Smash Ultimate feels like a love letter from Nintendo.
From the moment that I booted up the game and watched the intro, to the moment that I unlocked all 74 fighters, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate felt like it was hand crafted frame by frame with love. The intro trailer alone is enough to get anyone excited to play this game. The music is outstanding (and rather catchy) from both modern and retro points of view.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is not your average fighting game. It can be picked up and played by just about anyone. There are dozens of recognizable faces for gamers of all ages. From Kirby, to Mario, Pickahu and even Cloud, players from different generations and fans of different genres can all come together to enjoy this game.
For those new to the Smash, this game is a cartoon style fighting game. Players choose between 74 fighters and then battle it out until one of them falls off the edge of the map (usually a castle or spaceship). Professional Smash players tend to migrate to a 1v1 setting, but the Smash series has long been known as a fantastic party game. It can be played with up to 8 people on a single Nintendo Switch. Prior versions of the game have only allowed up to 4 players to battle at a given time. This latest version has more maps and more fighters than ever before.
This game is an easy 10 out of 10. The best game on Nintendo Switch.
I have spent most of my gaming time for the past week playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch. I have played every game mode and unlocked every fighter. I have hosted a local Smash party and even attended an in-person tournament at Gamers Respawn.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has so many fighters (every fighter from every prior Smash game). There are also dozens and dozens of maps to choose from, many of which hearken back to my early days on the Nintendo 64. Smash Ultimate also features a slew of new items, a story driven campaign mode (called World of Light), a classic mode and even online play.
The online play can use some work, as it’s a little laggy at times, but it’s cool that it exists. I have already played a bunch of matches with my brother Zeke from across town. After some initial lag the game seemed to smooth out and we were able to battle. I’ve also played a handful of matches against random online players, and these can be hit or miss when it comes to internet stability.
So far my favorite changes to the game are the improved graphics, the music, the new game modes and the speed increases to my favorite character (Kirby). I play a lot of Kirby in Super Smash Ultimate, mainly because I grew up playing Kirby on the original Smash 64 game. But recently I’ve been branching out to try all of the new and exciting characters that Smash has to offer. Samus, Corrin, Pichu and Donkey Kong are just a few of my favorites.
(Looking for a good Smash Podcast? Check out Beyond the Meta or N64 Josh.)
Release Date: Jan. 7th 2018
Rated: E (10+)
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Price: $59.99 (Best Buy, Target, Amazon)
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