Summary
Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis among the Switch’s biggest hits, retaining an audience despite Nintendo’s technical issues and tournament policy snafus. Whenever the Switch’s successor hits the shelves,SuperSmash Bros. Ultimateshould come along with it.
Switch 2 rumors are hitting a fever pitchthis year. With March being the month primed for news of the Switch’s successor to start flowing, new information could come at any moment. Leaks are coming out left and right, while many of Nintendo’s biggest IPs have gotten their time on the Switch—not to mention Twitch taking its app off the eShop. The seventh year of the Switch seems like a time for winding down—and a time for Nintendo’s bigger IPs to look towards newer pastures.
Smash’s Switch 2 Entry Should Be A Port Of Ultimate
6 years afterSmash Ultimate’s release, the game remains popular. DespiteNintendo’s attacks on independent tournament organizersand all of Switch Online’s netcode problems,Smash Ultimatehas retained its standing. Given how the title throws around its ‘Ultimate’ moniker (and with a roster to back it up), it may be the best course of action for Nintendo to ditch having a newSmashentry and just stick a port ofSmash Ultimateon its next console.
Smash Ultimate Comes With An Air Of Finality
ThoughSmashcreator Masahiro Sakurai hasn’t yet retired from the games industry, he has been on record about thefinality inherent toSmash Ultimate. The title is all about the ‘Everyone is Here’ tagline, with some of the most requested fighters from fans—such as Ridley, Sora, and Banjo/Kazooie—finally arriving thanks toUltimate. Combine this with the game’s epic narrative, and there’s not much further aSmashgame can go from here; it’d be hard for any succeeding game to not feel anticlimactic in comparison. A Switch 2 port would not only save Nintendo resources, but it would keep such a huge game and its longtime fans supported. In that respect, it would be wise for the next console to have some level of backwards-compatibility with the Switch.
There is the issue of Sakurai saying thatSmash Ultimateis complete, however. If there’s no room forSmash Ultimateto grow, it may not be very desirable for any long-term content plans Nintendo has in mind. On the other hand,Smash Ultimatecould get by with a reduced price and a new coat of paint. After 6 years on the market, it might be time for Nintendo to be more relaxed aboutUltimate’s price—something that could grow the Switch 2 greatly. Even if Nintendo’s unable to add some extra DLC to lengthen the game’s life,Ultimatecould still do wonders as a loss-leader.
A Smash Ultimate Port Could Be Used To Redeem Nintendo’s Online Reputation
Switch Online is easily the console’s most hatedaspect, chiefly down to its connection capabilities falling far behind competitors. It wouldn’t be too bad if online play was free, as it was on other Nintendo consoles, but even its comparatively cheap price can’t make up for a sloppy service being put behind a paywall.
If the Switch 2 can fix connectivity issues and deliver solid online play,aSmash Ultimateportwould be the perfect demonstration. It would allow fans to see how much better the successor console could run, potentially attracting large groups of fans into its ecosystem. This would then expose those fans to the rest of the Switch 2’s library, allowing the console to really hit the ground running with a strong foundation. Of course, this will only work if Nintendo can sort out its future online service.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
WHERE TO PLAY
Gaming icons clash in the ultimate brawl you can play anytime, anywhere! Smash rivals off the stage as new characters Simon Belmont and King K. Rool join Inkling, Ridley, and every fighter in Super Smash Bros. history. Enjoy enhanced speed and combat at new stages based on the Castlevania series, Super Mario Odyssey, and more!Having trouble choosing a stage? Then select the Stage Morph option to transform one stage into another while battling—a series first! Plus, new echo fighters Dark Samus, Richter Belmont, and Chrom join the battle. Whether you play locally or online, savor the faster combat, new attacks, and new defensive options, like a perfect shield. Jam out to 900 different music compositions and go 1-on-1 with a friend, hold a 4-player free-for-all, kick it up to 8-player battles and more!
