Simple, yet additive
The biggest crossover game is worth the wait, writes Aiman Maulana
THE videogame industry has created numerous icons that virtually every game is easily recognised.
Now Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, for Nintendo Switch, has all of these characters in one game.
In this instalment of the Super Smash Bros. series, gamers are treated to a new story titled World of Light. It starts with The Lord of Light Galeem commanding an army of Master Hands to attack Smash fighters with the aim of recreating the universe in his own image.
The ensuing chaos results in all the fighters turning into spirits except for one, Kirby, who manages to escape with the Warp Star. Galeem’s attack engulfs the universe in a burst of light, leaving a barren wasteland inhabited by hostile spirits and†puppet fighters cloned from the captured fighters.
With no choice in the matter, Kirby has to set forth on an adventure to rescue his friends, rid the world of these puppets and take down Galeem. Unbeknown to everyone, there is yet another threat lurking in the shadows and waiting for the right time to strike.
UNIQUE SET OF ATTACKS
At its core, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn’t a fighting game, despite being treated as one. It’s more of a multiplayer party game with fighting game elements. Instead of a health bar where a depletion will result in a loss, players have a percentage meter instead. The higher the percentage, the easier it is for you to be sent flying off the stage.
What’s the purpose of that? Well, you win, or at least get points, by keeping opponents out of the stage or making them fall off it to their doom. In this sense, the percentage meter is more of a damage accumulation meter.
Each of the attack buttons, Standard and Special, has four different modes depending on the direction — Neutral (press the button alone), Side (press left and right sides), Up and Down.
Aside from that, you can grab your opponents and subsequently throw them, jump and shield. Just like the more recent entries, characters can also do their Final Smash signature move which will almost always eliminate enemies in style. Final Smash can only be used when you have broken the Smash Ball which randomly appears or when you have filled up the Final Smash meter.
In this sense, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a game that is simplistic in nature as every character uses the same commands to execute the attacks but has his own unique set of attacks.
There are 76 playable characters consisting of Nintendo characters and third party characters such as Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII. It is a simple game concept that is surprisingly addictive, and it continues to be exciting as more characters are expected in the future.
GOOD VARIETY
There are a good number of game modes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that gamers can enjoy alone and in multiplayer. For solo plays, you have Classic Mode, Adventure Mode and Mob Smash. For multiplayer, you have Smash, Squad Strike, Tourney and Special Smash. You can play with up to eight players at once if you have enough controllers.
Classic Mode is just like in previous entries where you select a difficulty and go through a set number of battles which will culminate in a final boss battle. The mode tailors accordingly with characters so each one has own unique experience and varying final boss battles. Eight different final bosses can be experienced in this mode alone.
Adventure Mode is where you go through the game’s main storyline — you initially play as Kirby, save the other fighters and have the ability to switch to the ones you have saved. It is the lengthiest Adventure Mode in
series history, and you have to fight through numerous battles with custom rules that add entertainment value and, at times, frustration due to how unfair it is. This will culminate in a final battle against Galeem.
As for Mob Smash, it is a survival-style mode where you fight against hordes of enemies and see how long you can last. While these enemies are usually weaker than their usual iterations, there is a mode where every enemy appearing in every wave is at full strength, and it is aptly named Cruel Smash.
As for the multiplayer modes, they are generally the same but with different rules set. In fact, you can set your own custom rules which can take fun and chaos to the next level.
While playing all of these modes, certain achievements are recorded and result in players receiving in-game rewards. This gives gamers incentive to try everything and continue playing for a long time.
CONCLUSION
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is arguably the most highly anticipated game for Nintendo Switch and it is the biggest in the series in terms of content. The game is simple in concept, yet still as addictive as ever with virtually anyone being able to enjoy alone or with friends both offline and online.
With achievements yielding in-game rewards and gamers having to unlock all the characters by playing the game, gamers are offered incentive to continue playing.
Nintendo has certainly outdone itself with this entry of the series, and there is still more to come in the future as Downloadable Content.
It is a must-buy game for Nintendo Switch owners. I award Super Smash Bros
Ultimate with a nine out of 10 rating.