Masahiro Sakurai, the man responsible for a lot of what has madeSuper Smash Bros.great since its inception, is tired, and I can’t say I’m surprised. The man worked so hard onSmash Ultimatethat he passed out during development. Okay, dehydration and a change to his diet apparently played a part in that too, but still, it’s unclear whether the man has another Smash game in him.
Whether Sakurai is up for more Smash or not, whenNintendofinally launches its successor to theSwitch, it’s going to want the next game in the series to be deep in development. Smash games tend to launch a year or two into a Nintendo console’s life cycle, so if the Switch 2 does arrive in 2024, I’m thinking we may well see a new Smash game in time for the 2025 holiday season. What I can’t see is what that Smash game could possibly look like.
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The most obvious option would be to give it the Deluxe treatment. Similar to Mario Kart 8, add a few new fighters, some extra stages, call it Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe, and away you go. No need to drag Sakurai away from his YouTube channel for too long, and thoseMario Kart 8 Deluxesales aren’t exactly terrible.
That would be great, but I’m hopeful Nintendo doesn’t take the easy route. There’s a better option, one the Smash series needs, and it didn’t hit me until I was playing Ultimate for the first time in months over the weekend. The roster is incredible. Barring going overboard with the sheer number of characters included, there’s no improving on it. However, the need to get as many people as possible into the game has left some of the long-standing Nintendo stalwarts feeling a little outdated.
There’s no better place to start thanMario. Mario uses his fire flower, a power he has had since the very firstSuper Mario Bros, and can spray opponents using FLUDD, a sidekick from a game that launched more than 20 years ago. The plumber has picked up so many more abilities since then. Give him Cappy fromSuper Mario Odyssey, and since we’ll have playedSuper Mario Bros. Wonderby the time we get a new Smash, his bubble and drill abilities could be a part of his moveset too.
Speaking of Wonder, other characters who have been a part of Smash, but received limited updates to their movesets over the years, can bring abilities from the new 2D game too. Let Daisy turn into an elephant. Give Peach the badge ability players can use to fire vines. As for Luigi, it’s about time Gooigi had a bigger role to play in Smash.
The residents of the Mushroom Kingdom aren’t the only Smash characters in dire need of updated movesets. Ultimate’s Link was lucky enough to come around after the success ofBreath of the Wild, so he doesn’t feel quite as dated as Mario. However, Link now has a slew of other abilities thanks toTears of the Kingdom. Giving him Ascend as a recovery move would be very cool. As for Zelda, the princess looks almost unrecognizable in Smash Ultimate compared to her look in Tears of the Kingdom. It’s definitely about time her Smash look was overhauled.
The list goes on. While Samus’s moves in Smash certainly aren’t dated, a couple of new tricks she picked up inMetroid Dread, like her spider magnet and flash abilities, would make using her in a new game feel a lot fresher.Kirbyhas also changed quite a bit since the puffball can now fit entire cars inside his mouth. Car Kirby plowing through opponents as a final smash seems like an obvious but effective way to go.PokemonTrainer’s companions could also use an update. I know we all love Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard, but how about mixing things up a bit? Scorbunny, Floragato, and Empoleon get my vote.
As someone who has been playing Smash sinceMelee, it pains me to say this, but updating movesets and giving characters a fresh coat of paint isn’t enough for some members of the roster. There are fighters who need to be removed entirely if we’re going to start the series over again. I know some of you are still convinced that a new F-Zero game is coming any day now, but in my Switch 2 Smash future, there is no Captain Falcon. And no, F-Zero 99 doesn’t count. There’s no Fox either, and Ness can also do one. Other characters have become Nintendo staples since then. An Inkling fromSplatoon, either Isabelle or Tom Nook fromAnimal Crossing, have Pyra/Mythra representing Xenoblade, and Byleth and Alear reppingFire Emblem. Oh, and for goodness sake, let us be Waluigi.
Simply put, with the likes of Mario and Link still as important to Nintendo as they have ever been, it can sometimes feel like Nintendo hasn’t actually moved on all that much. Not only have all of those characters evolved massively since they were a part of the first Smash roster, but other series have come along and replaced games that were a big deal for Nintendo two decades ago. The future of Smash is starting things all over again, and hey, that may well be the only way Nintendo lets Sakurai go free, even though I’m sure they’d want him on board for a new Smash, whether it’s a continuation of Ultimate or an entirely new game.
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