Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (SSBU)
Version	13.0.1
Developers	HAL Laboratory, Intelligent Systems
Publishers	Nintendo
Systems	Nintendo Switch
Online Play	Peer-to-peer Delay-Based
Player Resources	Ultimate Frame Data
	Smash Data Viewer
	Ultimate Hitboxes
	Smash Ultimate Calculator
	Stage Comparison Tool
Community Channels	SSBU Discord List

Introduction

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ SPECIAL, Great Fray Smash Brothers Special), often shortened to "SSBU" or "Ultimate" (スマブラSP), is a crossover action fighting game released for the Nintendo Switch. The game was first teased at the end of a Nintendo Direct on March 8th, 2018, and fully revealed on June 12th at E3 2018. It is the fifth installment in the Super Smash Bros. series (sixth if the two versions of Super Smash Bros. 4 are counted as separate titles). The game was released worldwide on December 7th, 2018.

Being a Platform Fighting Game (and the first of this genre), the basic gameplay of Super Smash Bros. series dramatically differs from many fighting games. Instead of depleting an opponent's life bar, Smash Bros. seeks players to launch characters off the stage. In Super Smash Bros., characters have a damage total, represented by a percentage value, which rises as they take damage and can exceed 100%. As characters' percentages rise, they can be knocked progressively further by an opponent's attacks. For a character to be KO'd, said character must be sent off the edge of the stage, which is not an enclosed arena but rather an area with open boundaries, usually a set of suspended platforms. If a character travels too far away from the stage in any direction, they lose a stock and potentially lose the entire game. When a character is knocked off the stage, they typically have an opportunity to (attempt to) recover and return; typically by jumping and using attacks that cause the player to travel a significant distance. Some characters have an easier time recovering than others due to a combination of floatier jumps or simply having more jumps available, as well as having attacks with more significant aerial drift. Additionally, some characters are heavier than others, making it harder for an opponent to knock them off the edge but likewise harder to recover.

Smash Bros.'s play controls are greatly simplified in comparison to other fighting games. While traditional fighting games such as Street Fighter require the player to memorize button-input combinations, Smash Bros uses the same one-attack-button, one-control-stick-direction combinations to access all moves for all characters. Two buttons are primarily used for attacks: normal attack button and special attack button, with the orientation of the control stick dictating what specific attack is used. Some attacks only activate on the ground, while others only activate while airborne, and some can activate in both scenarios, though functionality may change. Other attacks are activated through non-traditional methods, but these are few and far between. Most characters are not limited to constantly facing their opponent but may move around freely, with some attacks only accessible by tilting the stick opposite where the character is facing. Smash Bros. also approaches blocking different than other games. Instead of simply holding a direction to block, a dedicated button activates a shield, which depletes with prolonged used and replenishes when not in use, with enemy attacks accelerating the depletion. If a shield fully depletes, the character is stunned and at the mercy of their opponent. Using the stick in this shield state can activate various types of dodges, which can be used both on the ground and in the air. Grabbing and throwing other characters is also possible, allowing for a large variety of ways to attack.

One additional major element in the Super Smash Bros. series is the inclusion of battle items, of which players can control the frequency of appearance. There are conventional "battering items" with which a player may hit an opponent, such as a baseball bat or a sword, as well as throwing items, including Bob-ombs and shells, and shooting items, either single-shot guns or rapid fire blasters. Recovery items allow the user to lose varying amounts of their damage percent. From the Pokémon franchise come Poké Balls that release a random Pokémon onto the battlefield to assist the user; Brawl introduces a new "Assist Trophy" item which serves a similar purpose, albeit being capable of summoning a wider range of characters from a variety of franchises. Brawl also introduces items called Smash Balls, which allows fighters to perform powerful character-specific attacks, known as Final Smashes. However, items and Smash Balls are not allowed in competitive play.

Roadmap

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Characters