Wow – what a game… for multi-player and single adventurers alike!
Everyone expected quality Nintendo workmanship with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but I don’t think anyone truly knows the potential of this game even to this day.
The game is beautiful – for the Switch – from the character designs and character select imagery (see Fox’s detailed hair and textures) to the stage design and visuals. The levels are gorgeous, some would argue too gorgeous. Which is my first criticism of the game: the level design. The stages are very trippy and sometimes it feels like instead of fighting the opponents, you’re fighting the game itself. Take Final Destination for instance… the background has so many beautiful effects going on that it is easy to lose your character or go cross-eyed trying not to be warped to another dimension! The visuals are arguably out-of-control. Take it or leave it, no other fighting game can be compared to the backgrounds of Smash Ultimate.
My second criticism, which has options to be overcame through option select – is the dynamics of the stages themselves. Majority of the stages have obstacles that change or characteristics that add another element to the battle. Again, it often feels like whoever survives the stage obstacles has a better chance of winning the match. I try to avoid spoilers for those who want the full experience, but certain stages have aspects of lava, altitude changes, damage-dealing objects flying across the screen, and many other elements. On a local party-game type of feel I’m sure that these are hilarious and fun; but from a competitive stand-point these levels are not even optional. Most competitions have a specific list that is very short for stage select for obvious reasons.
Smash Ultimate has the inherited aspects of Smash (local multiplayer,) Classic mode that allows co-op (typically used to unlock new characters,) and online. Online is highly criticized but is majority of the time not terrible. You will encounter the non-playable matches due to lag from either your opponents poor connection, distance between user and server, and the occasional Nintendo server disconnect. The main problem with the online service is that with enough disconnects you can be suspended for X amount of time – which is pretty frustrating if the root-cause is on Nintendo’s end. The online mode is also very frustrating as the only way to play with a friend via the internet is through Battle Arenas; which is cumbersome and has a learning curve worth noting. Overall, Smash and Classic remain un-changed and the Online mode needs patching. I don’t know that Online will ever compete with local play in terms of responsiveness and frames lost, but there is plenty of room for improvement.
One of the coolest aspects of the Super Smash Bros. franchise is all the nostalgic characters and Easter-eggs. Praise Smash Ultimate for its’ extensive catalog of classic game themes and music and the amount of playable characters (74.) Smash Ultimate will be one of the top fighting games in E-Sports and I believe it will continue to gain notoriety in the fight-game community as players reveal combos and counters, but, where Smash Ultimate really shines as a stand-alone is with its’ Adventure mode (World of Light) play through.
Adventure Mode had me enthralled when I first purchased the game, and it also allows the characters to be unlocked via this method. Classic mode can be very redundant, but is the fastest way to unlock the remaining characters; World of Light on the other hand is a whole game within itself and if you want something different and challenging this is where it’s at.
The coolest aspect of Smash Ultimate is the collection of Spirits – which can be developed and leveled up – some of which have alternate forms which can be obtained by maxing out their level. These Spirits add a very-RPG element to the game and in the World of Light, add attributes to your main character. These Spirits are virtually endless and allow Nintendo to add into the game many other characters from its’ long history of games that aren’t available to fight with. The amount of depth that this adds is heavy and it makes Smash Ultimate that much more buy-able, especially for those that aren’t playing it to compete. What is a heavily focused multiplayer experience in traditional Smash Bros. games, World of Light throws the gamer into a single-player experience that is filled with challenges, history, entertainment, and nostalgia.
Whether you are aiming to become a tournament champion, looking for a unique new single-player experience, or somewhere in-between Smash Ultimate has unlimited replay-ability and with the upcoming Downloadable Content the game will have a very long shelf-life in the gaming community.
Give this premium title a chance and enjoy all the un-lockable content and nearly forgotten memories of games past. There is no other game like Smash Ultimate – don’t hesitate to pick up this must-own title for the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo Switch Game Reviews 