What's New in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Everything You Need to Know

NEW CHARACTERS

While it’s true every previous Super Smash character will be playable in the new title, some are making their way to the series for the first time. Along with the returning 66 other characters, exactly three others will be brand new.

RIDLEY – METROID SERIES

Appearing at the end of the livestream as the biggest new reveal, antagonist of the Metroid series Ridley will be a playable character for the first time in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

In a short fighter video released since the livestream, we can see some of his moves including an immobilizing move where he drags an enemy across the ground, and upwards burst move, a counter and burst combo, and more. His Final Smash has him pin the enemy to Samus’ gunship as he charges up a massive fire blast from afar that delivers a huge explosion, and likely tons of damage.

Ridley has been scaled down from his much larger size in the Metroid series to better fit the stage size and balance him against other fighters.

INKLING GIRL/BOY – SPLATOON SERIES

The Inklings from Splatoon are making an appearance in Super Smash Bros. for the very first time, with a unique moveset that focuses heavily on their ability to ink up their environment and enemy players. Both the Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy are available to play, and in total there are eight unique outfits with each one having their own color ink.

When an opponent is inked by an Inkling, they will take more damage until the ink wears off. Different Splatoon weapons are available as Smash Attacks or Special Attacks, with the Inkbrush, Blaster, Slosher, Splat Bomb, and Splat Roller being shown in the gameplay footage besides the basic Splattershot used throughout. While jumping, the Inkling can change into its Squid form, and the Inkling can run out of ink with the ability to hit B to regenerate also available.

Its Final Smash is called the Killer Wail, and allows the Inkling to place a massive Special Weapon from Splatoon itself onto the playing field that shoots massive amounts of ink in one direction. In Splatoon, the Killer Wail shoots a sound wave that takes out all enemies in its path and can even travel through walls to damage enemies in cover.

DAISY – SUPER MARIO SERIES (AS ECHO FIGHTER)

Daisy is being added to the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an Echo Fighter to Princess Peach. This means her moveset is extremely similar to Peach’s, however, some tweaks will be special to her and she will also feature all-new animations for combo, taunts, and more.

On the next page, we give you a detailed look at how some previous Super Smash characters are being changed as they get brought over into Ultimate.

PREVIOUS CHARACTER CHANGES

Along with the new characters, some of the beloved past fighters in the series are getting some tweaks done to change either how they look and how they fight. All the returning characters getting new changes can be seen below with details on how they are adjusting when coming over to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Fighters getting a new or adjusted Final Smash move include Link, Fox, Falco, Zelda, Sonic, Pac-Man, Bowser, Shulk, Ganondorf, Pit, Zero Suit Samus, Wario, Donkey Kong, Little Mac, Ness, Lucas, and Mega Man.

Mario
- Cappy is shown on Mario’s head at certain points during combat.
- His wedding outfit from Super Mario Odyssey and building outfit from Super Mario Maker are available in-game.
Link
- Now wears his Champion’s tunic from Breath of the Wild.
- Tossable bombs are now remotely detonated and appear as they do in Breath of the Wild.
- Final Smash changed to Ancient Bow and Arrow.
- Classic Hero of the Wild green tunic also available to be worn.
Ice Climbers
- Nana can be separated from Popo making you more vulnerable.
Ike
- New character versions from Fire: Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
- Both character versions are voiced differently.
Pikachu
- Female version of Pikachu also available with heart-shaped tail.
- Pikachu Libre is featured as the female version.
Fox
- Design based on his outfit in Star Fox Zero.
- Final Smash received an overhaul that replaces The Landmaster tank with a multiple Arwing starship attack.

Falco
- Final Smash also receives an overhaul replacing The Landmaster with a multiple Arwing attack slightly less in formation than Fox’s.
Ryu
- In one-on-one fights, Ryu will turn to always face his opponent.
Samus
- Charge moves can now also be charged in mid-air, can be canceled with jump or dodge, but leaves you temporarily vulnerable.
Marth
- Dancing Blade weapon is faster and can string together hits more easily.
- Fully voiced in English.
Roy
- Binding Blade weapon is faster and can string together hits more easily.
Lucina
- Falchion Sword weapon is faster and can string together hits more easily.
- Appears as an Echo Fighter and heavily shares the moveset of Marth.

King Dedede
- Final Smash overhauled into a cage fight where he pushes an opponent into a cage wall and then hits them with missiles and a jet hammer.
Zelda
- Design based on her appearance in A Link Between Worlds.
- Final Smash changed to Triforce of Wisdom where an opponent is trapped in her Triforce shard until she unleashes a powerful magical attack.
Sonic
- Improved Super Sonic Final Smash that has Sonic dash repeatedly back and forth across the screen at an increased speed rather than more slowly when completely controlled by the player.
Pac-Man
- Final Smash got a speed boost.
Pokemon Trainer
- No penalty for sticking with only one Pokemon.
- Female Pokemon trainer version available for the first time.
Captain Falcon
- Can now trigger slow-mo effects on certain attacks during one-on-one fights.

Cloud
- Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children costume available.
- Limit Gauge now shown near his damage percentage at all times.
Robin
- Meter depicting how much longer Robin can use the Levin Sword and tomes shown above damage percentage.
Villager
- Icon now appears above head icon to show what item you have in your pocket.
- Combining the total of male and female versions, there are eight different types of villager to choose from.
Bowser
- Increased the size of Bowser during his Final Smash to how big he appears in Yoshi’s Island.
Mr. Game & Watch
- New design that more closely resembles how he appears in his original games.
- Transformations are now “more full of character.”
Young Link
- Marks the first time three Link versions have been in one game (including normal Link and Toon Link).

Wolf
- Design based on his appearance in Star Fox Zero.
- Every move in his arsenal has received an upgrade.
Kirby
- Kirby’s Stone Ability can now also make him turn into a chest from Breath of the Wild.
- Has a copy ability for every single fighter, including all new ones.
Shulk
- No longer requires repeated buttons presses to toggle Monado arts, and instead can be selected from a button press and directional tilt.
- Fiora added to Final Smash.
Ganondorf
- Redone design based on how he appeared in Ocarina of Time.
- Final Smash changed so he becomes Demon King Ganon instead of Beast Ganon.
Mii Fighters (Brawler, Sword Fighter, and Gunner)
- Proportions have been adjusted.
- Move sets have been enhanced.
- Choose from 12 voice options.
- Hinted at possible online battling incorporation.
Pit
- Final Smash changed from the Three Sacred Treasures (Mirror Shield, Wings of Icarus, and Arrow of Light) to The Lightning Chariot.

Zero Suit Samus
- Final Smash changed from damage coming from her Gunship to damage coming from a laser blast from her Power Suit.
Olimar
- Helmet can get cracked when he gets damaged, and is instantly fixed after the blow.
Bayonetta
- Costumes from both Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 are available.
- Sound effects are different for each costume.
- Rodin can now appear as an Assist Trophy.
Wario
- Final Smash Wario-Man has changed so it no longer includes individual, regular moves and instead is a strung-along damage animation.
Donkey Kong
- Final Smash changed to close-range, rapid-fire punches akin to Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.
- Has new and more expressive facial animations along with other, not mentioned characters.
Little Mac
- Giga Mac Final Smash changed to a string of close-range, rapid-fire attacks.

Ness
- Final Smash now features Paula and Poo.
Lucas
- Final Smash now features Kumatora and Boney.
Wii Fit Trainer
- New and more detailed face design by request of the Wii Fit developers.
Mega Man
- Final Smash now also features Proto Man and Bass.
Palutena
- Now has a special attack for each move.
- Down Special is now a counter and deflector.
R.O.B.
- Has a new illuminated gauge on his side that shows how much longer he is able to hover for.
Dark Pit
- Appears as an Echo Fighter and heavily shares the moveset of regular Pit.
Daisy
- Appears as an Echo Fighter and heavily shares the moveset of Princess Peach.

Check out the next page where we break down all the new stages coming to players in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

NEW STAGES

The returning stages specifically mentioned in the livestream include Snake’s Shadow Moses Island, Captain Falcon’s Big Blue stage, and Megaman’s Wily Castle with all the hazards from both the 3DS and Wii U versions.

Other non-verbally specified returning stages could be seen during the announcement, as well as in later gameplay footage from Nintendo Treehouse Live. The full list of all the confirmed returning stages so far can be found here, with over 60 of them in total so far. As for the new maps, we got to see a little gameplay on the two new ones.

MORAY TOWERS

This stage mimics the level design of the map of the same name in Splatoon and Splatoon 2. It features two large towers that are connected in the center, however, in Ultimate it will just feature one individual tower for players to fight on.

Along with flashing city lights and bright neon paint scattered about, you will also be able to see Judd and Li’l Judd dancing and cheering you on from the second level of the stage.

GREAT PLATEAU TOWER

This beginning area from Breath of the Wild has been made into a new map. In the background, you will be able to make out Hyrule Castle being engulfed by Calamity Ganon, and the Old Man who lives in the Great Plateau will even drift down onto the tower with his paraglider to watch the fight himself.

The top of the tower can be destroyed as the battle goes on, and can be repaired again by the Sheikah Slate pillar.

It was also stated that all stages new and returning will have Battlefield and Omega forms as well, meaning they now hover over an abyss with all their sizes and terrain remaining the same. The main changes are simply the music and backdrops for the stages.

On the next page we take a look at not just the new Assist Trophies confirmed for Ultimate, but a few new Pokemon and items as well.

NEW ASSIST TROPHIES

The Assist Trophy is an item that lets you call in a randomized character to help you in battle. A few new ones were shown off during the livestream, with a few details shared on how they will work in Ultimate. Along with being able to K.O. an Assist Trophy like in previous Super Smash Bros. titles, doing so will now gain you a point. However, you will not be able to K.O. some Assist Trophies such as the Nintendogs or Andross since they can not be fought at close-range.

The new Assist Trophies announced include:

The Squid Sisters
- The Squid Sisters from Splatoon will host a concert in the middle of the stage with the camera moving slowly closer as they sing. This will limit the size of the stage and make it easier to be knocked off.
Rodin
- Rodin, or the Infinite One, from Bayonetta was shown punching an enemy with enlarged fists through summoned, temporary portals. He is also shown tossing a Drill Arm back to Bayonetta before disappearing from the fight.
Bomberman
- Bomberman was shown hopping around the platforms of a stage while laying bombs in his path. They explode in the normal four-pointed fashion just as they do in the Bomberman series.
Burrowing Snagret
- The Burrowing Snagret, an enemy in Pikmin and Pikmin 2, has the ability to burrow underground and emerge somewhere else to attack. In the footage, it is shown pecking and damaging Olimar with its head sticking out of the ground.
Sukapon
- This character is a fighting robot from Joy Mecha Fight who has limbs separate from its torso, allowing it to have a bit more flexibility when fighting enemy players.

It was said more than 50 Assist Trophies will be featured in Ultimate, with past ones including Midna, Starfy, Nintendogs, Pac-Man Ghosts, Waluigi, Knuckle Joe, Metroid, Lyn, Andross, and Riki shown specifically.

NEW POKEMON

New Pokemon have also been exhibited, which are used by throwing a Pokeball item in battle. The new ones shown include:

Bewear
- Appearing for the first time in Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, Bewear is a massive bear-like Pokemon that is a combination of Normal/Fighting-type and is considered to be the most dangerous Pokemon in Alola. In the footage, he is shown uppercutting an enemy as seen above.
Solgaleo
- Solgaleo is one of the two final forms of Cosmog in Pokemon Sun as part of the cosmic duo. It resembles a white lion and is a Psychic/Steel-type Pokemon. It is sometimes referred to as “the beast that devours the sun.” It was shown doing a fire dash-like move towards an enemy in gameplay.

NEW ITEMS

Just a few items were also shown with some gameplay, with more promised for the final release. Those items include:

Healing Field
- An item that can be thrown to create a small healing radius which you can stand inside to gain health back.
Black Hole
- An item you can toss to create a black hole which sucks up nearby enemies and holds them in air, making them immobile.
Launch Star:
- A star-shaped item that allows the player to pass through like a checkpoint to launch you across the stage.
Fake Smash Ball
- Very similar in appearance to the actual Smash Ball, this one will shatter if you try and break it and create an X-shaped explosion. The only difference between it and the Smash Ball is the width of the two lines on the ball are reversed.

On the final page, we take a look at some of the new technical moves coming to Ultimate in December.

NEW TECHNIQUES AND MORE

To wrap it up, the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate footage showed off a few new techniques that players will be able to use in battle. These are never before seen moves, combos, or abilities that include:

Being able to hit attack to cancel your attack.
Press and hold attack for rapid strikes.
Can now attack while on ladders.
Can dodge while in air for more mobility, referred to as the Directorial Air Dodge.
Excessive dodging makes you more vulnerable with a lower duration of intangibility.
Can press A and Jump to short hop attack at any point during battle.
Perfect Shield needs to be timed more carefully to do it successfully.
More damage is done to enemies in one-on-one battles than in battle with three or more players.
During battles, the fighter who is winning will occasionally have a sparkle effect behind them so you know who to focus on.

It was also announced Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be compatible with GameCube controllers, and all Super Smash series amiibo figures are compatible with the game along with all amiibo variations of a fighter. Fighter Player data from previous titles can be transferred over to Ultimate this way.

For more on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, check out the official box art for the game or the voice actor who will be returning as Snake in the new title.

About the author

Haley MacLean

Video games are a true unification of art and technology, and I'm amped to be able to write about them. Lover of all things Nintendo, obsessed with narrative driven games, and hopes the couch co-op genre makes a return soon. BA/BJ/MJ from University of King's College, NS, Canada.

What’s New in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Everything You Need to Know