Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review: Everybody is here, and nobody is staying on the stage

The big picture

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate gathers an improbable collection of game characters and gives them a shared activity: making somebody else's return to solid ground increasingly difficult. Its basic objective is to increase an opponent's damage and launch them beyond the stage. Higher damage makes them easier to send flying, which gives an enormous percentage the unusual meaning of “this person may soon leave the conversation at great speed.” Recovering from those launches is part of the fight, not an embarrassed walk back afterward. Gameplay basics

Nintendo, Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco Studios developed the Nintendo-published game, originally released December 7, 2018, for Switch. Switch 2 plays that same version through compatibility, with Nintendo reporting consistent behavior rather than a separate Switch 2 Edition. The guest list is extravagant, but the more interesting attraction is how many different levels of seriousness the same fighting system can accommodate. Current listing

Knowing the goal doesn't mean knowing the fight

Attacking is one tool among several. Reading where an opponent wants to move, spotting vulnerability and resisting an unnecessary lunge can matter just as much. Improvement can happen in recognizable steps: recovering more reliably, approaching less recklessly or learning when enthusiasm has become a poor substitute for positioning. Sometimes the sophisticated decision is simply to stop pushing forward for half a second.

That leaves a considerable gap between familiarity and mastery. A newcomer choosing a favorite face and an experienced player choosing a favorable matchup may look identical at the selection screen while preparing for completely different experiences. Set rules and expectations that suit the people present. “It's only a friendly match” is less convincing when followed by a lengthy explanation of the technical reasons nobody else got to move.

The roster needs some introductions

Ultimate brings back every fighter from earlier entries and adds new arrivals. Many fighters unlock through play, with chances to retry their challenge battles. That progression gives the cast a gradual introduction, but it matters when buying specifically for a gathering: every base-game choice won't necessarily be sitting there immediately, waiting for your guests. Roster overview, Unlocks and modes

The breadth is appealing to curious players and potentially overwhelming to everyone else. Learning one fighter is a perfectly respectable start. You don't need to treat the selection screen as a reading list you're already behind on. A familiar character gives you a stable place to understand the wider rules, even if the opponent's choice appears to have wandered in from an entirely different genre.

Solo play still expects you to enjoy fighting

Classic Mode offers sequences of battles, Squad Strike assembles teams of three or five fighters, and Training provides space to work on technique. These give the cast purposes beyond waiting for a suitably available friend. A roster this large benefits from having more than one way to arrange an argument. Official modes guide

Spirits add collectible characters that provide abilities or advantages, and unusual battle conditions encourage different setups. Adventure mode puts those encounters into a rescue mission. That can appeal to players who enjoy collecting and solving varied combat problems, but it isn't chiefly a cinematic campaign. The fighting remains the activity. If that doesn't interest you, an enormous number of opportunities to fight is a mathematically impressive way to miss the point. Spirits and Adventure

Eight on the sofa does not mean eight online

Ultimate supports up to eight players on one system or through local wireless, while online battles support up to four and require Nintendo Switch Online. A large local gathering cannot simply move intact onto the internet without revisiting the arrangement. Count the actual mode's capacity rather than selecting the biggest number on the box and hoping everybody squeezes in. Multiplayer limits

Paid additions also need distinguishing from the base roster. The two Fighters Pass collections and standalone Piranha Plant are separate purchases; Steve, Sephiroth and Sora belong to paid content. A promotional picture of everyone doesn't mean every pictured guest comes with the original ticket. Decide which additions matter before assuming the entire expanded lineup is necessary to enjoy the main game. DLC guide

The latest listed update in this review's October snapshot is version 13.0.5, released September 1, 2026, addressing behavior involving invalid data in online battles. It is maintenance, not a new expansion or evidence of a redesigned online experience. Update history

Ultimate makes a strong case for local-multiplayer households and players interested in learning a flexible fighting game. Solo collectors have material too, provided the combat appeals. Agree on the evening's seriousness, give newcomers room to learn, and remember that being launched into the distance is a game mechanic rather than an invitation to explain why your opponent's character should be illegal.