All The News From Today’s Super Smash Bros. Direct

Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Today’s Nintendo Direct was the final livestream before the release of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, with the stream dedicated to dropping a wealth of new information about the game. While some will probably be disappointed that they didn’t announced 15 new characters and an Undertale crossover, there was a lot of information to dissect. Let’s break it down.

 

Confirmed new characters

Ken joins the roster as an echo fighter for Ryu, but with a few differences to his animations, move set and more. He also has two final smashes because of course. Meanwhile, Pokemon Incineroar is the last new character to join Super Smash Bros Ultimate, utilising a wrestling based moveset that also includes prerequisite crowd posing.

Interestingly, you’ll only find the original 8 roster characters from the N64 game when you first play the game, but you’ll unlock more and more as you play, before finally unlocking the full roster of 74 characters. That’s a stacked roster, but it’ll get even bigger with the inclusion of paid DLC. Nintendo will be selling sets of DLC that includes a stage, fighter and a bunch of music, all wrapped up in a Fighters Pass available for $24.99. The pass also includes Rex’s Mii Fighter outfit from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

For those worrying about Nintendo working on DLC before releasing the game, they’ve confirmed they’ll only start working on the paid DLC once they’re done with the game, so that’s nice.

Piranha Plant is also joining the roster as a playable character, with a Final Smash that turns him into Petey Piranha, because of course. He’ll be available as a free fighter in a few months, with no scheduled release date confirmed.

 

Spirits mode revealed

Spirits is a new concept introduced in this game that will replace the trophies that have been a series staple. Spirits are non-fighter characters that can be added to a fighter to increase their power and moves. You can then take your powered-up fighters into Spirit Battles to unlock new Spirits for your own use. These Spirit Battles will see you taking on characters on the roster that most match the Spirit’s personality.

You can also train spirits to unlock new abilities, level up amiibo fighters, use spirit fighters in other modes and send them out into the world to level up even further. It looks like a comprehensive mode with plenty of replayability.

Spirits Mode also ties into a new Adventure Mode called World of Light that explains how the trophies lost their physical forms and became Spirits. The Direct ended by showing off the opening to the mode, and things got needlessly dark all of a sudden. We have questions, Sakurai! Questions that demand answers! This new mode will play out like an RPG with a world map to explore and skills to unlock. We’re so excited.

 

Multiplayer

Smash Bros comes alive in the multiplayer, and local wireless has been confirmed as a feature. You can also matchmake via a variety of game preferences meaning you no long have to use For Fun or For Glory. You’re also matched via your Global Smash Power (how good you are) and location, like most matchmaking systems. Seems like Nintendo have figured it out, maybe.

For those with a GSP high enough, you enter Elite Battles, which is basically considered a ranked mode, so hopefully all the killers stay there and everyone else can have their fun in the regular mode. You can also form a local tag team and matchmake against other teams of 2, or create custom rooms called Battle Arenas to hang out with friends.

Nintendo are also planning on launching a new mobile service called Smash World which will allow you to post gameplay videos and the like, but that’ll be launching in 2019 with more details to follow.

 

Assist trophies

Here’s the list of all the new Assist Trophies available in Super Smash Bros Ultimate:

– Spring Man
– Wily Capsule
– Flies and Hand
– Tiki
– Black Knight
– Vince
– Guile
– Yuri Kozukata (Fatal Frame)
– Isaac
– Akira

 

More new features

All-Star Smash has been confirmed to be available from the get go, meaning you don’t have to grind to unlock 74 characters before unlocking this mode. You can also earn gold to unlock new items in-game like new music and Spirits. Smash Bros Ultimate is also available in 11 different languages, which is nice. You can also custom balance different players locally, which is handy if your mate is just too good, and Mii Customisation also makes a return, with new outfits like the Yiga Clan and Splatoon 2 set. Ribbon Girl is also an outfit, but her and Spring Man should really have been characters.

This has been a lot of information to take in, but our excitement has only increased. If you want to check out the stream for yourself, check it out below, and let us know if you’re excited for Super Smash Bros Ultimate to launch on December 7th in the comments.

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