New Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Mechanics Aim to Make the Game More Competitive

Our first glimpse into what we can expect from the upcoming iteration of the Super Smash Bros. franchise occurred at this year’s E3, where Nintendo aired its first Smash-heavy Direct. Since this event, Nintendo has slowly been releasing information on the title, whether it be through their “pic-of -the-day” or the Special Interview series with Game Director Masahiro Sakurai. In the first installment of this series, Mr. Sakurai delved into his philosophy in creating the newest iteration of the Smash series.

In referring to the previous versions of the game, Mr. Sakurai states the following:

I do feel that Melee may have been geared a bit too much towards a core audience. We made Brawl when the Wii came out. At that time, games like Wii Fit became popular, attracting a lot of casual players that have never really touched a video game before, so we lowered the speed a bit so that those players can enjoy the game as well.

In this interview, Mr. Sakurai notes that Smash Ultimate strikes a balance between the franchise’s previous installments. While the game will not be creating a barrier to entry with advanced techniques such as “L-Canceling” – a mainstay in Super Smash Bros. Melee – it will have and increased tempo and  more aggressive playstyle. This new game design is described by Mr. Sakurai as follows: “Our core thinking with this game – the best competition happens after everybody can properly control the character.”

Up to this point, we have received a great deal of information on the upcoming title through the two most recent Nintendo Directs. In these Directs, Mr. Sakurai has shown how the philosophy of an approachable yet competitive fighter is possible through the game’s mechanics, features, and game modes.

Game Mechanics

As Mr. Sakurai notes in the Special Interview series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl tried to attract a casual audience through mechanics that were intended to slow down the game’s pace – this could be seen in the notorious “tripping” mechanic, wherein fighters would randomly trip during a match. An eye towards casual gameplay was carried over to Super Smash Bros. Wii U –implemented through decreased rolling-lag and the introduction of Ledge Trumping, wherein players who were currently holding the stage’s ledge would be pushed off by another player.

Through the wealth of information we have received regarding the game, Mr. Sakurai highlights how Smash Ultimate will be curbing a passive and casual playstyle through the game’s new mechanics.

• Directional air-dodging – Revealed in the first Smash Direct, air-dodging has been updated since the Wii U era. Smash Ultimate will be reintroducing directional air-dodging. This technique will allow players to have more control of their aerial momentum, as seen in the most competitive installment of the franchise – Melee.
• Rolling – Smash Ultimate will also be re-balancing the rolling mechanic. One of the most substantial changes the franchise received, in terms of mechanics, was the decreased rolling-lag in Smash Wii U, which promoted a more defensive playstyle. In the upcoming title, excessive rolling will result in a decreased period of invulnerability after a character rolls. This new feature encourages players to embrace a more aggressive, competitive playstyle.
• Perfect shielding – The game’s shielding mechanic also received a substantial change that promotes a greater risk/reward playstyle seen in most competitive fighters. In previous installments of the franchise, players could “Perfect Shield” by engaging their shield at the correct time. Instead, in Smash Ultimate, players can “Perfect Shield” by disengaging their shield at the proper moment. If a player is to incorrectly time this action, they are more susceptible to attack.
• Damage calculation – As with the modified rolling mechanic, Smash Ultimate will promote high-tempo gameplay with an increased damage calculation during 1 V. 1 matches.

Features

This competitive attention to detail extends beyond the game’s mechanics and into many of the game’s features, which are brand new to the Super Smash Bros. franchise.

• Meter gauge – Players will be able to monitor the meter for chargeable moves throughout the entire game. This new icon will be located by the damage display. Thus, players will know how long until they can use Cloud’s Limit Break or how many uses remain on Robin’s Tome.
• Omega, Battlefield and Hazardless stages The upcoming game gives players the option to play every stage as a flat, three platform, or a Hazardless stage – wherein objects and stage features that might interfere with gameplay are disabled. This feature addresses one of the greatest pain-points of the competitive Smash scene – a lack of viable stage options.
• Final Smash meter – The most recent Nintendo Direct revealed some drastic changes to the Final Smash system. While players can still enact their Final Smash via the Smash Ball, there is now an option to utilize a Smash Attack through a meter that fills throughout the game. By introducing this optional feature, Smash Ultimate is taking a page from more traditional fighters, such as Street Fighter.
• Stage selection – Stage selection now occurs prior to character selection. This reflects the way in which the competitive Smash scene selects stages during an event. Moreover, the new stage selection allows players to filter stages so they can only select Battlefield and Omega stage-forms.
• Blast Zone display – Players will be able to see how close they are to the Blast Zone when knocked offstage, providing more clarity into when a character will be knocked out.

Game Modes

New game modes allow players to perfect their competitive craft and show off their skills in ways that were not possible in previous Smash games.

• Training Mode – Smash Ultimate has taken another page from traditional competitive fighting games with their revamped Training Mode. The updated Training Mode includes a graphed background, allowing players to perfect their spacing. This mode also includes the option to display launch distance, giving players more opportunities to find unique combos.
• Squad Strike – Another way in which the game has taken note of the competitive Smash scene is in the new Squad Strike game mode. A popular side-event of many Smash competitions is a crew battle, wherein a team of five competes against another in a virtual fighting game relay. Squad Strike allows players to face off in team of three or five with ease.

Smash fans old and new can test their skills in this revamped competitive arena when the game is released for Nintendo Switch on December 7^th.