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}}

|developer = [[Bandai Namco]]<br>[[Sora Ltd.]]<!--Nintendo only published Ultimate, Namco and Sora developed it-->

|released = December 7, 2018 (worldwide)

|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}}

'''''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>

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.

==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.

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}}

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.

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.

*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>

[[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.  

*[[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.

*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]].

*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.

*[[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.  

*{{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.

*[[Super Sudden Death]] is now a separated battle mode, akin to ''Melee''.

*[[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.

*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>

*[[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.

*[[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.

*[[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.

*"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.

*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.

*[[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''.

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

*[[Self-destruct]]ing in online matches with stocks can take away two stocks instead of one (except on 1v1 battles)

**[[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''.

*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.

*[[Traction]] has been significantly increased across the cast, with all characters now having higher traction values than ''Smash 4''{{'}}s highest traction values.

*[[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.

**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.  

*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.

*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.

*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.

*[[Up smash]]es and [[up special]]s (by extension) can be used [[out of shield]] without jump-cancelling.

*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>

*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.

*[[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).

*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''.

*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.

*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.

*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.

*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''.

*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.

*[[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.

*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.

*[[Announcer]]-related changes:

***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.

*[[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.

*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.

*In stages originating from ''Smash 64'', [[background character]]s appear more frequently.

*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.

''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}}''.

 

==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.

 

 

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>

 

===Fighters===

Inkling poster.jpg|Official illustration of {{SSBU|Inkling}}.

 

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}}.

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}}.

Sora Is Finally Here.png|Splash art of {{SSBU|Sora}}.

*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.

**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.