc. And Labo VR support. Which nobody will ever mention again after this comment. 😂 I have played them both or I probably wouldn't have remembered. 😁

https://play.nintendo.com/news-tips/news/super-mario-odyssey-free-luigi-dlc/

Yes, other companies do it to, but before that, you can usually buy those games for 50% off. Like Nintendo used to do.

@N00BiSH "The new system is gonna be backwards compatible with old Switch games,"

There's no money is BC. And when people start shopping for Switch 2 games they dont' want to buy Switch games, they want to buy Switch 2 games, w/ all of the game on cart, maybe w/ HDR and VRR. There will be a few.

@rjejr A few? maybe, but certainly not all of them, especially some of the ones you mentioned, like Mario Odyssey(Balloon World was an automatic free update) or TotK(there's been no plans for DLC since its release).

Sadly I could just never get into smash. I recognise it’s a brilliant franchise but street fighter and tekken brainwashed me back in the early days.