Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Switch Review

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings new characters, stages, and everything that was included in past entries into one package. Thanks to an easily accessible control scheme and so many popular characters to choose from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the most friendly games to pick and play while also delivering a deeply competitive experience that rivals some of the best fighting games. The online matchmaking suffers from connectivity issues but it's hard to play the title without getting sucked in. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate doesn't only uphold the expectations of this franchise, it smashes them. 

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate combines both competitive and casual play successfully by balancing elements for each. You can pick and choose from the 69 characters that stretch all across gaming's greatest characters based on either popularity or specialized tiers. The accessibility is incredibly leveled thanks to the game's use of its signature damage percentage system and similar input commands across all fighters.

The unique design of each character's attacks means that players seeking to get competitive will have to learn and understand the strengths and weaknesses of each character's ability to properly counter, evade, or use your shield. For example, Little Mac lacks recovery but is a hard-hitting so keeping your distance is key and Bowser is powerful but lacks speed. Since health is handled through a percentage meter instead of a health bar it's much easier to come back during dire situations. It also eliminates a lot of the frustration of seeing your health bar deplete in more traditional fighting titles.

In addition to every fighter to ever be included in this iconic franchise Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings 11 new fighters such as King K. Rool from Donkey Kong,  Ridley from Metroid, Inkling Girl and Boy from Splatoon, and many more. The amount of care and passion that went into designing these new character's abilities share the same quality as the core selection. You only start with the 8 characters from the original N64 Super Smash Bros. but unlocking them and eventually fill up the screen was nothing less but a joyful.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate does feel faster than previous entries, adding to the insanity during battle. The developers have also included a radar to help players knocked outside the screen, which is helpful during 8-player matches. When 2 fighters are left, or in 1v1 matches, an outstanding freeze-frame effect is shown when a fatal hit is landed, making those game-ending moves that more satisfying.

You'll still have the options to customize each match including individual items, their rate of spawn, CPUs and their difficulty, and so much more. Stage morph is a new addition that allows you to travel between stages during fights. This newly added feature dynamically allows players to better see all the stage options and gives the player another obstacle to prepare for.

A bulk of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's unlocks are spirits and they are available in the game's single-player mode World of Light. There are hundreds of spirits that are designed after video game IPs such as Pokemon, Metal Gear, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Players use these spirits to boost their power and compete in various challenges based on different characters across the multiverse of gaming. Eventually, you'll gain access to very powerful spirits by the mid-point of the 20-hour campaign that makes everything that follows a breeze. Thankfully, the developers have included boss battles that offer refreshing breaks from facing the same opponents over and over.

What brings the single-player, competitive play, and even menus together is the outstanding soundtrack. With so many to choose from it's hard not to find a handful that you won't love. A combination of original tracks, remixes, and classic scores mix together both modern and retro tastes.

For everything that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate does right the online multiplayer is an issue. During my playthrough getting into a 1v1 match was difficult, even with a LAN connection. Sometimes the game would give up and put me into a free-for-all match. For an online service that I now have to pay for having 50% of the matches I join severely lagging or crashing is unacceptable.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate provides not only an easily approachable fighting game but also a deeply competitive experience. The overwhelming selection of fighters, stages, musical scores, and options to choose from gives you ample reasons to keep coming back. The online multiplayer still needs a lot of work and hopefully, Nintendo is working on resolving the many connectivity issues.
 

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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