In case you haven't already read the news, Ultimate sees the return of every playable Smash character, including those who have been previously discontinued, as well as a host of new characters. There are also tons of stages, items, and game rules to explore and tweak so that your multiplayer experience is whatever you want to be. If you want a super-challenging battle, it's as easy to make it happen as it is to have a goofy, hectic free-for-all.

Unlocking these things is also a piece of cake. For one, you start with all stages, their versions, etc., so really you only have to unlock characters and extras. There are multiple methods to unlock characters and I got them all a lot faster than I expected.The game really lets you get right to the fun part.

The single-player mode also exceeded all expectations. The adventure, called World of Light, is a massive experience which takes you through 3 world maps and 3 different endings, all characters, and 600+ other battles with all different rules, mechanics, and challenges. I was blown away. I played just over 40 hours to get 100%, which is the last thing I expected from a Smash story mode. (My start and finish dates for this game are actually in reference just to the World of Light adventure.)

And if you're a fan of Classic mode, All-Star Smash, and all the old single-player challenges, don't worry. Those are still waiting for you too.

This game really delivered on its promises and made Smash more fun and enjoyable than I thought it could get. Recommend for fans both old and new.

This game has it all - new and old characters and stages coming together in what might be the most satisfying entry in Super Smash Brothers. The game is straightforward enough - build up damage, knock the player off the stage, but there's so much packed into this entry to satisfy both multiplayer and single player fans alike.

Multiplayer wise there's a quick and easy way to unlock more fighters, with each of them feeling tweaked enough to feel vibrantly different from each other (sans Echo Fighters). Stages are now incredibly flexible with a large variety of tracks and Battlefield/Omega versions for more competitive standoffs. There's a now-dizzying lineup of items and Assist Trophies available, from the Arcade Bunny to the Healing Bulb to Death's Scythe to all the old favorites.

Single player is also very meaty as well, with the introduction of Spirits and the World of Light Adventure mode. Light on the cutscenes but heavy on the battles, Spirits are an incredibly engaging way to approach stickers and trophies, allowing the player to equip, enhance, and collect over 1300 (they keep adding more!) reference to every single property included in Smash Ultimate and in Nintendo games. It might be missing the 3D renders, but it makes up with an overflowing about of charm and gameplay mechanics - lifestealing, special move buffing, etc. The spirit battles themselves are also very addicting, taking event battles to new heights by fashioning unique battles around nearly every single spirit. On top of Spirits return Classic Mode and a few multi-man smashes. It may be missing the target smash and home run, but I'm not complaining about the laser pointed focus on Smash proper the game is choosing to go with.

All in all, I couldn't really ask for anything more from Smash Ultimate. It's mind-boggling how polished and jam-packed this game ended up, and continues to get content and support into the future. I'll be playing this one for years.

This game is the 'Ultimate' Smash Bros. game. A roster of every character, every stage, everything that has been worked on throughout the series' history. It all culminates together in what feels like the only Smash Bros. game we ever needed.

I do miss Subspace Emissary's surprisingly impressive 'story' and great cutscenes, but World of Light is definitely a worthy successor, if not entirely as good on that level. The challenges that, especially the Legendary class, spirits bring with them is definitely notable. That sort of difficulty curve was what made SSB4 a big of a chore and a slog, but SSBU has done a decent job of at least making that challenge engaging, and the spirit battles interesting and thematic.

Classic mode is immensely improved by being themed by fighter and having more differing final bosses (playing Kirby's and suddenly encountering a Kirby boss was a welcome surprise). Also, having co-op Classic mode is awesome, despite my sadness that it was introduced after I had couch gaming buddies to enjoy it with.

Still overall, I'm impressed by how much fun I've had with the game even by myself. It's a definitely engaging and enjoyable culmination of a beloved series.

My biggest and truest gripe with it is: 'WHERE IS MY GENO?!'

Smash Ultimate is truly the ultimate fighting game. A roster of 89 characters from a diverse array of titles, including the Nintendo icons like Mario, Link, and Pikachu, but also encompassing other franchises such as Metal Gear Solid and Persona. (also almost 10 Fire Emblem characters but we don't talk about that) Every match of Smash Ultimate feels fresh and fun to play; the controls are very smooth and there is no character that feels overpowered. You can also change the settings to your liking: you can change the CPU difficulty, allow items, etc. There isn't just a brawler in Smash Ultimate. This game also boasts a wide array of different challenges, including:

• Classic Mode, where you choose a fighter and difficulty then fight your way through a handful of fighters and fight a final boss
• World of Light, where you go through a massive world to free fighters and unlock spirits to aid you in battle
• Video Editor, where you can edit clips and highlights of your great battles and edit them together!

Overall, Smash Ultimate is a very fun party game, whether you be playing against a CPU or against other players online in a tournament. Just have to choose a fighter and fight with them!

(First non-archive review for the site!) I was going to wait until the last DLC fighter was announced first, but since I'm just finishing up 100% of the achievement screen I feel like I might as well throw my hat in the Smash Ultimate pile.

It's alright. This is a 'quick review' but I'm going to have to take this step by step so there's some categorization here.

Spirits: This mode in particular isn't very good. It's pretty much an AI stomping ground fit for mostly weakish fanservice respective to every spirit. I guess for a fighting game campaign it's not too bad but I feel like I wasted a lot of my time bothering with it.

Fanservice/Party: As a party game Ultimate is pretty good, there's a lot of item combinations and the stages are all fun to play on. There's a shitton of fanservice for so many franchises that I don't know how the game is going to look when it finally goes golden with its roster after all the new additions. Just the music remixes and character reps alone give so much power to the game's legacy.

Gameplay: It's mediocre pure and simple. It's certainly stronger than Smash 4 but neutral game here is still a very safe endeavor and foxtrots are a ridiculously gutted dashdance. I don't like the movement while fighting and I certainly don't like playing as most of the fighters. Combo game is very restricted, thanks in no small part to them removing a shitton of grab combos and giving a big Fuck You to SDI which is a design decision I still don't get at all. Ultimate wants people to play by turns which is all good and fine but I didn't enjoy 90% of the roster's toolset due to how restrictive they all play. Compared to the likes of really any modern fg on the market it's incredibly lacking. There are exceptions ofc, I really like Ryu/Ken's special canceling taken over from SF, especially Terry's toolset. I also approve of Link's bomb zoning and spacing setups. I'm just far more a fan of slower paced fighting games that make up for its lack of APM with strong mindgames and decisionmaking but Ultimate seems to be very limited in scope of both due to the more streamlined options.

Overall I think it's a good party game and a mediocre fighting game. I think it's alright after spending roughly 200 hours trying to fashion out how I feel about it. If you're looking for a party game that plays well at a competitive level I highly suggest playing Duck Game instead. (6.5/10)