Summary
One of Nintendo’s biggest titles came in the form of the critically acclaimedSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. It launched a year after the Switch hit store shelves, and truly delivered on its name by being the greatestSuper Smash Bros. experience so far. It hit all the right notes, gave fans the fighting game they have wanted for years, and was the crossover to end all crossovers.
WhileSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatewas impressive, its release also puts Nintendo in a bit of a tough spot. It is seemingly impossible to make a successor to what is supposed to be the ultimateSuper Smash Bros. experience. There is only so much the studio can do to improve on the formula, and the fanbase may need some convincing to make the jump to the next title. The only way it can really succeed is if it is on an entirely different level fromSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, and that may be an impossible feat.
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Smash Bros. Ultimate May Be Impossible to Follow
Nintendo had a lot to prove after the lackluster Wii U era and prove itself it did. Not only did the studio reinventThe Legend of ZeldaandPokemon, but it also gave fans the best platform fighter around. Every single fighter was there, the campaign had returned, countless stages were included, and the gameplay was surprisingly balanced. It had almost everything that fans would want and would quickly becomethe best-selling fighting gameof all time because of that.
Nintendo would continue to expandSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateafter its launch with a slew of new fighters. The massive roster was not enough for the studio, and it began delving into other iconic franchises for more unique characters.Across two Fighter Passes, Nintendo added 11 new fighters to the roster with a 12th one released as a separate DLC pack. This brought the roster to 89 characters from across Nintendo’s vast catalog and the video game industry as a whole. It is the largest roster in aSmash Brosgame, the biggest in the fighting game genre, and the most expansive crossover game to date.
Nintendo really knocked it out of the park withSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, and that puts the next entry in a bit of a tough spot.Ultimateis supposed to bethe ultimateSuper Smash Bros. experience. It represents every singleSmash Bros. before it, and the DLC made it even better. There is only so much that Nintendo could really improve upon for the sequel, and the sequel cannot remove anything from this entry. It needs to be bigger, bolder, and more bombastic, but topping what came before it may be impossible.
The only thing that Nintendo could really improve on for the nextSuper Smash Bros. is the campaign aspect. It was great to see that feature return, but it paled in comparison toSuper Smash Bros. Brawl’s version. Players want an intriguing story that actually delivers on the crossover potential, and the number of characters thatSuper Smash Bros. offers could lead to one of the biggest crossover adventures of all time. However, if the studio is forced to remove anything to make room for that campaign, then players may have little interest in checking it out.
Nintendo has yet to announcethe nextSuper Smash Bros. game, but it will likely make one someday. It may not be on the Switch, but probably whatever upgraded system or Switch successor Nintendo has next. While it will be exciting to see what the studio does next with the concept, it may be facing an incredibly steep uphill battle. There is also a chance that Nintendo will just choose to portUltimateover instead, but that remains to be seen.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis available now on Switch.
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