Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Year: 2018
Rating: E10
Time Played: ~45 hours
I grew up playing the original Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64. I loved being able to play as a variety of characters across some well-known (and perhaps less well-known) Nintendo franchises. With each iteration of the series, I’ve enjoyed seeing new characters representing new and classic games join the roster. However, even if I can understand cutting some characters as the series moved forward, it was still a disappointment when I couldn’t play as my favorites in subsequent entries in the franchise. This is why I was hyped up for the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
For the first time, I was able to play as a staggeringly large number of characters. The fact that (almost) everything from previous games made it into this one made it feel like this was a celebration of the history of video games and not just a party brawler. And while I didn’t bother with the DLC for the 3DS version of the series, I jumped right in and got the first DLC fighter pack when it was released. This speaks to how Super Smash Bros. Ultimate appeals to me in that I want the fullest experience of the game that already had a pretty full experience.
And while I appreciated the “World of Light” single-player campaign and the “Spirits” that can be used to enhance the player characters, the amount of unlocking I needed to do so I could play as my favorite (or some of the newer) characters felt a bit tedious at times. Plus, with so many characters to choose from, there is a bit of choice paralysis that has prevented me from completing most of the single-player story modes with these characters. Still, the game remains approachable for all skill levels, especially if you want to play by yourself.
A party brawler that’s Nintendo’s love letter to the history of gaming, I give Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 4.0 stars out of 5.
