Editing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''}}

{{articleIcons|ultimate=y|protected=preemptive|featured=y}}

{{future release}}

:''"SSBU" redirects here. For the Wii U version of [[Super Smash Bros. 4]], see [[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]. For the team, see [[Team:Super Smash Bros. University]].''

|developer = [[Bandai Namco]]<br>[[Sora Ltd.]]

|engine =

|releasedate = December 7, 2018

|modes =  

|platforms = [[Nintendo Switch]]

|ratings = {{vgratings|ESRB=E10+|PEGI=12|OFLCA=PG|USK=12|CERO=A}}

'''''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''''' ({{ja|大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ SPECIAL|Dairantō Sumasshu Burazāzu Supesharu}}, ''Great Fray Smash Brothers Special'') is an upcoming fighting game for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. It was first announced on March 8th, 2018 at the end of the [[Nintendo Direct]] released the same day. It will be the fifth installment in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series (sixth if both versions of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' are counted as two games). The game is scheduled to release on December 7, 2018.

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

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

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

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

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

The final [https://youtu.be/fccgHnBQ0YM ''Ultimate''-focused Nintendo Direct] presentation aired on November 1, 2018. This revealed Ken and Incineroar as new playable characters, as well as the inclusion of DLC fighters - Piranha Plant appearing shortly after launch, followed by five other unannounced (and currently unplanned) characters. It also took a deeper look at the game's modes and online infrastructure, and revealed Spirits mode, before finishing with the mode's opening cutscene and the reveal of the game's vocal theme, [[Lifelight]].

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

All 63 characters<!--THIS REFERS ONLY TO VETERANS. DO NOT ADD THE NEWCOMERS!--> (65 if counting the {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}'s Pokémon<!--MII FIGHTERS ARE ALWAYS COUNTED SEPARATELY. DISCUSS BEFORE CHANGING.!-->) from all previous ''Smash Bros.'' games return as playable characters. As well as the returning cast, 12 newcomers have been confirmed as of November 1st, 2018, with all newcomers to be revealed before the game's release. In total, this ensures that at least 75 characters (77 if counting the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon<!--MII FIGHTERS ARE ALWAYS COUNTED SEPARATELY. DISCUSS BEFORE CHANGING.!-->) are playable in the game, the most for any ''Smash Bros.'' game.

{{SSBU|Inkling}}, with various Girl and Boy designs from the original ''{{s|inkipedia|Splatoon}}'', was the first character confirmed to appear in the game as a playable character. {{SSBU|Ridley}}, a central villain from the {{uv|Metroid}} series, is also confirmed to be playable, with [[Meta Ridley]] as an alternate costume. {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}, arch-rival of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong from the {{uv|Donkey Kong}} series, is confirmed to be a playable newcomer as well, with his move-set drawing on his appearances as a boss in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' games onward. {{SSBU|Isabelle}} from the {{uv|Animal Crossing}} series, who previously appeared in ''Smash 4'' as an [[Assist Trophy]], makes her playable debut as the second ''Animal Crossing'' representative. Finally, in the November Direct, {{SSBU|Incineroar}} from ''Pokémon Sun & Moon'' was announced as the title's last base roster newcomer.

{{SSBU|Simon}} of the {{uv|Castlevania}} series has been announced as the game's first third-party newcomer.

Playable [[clone characters]] are now described as "Echo Fighters" and are marked with an epsilon symbol (ε). Returning characters {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} and {{SSBU|Lucina}} have been retroactively given this title, while new characters {{SSBU|Daisy}}, {{SSBU|Richter}}, {{SSBU|Dark Samus}}, {{SSBU|Chrom}}, and {{SSBU|Ken}} are confirmed to be Echo Fighters of {{SSBU|Peach}}, {{SSBU|Simon}}, {{SSBU|Samus}}, {{SSBU|Roy}}, and {{SSBU|Ryu}}, respectively. The character select screen in ''Ultimate'' will give players the option to display Echo Fighters in their own character slots, or to stack Echo Fighters with the character they are based on together in a single slot.

Only the starting characters from the first game are available from the start, the rest of the roster needs to be unlocked.

{{clr}}

{{SSBU character table}}

With the exception of the ''Super Smash Bros.''-original stages, all stages are ordered in chronological appearance and for the first time ever, all stages are available immediately from boot-up. It was also stated that all stages can be played with up to 8 players. All stages have both a [[Battlefield form]] and [[Ω form]].  

===New Items===

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

|[[Banana Gun]]||Shooting||{{n}}||Ejects the banana out of the peel and the player is left with the [[banana peel]] after using it.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}

|[[Beastball]]||Throwing||{{n}}||Reappears near an opponent after being thrown and targets them, covered in flames.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}

|[[Black Hole]]||Throwing||{{n}}||Creates a massive black hole, dragging all items and players nearby in. Throws the opposite side of user's orientation.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}

|[[Bomber]]||Special||{{n}}||Explodes in the player's hand when used, which only affects enemies. Will also explode after a short amount of time or if it falls off a ledge, affecting everyone.||{{symbol|kirby|26px|}}{{uv|Kirby}}

|[[Death's Scythe]]||Battering||{{n}}||Instantly KOs opponents at high percentages.||{{symbol|castlevania|26px|}}{{uv|Castlevania}}

|-

|[[Fake Smash Ball]]||Special||{{n}}||Flies around the stage, similar to the Smash Ball. Characters can break it in order to activate. Once broken, it will explode.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}

|[[Healing Field]]||Throwing/Recovery||{{n}}||Can be thrown on the ground. Once thrown, it will open up and will heal anyone standing on it.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}

|[[Healing Sprout]]||Throwing/Recovery||{{n}}||Sticks to fighters and gradually heals them. Can be transferred on contact like the [[Gooey Bomb]].||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}

|-

|[[Killing Edge]]||Battering||{{n}}||Will occasionally glow, causing it to do more damage.||{{symbol|fe|26px|}}{{uv|Fire Emblem}}

|[[Rage Blaster]]||Shooting||{{n}}||Does more damage the higher the user's [[damage]] is.||{{symbol|ssb|26px|}}{{uv|Super Smash Bros.}}

|-

|[[Ramblin' Evil Mushroom]]||Shooting||{{n}}||Emits spores that, when they hit an opponent, cause a mushroom to grow on that opponent's head, reversing their controls.||{{symbol|earthbound|26px|}}{{uv|EarthBound}}

|[[Staff]]||Shooting||{{n}}||Fires a laser which deals increased damage the greater its distance from the user.||{{symbol|kidicarus|26px|}}{{uv|Kid Icarus}}

|-

|[[Super Launch Star]]||Throwing||{{n}}||Can be set in midair, where it will attract and launch any characters that get too close to it. The launch has the potential to KO fighters.||{{symbol|mario|26px|}}{{uv|Mario}}

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

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

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

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

==Changes from ''SSB4''==

As ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is still in development, the information listed below has been taken from the E3 Demo version and gameplay trailers and may be subject to change after the official release of the game.

*In Vs. mode, the stage selection screen now appears before the character selection menu, making players select a stage before selecting characters.  

**The rule selection screen appears before the stage selection screen.  

*All stages now have a [[Battlefield form]]. [[Ω form]]s are also standardized to have the same underside shape akin to [[Final Destination]], with none of them having vertical walls.

*[[Stage hazard]]s can be turned off for the first time in the series, allowing players to remove intrusive elements, such as "environment changes or enemy appearances" from gameplay. What constitutes as a "hazard" is not yet clear, but seems to include even mild elements such as tilting or platform movement.

*The new [[Stage Morph]] option allows two stages to be selected at once; the two stages will transition into one another either at random or on specified time intervals.  

*[[Alternate costume]]s are now shown at the bottom of the player's portrait, with at least eight small stock icons representing each palette swap. Additionally, each color is now listed with a name from the numbers 1-8 (e.g. Color 5).

*In [[match timer|timed matches]], characters in the lead will occasionally flash with a gold sparkle.

*While a match is loading, an intense versus splash screen will appear, showing the combatants in their CSS renders and alternate costume. Consequently, this seems to remove [[tips]] - at least from where they were in ''Smash 4''.

*In one-on-one stock fights, the stock count of both fighters will be briefly displayed onscreen whenever a stock is lost. A small chime plays when the stock count is displayed.

*The character select screen is now similar in appearance to the original Super Smash Bros. 64 menu when starting the game, with the other fighters unlocked later on.

*While a fighter is knocked off the stage, a minimap which shows the character locations, [[blast zone]], and camera zoom will appear on the corner of the screen.

*The closer a fighter is to a blast zone, the smaller their "magnifying glass" camera becomes. It will start flashing when they are almost touching the blast line.

*Like {{SSB4|Little Mac}}'s [[Power Meter]] in ''Smash 4'', several characters now sport additional UI elements next to their damage meter, such as {{SSBU|Villager}}'s [[Pocket|Pocketed]] item, {{SSBU|Robin}}'s durability counters, or {{SSBU|Inkling}}'s Ink Tank gauge.

*Stages that once shared names now have been renamed. For example, the ''Smash 64'' version of Yoshi's Island is now Super Happy Tree and the ''Brawl'' version of Mario Circuit is now Figure-8 Circuit.

*Tracks in [[My Music]] are now organized by series rather than by stage, such that all music from a given series will be available across the stages corresponding to that series.

*[[Sound Test]] can be used to create music playlists, which can be played in handheld mode while the screen is off like a music player.  

**[[Squad Strike]] begins with two sides each choosing a set of three or five fighters, then battling with them in one of two ways:

***A two-player battle where each player uses their set of fighters within a single 1-on-1 match.

***A "crew battle" mode with two teams of players, each of whom brings one fighter from the set into 1-on-1 battle.

*Echo Fighters can either be displayed in their own character slots, or share their slot with the character they are based on, depending on user preference.

*The main text font from ''Melee'', ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'' does not appear to be used anymore.

*To increase gameplay speed, all damage taken in one-on-one fights with no items is multiplied by 1.2×.

*[[Short hop]] [[aerial attack]]s now have a damage multiplier of 0.85×. This is presumably to offset the aforementioned 1.2× damage increase.

*While [[knockback]] itself might be unchanged, the physics of launch movement are different from all previous games — characters have a much higher initial speed and deceleration, resulting in being launched at very high speeds yet slowing down to nothing very quickly. This new knockback behavior has been likened to hitting a balloon.

*[[Rage]] only becomes noticeable with damages of 120% or above, and its knockback increase has been toned down.

*[[Perfect shield]]s are performed in reverse: instead of pressing the shield button several frames before an attack connects, players have to ''release'' the shield button when an attack connects on their [[shield]] instead. This also causes the screen to pause briefly, with the fighter's eyes flashing to signify a perfect shield, and no shield damage being taken as a result. This updated mechanic makes perfect shielding a much riskier tactic, but allows a perfect-shielding fighter to retaliate much faster against attacks when successful.  

*It now takes 11 frames to shield drop, making the game less defense-focused.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/8rgc3i/did_a_framebyframe_breakdown_of_the_invitational/?st=jii2wdxz&sh=4cc5fc06</ref>

*Hitting a [[shield]] now contributes to [[Stale-move negation|staling]].

*If two [[grab]]s collide, both characters take minimal damage and act as if [[grab release]]d. This removes the effect of [[port priority]] in determining who gets the grab.

*[[Edge sweet spot]]s have become smaller.

*[[Footstool]]s have been nerfed, with opponents being able to [[tech]] on the ground during the footstool animation.

*[[Reeling]] can be teched on the ground, like in previous ''Smash'' games.

*[[Meteor smash]] attacks can no longer be teched when grounded, regardless of their electric properties.

*[[Lock]]s can now only be performed twice in a row.

*Characters can no longer run through [[shield]]ing characters and instead push them backwards, preventing [[cross-up]]s or mixups revolving around moving through an opponent. This also seems to affect several momentum-based moves, which now stop on shield (such as [[Fox Illusion]] and [[Heel Slide]]).  

*[[Screen KO]]s are much faster, making them once again faster than [[Star KO]]s.

*[[Sudden Death]] consists of the screen slowly zooming in, making the blast zones gradually shrink. It also appears to have a fixed camera angle, and the screen progressively gets covered in aesthetic flames, starting with the corners. If the screen has finished zooming in, [[Bob-omb]]s will start falling after a while.

*Timed battles can last 2 and a half minutes, which signifies more precise time limit options for [[versus mode]].

*[[Stamina Mode|Stamina]] battles are now part of the basic rule selection, allowing for combinations such as stamina with [[Stock|stocks]].

*The [[Final Smash Meter]] is a new [[Rules]] option that enables fighters to charge up their [[Final Smash]] over time for use without a [[Smash Ball]]. When this option is turned on, a gauge will appear under each fighter's [[damage]] display. The more damage the player takes, the more the meter is filled. When it is filled, the player can use a weaker version of their Final Smash.

*The [[jumpsquat]] timing of every character has been standardized to 3 frames.

*Full hops and midair jumps are sped up across the cast. However, this does not apply to extra midair jumps (such as Kirby's or Pit's).

*Landing lag for aerials and helplessness has been significantly reduced overall. For some moves, the landing lag is even less than in ''Melee'' with [[L-canceling]].

*[[Rolling]] and [[sidestep]]ping repeatedly now penalizes the user with increased startup and ending lag and less [[intangibility]] frames, leaving them more vulnerable.

**Backward rolls have more ending lag overall, hindering their utility further for retreating safely and making them practically different from forward rolls again, while sidesteps conversely have less ending lag overall.

*[[Perfect pivot]]ing can no longer be performed, as characters no longer enter their standing animation when turning around out of their initial dash.  

*[[Air dodge]]s now contain elements from all previous incarnations of the technique: airdodging to the left and right grants fighters a quick momentum boost in said direction like in ''Melee'', but without making them [[helpless]]. However, fighters can only air dodge once before landing or getting hit, and the directional version has roughly a full second of ending lag. Additionally, standard air dodges have more ending lag and incur noticeably less landing lag.

**[[Wavedashing]] has made a return from ''Melee'', but has been nerfed due to the new mechanics added to directional air dodging as well as increased landing lag. Techniques associated with wavedashing, like wavelanding, are also back, but to what extent is unclear.

*Initial dashes seem to have been lengthened, allowing some aspects of [[dash-dancing]] to return. However, characters cannot turn around until the entire dash animation is finished, making it more similar to [[fox-trotting]].

*Being sent into hitstun by any attack from behind will preserve the direction the character is facing, like with [[Back Slash]] in ''Smash 4'', having the effect of preserving the positions of their forward and back aerials.

*Characters can now perform any ground attack out of a run, including their [[neutral attack]], [[tilt attack]]s, and all [[smash attack]]s. In previous games, only [[dash attack]]s, [[up smash]]es and [[special move]]s could be performed out of a run. Characters can also instantly turn around to input any grounded attack in the other direction.

*Short hop aerial attacks can be performed by pressing the jump and attack buttons at the same time.  

*Rapid jab [[neutral attack]]s no longer push the user off edges when hitting opponents.

*[[Smash attack]]s can be charged about three times longer than previous games. Unlike in previous games, the damage increase from charging caps after a set period, but knockback continues to increase until the move is unleashed.

*[[Pummel]]s have been universally sped up, but deal less damage.

*[[Edge attack]]s have been buffed, now granting intangibility until the hitboxes cease rather than until 2 frames before the hitboxes come out, allowing them to beat out opposing attacks.  

*Most [[charge]]able neutral specials that can't be stored are now reversable, whether for the duration of the charge or right before they are unleashed.

*[[Taunts]] can now be canceled, and are performed much faster.

*The effectiveness of every [[tether recovery]] has been nerfed, as they cannot be performed out of [[air dodge]]s quickly, brought on by increased lag, and the amount of getup is the same as regular [[up special]]s.

*[[Final Smash]]es are quicker, with versions granting a controllable transformation being removed, so players can return to fighting quickly. As a result, many fighters receive new Final Smashes or have returning Final Smashes with altered functionalities, such as [[Landmaster]] being replaced by an Arwing cutscene, and [[Octopus]] dragging opponents offstage immediately after transforming.

*The particle effects of the game are significantly more cartoony, with a solid-color or cel-shaded aesthetic. Compared to ''Smash 4'', hits are signified by spark-like blows instead of colorful stars, while attack [[effect]]s appear visually longer-lasting or possess far larger particle effects.

*Most returning fighters feature a more subdued color scheme, but with slightly more detail in their models than from previous games.

*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.

*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.

*Grab immunity after a character is thrown or released from a grab is visually indicated by their model flashing yellow until it wears off.

*Star KO'd characters now use a tumbling animation similar to ''Brawl''{{'}}s Screen KOs, rolling away from the screen as they fly away.

*[[Final Smash]]es now cause a segment of the screen to show the upper portion of the summoner's face, which is taken entirely from the summoner's official artwork, before the move begins, similar to Chrom's appearance in [[Pair Up]].

**In Mr. Game & Watch's case, the close up is of where his eyes would be.

*Any characters standing too close to a Final Smash will visibly react to it.

*While [[rage]] is in effect, smoke will constantly come out of the damage meter.

*Many [[Assist Trophies]] and Final Smashes now affect the background of the stage.

*On the [[results screen]], the [[announcer]] now says "(Character name/Team color) wins!" ("(Character name/Team color) win!" in the Japanese version), instead of saying "The winner is... (character name/team color)!" (''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4''} or "This game's winner is... (character name/team color)!" (''Melee''). Additionally, after Team Battles, all teammates will perform their complete victory animation instead of only the player with the highest score/stock count, much like the first three installments.

**In ''Smash 64'', the announcer did say "(Team color) wins!", but this was changed in ''Melee''.

*In addition to some characters with a mirrored stance, some Assist Trophies and Poké Ball Pokémon face the screen regardless of the direction they turn towards.

*[[Name]]s now override some instances of character names, such as underneath the damage meter.

**If the player enters a name, any Poké Ball Pokémon or Assist Trophy character summoned by the player will be indicated by the player's name.

*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. If multiple players summon an Assist Trophy each, they will proceed to fight one another if close enough.

*When an Assist Trophy or [[Poké Ball]] is used at the edge of a stage or ledge, they no longer immediately fall off the stage/ledge.

*[[Smash Ball]]s and [[Fake Smash Ball]]s have a chance of spawning with [[Soccer Ball]] physics, rolling around the stage and respawning once they drop offstage. These despawn after a set time.

*The [[Boss Galaga]] causes a black background to cover the screen when it catches an opponent, complete with pixel stars. Additionally, if the Boss Galaga Star KOs a character, it can now be seen with the character in the distance. The star also becomes larger.

*The {{b|Hammer|item}} and [[Golden Hammer]] have a unique 8-bit-styled hit particle, resembling the particle effect used when Mario destroys a barrel in the original ''Donkey Kong''. The corresponding sound effect is also taken from the original game.

*The [[Warp Star]]'s descent can now be stalled by the user.

===Miscellaneous===

===Characters===

Ridley Hits the Big Time.png|Splash art of Ridley

Simon Lashes Out.png|Splash art of Simon

Richter Crosses Over.png|Splash art of Richter

Chrom Joins the Battle.png|Splash art of Chrom

Dark Samus Joins the Battle.png|Splash art of Dark Samus

King K. Rool Comes Aboard.png|Splash art of King K. Rool

Isabelle Turns Over a New Leaf.png|Splash art of Isabelle

Ken Turns Up The Heat.jpg|Splash Art of Ken

Incineroar_Enters_the_Ring.jpg|Splash Art of Incineroar

Piranha_Plant_Pipes_Up.jpg|Splash Art of Piranha Plant

*This is the first ''Super Smash Bros.'' game since the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' to not be announced alongside new hardware. ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' was revealed alongside the final retail version of the Nintendo GameCube at E3 2001; ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' was announced alongside the Wii itself, then-codenamed Revolution at E3 2005; and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' was announced alongside the Wii U at E3 2011. Moreover, unlike the latter two games, this is the first time since ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' that a ''Smash Bros.'' game is not announced years in advance, as ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' was announced in 2005 and revealed a year later, and ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' was announced in 2011 and revealed two years later, with both released in 2008 and 2014 respectively.

*This is the first ''Super Smash Bros.'' game to:

**Have a planned simultaneous worldwide release.

**Have the [[announcer]]'s English-language voice actor unchanged, with Xander Mobus reprising his role from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.

**Have none of its newcomers as starter characters.

**Feature [[Sonic (universe)|a third-party universe]] with more than one stage in the same game.

**Feature [[Castlevania (universe)|a third-party universe]] with more than one character.

**Feature [[Sonic (universe)|a third-party universe]] with more than one Assist Trophy.

**Have an Assist Trophy character originating from an [[Shovel Knight (universe)|indie game]].

**Have [[Kirby]] and [[Ness]] reuse a majority of their voice clips from the previous game.

**Not introduce a new type for a playable Pokémon (as both fire and dark were used in previous games).

*Because of the size of the USK icon on the game's box art, the German version has a slightly different variation of said box art: [[Pikachu]] is moved upwards, [[Yoshi]] is completely missing, and the logo is off-centered.<ref>https://twitter.com/ZeldaUniverse/status/1009908072205160450</ref>

*The ''Ultimate'' logo features the same curved line under the game title as ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', though it is no longer hidden behind the series name.

*''Ultimate''{{'}}s release date falls one day after the late Satoru Iwata's birthday, December 6 (which was also the release date of {{forwiiu}} in Japan).

*This is the second ''Super Smash Bros.'' game to feature hand-drawn artwork on the box art, with the first being the original ''Super Smash Bros''.

*This is the second ''Super Smash Bros.'' game that has been rated E10+ by the ESRB, the first being ''Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U''.

*This is the third ''Super Smash Bros.'' game that has been rated 12 by PEGI, the first being ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' and the second being ''Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U''.

*This is the first ''Super Smash Bros.'' game in which all of the [[Original 8]] fighters are depicted on the front cover of the boxart in their entirety.

<!--*This game marks the first appearance on the [[Nintendo Switch]] for King K. Rool, Samus, Zero Suit Samus, Ridley, Dark Samus, Pichu, Greninja, Ness, Lucas, Ice Climbers, Roy, Ike, Pit, Palutena, Dark Pit, Olimar, R.O.B., Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, Duck Hunt, Snake, Simon, and Richter. It is also the first, but not last, appearance for Samus, Ridley, Pichu, and Greninja.-->

*[http://www.smashbros.com/en_US/index.html/ Official ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' website]