Nintendo just wrapped up the final video presentation for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ahead of its December 7th release date. There was a lot of ground covered, going into the minutiae of language options, spectator mode, and more. However, there were three key takeaways from the Direct.
New Fighters:
Firstly, the final two fighters in the base roster were revealed: Ken and Incineroar. Hailing from Street Fighter and Pokémon respectively, these two round out the base 74 fighter roster. In addition, DLC plans have been confirmed for the game. Releasing as a limited-time, free download after launch, Piranha Plant will kick off the DLC season. Afterward, five currently unannounced DLC characters will join the fray. Each DLC pack will include one character, stage, and a batch of music for $5.99. While all five will be available separately, a Fighters Pass (priced at $24.99) will give players access to all the DLC characters in a season pass format at a reduced price.
Spirits Mode:
Replacing the trophies that were par for the course in past Super Smash Bros. titles is the Spirits mode, which allows players to collect the spirits of different video game characters to augment their favorite fighters’ stats. Nintendo stated the following about the mode:
In the world of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, many video game characters lose their forms and become “spirits” that serve as a power-up of sorts for a player’s main playable fighter. There is a massive number of wildly different spirits, ranging from Chibi-Robo to Dr. Wily to Tails to Revolver Ocelot, with the giant list of characters going on and on. Players can equip primary and support spirits to power up or add additional abilities like speed or strength to their fighter during battles. Mixing and matching spirits will help players get the upper hand against certain opponents, adding quite a bit of strategy to battles. Equipping a spirit is similar to equipping a charm or accessory in an RPG. It’s a way for players to enjoy a massive amount of additional video game characters outside of selecting them as playable fighters.
World of Light (Adventure Mode):
The Direct ended with the announcement for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Adventure Mode, World of Light. Much of the mode is currently shrouded in mystery, but the presentation offered a sneak peak through a cinematic trailer and short snippets of gameplay. Nintendo’s statement on World of Light is the following:
There may not be a single-player adventure quite like Adventure Mode: Subspace Emissary from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but something has caused the numerous video game characters in the game to lose their bodies and transform into spirits. While today’s Nintendo Direct video provides some sneak peeks, Masahiro Sakurai, the director of the Super Smash Bros. series, wants to keep parts of this new adventure mode secret until the game launches…
These are the three headlines that all Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fans should be caught up on. However, there is much more to discuss including the game’s new three-factor matchmaking system for online play, custom character balancing, and new amiibo. Even that list does not do justice all the information announced today. The full forty-minute broadcast can be watched above, wherein all the remaining information, and the highlights discussed here, will be talked about in greater detail. Check out the gallery of pictures below, and stay tuned to Gaming Trend for more on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and everything else this industry has to offer.
Abram is an aspiring games journalist with a soft-spot for titles published by a particular company that starts with N, and ends with -intendo. When he's not playing, or writing about, video games, Abram is most likely ranting to no one in particular about various films he's seen, or grabbing the sketchpad to do a bit of drawing.
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