Editing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''}}
{{articleIcons|ultimate=y|featured=y}}
{{redirect|''SSBU''|the Wii U version of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''|Super Smash Bros. for Wii U}} 
{{Infobox Game
|title = '''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'''
|image = [[File:Super Smash Bros Ultimate Box Art.png|250px]]
|caption = North American box art.
|developer = [[Bandai Namco]]<br>[[Sora Ltd.]]
|publisher = [[Nintendo]]
|designer = [[Masahiro Sakurai]]
|engine = 
|version = 
|released = December 7, 2018
|genre = [[wikipedia:Fighting game|Fighting]]<br>[[wikipedia:Platform game|Platforming]]
|modes = 
|platforms = [[Nintendo Switch]]
|ratings = {{vgratings|ESRB=E10+<ref>[http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.aspx?from=home&titleOrPublisher=Super%20Smash%20Bros ESRB website]</ref>|PEGI=12|OFLCA=PG|USK=12|CERO=A}}
|media = ROM Cartridge<br>Digital distribution <small>(Nintendo eShop)</small>
|requirements = 
|input = [[Joy-Con]], [[Nintendo Switch Pro Controller]], [[GameCube controller]] <small>(via adapter)</small>
}}
'''''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''''' ({{ja|大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ SPECIAL|Dairantō Sumasshu Burazāzu Supesharu}}, ''Great Fray Smash Brothers Special'') is a fighting game for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. It was first teased on March 8th, 2018 at the end of the [[Nintendo Direct]] released the same day, and fully revealed on June 12th at E3 2018. It is the fifth installment in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series (sixth if both versions of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' are counted as two games). The game was released worldwide on December 7th, 2018.

''Ultimate'' has received universal acclaim, with several critics calling it the best installment in the series. They praised its large amount of content and fine-tuning of existing Smash gameplay elements, although its online mode received criticism. It was estimated that the game sold over 5 million copies worldwide within three days of release, making it the fastest selling Switch game. The game has sold 12.08 million units as of December 31, 2018.

==Opening movie==
The [[opening movie]] of ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is composed of the cutscenes from [[World of Light]] and gameplay footage from the game, featuring all the characters in the game barring DLC.

{{#widget:YouTube|id=yA-oD5hen4I}}

==Characters==
[[File:SSBU Panoramic.png|thumb|center|700px|Panoramic Artwork of all playable fighters as of January 29th, 2019]]
All 63 characters<!--THIS REFERS ONLY TO VETERANS. DO NOT ADD THE NEWCOMERS!--> (65 if counting the {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}'s Pokémon) from all previous ''Smash Bros.'' games return as playable characters. As well as the returning cast, the game also features 11 newcomers in the base game, with at least six characters (two known and four unknown) planned as [[downloadable content]]. In total, this ensures that at least 74 characters (76 if counting the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon<!--MII FIGHTERS ARE ALWAYS COUNTED SEPARATELY. DISCUSS BEFORE CHANGING.!-->) are playable in the game at launch and 80 (82) characters are playable overall, the most for any ''Smash Bros.'' game. Each character is numbered in the order from when they first joined the series, with the exception of echo fighters (who share a number with the character they are based on) and {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} (whose Pokémon are numbered instead).

[[File:SSBU Character Select.png|thumb|right|300px|The [[character selection screen]] of ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' (with all non-DLC characters unlocked).]]
{{SSBU|Inkling}}, with various Girl and Boy designs from the original ''{{s|inkipedia|Splatoon}}'', was the first character confirmed to appear in the game as a new playable fighter. {{SSBU|Ridley}}, a central villain from the {{uv|Metroid}} series, was confirmed to be playable during [[E3]] 2018, with [[Meta Ridley]] as an alternate costume. {{SSBU|Simon}} of the {{uv|Castlevania}} series was announced as the game's first third-party newcomer. {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}, arch-enemy of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong from the {{uv|Donkey Kong}} series, was confirmed to be a playable newcomer as well, with his move-set drawing on his appearances as a boss in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' games onward. {{SSBU|Isabelle}} from the {{uv|Animal Crossing}} series, who previously appeared in ''Smash 4'' as an [[Assist Trophy]], makes her playable debut as the second ''Animal Crossing'' representative. Finally, in the November Direct, {{SSBU|Incineroar}} from ''{{s|bulbapedia|Pokémon Sun & Moon}}'' was announced as the title's last base roster newcomer. 

In addition,  certain [[clones]] (though not all of them) are now classified  as "Echo Fighters" and are marked with an epsilon symbol (ε). Returning characters {{SSBU|Lucina}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} have been given this title, while new characters {{SSBU|Daisy}}, {{SSBU|Richter}}, {{SSBU|Chrom}}, {{SSBU|Dark Samus}}, and {{SSBU|Ken}} are Echo Fighters of {{SSBU|Peach}}, {{SSBU|Simon}}, {{SSBU|Roy}}, {{SSBU|Samus}}, and {{SSBU|Ryu}}, respectively. Aside from an option allowing these characters to be displayed on the same slot as their counterpart on the [[character select screen]] exclusively during [[Vs. Mode]], [[Tourney]], [[Special Smash]] (outside of [[Smashdown]]), and Online modes, there is no special distinction between them in game, and the name is used mostly for marketing purposes.

{{SSBU|Piranha Plant}} from the {{uv|Mario}} series touches new ground as the first mob character in ''Smash'', and as the game's first DLC character. It has been confirmed that five more unique newcomers will be added as DLC by February of 2020, with {{uv|Persona}}'s {{SSBU|Joker}} being the first revealed DLC fighter of the five. The other four fighters are currently unknown. With the exception of Piranha Plant, all of the DLC characters can be bought together as part of the [[Fighter Pass]].

As was the case in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', a further eight "characters" exist as alternate costumes for other preexisting characters. Specifically, [[Alph]] as a palette swap of {{SSBU|Olimar}}, and each of the seven [[Koopalings]] as palette swaps of {{SSBU|Bowser Jr.}}

Only the starting characters from the first game are available from the start. Like in ''Smash 4'', the [[Mii Fighter (SSBU)|Mii Fighters]] are also available via customization. The rest of the roster must be unlocked, however the unlocking process and conditions are comparatively quick and easy than before: requiring players to simply play enough VS. matches or clear classic mode with the fighters.
{{clr}}
{{SSBU character table}}

===Bosses===
{{SSBU boss table}}
All Light Realm and Dark Realm bosses, except for Galeem and Dharkon, are also featured as Classic Mode bosses.

==Stages==
With the exception of the ''Super Smash Bros.''-original stages, all stages are ordered in chronological appearance and for the first time ever, all stages are available immediately from the start. Additionally, all stages can be played with up to 8 players, rather than just a select few as in ''SSB4''. All stages have both a [[Battlefield form]] and [[Ω form]]. ''Ultimate'' currently features 103 stages (305 if including Battlefield forms and Ω forms). An additional five planned stages will be added to the game via downloadable content, which will bring the number of stages up to 108 (320 if including Battlefield forms and Ω forms).

Currently, only 15 stages featured in previous games are not available in ''Ultimate'' (not including either single player-only stages and previous forms of Battlefield and Final Destination). The list can be seen [https://youtu.be/63S5HWbK6lo here.]
{{SSBU stage table}}

==New Items==
:''For the entire confirmed list of items, see [[Item#List_of_items|Items]] page.''

{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Item!!Type<ref name="Item Types">[[Item#Types_of_items|Types of items]]</ref>!!Heavy<ref name="Item Types" />!!Notes!!Universe
|-
|[[Banana Gun]]||Shooting||{{n}}||Ejects the banana out of the peel and the player is left with the [[banana peel]] after using it.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}
|-
|[[Beastball]]||Throwing||{{n}}||Reappears near an opponent after being thrown and targets them, covered in flames.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}
|-
|[[Black Hole]]||Throwing||{{n}}||Creates a massive black hole, dragging all items and players nearby in. Throws the opposite side of user's orientation.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}
|-
|[[Bomber]]||Special||{{n}}||Explodes in the player's hand when used, which only affects enemies. Will also explode after a short amount of time or if it falls off a ledge, affecting everyone.||{{symbol|kirby|26px|}}{{uv|Kirby}}
|-
|[[Death's Scythe]]||Battering||{{n}}||Instantly KOs opponents at high percentages.||{{symbol|castlevania|26px|}}{{uv|Castlevania}}
|-
|[[Fake Smash Ball]]||Special||{{n}}||Flies around the stage, similar to the Smash Ball. Characters can break it in order to activate. Once broken, it will explode.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}
|-
|[[Healing Field]]||Throwing/Recovery||{{n}}||Can be thrown on the ground. Once thrown, it will open up and will heal anyone standing on it.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}
|-
|[[Healing Sprout]]||Throwing/Recovery||{{n}}||Sticks to fighters and gradually heals them. Can be transferred on contact like the [[Gooey Bomb]].||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}
|-
|[[Killing Edge]]||Battering||{{n}}||Will occasionally glow, causing it to do more damage.||{{symbol|fe|26px|}}{{uv|Fire Emblem}}
|-
|[[Rage Blaster]]||Shooting||{{n}}||Does more damage the higher the user's [[damage]] is.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}
|-
|[[Ramblin' Evil Mushroom]]||Shooting||{{n}}||Emits spores that, when they hit an opponent, cause a mushroom to grow on that opponent's head, reversing their controls.||{{symbol|earthbound|26px|}}{{uv|EarthBound}}
|-
|[[Staff]]||Shooting||{{n}}||Fires a laser which deals increased damage the greater its distance from the user.||{{symbol|kidicarus|26px|}}{{uv|Kid Icarus}}
|-
|[[Super Launch Star]]||Throwing||{{n}}||Can be set in midair, where it will attract and launch any characters that get too close to it. The launch has the potential to KO fighters.||{{symbol|mario|26px|}}{{uv|Mario}}
|}

==Development==
Towards the end of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'''s post-launch development, [[Masahiro Sakurai]] announced that his next project had been decided and that he would be taking a small vacation following the end of development.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://sourcegaming.info/2016/01/06/famitsu-news-sakurai-catching-a-breather/|title="Famitsu News — “Sakurai Catching a Breather”" - Source Gaming}}</ref> Unlike previous Smash titles, which had their development studios built from the ground up, [[Bandai Namco]] returned to help game development. Prior to starting development, the team had a choice between completely overhauling the game's system and feel or working off of what was established in the last game. The team ultimately went with the latter. Had the team gone with the former, the game would have likely only had a third of its characters.<ref name="special">{{citeweb|url=https://sourcegaming.info/2018/07/02/smash_special_complete/|title="“Smash is Special” COMPLETE Translation" - Source Gaming}}</ref> Despite deciding to base the game off of the previous installment, Sakurai still increased the overall speed of the game, but only by an amount that wouldn't be too alienating to people unfamiliar with the series.<ref name="special" /> Sakurai notes that he had wanted to make these changes in previous titles, but was unable to because it was easy for one to lose track of their character's position on screen, especially on the [[Nintendo 3DS]].<ref name="special" /> When Sakurai had revealed to his development team that he intended to bring back every previously playable character, he was met with silence.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/12/17453214/super-smash-bros-ultimate-nintendo-switch-masahiro-sakurai-e3|title="Why Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was such a daunting game for its creators to build" - The Verge}}</ref> The project plan was later finished by December 2015,<ref>https://twitter.com/AllSourceGaming/status/1062725619270762496</ref> and development officially began in February 2016, immediately after DLC wrapped up for ''SSB4''.<ref>https://www.sourcegaming.info/2018/12/12/sakurai-tells-more-details-about-smash-ultimates-development/</ref> On November 12th, 2017, [[Nintendo]] filed a number of trademarks, notably including a [[:File:JapaneseSmashTrademark.jpg|Japanese ''Super Smash Bros.'' logo]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.japanesenintendo.com/post/167397863114|title=“Nintendo Apply for a Number of Trademarks” - Japanese Nintendo}}</ref>

A ''Super Smash Bros.'' title for the Switch was later officially revealed on March 8th, 2018 via a [[Nintendo Direct]]. Shortly after, Sakurai confirmed in a tweet that he had been working on the game "in silence, day after day".<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/971885028245307392|title=Sakurai announces that he has been working on ''Smash for Switch''}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/AllSourceGaming/status/971901365826940928|title=Translation of Sakurai's ''Smash for Switch'' tweet}}</ref> On March 22nd, 2018, Nintendo announced the {{Trn|Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018}}, a tournament taking place on June 12th where invited professional players will play the upcoming game. Later, in volume 542 of his Famitsu article, Sakurai revealed that his work schedule had been cut down significantly, citing strict regulations regarding work hours.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://sourcegaming.info/2018/05/02/compliance-and-labor-vol-542/|title="“Compliance and Labor” – Sakurai’s Famitsu Column, Vol. 542" - Source Gaming}}</ref> On April 18th, 2018, Nintendo again filed a number of trademarks for several game logos, including the [[:File:SmashTrademark.jpg|''Super Smash Bros.'' logo]]. Most of these game logos originate from games with some relationship to the ''Smash'' series, including {{uv|Pikmin}}, {{uv|Star Fox}}, and {{uv|F-Zero}}. These trademarks were approved on May 14th, 2018.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/trademark_bot/status/996151177099333637/|title=Several trademarks from Nintendo are approved for use}}</ref>

The game was finally unveiled at E3 2018 via a [[Nintendo Direct]]. The 25-minute trailer featured in the Nintendo Direct confirmed the title of the game as ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', revealed that every previously playable character would return, with {{SSBU|Daisy}} and {{SSBU|Ridley}} as new playable characters, and showcased new and returning gameplay features. Following the end of the presentation, a Nintendo Treehouse event went live. During the Treehouse event, several matches were streamed and some new features were revealed and discussed. In addition to the Treehouse livestream, a playable demo of the game was opened to the public at E3 2018 and at the Nintendo Store in New York. Following the end of the Splatoon 2 World Championships, the Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 began. During the match pitting {{Sm|MkLeo}} as {{SSBU|Bayonetta}} against {{Sm|Plup}} as {{SSBU|Ridley}}, Masahiro Sakurai reportedly shook his head after MkLeo had performed a successful ladder combo on Plup.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/BearUNLV/status/1006667538900512769|title=Bear witnessing Sakurai shaking his head}}</ref> At the end of the invitational, the Nintendo Treehouse livestream resumed, further showcasing more gameplay elements and matches. In addition to this, the [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site|official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate website]] was published. This would serve as the primary source for new details about the game. 

A demo of the game would later be playable at certain tournaments and events in Japan and the United States, including Rage 2018 Summer, Next Generation World Hobby Fair ’18 Summer, {{Trn|CEO 2018}}, Jump Victory Carnival 2018, and [[Tournament:EVO 2018|EVO 2018]], along with events in other countries such as ''Paris Games Week 2018'' in France, ''FestiGame Chile 2018'', and ''Insomnia 64'' in the United Kingdom.

===Reveal and promotion===
A [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Gt42kVgCw first teaser trailer] at the end of a [[Nintendo Direct]] presentation on March 8th, 2018 revealed that a new ''Super Smash Bros.'' title was in development for the [[Nintendo Switch]], planned for release before the end of 2018. Without explicitly confirming the playable status of any characters, the teaser trailer hinted the Inklings would be debuting in the game as newcomers, while also suggesting that Mario, Link, and several other series veterans would be returning.

The first extended look at the game came at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93H7YC-83o Nintendo's E3 2018 presentation]. Series creator and game director [[Masahiro Sakurai]] introduced the coverage, which kicked off with an extended video showing new incarnations for veteran characters. After confirming the return of previously cut characters such as Ice Climbers and Snake, the tagline "Everyone Is Here" was introduced, and the video revealed that all playable characters from previous ''Smash Bros.'' titles would be returning to the new game, including the formerly cut Ice Climbers, Pichu, and Young Link from ''Melee'', as well as Pokémon Trainer, Wolf, and Snake from ''Brawl''. The trailer also confirmed the Inklings as the game's first newcomers, while concluding with a reveal of the game's final title: ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''. 

Later in the E3 presentation, new information on the ''Ultimate'' incarnations of characters was revealed, including the presence of Cappy in Mario's taunts and other moves, that Zelda would be based on her ''Link to the Past'' design, all the DLC fighters from ''Smash 4'' would return as part of the launch roster, Ike would have his ''Path of Radiance'' and ''Radiant Dawn'' designs from the two previous games and much more. The presentation introduced "Echo Fighters", which Lucina and Dark Pit are now marked as, while Daisy was revealed as a new Echo Fighter. The presentation also confirmed returning elements, items, and stages, which would receive revamped Ω forms and Battlefield forms. The presentation concluded with a final trailer in which Ridley from ''Metroid'' - long requested by fans for inclusion in the series but rebuffed by Sakurai due to his large size - finally "hits the big time" as he joined the roster of playable characters as a newcomer.

At the [[Tournament:EVO 2018|EVO 2018]] fighting game tournament, Nintendo revealed that a new [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-kQWJrjRV4 ''Ultimate''-focused Nintendo Direct] presentation would be released on August 8, 2018. The presentation opened with a trailer confirming the inclusion of content from Konami's ''Castlevania'' franchise for the first time in the series. The trailer revealed the presence of new fighters, Simon Belmont and his Echo Fighter, Richter Belmont; a new Assist Trophy, Alucard; a new stage called Dracula's Castle, and more. The Direct also covered two new Echo Fighters, Chrom and Dark Samus, as well as new music, modes, stages, and items. The presentation concluded with a trailer introducing a new playable character: King K. Rool, leader of the Kremlings and nemesis of the Kong family from the ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Donkey Kong Country'' series. 

In a [https://youtu.be/CRuHg1dv8MI Nintendo Direct presentation] shown on September 13th, 2018, a ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' Nintendo Switch console bundle was unveiled, featuring a specially designed dock and Joy-Con controllers along with the download code for the game. Isabelle, from the ''Animal Crossing'' series was also revealed as a newcomer. 

The final pre-release [https://youtu.be/fccgHnBQ0YM ''Ultimate''-focused Nintendo Direct] presentation aired on November 1, 2018. This revealed Ken and Incineroar as new playable characters, as well as the inclusion of DLC fighters - Piranha Plant appearing shortly after launch, followed by five other unannounced characters, which have been selected in advance by Nintendo as future additions, and have yet to be developed.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/1059958604818657282?s=19]</ref> It also took a deeper look at the game's modes and online infrastructure, and revealed [[Spirits (menu)|Spirits mode]] and [[Adventure Mode: World of Light]], before finishing with the mode's opening cutscene and the reveal of the game's vocal theme, [[Lifelight]].

An [https://youtu.be/WLu7e8RZoYc overview trailer] narrated by Xander Mobus (The [[Announcer]]) covers the game in further detail, showcasing all of the playable fighters, stages, items, [[Pokémon]], [[Assist Trophies]], [[Spirits (characters)|Spirits]], modes and more.

At the 2018 Game Awards, the Phantom Thieves from ''Persona 5'' interrupted the broadcast to announce that their leader, codenamed "Joker", would be joining the roster as the first DLC fighter of the [[Fighters Pass]] in ''Ultimate''.

After the game's reveal, an [https://www.smashbros.com/ official site and information blog] was launched as an official platform to provide information on the game. Available in a variety of languages, the site is continually updated to provide details on new and returning fighters, stages, items, music, and other ''Ultimate''-related information.

==Changes from ''SSB4''==
===Menu and UI changes===
*In Vs. mode, the stage selection screen now appears before the character selection menu, making players select a stage before selecting characters. 
**The rule selection screen appears before the stage selection screen. Players can now save rulesets for quick access.
*All stages now have a [[Battlefield form]]. [[Ω form]]s are also standardized to have the same underside shape akin to [[Final Destination]], with none of them having vertical walls.
*[[Stage hazard]]s can be turned off for the first time in the series, allowing players to remove intrusive elements, such as "environment changes or enemy appearances" from gameplay. 
*The new [[Stage Morph]] option allows two stages to be selected at once; the two stages will transition into one another either at random or on specified time intervals. 
*[[Alternate costume]]s are now shown at the bottom of the player's portrait, with at least eight small stock icons representing each palette swap. Additionally, each color is now listed with a name from the numbers 1-8 (e.g. Color 5).
*In [[match timer|timed matches]], characters in the lead will occasionally flash with a gold sparkle.
*While a Smash Mode match is loading, an intense [[versus splash screen]] will appear, showing the combatants. [[Tips]] still appear regularly on loading screens in other modes, and can appear on the splash screen when loading takes long enough.
*The [[damage meter]] now displays tenths of a damage [[percent]]age (e.g. 10.5%). Note that while all games since ''Melee'' have used decimal percentages, this is the first game to reveal that fact instead of simply rounding down for display.
*In one-on-one stock fights, the stock count of both fighters will be briefly displayed onscreen whenever a stock is lost.
*The character select screen is now similar in appearance to the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' menu when starting the game, with the other fighters unlocked later on.
**Instead of being roughly organized by series, the character select screen now organizes characters (with the exception of Echo Fighters and Mii Fighters) by when they were first officially announced for a ''Super Smash Bros.'' game.
*While a fighter is knocked off the stage, a minimap which shows the character locations, [[blast zone]], and camera zoom will appear on the corner of the screen.
*The closer a fighter is to a blast zone, the smaller their "magnifying glass" camera becomes. It will start flashing when they are almost touching the blast line.
*Like {{SSB4|Little Mac}}'s [[Power Meter]] in ''Smash 4'', several characters now sport additional UI elements next to their damage meter, such as {{SSBU|Villager}}'s [[Pocket]]ed item, {{SSBU|Robin}}'s durability counters, or {{SSBU|Inkling}}'s Ink Tank gauge.
*Stages that once shared names now have been renamed. For example, the ''Smash 64'' version of Yoshi's Island is now Super Happy Tree and the ''Brawl'' version of Mario Circuit is now Figure-8 Circuit.
*Tracks in [[My Music]] are now organized by series rather than by stage, such that all music from a given series will be available across the stages corresponding to that series.
** Additionally, many remixes from ''64'' and ''Melee'' have had their names updated to reflect the source music title, rather than the stage they were present on. (Such as "Poke Floats" becoming "Pokemon Red/Pokemon Blue Medley".)
*[[Sound Test]] can be used to create music playlists, which can be played in handheld mode while the screen is off like a music player. 
*Two new battle modes are present:
**[[Squad Strike]] has players battle with a squad of 3 or 5 fighters. Multiple formats of Squad Strike are available, including one where the entire team of fighters is used in a single continuous battle, similar to the final battle of [[Smash Tour]] in {{forwiiu}}.
**[[Smashdown]] renders the fighters selected in a given battle unavailable for use in following battles, forcing players to select a different fighter with every match they play.
*Echo Fighters can either be displayed in their own character slots, or share their slot with the character they are based on, depending on user preference.
*The main text font from ''Melee'', ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'' is no longer used.
*The user can set up control settings for players who don't enter a name.

===Gameplay changes===
*To increase gameplay speed, all damage taken in one-on-one fights with no items is [[1v1 multiplier|multiplied by 1.2×]].
*[[Buffer]]ing has been strengthened, as actions can now be buffered by inputting them at any point during a previous action and holding the inputs until they are possible. The 10-[[frame]] buffer from ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'' is still present in case the inputs are not held.
*[[Short hop]] [[aerial attack]]s now have a damage multiplier of 0.85×. This applies until the player lands or uses a [[midair jump]].
*The physics of launch movement have been overall sped up, with characters receiving [[knockback]] having a much higher initial speed and deceleration, resulting in being launched at higher speeds yet slowing down to nothing quickly.
**If a character is struck with enough knockback by a [[meteor smash]], they will be KO'd as soon as they are off-screen, rather than reaching the bottom blast line. This makes [[sacrificial KO]]s that rely on meteor smashes more reliable.<ref>https://twitter.com/notty_jirachi/status/1073305289519116289</ref>
*[[Hitstun]] increases at a slightly slower rate for knockback that causes [[tumbling]], decreasing it at higher percents compared to ''Smash 4''. However, this is compensated by characters being faster overall as described by the mobility changes below, allowing for more combo opportunities still. Additionally, hitstun canceling has been completely removed, giving all options out of hitstun equal priority.
*The base amount of [[freeze frame]]s has been increased. However, there is an additional freeze frames multiplier that is lower the more players are participating in a match, with a maximum of 1× for two players (effectively standardizing freeze frames in one-on-one matches) and a minimum of 0.75× for eight players.
*[[Rage]] has had its knockback increase reduced to a maximum 10% boost, down from 15%. Additionally, it no longer applies to hits that use [[set knockback]], preventing linking moves with high set knockback from KOing at disproportionately early percentages.
*[[Stale-move negation]] uses higher damage reduction values, with a fully stale move dealing 0.4695× of its original damage (down from 0.5294×). Additionally, moves now stale when hitting a shield.
*[[Shield]]s deplete faster when held, now even surpassing ''Melee''{{'}}s shield depletion.
*When holding a special move button or multiple shield buttons while shielding, moving the control stick allows for shield angling without triggering [[roll]]s, [[sidestep]]s, or [[jump]]s (with [[tap jump]] on), making it easier to perform.
*[[Perfect shield]]s are performed in reverse: instead of pressing the shield button a few frames before an attack connects, players have to ''release'' the shield button when an attack connects on their [[shield]] instead. The window for the technique is also larger, lasting 5 frames instead of 3. A successful perfect shield causes the screen to pause briefly, with the fighter's eyes flashing to signify a perfect shield, and no shield damage being taken as a result. This updated mechanic makes perfect shielding a riskier tactic, and less likely to be performed unintentionally, but allows fighters to retaliate much faster against attacks when successful.
*Shield dropping incurs 11 frames of lag, up from 7 in ''SSB4'', making the game less defense-focused.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/8rgc3i/did_a_framebyframe_breakdown_of_the_invitational/?st=jii2wdxz&sh=4cc5fc06</ref> However, the minimum time the shield must be held for before it can be dropped has been reduced from 11 frames to 3, assisting in the new perfect shield mechanic.
*[[Shield platform drop]]s are no longer possible.
*Grabbing an [[edge]] consecutively without landing or getting hit now decreases the [[intangibility]] of subsequent [[edge recovery|edge options]], to the point of granting no intangibility at all from the fourth edge grab onward. Additionally, in a similar vein to [[Aether]] in previous games, characters can only grab edges up to six times under these conditions. This further decreases the effectiveness of [[planking]] strategies.
*[[Edge sweet spot]]s have become smaller, and recovery moves take longer to snap on ledges in general. This makes [[recovery|recovering]] more difficult. 
*The window to [[tech]] has increased from 8 frames to 11 frames, and teching in general has mostly been restored to its state in ''Brawl'' (but the added leniency while already making contact with a wall or ceiling is retained), removing all of the untechable situations from ''Smash 4''; however, sustaining too much knockback from a certain distance from a surface can prevent characters from teching, making stage spikes guaranteed at high enough percents. This threshold is indicated by the visual shockwave of a rebounding character turning red. The threshold is also much smaller for characters that hit the ground, making meteor smashes more effective on-stage on aerial opponents.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-ge7VRRWUo</ref>
*Opponents [[footstool]]ed in midair can now tech on the ground during the animation. However, footstools now also grant the user a few frames of intangibility upon leaping off the opponent.
*Meteor smash attacks can no longer be teched when grounded, regardless of their properties, making them more reliable for starting combos.
*[[Lock]]s can only be performed twice in a row, and no longer force the target to perform a standing getup, removing their guaranteed setups into powerful moves such as charged [[smash attack]]s. However, they can still be used to combo into faster attacks before the target can get up from the lock.
*Characters that originally cannot swim or have a weakness to water in their home series now take slow, constant damage while [[swimming]]. The fighters affected include {{SSBU|Charizard}}, {{SSBU|Incineroar}}, {{SSBU|Inkling}} and {{SSBU|Sonic}}.
*If a character lands in deep water while using a move with high downwards velocity, they will keep most of their movement speed when diving. This now causes moves such as [[Stone]], [[Aether]], [[Bowser Bomb]] or [[Super Dedede Jump]] to become self-destructs at certain heights.
*Characters can no longer run through other characters and instead push them backwards, preventing [[cross-up]]s or mixups revolving around moving through an opponent. This also seems to affect several momentum-based moves, which now stop on shield (such as [[Fox Illusion]] and [[Heel Slide]]). However, there are still a handful of moves that are still capable of crossing up, such as {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Richter}}'s dash attack.
*[[Screen KO]]s are much faster, making them once again faster than [[Star KO]]s.
*Waiting on a [[revival platform]] now gradually decreases the [[invincibility]] period of a character after they get off it, lasting only one second instead of two if they stay on it for the maximum duration.
*[[Shield break]]ing does not grant the victim any intangibility if it happens during the last five seconds of a match.
*[[Sudden Death]] consists of the screen slowly zooming in, making the blast zones gradually shrink. It also appears to have a fixed camera angle, and the screen progressively gets covered in aesthetic flames, starting with the corners. If the screen has finished zooming in, [[Bob-omb]]s will start falling after a while.
*The length of a Timed Battle can be adjusted in 30-second increments between one and three minutes.
*[[Stamina Mode|Stamina]] battles are now part of the basic rule selection, allowing for combinations such as stamina with [[Stock|stocks]].
*The [[Final Smash Meter]] is a new [[Rules]] option that enables fighters to charge up their [[Final Smash]] over time for use without a [[Smash Ball]]. When this option is turned on, a gauge will appear under each fighter's [[damage]] display. The more damage the player deals or receives, the more the meter is filled. When it is filled, the player can use a weaker version of their Final Smash.
*The new [[Custom Balance]] menu allows assigning [[handicap]]s to individual characters. Intended for leveling the field between players of different skill levels, each character can be assigned a Custom Balance value between -3 and +3, with negative numbers reducing [[damage]] dealt, and positive numbers increasing damage dealt. These values are only applied when the Custom Balance [[rule]] option is enabled, which is not available in multi-console wireless or online play.
*[[Self-destruct]]ing in online matches with stocks can take away two stocks instead of one (unless it's one on one)

===Mobility changes===
*In update 2.0.0, the ability to consistently perform a short hop by simultaneously pressing two jump buttons was added.
*The [[jumpsquat]] timing of every character has been standardized to 3 frames.
*[[Run]] speeds have been increased by about 10% for a majority of the cast, with some having larger increases, while [[walk]] speeds have had a similar 5% increase.
*[[Air speed]]s have been increased by about 5% for a majority of the cast, with some having larger increases.
*[[Traction]] has been significantly increased across the cast.
*Full hops and midair jumps are sped up across the cast. However, this does not apply to extra midair jumps (such as Kirby's or Pit's).
*Landing lag for aerials has been reduced by 40% for most of the cast, and landing lag from helplessness has been significantly reduced overall. For some moves, the landing lag is even less than in ''Melee'' with [[L-canceling]].
*[[Perfect pivot]]ing can no longer be performed, as characters no longer enter their standing animation when turning around out of their initial dash.
*[[Rolling]] and [[spot dodging]] repeatedly now penalizes the user with increased lag and less [[intangibility]] frames, leaving them more vulnerable.
**Backward rolls have more ending lag overall, hindering their utility further for retreating safely, and making them practically different from forward rolls again.
**Spot dodges can be canceled earlier than usual (by 5 frames if fresh) into any grounded attack other than grabs and dash attacks, making them more effective for retaliation after dodging opposing attacks.
*[[Air dodge]]s now contain elements from all previous incarnations of the technique: players can either perform a neutral air dodge by keeping the control stick in a neutral position (akin to a [[neutral aerial]]), which functions like ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4''{{'}}s air dodges, or a directional air dodge by holding in a direction, which grants characters a quick momentum boost towards much like ''Melee''{{'}}s air dodges, but without making them [[helpless]].
**Characters can only air dodge once before landing, grabbing an edge or getting hit, and both types of air dodges have much more ending lag, with directional ones lasting more than a full second. However, both have less landing lag than air dodges in ''Smash 4'' (10 frames in the case of neutral air dodges, down from 21), and unlike air dodges in ''Melee'', directional air dodges allow characters to grab edges during their ending lag. This significantly weakens defensive play by making air dodges more restricted and punishable, but increases their effectiveness for escaping [[juggle]]s and recovering if used opportunely.
**[[Wavedashing]] has made a return from ''Melee'', alongside techniques associated with it like wavelanding. However, it is significantly weaker due to the new mechanics added to directional air dodges, compounded further by their higher landing lag, as well as the cast's increased traction.
*Initial dashes have been lengthened, allowing some aspects of [[dash-dancing]] to return. They have also been significantly increased across the cast and have much less range in variance, with the slowest being slightly above {{SSB4|Mario}}'s in ''SSB4'' and the highest being slightly above {{SSB4|Fox}}'s.
*Being sent into hitstun by any attack from behind will preserve the direction the character is facing, like with [[Back Slash]] in ''Smash 4'', having the effect of preserving the positions of their forward and back aerials.
**As a result, all characters now have unique hitstun animations for taking hits from behind.

===Attack changes===
*Characters can now perform any ground attack out of a run, including their [[neutral attack]], [[tilt attack]]s, and all [[smash attack]]s. In previous games, only [[dash attack]]s, [[up smash]]es and [[special move]]s could be performed out of a run. Characters can also instantly turn around to input any grounded attack in the other direction.
*Short hop aerial attacks can be performed by pressing the jump and attack buttons at the same time. However, this makes full hop aerial attacks more difficult to perform.
**As a further aid, several ground attacks can now be canceled by jumping during their very first startup frames (with a maximum of three for most), in which case they will automatically transition into a short hop aerial attack.
*The linking hits of all [[neutral attack]]s have had their angles and knockback altered to drag opponents close to the user, in addition to not lifting them off if they are on the ground. This allows for neutral attacks to connect much more reliably than before, and gives all of them the ability to [[jab lock]] (with the exception of {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}, {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}, {{SSBU|Roy}} and {{SSBU|Chrom}}). However, this removes guaranteed [[jab cancel]] setups.
**Neutral infinites have all been reduced in damage, but do far more hits in the same amount of time and inflict less [[freeze frame]]s, making them harder to escape. Their pushback from hitting opponents can also no longer drop the user off edges.
*[[Smash attack]]s can be delayed for two additional seconds after reaching full charge. This is indicated by characters freezing in the last frame of their charging animation until the smash attack is released.
*[[Up smash]]es and [[up special]]s can be used [[out of shield]] without jumping.
*[[Aerial attack]]s can be performed while hanging onto a {{b|ladder|stage element}}, a property known officially as a "ladder attack".
*[[Frame cancel]]ing has been removed.
*All variations of regular [[grab]]s have more ending lag, making them easier to punish if missed. Conversely, extended grabs have less ending lag, no longer leaving characters as vulnerable compared to regular grabs.
*If two [[grab]]s collide, both characters take minimal damage and act as if [[grab release]]d. This event is known as "grab parrying" by the in-game tips, and removes the effect of [[port priority]] in determining who gets the grab.
*[[Shield grab]]s can no longer be used immediately after [[shieldstun]] from an attack ends, instead forcing the character to hold their shield for 4 extra frames beforehand.<ref>https://twitter.com/ChirozDR/status/1070137066636435458</ref>
*[[Pummel]]s have been universally sped up, but deal less damage.
*Weight dependency for [[throw]]s has been removed: all throws now execute at their usual speed against the entire cast.
*[[Edge attack]]s have been buffed, dealing 9% damage on average (up from 7%), and now granting intangibility until the hitboxes cease rather than until 2 frames before the hitboxes come out, allowing them to beat out opposing attacks.
*[[Charge]]able, storable special moves such as Samus' [[Charge Shot]] and Donkey Kong's [[Giant Punch]] can now be canceled by jumping. These moves can also be executed with the attack button while charging.
**Most chargeable neutral specials that can't be stored are now reversible, whether for the duration of the charge or right before they are unleashed.
*[[Taunts]] can be [[interrupt]]ed much quicker, with most of them having faster animations. However, this does not apply to damaging taunts such as {{SSBU|Luigi}}'s down taunt.
*The effectiveness of every [[tether recovery]] has been nerfed, as they can no longer be performed at any point during [[air dodge]]s, nor can they skip the lag incurred upon grabbing an edge.
*[[Final Smash]]es are quicker, with versions granting a controllable transformation being removed, so players can return to fighting quickly. As a result, many fighters have either new Final Smashes altogether, or returning Final Smashes with altered functionalities, such as [[Landmaster]] being replaced by [[Team Star Fox|an Arwing cutscene]], and [[Octopus]] dragging opponents offstage immediately after transforming.

===Aesthetic changes===
*The particle effects of the game are significantly more cartoony, with a solid-color or cel-shaded aesthetic. Compared to ''Smash 4'', hits are signified by spark-like blows instead of colorful stars, while attack [[effect]]s appear visually longer-lasting or possess far larger particle effects.
*Continuing a trend from ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', most returning fighters feature greater model detail and more subdued colors than in ''Smash 4''.
**However, hair and fur detail has been toned down, resulting in a generally flatter appearance.
*Time slows down substantially and the camera zooms in with a colorful blue background at significant moments during a match, such as when landing a highly damaging special move (such as a fully charged [[Giant Punch]]) or when breaking a [[shield]]. The camera also does this for potential final hits of a match, dramatically pausing gameplay with intense sound effects and red lightning/background, while zooming in. These are referred to as "[[Special Zoom]]" and "Finish Zoom" by [[Masahiro Sakurai]] and the development team.
**Special zoom is signified by a sound similar to landing a [[KO Uppercut]] or [[Finishing Touch]], and finish zoom has SFX somewhat akin to the [[ping]] sound.
**The slowdown and zoom do not take place when there are three or more characters on screen, though the blue background will still appear.
*Knockback dealt by strong attacks will show a bright blue angle indicator, which visualises the effect of [[directional influence]] along the character's final trajectory. This can be difficult to notice due to the effect being very brief.
*After using up their [[midair jump]](s), characters leave behind a subtle, transparent trail when moving through the air and until they regain their jumps. This aesthetic effect is difficult to notice unless the camera is zoomed onto a character.
*Punching and kicking SFX on hit are different and sound harder-hitting compared to the previous game, with even weaker attacks playing loud "punch" effects.
*If two fighter's bladed weapons clash, they now produce a "clanging" noise, reminiscent to a similar effect in ''Melee''. The sound depends on the type of blades that clash; metal blades and energy-based swords both produce different sound effects.
*Stunned characters now uses their voice clip constantly instead of only once, much like in ''Smash 64'' and ''Melee''. This was exclusive to Roy back in ''Smash 4''.
*Fighters sent flying now leave a colorful, lingering trail of solid-colored smoke behind them. If dealt enough knockback, they will also play a whistling sound while flying, akin to a jet plane.
*Characters flash yellow when they are close to breaking out of a grab, as well as during their grab immunity period after being released. 
*When [[mash]]ing out of an inactionable state such as being grabbed or [[stun]]ned, characters display wind blade-like particles around them that increase in quantity depending on how fast they mash.
*Blast KOs cause a burst of confetti on the screen alongside the standard colorful blast.
*[[Star KO]]'d characters now use a tumbling animation similar to ''Brawl''{{'}}s Screen KOs, rolling away from the screen as they fly away.
*Phantom [[footstool]]s now play the footstool sound effect to indicate one being performed.
*[[Final Smash]]es now cause a segment of the screen to show the upper portion of the summoner's face (in Mr. Game & Watch's case, the close up is of where his eyes would be; in Piranha Plant's case, the close up of its teeth), which is taken entirely from the summoner's official artwork, before the move begins, similar to Chrom's appearance in [[Pair Up]].
*Fighters are much more expressive than they were in ''Smash 4''; most characters not sport a shocked/surprised expression when missing a grab and will scowl or frown when putting up their shield.
*Any characters standing too close to a Final Smash will visibly react to it by displaying a shocked facial expression.
*While on Final Smash standby, the character's damage gauge will constantly spark with aqua-colored electricity. Upon use, one of the eyes on the fighter's character portrait will flash.
*When a character has more than 120% damage, smoke will constantly come out of their damage meter.
*Many [[Assist Trophies]] and Final Smashes now affect the background of the stage.
*On the [[results screen]], the announcer now says "(Character name/Team color) wins!" ("(Character name/Team color) win!" in the Japanese version), instead of saying "The winner is... (character name/team color)!" (''Brawl''/''Smash 4'') or "This game's winner is... (character name/team color)!" (''Smash 64''/''Melee''). Additionally, after Team Battles, all teammates will perform their complete victory animation instead of only the player with the highest score/stock count, much like the first three installments.
**In ''Smash 64'', the announcer did say "(Team color) wins!", but this was changed in ''Melee''.
*Even more characters now face the screen regardless of direction they turn towards, such as Donkey Kong and the Ice Climbers.
**In addition, some Assist Trophies and Poké Ball Pokémon face the screen regardless of the direction they turn towards.
*[[Name]]s now override some instances of character names, such as underneath the damage meter.
**If the player enters a name, any Poké Ball Pokémon or Assist Trophy character summoned by the player will be indicated by the player's name. In some cases, this may be harder to notice in stages with brighter lighting due to the name bar lacking the bordered background.
*[[Reflection]] moves now display shining hexagon effects, similar to [[Fox]]'s and [[Falco]]'s [[Reflector]], upon reflecting projectiles.
*[[Counterattack]]s that retaliate against sufficiently strong attacks will now cause the user to let out a large, bright yellow flash.
*The [[flower]] effect's flower appearance was changed and now resembles the pink flowers seen on the title screen of ''{{b|Panel de Pon|universe}}''.

===Item changes===
*Certain types of [[items]], such as [[Banana Peel]]s, can now be picked up by [[tilt attack]]s.
*There can now be more than one [[Assist Trophy]] active at any given time. Additionally, some characters summoned by an Assist Trophy can be KO'd, granting a point to whoever KO'd said character. The summoner can also KO their own assist trophy to prevent the loss of a point. If multiple players summon an Assist Trophy each, they will proceed to fight one another if close enough.
*[[Fake Smash Ball]]s were introduced, with inverted lines as their design. When broken, these explode into a colorful X-shaped explosion, causing heavy knockback and damage to nearby fighters. Unlike the standard Smash Ball, Fake Smash Balls tend to drift towards players and take less hits to break.
*[[Smash Ball]]s and Fake Smash Balls have a chance of spawning with [[Soccer Ball]] physics, rolling around the stage and respawning once they drop offstage. These despawn after a set time.
*The [[Boss Galaga]] causes a black background to cover the screen when it catches an opponent, complete with pixel stars. Additionally, if the Boss Galaga Star KOs a character, it can now be seen with the character in the distance. The star also becomes larger.
*The {{b|Hammer|item}} and [[Golden Hammer]] have a unique 8-bit-styled hit particle, resembling the particle effect used when Mario destroys a barrel in the original ''Donkey Kong''. The corresponding sound effect is also taken from the original game.
*The [[Warp Star]]'s descent can now be stalled by the user.
*The [[Timer]] now creates a dark warping background alongside its usual slowdown effect.
*[[Blast Box]]es now explode after some time if hit. This is signified by a dull orange flash around the box that slowly gets brighter.
*[[Trophies]] have been dropped in favor of [[Spirits]], which function and visually appear to be similar to ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[Sticker]]s.
*The [[Beam Sword]] now creates an aesthetic trail from its blade when thrown or dropped.
*[[Sandbag]] will now show a happy expression if left idle for long enough.
*Explosive items directly thrown at opponents no longer harms the thrower.

==Gallery==
===Miscellaneous===
<gallery>
Super Smash Bros Ultimate Box Art RP.png|Promotional Box art
SmashUltimateDigitalVersion.jpg|Digital box art
SSBU Key Art.png|Key Artwork
SSBU Panoramic.png|Panoramic Artwork
SSBU-English.png|English logo
Dairantō_Smash_Brothers_Special_logo.png|Japanese logo
SSB_Ultimate_TC_Logo.png|Traditional Chinese logo
SSB_Ultimate_SC_Logo.png|Simplified Chinese logo
SSB_Ultimate_KR_Logo.png|Korean logo
SmashUltimateTitleScreen2.0.0.jpg|English title screen
</gallery>

===Characters===
====Artwork====
<gallery>
Inkling poster.jpg|Official illustration of Inkling.
Mario artwork Ultimate.png|Official illustration of Mario.
Mario and Rathalos artwork.jpg|Official illustration of Mario and Rathalos.
Simon and Richter artwork.png|Official illustration of Simon and Richter.
Villager and Isabelle artwork.jpg|Official illustration of Villager and Isabelle.
Pac-Man artwork Ultimate.jpg|Official image of Pac-Man and Mr. Game & Watch.
Link Kirby Mario and Cloud artwork.png|Official illustration of Link, Kirby, Mario, and Cloud.
Bomberman artwork Ultimate.jpg|Official image of Bomberman.
Kirby Artwork.jpg|Official image of Kirby.
Sonic artwork.jpg|Official illustration of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Pokémon Smash Bros.png|Official image of all playable Pokémon characters, and the many Poké Ball Pokémon.
The Legend of Zelda artwork.png|Official illustration of the playable ''Zelda'' cast.
Fire Emblem Heroes Smash.png|Official illustration of all playable ''Fire Emblem'' characters and Assist Trophies.
Fire Emblem Smash Bros.png|Official image of all playable ''Fire Emblem'' characters on Arena Ferox.
Bayonetta Ultimate artwork.png|Official illustration of Bayonetta, Rodin, and Madama Butterfly.
Snake Ultimate artwork.png|Official image of Snake.
Pit Ultimate artwork.png|Official image of Pit.
Mega Man Ultimate artwork.jpg|Official illustration of Mega Man.
Inkling artwork.jpg|Official illustration of Inkling.
Joker artwork.png|Official illustration of Joker.
SmashUltimateReleaseDayAllCharactersArtwork.jpg|Official illustration of all of the base game fighters.
</gallery>

====Splash Art====
<gallery>
Ridley Hits the Big Time.png|Splash art of Ridley.
Simon Lashes Out.png|Splash art of Simon.
Richter Crosses Over.png|Splash art of Richter.
Chrom Joins the Battle.png|Splash art of Chrom.
Dark Samus Joins the Battle.png|Splash art of Dark Samus.
King K. Rool Comes Aboard.png|Splash art of King K. Rool.
Isabelle Turns Over a New Leaf.png|Splash art of Isabelle.
Ken Turns Up the Heat.png|Splash art of Ken.
Incineroar Enters the Ring.png|Splash art of Incineroar.
Piranha Plant Pipes Up.png|Splash art of Piranha Plant.
</gallery>

==Trivia==
*This is the first ''Super Smash Bros.'' game since the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' to not be announced alongside new hardware. ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' was revealed alongside the final retail version of the Nintendo GameCube at E3 2001; ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' was announced alongside the Wii itself, then-codenamed Revolution at E3 2005; and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' was announced alongside the Wii U at E3 2011. Moreover, unlike the latter two games, this is the first time since ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' that a ''Smash Bros.'' game is not announced years in advance, as ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' was announced in 2005 and revealed a year later, and ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' was announced in 2011 and revealed two years later, with both released in 2008 and 2014 respectively. 
*This is the second game to feature attack names for several [[standard attack]]s and [[aerial attack]]s, as well as the first to show them in-game (in character-specific [[tips]]). Previously, only ''Melee'' had listed attack names in a ''Nintendo Power'' Player's Guide.
*This is the first ''Super Smash Bros.'' game to:
**Not feature the involvement of [[Satoru Iwata]], as he passed away in July of 2015.
**Be released in the same year it was announced.
**Have no veteran characters cut since ''Melee''.
**Have a planned simultaneous worldwide release.
**Have the [[announcer]], [[Master Hand]], and [[Crazy Hand]]'s English-language voice actor unchanged, with Xander Mobus reprising his role from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.
**Allow Master Hand to be legitimately playable, via a brief gameplay sequence near the end of [[World of Light]]. In previous games, Master Hand was only playable via [[Name Entry glitch|glitches]] and/or external modification of the game's code (e.g. cheat code devices such as Action Replay).
**Retain the blast line KO sound effect from the previous game.
**Feature unlockable characters and only one newcomer on the box art.
**Have all of its veterans announced prior to launch and at the same time.
**Have none of its newcomers as starter characters.
**Feature more unlockable characters than starter characters.
**Feature [[Castlevania (universe)|third-party]] [[Street Fighter (universe)|universes]] with more than one character.
***Feature [[clone|clones]] from [[Richter (SSBU)|third-party]] [[Ken (SSBU)|universes]].
**Have more returning stages than new stages.
**Have no unlockable stages.
**Have no new remixed version of the credits music from the original ''Super Smash Bros.''
**Not introduce a new item from {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}} series.
**Feature a [[Sonic (universe)|third-party universe]] with more than one stage in the same game.
**Feature [[Sonic (universe)|third-party]] [[Mega Man (universe)|universes]] with more than one Assist Trophy.
**Have an Assist Trophy character originating from an [[Shovel Knight (universe)|indie game]].
**Not introduce a new type for a playable Pokémon (as both [[Charizard|Fire]] and [[Greninja|Dark]] were used in previous games).
**Have a [[Lifelight|theme song]] in both English and Japanese.
**Have a generic enemy ([[Piranha Plant]]) be playable.
**Have the characters and stages ordered on their respective select screens by the order they were added into the series (with the exception of Mii Fighters and Echo Fighters) instead of being placed next to the characters from the same universe.
**Depict all of the [[Original 8]] fighters on the front cover of the boxart in their entirety.
**Feature fewer total newcomers (including [[DLC]]) than its [[Super Smash Bros. 4|predecessor]].
**Have [[Kirby]]'s victory poses finish in a different way.
**Introduce more playable [[Castlevania (universe)|third-party]] [[Persona (universe)|universes]] than [[Splatoon (universe)|first-party universes]], being two and one respectively.
**Not to introduce a new type of [[Special move]] (''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' introduced Neutral, Up, and Down Specials, ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' introduced Side Specials, ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' introduced [[Final Smashes]], and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' introduced custom Specials).
**Have the [[announcer]] voice a playable character, [[Joker]] (not counting the Name Entry Glitch).
*Because of the size of the USK icon on the game's box art, the German version has a slightly different variation of said box art: [[Pikachu]] is moved upwards, [[Yoshi]] is completely missing, and the logo is off-centered.<ref>https://twitter.com/ZeldaUniverse/status/1009908072205160450</ref>
*The ''Ultimate'' logo features the same curved line under the game title as ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', though it is no longer hidden behind the series name.
*''Ultimate''{{'}}s release date falls one day after the late Satoru Iwata's birthday, December 6 (which was also the release date of {{forwiiu}} in Japan).
*''Ultimate'' is currently the only ''Super Smash Bros.'' game to not feature collectible [[trophies]] since their introduction in ''Melee''.
*This is the third ''Super Smash Bros.'' game to feature hand-drawn artwork on the box art, with the first being the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' and the second being ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
*This is the second ''Super Smash Bros.'' game that has been rated E10+ by the ESRB, the first being ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U''.
*This is the third ''Super Smash Bros.'' game that has been rated 12 by PEGI, the first being ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' and the second being ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U''.
*When not including DLC, ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' has the lowest number of:
**Newcomers at 11, beating ''Smash 64'''s [[original 12]].
**New stages at 4, beating ''Smash 64'''s 9. Counting DLC though, both would be tied, as five downloadable stages are currently planned. 
**New character-based universes introduced, with only two ({{uv|Splatoon}} and {{uv|Castlevania}}), beating ''Melee'''s three ({{uv|Ice Climber}}, {{uv|Fire Emblem}}, and {{uv|Game & Watch}}). Counting DLC, though, they are both currently tied (with {{uv|Persona}} being added as DLC in ''Ultimate'').
*This game marks the first appearances of the {{uv|Mother}} and {{uv|Kid Icarus}} fighters in a [[Nintendo Switch]] game, as well as [[King K. Rool]], [[Zero Suit Samus]], [[Dark Samus]], [[Pichu]], [[Greninja]], [[Incineroar]], [[Roy]], [[Ike]], [[Olimar]], [[R.O.B.]], [[Wii Fit Trainer]], [[Duck Hunt]], and [[Richter]].
*This game marks the 100th performance credit of {{s|mariowiki|Charles Martinet}} as the voice of [[Mario]], a landmark for which he received a Guinness World Record for the most video game voice-over performances of a single character.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.smashbros.com/ Official ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' website]

{{SSBSeries}}

[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Switch]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. series]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. universe]]
[[es:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]
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