Editing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

{{Title|''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''}}
{{articleIcons|ultimate=y|featured=y}}{{Cquote|''Everyone is here!''|cite=''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' tagline}}
{{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.]]<!--Nintendo only published Ultimate, Namco and Sora developed it-->
|publisher = [[Nintendo]] 
|designer = [[Masahiro Sakurai]]
|released = December 7, 2018 (worldwide)
|genre = [[wikipedia:Fighting game|Fighting]]<br>[[wikipedia:Platform game|Platforming]]
|modes = Single player, Multiplayer, Online multiplayer
|platform = [[Nintendo Switch]]
|ratings = {{vgratings|ESRB=E10+<ref>[https://www.esrb.org/ratings/35839/Super+Smash+Bros+Ultimate/ ESRB website]</ref>|PEGI=12|OFLCA=PG|USK=12|CERO=A}}
|media = ROM Cartridge<br>Digital distribution <small>(Nintendo eShop)</small>
|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''), often shortened to "'''''SSBU'''''" or "'''''Ultimate'''''" ({{ja|スマブラSP|Sumabura esupī}}), is a crossover action fighting game released for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. The game was first teased at the end of a [[Nintendo Direct]] on March 8th, 2018, and fully revealed on June 12th at E3 2018. It is the fifth installment in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series (sixth if the two versions of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' are counted as separate titles). The game was released worldwide on December 7th, 2018.

''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' received universal acclaim from both critics and players, with some critics calling it the best installment in the series. It received praise for its large amount of content and fine-tuning of existing ''Smash'' gameplay elements, although its online mode was widely criticized. ''Ultimate'' is currently the best-selling ''Super Smash Bros.'' game and also the best-selling fighting game of all time, beating ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''{{s|wikipedia|Street Fighter II}}'', which previously held each title respectively. It is also the third best selling game on the Nintendo Switch. Its massive success has caused it to be nominated for, and win, multiple awards, including winning "Best Fighting Game" at The Game Awards 2019.<ref>[https://imdb.com/title/tt5370130/awards]</ref>

==Opening movie==
The [[opening movie]] of ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is composed of the cutscenes from [[World of Light]] and some gameplay footage from the game set to the tune of [[Lifelight]], featuring all the [[fighter]]s in the base game.

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

==Fighters==
[[File:SSBU Panoramic.png|thumb|center|700px|Panoramic artwork of all fighters]]
<!--Remember: Pokémon Trainer is counted as 3 separate fighters by the fighter number, when Lucina and Dark Pit are added the total number of veterans becomes 65, NOT 67-->
All 63 characters (65 if counting the [[Pokémon Trainer]]'s Pokémon as three fighters<!--Mii FIGHTERS ARE ALWAYS COUNTED SEPARATELY. DISCUSS BEFORE CHANGING!-->) from all previous ''Smash Bros.'' games return as playable fighters. In addition to the returning cast, the game features 23 newcomers (24 if counting [[Pyra]] and [[Mythra]] as two fighters). 11 of these characters are available in the base game, with the remaining 12 (13) characters available as {{SSBU|downloadable content}}. In total, 74 characters (76) are playable in the base game and 86 (89) characters are playable overall, the most for any ''Smash Bros.'' game. Each character is [[Fighter number|numbered]] based on the order in which they first joined the series, with the exception of [[Echo Fighters]] (who share a number with the character they are based on) and Pokémon Trainer (whose Pokémon are numbered instead).

[[File:SSBU Character Select DLC.png|300px|thumb|The [[character selection screen]] in ''Ultimate'' with all characters unlocked and all downloadable characters available.]]
An [[Inkling]] from the {{uv|Splatoon}} series, with various male and female designs from the original ''{{s|inkipedia|Splatoon}}'', was the first character confirmed to appear in the game as a new playable fighter in the base roster. [[Ridley]] (with [[Meta Ridley]] as an alternate costume) from the {{uv|Metroid}} series and [[Daisy]] from the {{uv|Mario}} series were confirmed to be playable during [[E3]] 2018. [[Simon Belmont]] and his descendent [[Richter Belmont|Richter]] from the {{uv|Castlevania}} series were announced as the game's first third-party newcomers in the August 8th, 2018 [[Nintendo Direct]]. [[King K. Rool]] from the {{uv|Donkey Kong}} series, [[Dark Samus]] from the {{uv|Metroid}} series, and [[Chrom]] from the {{uv|Fire Emblem}} series were all confirmed to be a playable newcomers as well during the same Nintendo Direct. [[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'' fighter. Finally, an [[Incineroar]] from ''{{s|bulbapedia|Pokémon Sun & Moon}}'' and [[Ken]] from the {{uv|Street Fighter}} series joins as the title's last base roster newcomers. 

In addition, most full [[clones]] and one semi-clone are now labeled as "Echo Fighters" and are marked with an epsilon (ε) next to their fighter numbers, which they share with the characters they are based on. Returning characters [[Lucina]] and [[Dark Pit]] are given this title (as they are Echo Fighters of [[Marth]] and [[Pit]], respectively), while new characters [[Princess Daisy]], Richter, [[Chrom]], [[Dark Samus]] and [[Ken Masters]] are Echo Fighters of [[Princess Peach|Peach]], Simon, [[Roy]], [[Samus]] and [[Ryu]], respectively. Aside from an option allowing these characters to be displayed on the same slot as their counterpart on the [[character selection screen]] exclusively during [[Vs. Mode]], [[Tourney]], [[Custom Smash]], [[Super Sudden Death]] and [[Quickplay]], there is no special distinction between most of them in-game and the name is used mostly for marketing purposes.

Twelve (or thirteen) characters were added to the game from January 2019 to October 2021 via downloadable content. The first of these, a [[Piranha Plant]] from the {{uv|Mario}} series, was released as an early purchase bonus DLC character. An additional five newcomers were added in Fighters Pass Vol. 1: [[Joker]] from the {{uv|Persona}} series, an amalgamation of several [[Hero]]es from the {{uv|Dragon Quest}} series, [[Banjo]] and [[Kazooie]] from [[Banjo-Kazooie (universe)|their namesake series]] (counting as one character), [[Terry Bogard]] from the {{uv|Fatal Fury}} series, and [[Byleth]] from {{uv|Fire Emblem|Fire Emblem: Three Houses}}. Following this, an additional six (or seven) characters were added in Fighters Pass Vol. 2: [[Min Min]] from {{uv|ARMS}}, [[Steve]] from the {{uv|Minecraft}} series, [[Sephiroth]], arch-nemesis of [[Cloud Strife]], [[Pyra]] and [[Mythra]] from {{uv|Xenoblade Chronicles|Xenoblade Chronicles 2}} (counting as one or two characters), [[Kazuya Mishima]] from the {{uv|Tekken}} series and [[Sora]] from the {{uv|Kingdom Hearts}} series.

As in ''Smash 4'', further "characters" exist as alternate costumes for preexisting characters. In this game, fourteen characters have such costumes: [[Alph]] is accessible as a playable character via [[Captain Olimar|Olimar]]'s [[alternate costume]]s; the seven [[Koopalings]] are available as playable characters via [[Bowser Jr.]]'s alternate costumes; one of [[Pichu]]'s costumes depicts the specific "Spiky-eared" variant; [[Alex]], a [[Zombie]] and an [[Enderman]] appear as Steve's alternate costumes; Pokémon Trainer, [[Wii Fit Trainer]], [[Robin]], [[Corrin]] and Byleth each have opposite-gendered variants as alternate costumes; [[Pikachu]] possesses both an opposite-gendered variant and a costume depicting the specific "Cosplay" Pikachu variant; each of [[Villager]]'s and Inkling's costumes represent different customization options for the character, including gender; the Hero has three other protagonists from across the ''Dragon Quest'' series as palette swaps; and the [[Ice Climbers]] swap the playable Ice Climber from Popo to Nana in half of their alternate costumes. Additionally, the [[Mii Fighter]]s have alternate gender options depending on the created Mii used for them. However, none of these characters are treated separately in-game.

Only the [[Fighter#"Perfect-attendance crew"|Original 8]] characters from ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' and any DLC fighters that have been purchased are available from the start. Like in ''Smash 4'', the Mii Fighters are also available via customization without needing to be unlocked traditionally but are still technically locked upon initial startup of the game. The rest of the cast must be unlocked; however, the unlocking process and conditions are much simpler than in past games. Fighters will challenge the player in ten-minute intervals after completing a basic activity, such as a battle or by clearing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with a prerequisite character, and can also be unlocked by being rescued in [[World of Light]], rather than having unique unlock criteria for each character.
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{{SSBU character table}}

==Stages==
[[File:Stage Select Ultimate Normal.png|thumb|300px|The stage selection screen in ''Ultimate'' with all downloadable stages available.]]
With the exception of the ''Super Smash Bros.''-original stages, all stages are ordered chronologically like the fighters are, based on their first appearances in the series (excluding the stages that were introduced in both versions of ''SSB4'', which are listed among the stages introduced in the Wii U version). For the first time in the series, all stages are available immediately from the start, with none that need to be unlocked first. Additionally, due to [[8-Player Smash]] no longer being a separate mode from regular [[Versus Mode|Smash]], all stages can be played with up to eight players, rather than just a select few as in ''for Wii U''. All stages have both a [[Battlefield form]] and [[Ω form]]. In its base game, ''Ultimate'' features 103 stages (305 if counting Battlefield forms and Ω forms separately). There is an [[Training (stage)|additional stage exclusive to Training Mode]], which replaces the Random Stage option on the stage selection screen for said mode.

Ninety-six stages from previous games have returned overall: seven from ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', 19 from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', 26 from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and 44 from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' (18 from the 3DS version, 18 from the Wii U version, and eight from both versions), with an additional seven new stages (in the base game). All returning stages from ''Melee'', ''Brawl'', and ''for 3DS'' were visually updated to HD, as well as ''for Wii U'' stages receiving minor touch-ups to match the game's overall visual style, though ''Smash 64'' stages retain their primitive polygonal aesthetic for nostalgia. In update 8.1.0, another new stage was added as a free download: [[Small Battlefield]]. This update also made it possible for any ''Super Smash Bros.''-original stages to play music from any series, instead of just music from the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.

In update 3.0.0, the [[Stage Builder]] was added as a free download, and any custom stages made with it can be selected from the "Custom" tab.

Five additional new stages were added to the game as part of the paid Fighters Pass Vol. 1 [[Downloadable content (SSBU)|DLC]], bringing the total number of stages up to 109 (321 if counting Battlefield forms and Ω forms separately). An additional six new paid DLC stages released as part of Fighters Pass Vol. 2, bringing the number up to 115 (339 if Battlefield and Ω forms are counted). Each of the eleven Challenger Packs contains one of these stages, alongside their corresponding fighters and [[Music (SSBU)|music]]. The eleven paid DLC stages are [[Mementos]], [[Yggdrasil's Altar]], [[Spiral Mountain]], [[King of Fighters Stadium]], [[Garreg Mach Monastery]], [[Spring Stadium]], [[Minecraft World]], [[Northern Cave]], [[Cloud Sea of Alrest]], [[Mishima Dojo]], and [[Hollow Bastion]], which released alongside {{SSBU|Joker}}, {{SSBU|Hero}}, {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}}, {{SSBU|Terry}}, {{SSBU|Byleth}}, {{SSBU|Min Min}}, {{SSBU|Steve}}, {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}, {{SSBU|Pyra}}/{{SSBU|Mythra}}, {{SSBU|Kazuya}}, and {{SSBU|Sora}}, respectively. 

Only 15 stages featured in previous games are absent from ''Ultimate'' (excluding stages exclusive to single-player modes and previous forms of [[Battlefield]], [[Big Battlefield]], and [[Final Destination]]). These stages are: [[Planet Zebes]] and [[Sector Z]] from ''Smash 64''; [[Icicle Mountain]], {{SSBM|Mushroom Kingdom}}, [[Poké Floats]] and {{SSBM|Mute City}} from ''Melee''; [[Rumble Falls]] and [[PictoChat]] from ''Brawl''; [[Rainbow Road]] and [[Pac-Maze]] from {{for3ds}}; and [[Jungle Hijinxs]], [[Pyrosphere]], [[Woolly World]], [[Orbital Gate Assault]], and [[Miiverse]] from {{forwiiu}}. While [[Flat Zone]] from ''Melee'' and [[Flat Zone 2]] from ''Brawl'' are also technically absent, [[Flat Zone X]] incorporates all elements of both of these stages. The {{iw|mariowiki|World 1-2|Super Mario Bros.}} version of [[Mushroomy Kingdom]] is also absent, as is the grayscale version of [[Dream Land GB]].
{{clr}}
{{SSBU stage table}}

==Development==
Towards the end of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''{{'}}s post-launch development, [[Masahiro Sakurai]] announced that his next project had been finalized and that he would be taking a small vacation following the completion of ''Smash 4''{{'}}s DLC content.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sourcegaming.info/2016/01/06/famitsu-news-sakurai-catching-a-breather/|title="Famitsu News — “Sakurai Catching a Breather”" - Source Gaming}}</ref> Unbeknownst to the public at the time, this next project would be the newest entry in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. Sakurai had been inspired to work on the next ''Smash Bros.'' game by a request from [[Satoru Iwata]] before he passed away.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1121075766169522176</ref>

Unlike previous ''Smash'' titles, which had their development studios built from the ground up, [[Bandai Namco]] returned as primary game developer. Before starting development, the team had a choice between completely overhauling the game's system and feel or working off 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">{{cite web|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 on 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 this change in previous titles, but was unable to because it was easy for one to lose track of their character's position on the 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>{{cite web|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 16, 2015,<ref>https://twitter.com/AllSourceGaming/status/1062725619270762496</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1121079749550297088</ref> and development officially began in February 2016, immediately after DLC was finished for ''SSB4''.<ref>https://www.sourcegaming.info/2018/12/12/sakurai-tells-more-details-about-smash-ultimates-development/</ref> As Sakurai revealed in volume 542 of his Famitsu article, his work schedule had been cut down significantly, citing strict regulations regarding work hours.<ref>{{cite web|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>

Various characters had been considered to be added to the roster. [[Alucard]] was originally considered to be a playable character as a representative from {{uv|Castlevania}} due to his recognizability, but Sakurai decided to choose {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Richter}} instead as he felt they would please fans more.<ref>https://twitter.com/AllSourceGaming/status/1074578854134439936/</ref> {{pkmn|Decidueye}} was also considered to be a playable character from Generation VII of {{uv|Pokémon}}, but Sakurai picked {{SSBU|Incineroar}} instead because it would be the first wrestler character in the game.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1087124581867958273/</ref> Due to the timing of the finalized plans for ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', fighters from {{uv|ARMS}} and ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' failed to appear in the base game; in compensation, [[Rex]], [[Nia]], [[Spring Man]], and [[Ribbon Girl]] had [[Alternate costume (SSBU)/Mii Fighter|Mii Fighter costumes]] made based on them, with Rex's Mii costume being bundled as part of the first Fighters Pass, while Spring Man also appears as an [[Assist Trophy]] and various ''ARMS'' and ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' characters appear as spirits.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20190124011353/http://www.japanesenintendo.com/post/182181277319/</ref> ''ARMS'' would eventually get a playable character with {{SSBU|Min Min}} as DLC in the second volume of the Fighters Pass, who was a request from ''ARMS'' director Kosuke Yabuki, after Sakurai had narrowed down potential ''ARMS'' fighters to Min Min and [[Ninjara]] (though the latter ended up being the basis for a DLC Mii Fighter costume). ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' would also end up getting its own playable DLC character - [[Pyra]]/[[Mythra]] - as part of the second volume of the Fighters Pass.

[[File:Smash 5 Silhouettes.png|thumb|300px|The silhouetted veterans from the teaser for the then-unnamed ''Ultimate''.]]

On March 8, 2018, what appeared to be a {{uv|Splatoon}} trailer was revealed via a [[Nintendo Direct]]. However, the trailer then revealed itself to be a surprise announcement for a new ''Smash'' game, tentatively titled ''Super Smash Bros.'' with a release window of 2018. Without explicitly confirming the playable status of any characters, the teaser trailer hinted that the [[Inkling]]s would be debuting in the game as newcomers, while also suggesting that [[Mario]] and [[Link]] would be returning, the latter of whom would be based on his ''Breath of the Wild'' incarnation. Several other veterans were also shown, though silhouetted and from a distance, and aside from clear features from [[Bowser]], [[Donkey Kong]], and [[Samus]], which veterans were in that shot has never been confirmed. Shortly after the reveal, Sakurai explained in a tweet that he had been working on the game "in silence, day after day".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/971885028245307392|title=Sakurai announces that he has been working on ''Smash for Switch''}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/AllSourceGaming/status/971901365826940928|title=Translation of Sakurai's ''Smash for Switch'' tweet}}</ref>

No more information was revealed until [[E3]] 2018, where an extended look into the game [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93H7YC-83o was livestreamed] via a Nintendo Direct, with Masahiro Sakurai directing the presentation. The presentation revealed that every character from the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, even characters that have previously been cut such as the {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} and {{SSBU|Snake}} or were [[DLC]] fighters like {{SSBU|Cloud}} and {{SSBU|Bayonetta}}, would return to the roster as playable fighters. The presentation also highlighted several changes made to the ''Smash Bros.'' roster, such as {{SSBU|Zelda}} having her look based off her ''A Link to the Past'' and ''A Link Between Worlds'' design. The end of this initial trailer revealed the game had the subtitle ''Ultimate'' (''Special'' in Japan). Sakurai then took the stage and announced more information, such as certain [[clone]] characters now being designated as [[Echo Fighters]], with a new clone fighter, {{SSBU|Daisy}}, announced to be appearing under this label. The presentation ended with the reveal of {{SSBU|Ridley}} from the [[Metroid (universe)|''Metroid'' series]] - long requested by fans for inclusion in the series but rebuffed by Sakurai due to his large size - being confirmed as a playable character and a released date of December 7, 2018. The following Nintendo Treehouse also included additional info about the game that was not mentioned during the presentation, such as the stage hazard toggle. Following the Nintendo Treehouse, the {{Trn|Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018}} took place on June 12th where invited professional players like {{Sm|MkLeo}} and {{Sm|ZeRo}} played ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' for the first time. Immediately following the presentation, the [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site|official ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' website]] was published, and would serve as the primary source for new details about the game.

The website hosted the Super Smash Blog, where information was trickled out in posts, such as trailers for veteran fighters, as well as confirmation of stages, items, and other random topics akin to the [[Smash Bros. DOJO]], albeit with less frequent posts. The website also had a music section where a sampling of music tracks can be played. This music section accidentally leaked the inclusion of {{uv|Castlevania}} content in-game by mislabeling the track ''Galaga Medley'' as ''Bloody Tears / Monster Dance'' with the new series logo.

A [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-kQWJrjRV4 ''Smash Ultimate''-focused Nintendo Direct] was then released on August 8, 2018. This direct started with a trailer that {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Richter}} are playable characters alongside the [[Dracula's Castle]] stage, the [[Alucard]] assist trophy and the [[Dracula]] boss battle. Later in the direct, {{SSBU|Chrom}} and {{SSBU|Dark Samus}} were revealed as echo fighters, as well as the confirmation of the returning stages and {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}, the lattermost being a very popular request, as playable characters. The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRuHg1dv8MI Nintendo Direct of September 13, 2018] revealed {{SSBU|Isabelle}} from {{uv|Animal Crossing}} would be joining the roster in conjunction with the announcement of a new ''Animal Crossing'' game for Nintendo Switch. A [https://youtu.be/fccgHnBQ0YM November 1, 2018 Direct] revealed both {{SSBU|Ken}} and Incineroar as the final fighters in the base roster, as well as the new [[Spirits (menu)|Spirits mode]] and [[Adventure Mode: World of Light]]. The direct also announced the Fighters Pass, featuring five fighters that had been selected by [[Nintendo]] that would be added to the game with their own [[stage]]s, music tracks, and spirits.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/1059958604818657282]</ref> {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}'s inclusion as an additional DLC fighter was also announced. Piranha Plant officially released on January 29th, 2019 for free to all digital purchases and all players that register a physical purchase through My Nintendo before January 31st, 2019. All players that purchase the game after February 1st, 2019 would have to purchase Piranha Plant separately.

<!--If you plan on adding anything about future DLC fighters, please add them below in this paragraph. Having certain paragraphs dedicated to DLC reveals and the content will only flood this section more and more.-->
During [[The Game Awards]] 2018, a trailer for what seemed like {{uv|Persona}} ''5'' played, only to be a surprise announcement for {{SSBU|Joker}} as Challenger Pack 1 for the Fighters Pass. Reggie Fils-Aimé then took the stage to confirm that all DLC characters will be new to the series and some will be unexpected picks. Joker received a proper trailer on April 16th, 2019, which revealed the stage [[Mementos]], 11 music tracks, a DLC spirit board, several Mii Fighter costumes, and a collection of updates as part of version 3.0.0, including [[Stage Builder]] and [[Video Editor]], which would be released the following day. During [[E3]] 2019, {{SSBU|Hero}} from the {{uv|Dragon Quest}} series was revealed for release in the summer; {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}} from the from {{uv|Banjo-Kazooie}} series were later revealed in the same presentation for a fall release. On July 30, 2019, Sakurai himself held a presentation for Hero titled [[Mr. Sakurai Presents]], which would be held for every future fighter. This presentation showcased [[Yggdrasil's Altar]], 8 music tracks, a new spirit board, Mii costumes, new [[amiibo]], and other updates for version 4.0.0, which would be released later that day. There were considerations to include [[Slime]] from {{uv|Dragon Quest}} had [[Square Enix]] not allowed the team to use [[Hero]].<ref>https://www.siliconera.com/2019/09/26/masahiro-sakurai-and-yuji-horii-discuss-smash-ultimates-hero-dlc-director-philosophy-and-more/</ref> Eight ''Dragon Quest'' heroes were considered as alternate costumes, but only four were finalized due to time constraints.<ref>https://www.siliconera.com/2019/09/26/masahiro-sakurai-and-yuji-horii-discuss-smash-ultimates-hero-dlc-director-philosophy-and-more/</ref> A presentation for Banjo & Kazooie was aired following the  September 4, 2019 Nintendo Direct. The presentation revealed a release date of that day, [[Spiral Mountain]], 10 music tracks (11 if ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|MEGALOVANIA}}'' is counted), a new spirit board, Mii costumes, new amiibo, and other updates for version 5.0.0 like [[Home-Run Contest]]. That same Nintendo Direct also revealed {{SSBU|Terry}} from the {{uv|Fatal Fury}} series in addition to further DLC fighters beyond the Fighters Pass. Terry later received a presentation on November 6th, 2019, which showcased [[King of Fighters Stadium]], 50 music tracks, a new spirit board, Mii costumes, amiibo, and other updates for version 6.0.0, released the same day. A presentation for the fighter included in Challenger Pack 5 was announced on January 14, 2020, for a premiere date on the 16th. The fighter was revealed to be {{SSBU|Byleth}} from {{uv|Fire Emblem}}:''Three Houses'', who would be released on January 28th, alongside [[Garreg Mach Monastery]], 11 music tracks (12 if ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Floral Fury}}'' is counted), a new spirit board, and Mii costumes. The presentation also fully revealed Fighters Pass Vol. 2, which would feature six fighters, once again selected by Nintendo, in addition to stages, music tracks, and spirits.

Development for Fighters Pass Vol. 2 was heavily affected by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] starting March 2020, forcing the developers to work remotely.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXudgEHF78M|title="Sora's Work-From-Home Strategies [Grab Bag]" - YouTube}}</ref> The first fighter for Fighters Pass Vol. 2 was revealed to be a character from {{uv|ARMS}} on March 26th, 2020 during a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubRf4zyEvG4 Nintendo Direct Mini]. This character was revealed to be {{SSBU|Min Min}} during a ''Mr. Sakurai Presents'' on June 22nd, 2020, which also revealed a release date of June 29th, [[Spring Stadium]], 18 music tracks, a new spirit board, new amiibo, and other updates for version 8.0.0 like [[Rematch]]. Version 8.1.0 would have a surprise release on August 4th, 2020, and include several updates, most notably the introduction of [[Small Battlefield]]. A mystery presentation was announced for September 30th, 2020, and premiered on October 1st, which revealed {{SSBU|Steve}} from {{uv|Minecraft}} and a proper Mr. Sakurai Presents on October 3rd. The full presentation revealed a release date of October 13th, [[Minecraft World]], 7 music tracks, a new spirit board, Mii costumes, and new amiibo. According to Daniel Kaplan, former Production Director for ''Minecraft'', negotiations between [[Mojang Studios]] and Nintendo had begun somewhere during 2014/2015, during the period when ''SSB4'' post-content development was ongoing<ref>https://twitter.com/Kappische/status/1311756854847041543</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/Kappische/status/1311774160650199043</ref>, though said negotiations went nowhere until 2020, as {{SSBU|Steve}} would join the roster as DLC. As Sakurai explained, developing Steve required immense work, having to readjust every stage to allow Steve to use his [[Mine / Craft / Create Block|Create Block]] move.<ref>https://youtu.be/TaDhtEcX1TM?t=250</ref> The Game Awards 2020 revealed {{SSBU|Sephiroth}} from the {{uv|Final Fantasy}} series as a playable fighter, with further details revealed in a ''Mr. Sakurai Presents'' on December 17, 2020; this presentation revealed a release date of December 22nd, [[Northern Cave]], 9 music tracks, a new spirit board, Mii costumes, and the [[Sephiroth Challenge]], which was a limited-time boss battle that allowed players to receive Sephiroth as early as the day of the presentation. During the February 17th, 2021 Nintendo Direct, {{SSBU|Pyra}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}} from {{uv|Xenoblade Chronicles}} ''2'' were revealed as a 2-in-1 fighter. A presentation premiered on March 4th and revealed a release date of that day, [[Cloud Sea of Alrest]], 16 music tracks, a new spirit board, and Mii costumes. During E3 2021, {{SSBU|Kazuya}} from the {{uv|Tekken}} series was announced as a playable fighter. A separate presentation premiered on June 28th, 2021, and revealed a release date of June 29th, [[Mishima Dojo]], 39 music tracks (40 if ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Burning Town}}'' is counted), a new spirit board, Mii costumes, and new amiibo. Sakurai confirmed during this presentation that Fighters Pass Vol. 2 is the last planned Fighters Pass for the game. Fighters Pass Vol. 2 was originally going to only come with five fighters, but thanks to a chance encounter with a [[Disney]] representative and for the reason of being the most-voted character from the [[Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot]], {{SSBU|Sora}} from the {{uv|Kingdom Hearts}} series was added to Fighters Pass Vol. 2 as an additional fighter.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1450855082203901954</ref> The September 23rd, 2021 Nintendo Direct announced a special presentation for the final fighter, which premiered on October 5th and revealed Sora. In the same presentation, Sakurai confirmed that Sora was the actual winner of the Fighter Ballot, aligning with the statement that {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} won among "realizable and negotiable characters". Sora was released on October 18th, alongside [[Hollow Bastion]], 9 music tracks (10 if save data for ''Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory'' is present on the player's [[Nintendo Switch]]), a new spirit board, and Mii costumes, with new amiibo planned for the future. After a final update that applied character balance changes and amiibo support, active development has reportedly ceased.

On November 15, 2022, Sakurai revealed portions of this game's design document in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Iiu1k16Ukc [[YouTube]] video]. According to the video, while the document was finalized on December 16, 2015, it was later revised with the final revision on November 1, 2016. The document took the form of a PowerPoint presentation, and was over 200 slides in length. Each slide had the basic format of a header for the topic of the slide, an edited image of either ''Smash 4'', alpha builds of ''Ultimate'' and several non-''Smash'' games, and a brief explanation of the topic and how that is portrayed in the image. Sakurai also mentioned that he did not repeat the script on the slide verbatim during presentations to avoid redundancy and boring the audience.

The document was broken up into nine categories: ''Overview'', ''Smash'', ''Fighters'', ''Visuals'', ''Audio'', ''Game Modes'', ''Spirits'', ''Online'', and ''New Fighters''. This was done to more easily locate specific slide by filtering to a single category instead of going through each slide one by one. Specific slides shown are the following:
*White-Knuckle 1-on-1: In 1-on-1 matches, characters deal [[1v1 multiplier|1.2x damage]]. this will keep matches from feeling too long or drawn out.
*Decisive Impact: [[Special Zoom|Slow motion and camera zoom]] will emphasize key moments, such as taking massive knockback in a stock match.
*Omega Forms Are All Floating Islands: We used to have non-floating island [[Omega form]]s, but these have been unified to floating islands for match consistency.
*[[Isabelle]]: A variation on Villager. She fights using office supplies and public property.
*[[Final Smash Meter]]: Final Smashes charge up automatically over time. These can turn the tables, but opponents can use them as well.
*Increased Jump Starting Speed: [[Jump]]s start faster, then slow down quickly. This makes them more dynamic and responsive.
*Load Two Stages at Once: Stages can [[Stage Morph|morph]] instantly, expanding potential game options.
*Option: Disable [[Stage hazard|Stage Hazards]]: In addition to Battlefield and Omega forms, players can also turn stage hazards completely off.
*Only One Survivor: The [[Adventure Mode: World of Light|story]] begins with one character's miraculous escape. They then set off to save the other fighters.
*Lend Me Your Power!!: In battle [[spirits]] can provide a huge power-up! These can massively boost a fighter's stats or confer skills.

A year after the video, on October 30, 2023, Sakurai [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDrNWAHaKfI uploaded a video] discussing about the game's development, such as how they managed the development of DLCs in privacy during [[COVID-19|the COVID-19 pandemic]], and when the proposal document was completed. Additional information that were not shown in the last video includes a VR mode in the document, years before the {{uvm|Nintendo Labo}} existed. In the end, he says he is unsure of the series' future, though there could be a next installment of the series with less content in general than ''Ultimate''. After being inactive for two years, new info were published on the internet in its fifth anniversary announcing the resume of maintenance for the game, with new events starting January 2024. Slightly earlier, Bandai Namco has also created [[Studio 2 & Studio S]]; a subsidiary company working with Nintendo, with the latter seemingly composed of the team who worked on the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series since ''Super Smash Bros. 4''. While active development on ''Ultimate'' has seemingly restarted since the introduction of these new events and patch updates being released for version 13.0, the scale of development and how long this period will last is currently unclear. After the release of the Sora amiibo and a small patch update, [[List of updates (SSBU)#13.0.2|version 13.0.2]], that adds support of the latter, Sakurai said his work for ''Ultimate'' is finally complete.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/masahiro-sakurai-says-his-work-on-super-smash-bros-ultimate-is-now-done |title=Masahiro Sakurai Says His Work on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Is Now Done |publisher=IGN |author=Ryan Dinsdale |date=February 16, 2024 |accessdate=February 16, 2024 }}</ref>

==Version history==
{{main|List of updates (SSBU)}}
Like ''Smash 4'' before it, ''Ultimate'' received regular update patches post-launch. The issue of unusable [[replays]] caused by gameplay altering updates persisted at launch. In version 3.0.0, players can upload replays to [[Shared Content]], as well convert replays to a video file. Also, the feature of the game retaining old patch data to mitigate the issue was discovered with version 6.1.0.

''Ultimate'' adopts a {{iw|wikipedia|semantic versioning}} system (''major.minor.patch''), meaning each update is categorized based on its significance. Updates that introduce new fighters and their challenger pack change the first number (i.e. version 2.0.0). Otherwise significant updates such as new content or major game mode alterations that do not have any [[downloadable content]] attached change the second number (i.e. version 2.1.0). Smaller updates that exist solely to change the game in minor ways like character balance, bug fixes or [[amiibo]] support change the third number (i.e. version 2.1.1), though the latter two haven't always been applied consistently. When a number is changed, all numbers after it are reverted back to 0 (i.e. version 3.0.0). Compared to the simple incremental system used by ''Smash 4'', the semantic versioning used by ''Ultimate'' allows players to more easily infer the significance of any given update at a glance. The latest update for ''Ultimate'' is version [[List of updates (SSBU)#13.0.3|13.0.3]].

==Changes from ''SSB4''==
===Menu and UI changes===
[[File:SSBUVersusScreenRyuSamus.jpg|thumb|The versus splash screen for a one-on-one match between Ryu and Samus.]]
*The main menu has been redesigned to be in a wheel format. The icons on this menu are the following in clockwise order: '''[[Smash]]''', '''[[Games & More]]''', '''[[Vault]]''', '''[[Online]]''', and '''[[Spirits]]''', with a ''[[Nintendo eShop]]'' icon in the bottom-right corner. In the center is a circle that shows an image related to the highlighted icon.
*There is a new [[dashboard]] on the main menu that can be accessed by pressing the [[ZR button]]. The icons in this dashboard are the following from top to bottom: '''Back to Top Menu''', '''Collection''', '''Local Wireless''', '''News''', '''Options''' and '''Help''', as well as the time according to the internal clock.
*In Smash mode, the stage selection screen now appears before the [[character selection screen]], making players select a stage before selecting fighters. 
**The rule selection screen appears before the stage selection screen. Players can now save rulesets for quick access.
*[[8-Player Smash]] has been merged with standard Vs. Mode, with matches having 2 to 8 slots for players. On the character selection screen, the number of player slots can be adjusted with the "plus" and "minus" buttons on the right side. However, other game modes have different limits.
*[[Alternate costume]]s are selected differently: selecting a character on their character selection screen portrait no longer cycles through their costumes, instead allowing the player to choose from eight small stock icons at the bottom of the portrait that represent each costume. However, the {{Button|Switch|L|s=25px}} and {{Button|Switch|R|s=25px}} buttons can still be used to cycle through costumes like before. Additionally, each costume is now listed with a name from the numbers 1-8 (e.g. 'Color 7').
*While a Smash or Online match is loading, an intense [[versus splash screen]] will appear, showing the fighters. [[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 on-screen whenever a stock is lost (with the exception of the final stock).
*The character selection 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 by their [[fighter number]], which corresponds to when they were first officially announced for a ''Super Smash Bros.'' game (with the exception of [[Echo Fighter]]s, who share a fighter number with their original counterparts, and Mii Fighters, who are always listed last).
*While a fighter is knocked off the stage, a [[radar]] that shows the character locations, [[blast zone]], and camera zoom will appear in the corner of the screen they were knocked towards. This radar can be enlarged, shrunk, or removed in the [[Options]] menu.
*Like {{SSB4|Little Mac}}'s [[Power Meter]] and {{SSB4|Shulk}}'s [[Monado Arts]] in ''Smash 4'', several characters now sport additional UI elements next to their damage meter, such as {{SSBU|Villager}} and {{SSBU|Isabelle}}'s [[Pocket]]ed item, {{SSBU|Robin}}'s Durability Counters, {{SSBU|Inkling}}'s Ink Tank gauge, {{SSBU|Cloud}}'s [[Limit Gauge]], {{SSBU|Joker}}'s [[Rebellion Gauge]], {{SSBU|Hero}}'s [[MP Gauge]], {{SSBU|Terry}}'s GO symbol, {{SSBU|Steve}}'s resources, and {{SSBU|Sora}}'s [[Magic]].
*Some 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.
*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.
**Mii Fighters share a similar display, with a difference of either being displayed in their own character slots, or merged together as three fighters in one slot like in ''Smash 4''.
*The main menu, [[character selection screen]], [[Notice|Milestones]], [[Sound Test]] and many other UIs now use a new font. This replaces the main text font from ''Melee'', ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'', A-OTF Folk Pro B. The new font is FOT-RodinNTLG UB regular in the English version and FOT-RodinNTLG B regular in the Japanese version, both of which are identical to those used for ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Odyssey}}''{{'}}s UIs.
*The user can set default control settings for players who don't enter a name.

===Game mode changes===
*[[Sound Test]] can be used to create music playlists. The option where the music plays in handheld mode while the screen is off like a music player from {{for3ds}} also returns. 
*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.
*[[Coin Battle]] is no longer featured as a playable mode, after being in the three previous games.
*{{SSBU|Classic Mode}} is loosely a combination of the versions seen in ''Brawl'' and ''for 3DS'', but now each fighter has a set series of opponents to face; many routes feature bosses other than [[Master Hand]] and [[Crazy Hand]], and some feature a fight against a boss outside of the boss fight, or even the boss fight does not feature a designated boss, instead fighting characters who are otherwise playable. 
**Additionally, all fighter-specific ending cutscenes were omitted, only having a single [[congratulations screen]] for every fighter.
*[[Multi-Man Smash]] and its [[100-Man Smash]] mode is now referred to as "Mob Smash" and "Century", respectively; [[All-Star Mode]] has been merged with Endless mode as "All-Star Smash". It also lacks [[10-Man Smash]] and [[3-Minute Smash]], making Mob Smash themselves harder.
*There is no longer a [[Stadium]] menu; Mob Smash and [[Home-Run Contest]] (as of version 5.0.0) are now placed directly in the "Games & More" menu.
*[[Super Sudden Death]] is now a separated battle mode, akin to ''Melee''.
**Furthermore, Special Smash from ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'' is now referred to as "Custom Smash"; the term "Special Smash" is instead used for a sub-menu which contains Super Sudden Death, Smashdown and Custom Smash, akin to the Special Melee mode in ''Melee''.
*[[Training Mode]] is now compatible with [[amiibo]] fighters, and can now be played on [[Training (stage)|an exclusive stage]], which allows the player to measure distances such as knockback range and jump height.
*[[Spirit]]s are introduced as a new feature with the merger of [[Trophies]] and [[Equipment]]; additionally, [[Spirit Battle]]s also replace [[Event match]]es from the previous games.

===Gameplay changes===
*The [[Wii Remote]] (and [[Nunchuk]]), [[Classic Controller]], [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Wii U GamePad]] and [[Pro Controller]] are no longer officially supported due to being incompatible with the [[Nintendo Switch]].
**To compensate, single and double [[Joy-Con]]s and the [[Switch Pro Controller]] have been added.
*All stages now have a [[Battlefield form]]. Additionally, all stages (including Battlefield and [[Ω form]]s) can now be played with up to eight players, as opposed to having different limits between stages.
*All Battlefield/Ω form stages now reshape the main platform and [[blast line]]s to be identical to those in {{SSBU|Battlefield}}/{{SSBU|Final Destination}}, making some Battlefield/Ω forms such as those of [[Golden Plains]], [[Wily Castle]], and [[Kalos Pokémon League]] having larger bottom blast lines and no vertical walls.
**However, stages where [[Z-axis]] is flattened (e.g. [[Hanenbow]], [[Dream Land GB]],  [[Flat Zone X]], {{b|Duck Hunt|stage}}) now affect them even in Battlefield/Ω form, which alters the characters' [[hitbox]]es [[Hitbox#Hitboxes in three dimensions|function]].
*[[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 option is available in the advanced rules settings.
*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. 
*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 "Poké Floats" becoming "Pokémon Red/Pokémon Blue Medley".
** The "Nintendo" music category, now named "[[List of SSBU Music (Other series)|Others]]" to reflect the inclusion of third-party content, encompasses the {{uv|Ice Climber}} and {{uv|Duck Hunt}} universes (represented through the [[Summit]] and {{b|Duck Hunt|stage}} stages, respectively) as well as the non-playable universes (represented through the [[Hanenbow]], [[PictoChat 2]], {{b|Balloon Fight|stage}}, [[Living Room]], [[Find Mii]], [[Tomodachi Life]], [[Wrecking Crew]], [[Pilotwings]], and [[Wuhu Island]] stages).
*To increase gameplay speed, all damage taken in one-on-one fights with no items is [[1v1 multiplier|multiplied by 1.2×]].
*[[Smash attack]]s can be charged significantly longer. Once the fighter stops moving, the power of the attack will cease scaling.
*[[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]].
*[[Buried]] opponents no longer take less knockback from attacks.
*Using a [[flame]] attack on a [[frozen]] character no longer thaws them out.
*The physics of launch movement has 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. This was mainly done for aesthetic purposes to make moves feel more weighted and impactful. This does not affect moves with [[Knockback#Set knockback|fixed knockback]].
**This change significantly lessens the usefulness of [[hitstun canceling]], as most of the hitstun and launch speed now wear off as soon as the player is able to perform an [[air dodge]] or an [[aerial attack]].
**If a character is struck with enough knockback by either a [[meteor smash]] or stage spike, they will be KO'd as soon as they are off-screen, rather than reaching the bottom blast line. This makes meteor smashes more effective, as well as [[sacrificial KO]]s that rely on meteor smashes more reliable.<ref>https://twitter.com/notty_jirachi/status/1073305289519116289</ref>
**[[Hitstun]] increases at a 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, still allowing for more combo opportunities below high percents.
*[[Fall speed]]s and [[gravity]] are now temporarily homogenized during hitstun from knockback which launches at angles 70°-110°. This prevents fast fallers from being disproportionately susceptible to ladder combos but also prevents them from having improved vertical survivability while floatier characters have improved vertical survivability.
*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 1.1× boost, down from 1.15×. 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.
*[[Shieldstun]] has been further adjusted. Direct special moves and ground attacks deal more shieldstun, while aerial attacks and projectiles deal less, and smash attacks remain unaffected. This makes direct attacks safer on shield (tilt attacks in particular), but makes aerials and projectiles less safe on shield. However, due to the increased mobility of the cast as well as the reduced landing lag on aerial attacks, their safety on shield has been relatively unchanged, with some even being safer on 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 yellow (similar to [[Final Smash]] standby) 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</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.
*"Magnet hands", a controversial element in ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'' that allowed some characters to evade [[Edgeguarding|edgeguarders]] while [[recovery|recovering]] much easier, have been toned down. [[Edge sweet spot]]s have become smaller, and recovery moves take longer to snap on ledges in general. This makes recovering overall 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, much like in ''Smash Bros.'' titles before ''SSB4'', 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 (e.g. [[Stone]], [[Aether]], [[Bowser Bomb]] and [[Super Dedede Jump]]), they will keep most of their movement speed when diving. This now causes those moves to become self-destructs at certain heights.
*Characters can no longer [[Jostle|run through other characters]] and instead push them backward, 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. Additionally, the blast KO effect has been added at the end of animation.
*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 [[Final countdown timer|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. This is presumably to balance the gameplay speed of Sudden Death across all stages, especially with large (such as [[Temple]] or [[New Pork City]]), autoscrolling (such as [[Mushroomy Kingdom]]), or [[Stage Builder]] stages. Raining [[Bob-omb]]s from ''Melee'' onward are still present shortly after the screen has finished zooming in.
**All characters participating in Sudden Death are ranked based on what time they are KO'd rather than all KO'd characters being automatically ranked 2nd, much like ''Smash Bros.'' titles before ''SSB4''.
*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]]s.
*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 (except on 1v1 battles)
*All [[Smash Taunt]]s now share some consistencies: 
**Subtitles now use the aforementioned main text font, rather than matching those of their respective home series.
**[[Codec Conversations]] are disabled in the Ω form of [[Shadow Moses Island]], as with Smash Taunts in ''SSB4''; this also applies to all Battlefield forms as well. 
**In the Japanese version, {{s|Wikipedia|furigana}} has been added to all [[Palutena's Guidance]] (as well as re-added to all [[Star Fox Smash Taunt]]s), similar to Smash Taunts in ''Brawl''.

===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, with the exception of {{SSBU|Kazuya}}, who has 7 frames. This is most easily noticeable with {{SSBU|Bowser}} and {{SSBU|Snake}}, as both characters used to have the highest jumpsquat frames in ''Smash 4'' and ''Brawl'' respectively.
*[[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, with all characters now having higher traction values than ''Smash 4''{{'}}s highest traction values.
*The initial frames of full hops from the ground are sped up for all characters. Oddly, this can be bypassed by using a jump just before walking or running over the ledge.
*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 [[Dodge staling|penalizes the user]] with increased lag and less [[intangibility]] frames, in a similar vein to [[Deep Breathing]], leaving them more open to [[punishment]]s.
**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 wave landing. 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. Furthermore, the universal buffs to dashing in general almost entirely eliminates the need of this technique.
*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 invariance, with the slowest being slightly above {{SSB4|Mario}}'s in ''SSB4'' and the highest being slightly above {{SSB4|Fox}}'s. 
**As a result, some characters now have initial dash speeds that outpace their running speeds, allowing [[fox-trotting]] to alleviate their low mobility; examples include {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} and {{SSBU|Incineroar}}.
*Being sent into hitstun by any attack from behind (except vertical hitstun) 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 cancel a run [[turn]] in the same way to input any grounded attack in the other direction, which was previously only possible with [[forward tilt]]s, [[forward smash]]es and [[side special]]s.
*Short hop aerial attacks can be performed by pressing the jump and attack buttons at the same time. However, full hop aerial attacks are more difficult to perform as a result, and can no longer be performed on the first frame of a jump.
**As a further aid, several ground attacks can now be canceled by jumping during their very first startup frames (with a maximum of 3 for most), in which case they will automatically transition into a short hop aerial attack.
*The linking hits of all [[neutral attack]]s have been altered, using the [[Sakurai angle]] and a 180° [[angle]] alongside low knockback values so that opponents stay on the ground and are dragged close to the user. 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 for most characters.
**Neutral infinites have been reduced in damage (with the exception of {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}'s), but are faster and inflict less [[freeze frame]]s, allowing them to land far more hits in the same amount of time, and making them harder to escape in combination with the aforementioned changes. Their pushback from hitting opponents can also no longer drop the user off edges.
**Neutral attacks also have decreased range across the cast. Characters no longer lunge to attack and the hitboxes were adjusted to match whatever limb or weapon each character uses almost perfectly.
*The function of the 0° launch angle has been changed, now becoming 32° at knockback values greater than or equal to 120 units, similar to the [[Sakurai angle]] in ''SSB'', but occurring later than said angle.
*[[Down tilt]]s can be reversed by holding the control stick diagonally down and back, allowing characters to quickly use them in the opposite direction without the need to stand up from [[crouch]]ing and turn around.
*[[Smash attack]]s can be delayed for 2 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 (by extension) can be used [[out of shield]] without jump-cancelling.
*[[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 they're [[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, now forcing the character to hold their shield for 4 extra frames beforehand.<ref>https://twitter.com/ChirozDR/status/1070137066636435458</ref>
*The speed and damage of [[pummel]]s has been standardized, differing only by a few frames between characters, and generally dealing from 1% to 1.6% damage. As a result, characters such as {{SSBU|Ness}} and {{SSBU|Samus}} have slower pummels, but they deal more damage, while most other characters' pummels are faster, but deal less damage.
*Weight dependency for [[throw]]s has been removed: all throws now execute at their usual speed against the entire cast, much like in ''SSB''.
*[[Edge attack]]s deal 9% on average (up from 7%) and now grant intangibility until their hitboxes cease, instead of until 2 frames before their hitboxes come out, allowing them to beat out opposing attacks.
*[[Charge]]able special moves that can be stored for later use, 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.
*Many [[taunt]]s have been sped up or shortened, with some longer taunts, such as {{SSBU|Mario}} and {{SSBU|Zelda}}'s up taunts, have been replaced with entirely new ones altogether, allowing characters to act out of them much quicker, with universal [[interruptibility]] on frame 50. 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.
*[[Custom special move]]s have been removed (with exception of {{SSBU|Mii Fighter}}s).
*All [[RCO lag]]s on special moves have been removed.
*[[Final Smash]]es are quicker overall, 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 (such as the [[Landmaster]] being replaced by [[Team Star Fox|an Arwing]] [[Team Star Wolf|cutscene]]) or different functionality to their returning Final Smash (such as [[Octopus]] dragging opponents offstage immediately after being activated).

===Aesthetic changes===
*The particle effects of the game are significantly more cartoony, with a solid-color or cel-shaded aesthetic, similar to particle effects used by [[Bowser Jr.]] and [[Duck Hunt]]. 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 than in ''Smash 4''. Character models also react to lighting more realistically, resulting in a soft white "glow" around their edges. Additionally, humanoid characters overall have slightly tanner skin tones.
**However, hair and fur textures tend to use less complex shading and modeling techniques, resulting in a flatter appearance similar to ''Brawl'' and ''for 3DS'' (better noticeable with {{SSBU|Incineroar}} and {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}).
*The characters' design styles are once again unified: cartoony franchises such as the {{uv|Mario}} and {{uv|Kirby}} series have slightly more realistic and subdued color schemes, while those from more realistic-looking franchises such as {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}} and {{uv|Metroid}} series have more vibrant color schemes. As a result, the overall color palette is slightly more subdued and less saturated than in ''Smash 4'', but still brighter than in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl''.
*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.
*In [[match timer|timed matches]], characters in the lead will occasionally flash with gold sparkles.
*Stock icons have been given a simplified, 2D appearance, akin to those in ''Smash 64'', and usually lack eyes (with the exception of {{SSBU|Kirby}}, {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}, {{SSBU|Sonic}}, {{SSBU|R.O.B.}}, [[Steve (SSBU)|Zombie and Enderman]]). However, most humanoid characters' stock icons are still depicted with eyebrows, accessories, as well as some facial features (e.g. {{SSBU|Mario}}, {{SSBU|Luigi}}, {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}} and {{SSBU|Wario}}'s mustache, {{SSBU|Ness}} and the {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}}' bangs, {{SSBU|Bayonetta}}'s glasses). Additionally, depictions of accessories in default stock icons no longer appears to be inconsistent with their actual colors; for example, {{SSBU|Peach}}'s crown now given its usual golden color instead of pink like in previous games, the latter of which matched the color of her dress.
*The rattling effect during hit lag is now more exaggerated, and a crescent-shaped angle indicator now appears when the victim [[SDI]]s.
*Knockback dealt by strong attacks will show a bright blue angle indicator, which visualizes the effect of [[directional influence]] along the character's final trajectory. This can be difficult to notice due to the effect being very brief, although moves with high hitstun or [[Paralyze|paralysis]] effects allow it to be seen for a decent timeframe.
*After using up their [[midair jump]](s), characters leave behind a subtle, transparent trail when moving through the air until they regain their jumps. This aesthetic effect is difficult to notice unless the camera is zoomed onto a character or the scenery behind them is particularly bright.
*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 of 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.
*Characters stunned after breaking their shield will have their voice clip play constantly instead of only once, much like in ''Smash 64'' and ''Melee''. This was exclusive to Roy 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, rather than the lower-pitched wind rushing sound from ''Smash 4''.
*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 [[button mash]]ing out of an unactionable 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.
*When a current match ends and the announcer says his quote, all character voices and sound effects will immediately cease, even though blast KO sounds can still be heard. As a result, characters' KO voice clips, for the most part, do not play when a blast KO occurs and the current match ends.
*[[Star KO]]'d characters now use a tumbling animation similar to ''Brawl''{{'}}s Screen KOs (except for several characters), rolling away from the screen as they fly away.
*Phantom [[footstool]]s now play the footstool sound effect to indicate one being performed, and a yellow jump circle appears.
*Similar to [[Lightning Kick]] and [[Knee Smash]] from previous games, as well as most of {{SSB4|Mega Man}} and {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}}'s movesets in ''Smash 4'', even more non-special moves received nicknames, which can be seen on [[Tips]].
*[[Final Smash]]es now cause a segment of the screen to show the upper right 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]], and the stage's background to display solid-colored pattern akin to the final hit of [[Shin Shoryuken]] when the opponent is dealt enough knockback to be KO'd.
*Compared to ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'', several fighter animations have been made significantly more dramatic and tailored to look better from the camera's perspective. Examples of this are Mario's Up Tilt, Bowser's Flying Slam, and Donkey Kong's Giant Punch.
*Fighters are much more expressive than they were in ''Smash 4''; most characters now sport a shocked/surprised expression when missing a grab and will scowl or frown when putting up their shield, and 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.
*[[Announcer]]-related changes:
**When [[character selection screen|selecting characters]] in a [[time]] or [[stock]] match, the announcer now says "Timed battle!" and "Stock battle!" respectively, rather than "Free-for-all!/Battle royale!" and "Survival!"
***In ''Brawl'', the announcer did say "Timed battle" for Spanish and Italian, but it was changed in ''Smash 4''.
**The announcer now calls Classic Mode's name when selecting the character in that mode, similar to ''Brawl''. Additionally, in the Japanese version, he now says "Survival Smash!" as opposed to "Classic!" in ''Brawl''.
**When a player [[Share stock|life steals]] in a team battle, the announcer now says "Restocked!", as opposed to "Stock player removed." in ''Melee'' or "Share (player) stock!" in ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4''.
**On the [[results screen]], the announcer now says "(Character name/Team color) wins!" ("(Character name/Team color) win!" in the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese versions, “[[Kazuya Mishima]] wins!” when using Kazuya, but with the {{uv|Tekken}} announcer), 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. As a result, all victory poses now "freeze" at the same time point during their animations.
***In ''Smash 64'', the announcer did say "(Team color) wins!", but this was changed in ''Melee''.
***However, the Spanish, French, Italian and German versions still say the winner's name at the end like in ''Smash 4'', such as "¡La victoria es para... (character name/team color)!" in Spanish; this also extends to the Dutch version, newly recorded for this game, which says "De winnaar is... (character name/team color)!"
*Even more characters now face the screen regardless of the 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. However, when playing online, the user's name will override custom names.
**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}}''.
*As a fighter moves closer to the blast zone, their [[Magnifying-Glass Damage|magnifying glass]] shrinks. When a fighter is right next to the blast zone, the ring on their glass flashes yellow.
*If enabled, Score Display is displayed when playing either a Stock and Stamina match instead of only appearing in [[Time]] matches.
*In stages originating from ''Smash 64'', [[background character]]s appear more frequently.

===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.
*[[Smash Ball]]s now have a chance of spawning with [[Soccer Ball]] physics, rolling around the stage and respawning once they drop offstage. They despawn after a set time. This property is similarly present in [[Fake Smash Ball]]s.
*The [[Boss Galaga]] causes a black background to cover the screen when it catches an opponent, complete with pixel stars. Additionally, it now forces a [[Star KO]] on characters taken past the upper blast line, which can be seen attached above the character throughout the animation. The star also becomes larger.
*The [[Beetle]] now forces a [[Screen KO]] on characters taken past the upper blast line. Additionally, it can be seen attached behind the character throughout the animation.
*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 or a fireball in the original ''Donkey Kong''. The corresponding sound effect is also taken from the original game. Additionally, the former's music is now taken directly from the arcade version of the game.
*The [[Warp Star]]'s descent can now be either stalled or hastened 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.
*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.
*[[Poison Mushroom|Shrinking]] and [[Super Mushroom|growing]] animations have been reverted to their ''Melee'' versions. As such, they are much faster and are no longer unique to each character.
*Explosive items directly thrown at opponents no longer harm the thrower.
*Characters can perform a [[midair jump]] while firing a [[Super Scope]], [[Fire Flower]], [[Gust Bellows]], and [[Ramblin' Evil Mushroom]] and holding a completed [[Daybreak]].
**However, they can no longer dash forward while holding them.

==Reception==
{{Reviews
|title     = ''Ultimate'' reviews
|Edge      = 9 of 10
|EGM       = 5 of 5<ref name="egm">{{cite web|url=https://egmnow.com/super-smash-bros-ultimate-review/|title=EGM Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review|first=Evan|last=Slead|accessdate=2019-12-10|publisher=EGM}}</ref> 
|Fam       = 38 of 40<ref name="fam">{{cite web|url=https://gonintendo.com/stories/325481-smash-bros-ultimate-famitsu-review-fully-translated|title=Famitsu Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review - Translated|accessdate=2019-12-10|publisher=GoNintendo}}</ref>
|GameRev   = 4.5 of 5<ref name="gamerev">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/471527-super-smash-bros-ultimate-review-simply-smashing|title=GameRevolution Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review|first=Jason|last=Faulkner|accessdate=2019-12-10|publisher=Games Revolution}}</ref>
|GI        = 9.5 of 10<ref name="gi">{{cite web|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/review/super-smash-bros-ultimate/a-raucous-clash-reunion|title=GameInformer Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review|first=Jeff|last=Cork|accessdate=2019-12-10|publisher=GameInformer}}</ref>
|GSpot     = 9 of 10<ref name="gspot">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/super-smash-bros-ultimate-review-me-and-you-and-ev/1900-6417051/|title=GameSpot Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review|first=Edmond|last=Tran|accessdate=2019-12-10|publisher=GameSpot}}</ref>
|IGN       = 9.4 of 10<ref name="ign">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/12/06/super-smash-bros-ultimate-review|title=IGN Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review|first=Tom|last=Marks|accessdate=2019-12-10|publisher=IGN}}</ref>
|
|MC = 93 out of 100 (99 reviews)<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/super-smash-bros-ultimate|title=Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Reviews|accessdate=2019-12-10|publisher=Metacritic}}</ref>
|award1Pub = Famitsu
|award1 = Game of the Year<ref name="famitsugoty"> {{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/04/super_smash_bros_ultimate_wins_famitsu_game_of_the_year_award|title=Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Wins Famitsu Game Of The Year Award|publisher=NintendoLife|accessdate=2019-12-10}}</ref>
|award2Pub = Japan Game Awards 2019
|award2 = Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award<br>Japanese Product Global Award<br>Best Sales Award<br>Award for Excellence<br>Grand Award<ref name="japanawards"> {{cite web|url=https://nintendoeverything.com/japan-game-awards-2019-results-announced-smash-bros-ultimate-wins-big/|title=Japan Game Awards 2019 results announced, Smash Bros. Ultimate wins big|publisher=NintendoEverything|accessdate=2019-12-10}}</ref>
|award3Pub = Golden Joystick Awards 2019
|award3 = Nintendo Game of the Year<ref name="joystickgoty"> {{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/Super-Smash-Bros-Ultimate-Nintendo-Golden-Joystick-2019/|title=Super Smash Bros. Ultimate wins Nintendo Game of the Year at the 2019 Golden Joystick Awards|publisher=GamesRadar|accessdate=2019-12-10}}</ref>
}}
''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' received universal critical acclaim from both critics and the audience, 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 (at the time).

The game has sold 12.08 million units as of December 31st, 2018, marking it as the fastest-selling Nintendo game in history (at the time).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/2019/01/31/super-smash-bros-ultimate-is-the-fastest-selling-nintendo-game-ever/|title=Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the fastest-selling Nintendo game ever}}</ref> In March 2019, that number reached 13.81 million, surpassing the total number of sales for the Wii U console in just 4 months. Since then, that number has reached 35.14 million units as of September 30, 2024<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/index.html|title=IR Information:Top Selling Title Sales Unit|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2021-05-30}}</ref>, making it the best selling game in the series and the third best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch, and also making it the best selling fighting game of all time (previously held by ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' with 13.32 million copies). If all versions of a game are to be counted as a single entry, it would still be the best selling fighting game of all time (previously held by the combined sales of all versions of ''[[Street Fighter]] II'' with 15.5 million copies.)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/11/04/super-smash-bros-ultimate-is-the-best-selling-fighting-game-ever/|title=Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Is The Best Selling Fighting Game Ever|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2020-11-14}}</ref> This success led to the game being displayed as one of the "Key Titles" in the Nintendo Switch section of the Nintendo Museum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtT75FM8zHM&t=1557|title=【◯◯◯万円!?】店のもの全部下さいって言ったら超大変なことになった…【ニンテンドーミュージアム】|publisher=YouTube|author=HikakinTV|date=October 2, 2024|accessdate=October 8, 2024|language=ja}}</ref>

''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' currently holds an aggregate review score of 93 out of 100 on Metacritic,<ref name=metacritic></ref> tying it with ''[[Brawl]]'' as the highest-rated game in the series on the website, and held a score of 92.17% on GameRankings prior to its shutdown.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/switch/234547-super-smash-bros-ultimate/index.html|title=GameRankings}}</ref>

At {{s|wikipedia|The Game Awards 2019}}, ''Ultimate'' was nominated for Best Fighting Game, Best Family Game, and Game of the Year. It won Best Fighting Game, though it lost to ''{{s|mariowiki|Luigi's Mansion 3}}'' and ''{{s|wikipedia|Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice}}'', respectively, in the other two categories. In a first for the awards show, a separate, tournament-style nomination called Player's Voice allowed fans to vote on certain games that they deemed their favorite; ''Ultimate'' successfully made its way to the final round of voting, though it lost to ''{{s|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem: Three Houses}}''.
{{clr}}

==In competitive play==
{{main|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in competitive play}}
''Ultimate'' effectively replaced {{Forwiiu}} in terms of the competitive scene, with nearly all of the top players migrating over. ''Ultimate'' also being the only ''Smash'' game currently available for purchase makes it the definitive version of ''Smash'' to play in the current day. The divide between ''Melee'' and former ''Brawl'' players has also subsided considerably, with ''Ultimate'' generally being considered a satisfactory middle ground between the two styles and both isolated scenes intermingling more than ever.

''Ultimate'' continued the momentum of mainstream success started in ''Brawl'' and continued with the Wii U version, such as a mainstage presence at [[EVO]] and major tournaments dedicated to ''Ultimate'' often being the most watched events online, with ''Ultimate'' also frequently being the most entered tournament in a series with other games. The scene also weathered the [[COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on competitive Smash|2020 COVID-19 pandemic]] and led the charge in normalizing online play as a legitimate form of competition.

The community has constructed a set of [[tournament legal (SSBU)|standard tournament rules]] to regulate tournament play. While rulesets may vary between different tournaments, generally universal gameplay rules include all matches being played via [[time]]d [[stock]] (three stocks and 6-8 minutes), and restrictions on legal [[stage]]s. These regulations are enacted to ensure that gameplay at the highest level remains fair.

While the community uses [[tier list]]s to show which characters are the strongest and weakest, ''Ultimate'' remains one of the most well balanced games of the series. In one of Sakurai's video, "Average and Mediocre Are the Same Thing", he shows that the collected win rate battles from online play averages 50%. As of May 21, 2024, the highest win rate for a character is 51.43%, while the lowest for another is 47.18%. It is unspecified which characters bear these values, where are the remaining characters in the range, and how it is calculated precisely as its methods remain private.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW4x-_Y8BmM|title=Average and Mediocre Are the Same Thing [Design Specifics]|date=May 21, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2024|publisher=YouTube}}</ref>

==Staff==
{{main|List of staff (SSBU)}}

==Gallery==
===Logos===
<gallery>
Super Smash Bros Ultimate Box Art RP.png|Promotional Box art
SmashUltimateDigitalVersion.jpg|Digital box art
SSBU Key Art.png|Key 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>

===Fighters===
====Artwork====
<gallery>
Inkling poster.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Inkling}}.
Joker artwork.png|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Joker}}.
Terry artwork.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Terry}}.
Min Min artwork.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Min Min}}.
Min Min artwork 2.jpg|Official illustration of Min Min.
Pyra & Mythra artwork.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Pyra}} & {{SSBU|Mythra}}.
KazuyaArtwork.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Kazuya}}.
</gallery>

====Part of [[Smash Bros. Countdown]]====
<gallery>
Ultimate Mario 10.gif|Official animation of {{SSBU|Mario}}.
Mario and Rathalos artwork.jpg|Official illustration of Mario and [[Rathalos]].
Simon and Richter artwork.png|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Richter}}.
Villager and Isabelle artwork.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Villager}} and {{SSBU|Isabelle}}.
Pac-Man artwork Ultimate.jpg|Official image of {{SSBU|Pac-Man}} and {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}.
Link Kirby Mario and Cloud artwork.png|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Link}}, {{SSBU|Kirby}}, {{SSBU|Mario}}, and {{SSBU|Cloud}}.
Bomberman artwork Ultimate.jpg|Official image of [[Bomberman]].
Kirby Artwork.jpg|Official image of [[Kirby]].
Sonic artwork.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Sonic}}.
Pokémon Smash Bros.png|Official image of all playable {{uv|Pokémon}} characters, and the many [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon.
The Legend of Zelda artwork.png|Official illustration of the playable {{uv|Zelda}} cast.
Fire Emblem Heroes Smash.png|Official illustration of all base game {{uv|Fire Emblem}} fighters and [[Assist Trophies]].
Fire Emblem Smash Bros.png|Official image of all base game ''Fire Emblem'' fighters on [[Arena Ferox]].
Bayonetta Ultimate artwork.png|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Bayonetta}}, [[Rodin]], and [[Madama Butterfly]].
Snake Ultimate artwork.png|Official image of {{SSBU|Snake}}.
Pit Ultimate artwork.png|Official image of {{SSBU|Pit}}.
Mega Man Ultimate artwork.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Mega Man}}.
Inkling artwork.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Inkling}}.
SmashUltimateReleaseDayAllCharactersArtwork.jpg|Official illustration of all of the base game fighters.
</gallery>

====Splash Art====
<gallery>
Ridley Hits the Big Time.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Ridley}}.
Simon Lashes Out.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Simon}}.
Richter Crosses Over.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Richter}}.
Chrom Joins the Battle.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Chrom}}.
Dark Samus Joins the Battle.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Dark Samus}}.
King K. Rool Comes Aboard.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}.
Isabelle Turns Over a New Leaf.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Isabelle}}.
Ken Turns Up the Heat.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Ken}}.
Incineroar Enters the Ring.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Incineroar}}.
Piranha Plant Pipes Up.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}.
Joker Steals the Show.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Joker}}.
The Hero Draws Near.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Hero}}.
Banjo-Kazooie are Raring to Go.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}}.
Terry Faces The Fury v2.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Terry}}.
Byleth Joins Smash House.png|Splash art of male {{SSBU|Byleth}}.
Byleth Recruits Byleth.png|Splash art of female Byleth.
Min Min Arms Herself.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Min Min}}.
Steve Rocks the Block.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Steve}}.
Alex Swaps In.png|Splash art of Alex.
Zombie Spawns In.png|Splash art of Zombie.
Enderman Steps from the Shadows.png|Splash art of Enderman.
Sephiroth Descends to Battle.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}.
Pyra Blazes Into Battle.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Pyra}}.
Mythra Awakens.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Mythra}}.
Kazuya Gets Ready For the Next Battle.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Kazuya}}.
Sora Is Finally Here.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Sora}}.
</gallery>

==Trivia==
*This is the only ''Super Smash Bros.'' game to:
**Have been released simultaneously worldwide.
**Allow {{SSBM|Master Hand}} to be playable without hacks or [[Master Hand glitch|glitches]].
**Feature more unlockable characters than starter characters.
**Have more returning stages than new stages.
**Have no unlockable stages.
**Feature [[Assist Trophies]] from third-party universes without playable characters, namely {{uv|Bomberman}}, {{uv|Shovel Knight}}, {{uv|Monster Hunter}}, and {{uv|Virtua Fighter}}.
**Feature universes owned by a current console rival to Nintendo (namely {{uv|Banjo-Kazooie}} and {{uv|Minecraft}}, which are both owned by [[Microsoft]]).
**Not remove any [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon from the prior installment.
*Because of the size of the USK's age rating icon, [[:File:Super Smash Bros Ultimate German boxart.png|the German version of the game]] has a slightly different variation of the box art: several fighters have their positions changed (such as [[Pikachu]], who is moved upwards), [[Yoshi]] is completely missing, and the logo is pushed to the right side.
*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.
*Although the game has been digitally available in Brazil since December 2018, the country did not officially get physical copies of the game until December 2022.<ref>[https://twitter.com/nintendobrasil/status/1578461555057778688 Versões físicas de títulos selecionados do console Nintendo Switch estarão disponíveis no Brasil até o fim do ano!]</ref>

==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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