Now, while I haven't owned all of the titles, I've followed Super Smash Brothers since being introduced to the second game, Super Smash Bros. Melee, on the Nintendo Gamecube. Generations later, we are here with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the definitive Smash Bros. title on the Nintendo Switch. This title had a lot to prove and so far it's lived up to it. So much so that Sakurai was pretty much gambling his own health to dish out content.... a dangerous ambition, but we are pleased with what was delivered so far. This one game has every face that has ever been in the series up to this point, with DLC gradually being added, 2 characters already in as of now. With some cosmetic and move tweaks, even those that were sidelined for games on end return with better visuals and moves to dish out punishment. And because it's on the Switch, this is one game you can battle at home and on the go, even play with friends, be it wireless connection or Joy-Con controls.
But before that, I have to mention that, like Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Nintendo Wii, it actually has a story, and like Melee, an Adventure Mode that after listening to the game's intro, makes sense. The world of Super Smash Bros. is caught in a struggle imposed by a being called Galeem, eager to shape the world in its image. And to that end, the fighters are imprisoned and copied into clones that are powered by spirits, forced to do Galeem's bidding. With Kirby as the sole survivor, it's your job, using him, to free the spirits and the imprisoned fighters. Of course, that's not all there is to it, since you have Galeem, Master and Crazy Hands, as well as another threat to contend with.
With every member that came out during the past 4 titles, new members also join the fray, like the much requested King K. Rool from Donkey Kong Country, as well as
You got your run of the mill Classic Mode, or you can dive right in by choosing Smash. But if you are getting it running for the first time, not advisable since you have a drastically slim roster of characters from the start. This is connected to the Adventure Mode, called World of Light. In this mode, you fight the clones under set conditions, but you can boost your own parameters with spirits you freed, some of those capable of being enhanced. Upon defeating the imprisoned fighters, not only can you unlock them for World of Light, but they'll be playable outside it, too. In addition, there is a Mob Smash mode and Squad Strike, which is similar to Team Battle in other fighting games. There are 2 in-game currency: your gold coins which can be sued for the shop from the game's Vault menu, but also Spirit Points, which you can use for the 5 shops in World of Light as well as to level up spirits.
Versatile as the Switch is, there are 3 ways to control it. And because it's Super Smash Bros. it suddenly became unofficially essential to play it with the Gamecube controller. Kind of pointless in handheld mode, but there do exist not only an add on for the dock to use any GC controllers lying around, but also the Fight Pad, which is essentially a GC-styled Pro Controller. the only thing is, you cannot record game video... at least not by the Switch's capture button. You can save replays, but posting full matches are difficult (but as the game is now V3.0.0, that may change.) It has very little in the way of touchscreen support (save for the Stage Builder that came with the update), but it's not as if you can indulge in the match via touchscreen anyway. There is also online play, but as it's done via the paid service, Nintendo Switch Online, you will need to have a subscription for that. The spirits I mentioned before replaces trophies from the past games, and in the World of Light, can be quite useful. You can even save the Spirit team you assemble, and should you allow them, use it in Smash mode. Before I forget, one significant change is that every character can use their Final Smash... without a Smash Ball While less powerful, the FS Meter (Final Smash Meter) makes a debut here. With this in play, there is no need to wait for a Smash Ball. If you can survive long enough for the meter to fill, you can trigger a Final Smash after suffering contact by your opponents. As far as terrain goes, you have 3 options per stage now. You can play it normally with stage hazards (that you can disable) prior to selecting, a Battlefield-style version of the stage, and an Omega version: no hazards, no platforms... just you, your opponent, and open (albeit condensed) space, similar to Final Destination. There is also stage morphing, meaning that after a set period, the terrain and BGM transitions to something else. There are more to this, but you'll have to find out by watching others, keep up with Smash Bros. news, or get a copy yourself.
The Online play is rough indeed, but not game breaking. There may come a time where Nintendo will have to address this,. Otherwise, be it handheld, kickstand, or TV Mode, at 720p or 1080p, the game looks brilliant. While not perfect, they lived up to the Ultimate name. And while it doesn't have Melee's speed (which to me was great, but overrated), it's fast enough to stay competitive, especially with today's eSport standards. The game has generally positive acclaim, and I'm no different, as I give this a 9. When it comes to Smash Brothers, the next one (if there is) will be hard to top. But for now, this is the Ultimate throwdown!
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