Since the initialSwitch 2reveal, the community has been questioning when a newSuper Smash Bros.game will release.Super Smash Bros. Ultimatewas a huge success with fans, reintroducing characters from the series' past, as well as adding some newcomers to the series that have been requested for some time. IfSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatereceives a sequel on theSwitch 2, it has very high expectations to live up to.
What may be the best course of action instead is to take a step back from the content added toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Upping the ante from the Switch entry could be an impossible task, so it may be wise to change direction completely.Super Smash Bros. Ultimatewas a hub of fighting game royalty, but rather than focusing solely on crossover characters, a Switch 2 installment could have different priorities.
Super Smash Bros. on Switch 2 Should Have A Smaller Roster
Not Everyone Is Here
Super Smash Bros. Ultimatemarketed itself as the ultimate game in the series because of its expansive roster. Alongside the newcomers to the series,Super Smash Bros. Ultimaterevealed that “Everyone is Here!”, with all past competitors being available in the game’s base roster. A new installment for the Switch 2 shouldn’t undermine its predecessor’s efforts to unite characters from the series’ past, and should consider narrowing the cast down to only those who are essential instead.
While this may seem controversial, it could work in the game’s favor. The complete roster ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateset the bar highfor a sequel to follow, and player expectations would likely be even higher. By establishing early on that the next entry in the series would be cutting down the size of its roster, fans would be able to temper their expectations prior to release.
It’s also important to note that the existence of a sequel does not removeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatefrom existence. If players want to enjoy every character from the series’ history in one place, revisitingUltimateis always an option. Asbackwards compatibility is confirmed for Switch 2, players are able to get the best of both worlds, sinceUltimateand a new installment would both be playable on the new console. It’s also possible forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateto receive a Switch 2 Edition upgrade, bringing it up to par with the rest of the console’s library.
The reveal of each newSuper Smash Bros.fighter generated a lot of hype in the community, excited to see which characters would join the fray in the ultimate crossover fighting game. However, the broader the roster gets, the easier it is for the unexpected picks to become lost, lessening their impact. Though the reveals came as a surprise at the time, the expansive roster has led toplayers forgetting someSuper Smash Bros.charactersthat are playable.
Familiar Characters, Different Playstyles
If the nextSuper Smash Bros.game were to reduce the number of playable characters, there would need to be a reason for this. Players would likely want justification for why the game has less content than the previous game.Super Smash Bros. Meleetournamentshelp to lengthen the game’s lifespan, and these persist becauseMeleefeatures gameplay mechanics and tech that are absent from all other entries. For the next game in the series, changes to the gameplay could be the justification needed for the smaller roster.
One way to shake up the series afterSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatewould be to alter the characters’ movesets. Many of the legacy characters have seen very few changes to their moves since the originalSuper Smash Bros.on Nintendo 64. Byreworking theSuper Smash Bros.roster, players could be excited to play as the returning characters again.
This would also give the characters the chance to feel more in line with their modern depictions. A notable example is Mario, who has used F.L.U.D.D. in hisSuper Smash Bros.kit sinceBrawl, despite F.L.U.D.D. not appearing in a mainlineSuper Mariogame since 2002. It’s important that characters are representative of their entire history, but some could use additions from their recent games. As such,Super Mario Bros. Wondershould influenceSuper Smash Bros.by giving Mario some newer abilities.
For players who enjoy the existing movesets for characters, there is a method already established in theSuper Smash Bros.franchise that would allow this.Super Smash Bros. for Wii Uand3DS, often abbreviated toSSB4, allowed players to equip characters with Custom Moves, which were different special attacks than their defaults. A Switch 2Super Smash Bros.title could bring this concept back, possibly keeping the movesets fans are familiar with while giving them much-needed overhauls. SomeFire EmblemandMotherseries characters would benefit from this, as theirSuper Smash Bros.movesets are different from those in their games, so Custom Moves could give them a canon move list.
The Next Super Smash Bros. Game Could Reintroduce Older Game Modes
ThoughSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatedubs itself as the ultimate game in the series, this only really applies to the roster. Unfortunately, there is still some content missing that some fans have been eager to see return. In particular, there are manySuper Smash Bros.game modesthat did not make their way to the Switch entry. If a Switch 2Super Smash Bros.game puts less focus on new fighters, returning game modes could take priority.
While the World of Light mode did provide players with a story experience, many longtime fans of the series have been eager for a follow-up to the Subspace Emissary story sinceSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. Compared to World of Light, Subspace Emissary was much more story-heavy, giving players a variety of bosses to fight and an adventure field to platform their way through. AsmallerSuper Smash Bros.cast would benefit the story, as it could give more focus to certain character moments without feeling too bloated.
Another fan-favorite mode that was omitted fromSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatewas Break the Targets. The mode that was once a series staple slowly changed over time, fromMelee’s iconic Target Test toSSB4’s Target Blast, a hybrid of Break the Targets and Home-Run Contest. For a new entry on the Switch 2, this mode could be reintroduced withpersonalized Break the Targets stagesfor each character. Each would be a test of that character’s abilities, teaching players the basics and easing them into the potentially new movesets.
Which Characters Could Players Expect in the Next Super Smash Bros.?
There have been 12 recurring characters since the originalSuper Smash Bros., and it’s unlikely that the next installment will break this tradition. Though they are the most expected to return, reworking their move lists could keep them fresh for players. SomeSuper Smash Bros.characters need improvements, and a game that reinvents the formula may be the best opportunity for this.
Even if aSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatesequel trims the roster down, there are some third-party characters that are likely to stay. Characters like Sonic the Hedgehog and Banjo & Kazooie were surprising additions to players at first because it didn’t seem within the realm of possibility, but now they feel at home in the series. These choices made for some of thebestSuper Smash Bros.reveals, and it is likely that some players could be disappointed to lose them in the next game.
There are also plenty of other guest characters that fans have been desperate to play as in the series that have yet to appear. By limiting the roster, the arrivals of some of these heavily-requested characters could hit that much harder.Ultimatetried to compensate players by adding some of these as costumes for the Mii characters, such as Dante and Geno, but featuring them as their own unique fighters would be a far bigger move. There are plenty ofcharacters that should feature inSuper Smash Bros., and with a more limited roster, their eventual inclusion would have much more impact.
TheSuper Smash Bros.series is known for its out-there choices when it comes to characters.Ultimatestill had its fair share of these, such as Piranha Plant andMinecraft’s Steve and Alex, but characters like Kazuya and Terry made the game feel more grounded. Min Min and Sora were points of excitement for fans, but were expected to be included at some point. The next game in the series could take players by surprise and include obscure andunexpected characters asSuper Smash Bros.newcomers. Many Western players were introduced to series likeFire EmblemthroughMelee, so having more niche picks could generate interest in other lesser-known series while giving players more varied character choices.
It’s likely that anewSuper Smash Bros.game could be held back for a while, but when it is eventually revealed, it might not be a huge surprise if not all the content fromUltimatefinds its way to a sequel. Outdoing the roster ofUltimatewould be a difficult task, and could diminish the “Everyone is Here” motto that made the game special. Instead, a Switch 2 installment could reinvent the existing characters and the series as a whole, markingUltimateas the end of an era and the start of a new one.
