| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | |
|---|---|
 Box art, showcasing some of the game's large playable roster | |
| Developers | |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Director | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Producers |
|
| Programmer | Tetsuya Otaguro |
| Artist | Yusuke Nakano |
| Composer | Hideki Sakamoto |
| Series | Super Smash Bros. |
| Platform | Nintendo Switch |
| Release | December 7, 2018 |
| Genre | Fighting |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[a] is a 2018crossoverfighting game developed byBandai Namco Studios andSora Ltd. and published byNintendo for theNintendo Switch. It is the fifth[b] installment in theSuper Smash Bros. series, succeedingSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U (2014). The game follows the series' traditional style of gameplay, in which players control one of thevarious characters and use attacks to weaken their opponents and knock them out of an arena. It features a wide variety ofgame modes, including asingle-playercampaign andmultiplayer versus modes.Ultimate features 89 playable fighters, including all characters from previousSuper Smash Bros. games as well as newcomers. The roster ranges from Nintendo characters to those fromthird-party franchises.
Planning for the game had begun by December 2015, with full development starting after the completion of3DS/Wii U'sdownloadable content (DLC). Series creator and directorMasahiro Sakurai returned along with Bandai Namco Studios and Sora, the studios that developed3DS/Wii U, with their return speeding up the preparation process. Sakurai's goal withUltimate was to include every character from previous games in the series, despite the various development and licensing challenges this would present. Several well-known video game musicians contributed to the soundtrack, withHideki Sakamoto writing the main theme "Lifelight".Ultimate was first teased in aNintendo Direct in March 2018, with Nintendo'sE3 2018 Direct primarily revealing and featuring it that subsequent June.Ultimate receiveddownloadable content adding new fighters, stages, and other content until October 2021.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released on December 7, 2018. The game received acclaim from critics, who lauded its refined gameplay and fine-tuning of the series' best elements as well as its extensive variety of content and characters, while its online mode was negatively received for its technical performance and matchmaking.Ultimate is often considered to be one of the best titles on the Switch andone of the greatest video games ever made, becoming a popular competitive fighting game inesports like its predecessors. It is also the best-selling fighting game in history and one of thebest-selling games on the Switch, having sold over 36 million copies as of March 2025.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is aplatform fighter for up to eight players in which characters fromNintendo games and third-party franchises fight to knock each other out of an arena. Each player has a percentage meter that increases as they take damage, representing the amount of knockback they take from attacks; the higher a character's percent, the easier it is to launch them into the air and out of the arena.[2] Standard battles use one of three victory conditions: Timed, where players aim to earn the most KOs within a time limit; Stock, where each player or team has a set number of lives and aims to be the last player standing; and Stamina, in which the percentage meter is replaced with ameasure of hit points that opponents try to reduce to zero to win. Players can adjust the rules to their liking and save them as presets for future matches.[3]
Players have the option to enable various items to spawn at random during battle, which can be picked up and used in various ways to grant them an advantage; for instance, Poké Balls and Assist Trophies respectively summonPokémon and other non-playable characters to assist the user in battle. In Timed matches, certain Assist Trophies can be attacked and defeated to earn points.[4][5][6] Each character also possesses a powerful Final Smash attack, which can be performed either by obtaining a Smash Ball or by filling up a special meter, either of which can be toggled on and off.[4][5][6] The base game features 103 different stages (plus one additional stage added in a free update), with additional stages being bundled alongside DLC fighters. Most stages have dynamic elements and hazards that can be toggled on or off in the rules, and each stage has an alternative Battlefield and Omega form with standardized layouts. A new feature called Stage Morph allows players to select two stages that the game alternates between at certain intervals during a match.[7][8][9] Other tweaks include new icons and gauges for character-specific abilities, such asCloud's Limit gauge.[8]
In addition to returning modes such as Classic, Special Smash, and Home-Run Contest,Ultimate adds new modes. These are Smashdown, where each character can only be played once; Squad Strike, where players battle in teams of multiple characters; and Tourney, a tournament mode that allows up to 32 players to battle in playoff brackets.[10][11]
Ultimate introduces the Spirits mechanic, replacing the collectible trophies from previous games. Each of these Spirits, based on characters from represented franchises, can be used to power up a fighter with unique abilities.[12] Players mainly gain Spirits through pre-made challenges called "Spirit Battles" that represent the character the Spirit depicts, which are embodied by one or more of the game's fighters and other specific level effects. For example, the Spirit battle of Rayquaza, a flying dragon Pokémon, requires players to defeat a large version of Ridley with a similar color palette and wind effects. Players are encouraged to strategically choose Spirits based on the level effects; in the same example, a player would need to equip a Spirit that provides wind resistance or immunity, or one that allows them to deal extra damage to a giant opponent. A separate mode called the Spirit Board presents a rotating set of Spirit battles for players to gain Spirits from. Spirits have a growth and evolution system, in which they can be leveled up to become more powerful or converted into Cores to summon new Spirits.[13] Certain Spirits will also become an "enhanced" form upon reaching max level, but will return to level 1. Nintendo offers limited-timed Spirit events in cross-promotion with other games and franchises, with the Spirits featured only available to collect during the event. Eventually, these Spirits make their way into general rotation and can be found on the Spirit Board.[14] The local multiplayer mode also allows for the option to use Spirits.[citation needed]
Ultimate features the return of Adventure Mode, which was absent in3DS/Wii U. It is now integrated into the Spirits mode with a new story,World of Light, which prominently uses the game's Spirit mechanics.[12][15] The mode's narrative begins with an evil entity, Galeem, destroying theSmash Bros. world, vaporizing almost all of the fighter characters and placing them under his imprisonment; onlyKirby, due to his Warp Star, evades this attack.[16] Players explore the titular World of Light, a new world that Galeem created in the original world's place, to rescue captured fighters and Spirits -the remnants of other characters' physical forms- by completing marked Spirit Battles. Players can use regained allies and Spirits to overcome certain challenges on the map and defeat Galeem.[12][17] However, after Galeem is defeated, a new enemy, Dharkon, emerges; after Dharkon's defeat, it wages war against Galeem. If just Galeem is defeated, Dharkon will engulf the world in darkness, but if just Dharkon is defeated, then Galeem will cover the universe with light. However, by defeating an equal amount of light and dark Spirits on the final map, players are able to challenge and defeat both of them, freeing the Spirits from their control.[18]
The game supports local multiplayer, local wireless with other systems, and online play viaWi-Fi orLAN connections. By defeating players online, players earn tags which can be traded for in-game currency to buy new Spirits, music, andMii Fighter costumes. The game is compatible withJoy-Con controllers, theNintendo Switch Pro Controller, andGameCube controllers via a USB adapter.[19] Like the previous entry,amiibo figurines can be used to create AI-controlled Figure Players, which can be trained to become stronger.[20][21] Shortly after the game's release, a service for the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app, known as "Smash World", was launched, which allows players to check their game statistics and share images and videos captured from the game to social media.[22]Ultimate features over 900 music tracks, which can be played through the Switch's handheld mode while in standby mode.[23] Version 3.0 of the game, released in April 2019, adds a Stage Builder, which allows players to create custom stages which can be shared or downloaded through the Switch Online service. The update also includes a replay editor, allowing players to edit stored replays, which can be shared online or downloaded to other devices. These replays are available within the Smash World app.[24] An update in May 2019 provided limited support for thevirtual reality VR Kit ofNintendo Labo, allowing players to view computer-only matches in VR or play in a 1-on-1 mode against the computer.[25] An update in September 2019 added the Home-Run Contest mode from previousSmash games.[26]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, like other games in theSuper Smash Bros. series, features acrossover cast of fighters from several differentNintendo franchises, as well as fighters from series bythird-party developers such asKonami,Sega,Capcom,Bandai Namco Entertainment,Square Enix,Atlus,Microsoft,SNK,Mojang Studios, andDisney. The base game features 74 playable fighters,[c] consisting of all 63 previous fighters from past entries and 11 newcomers: theInklings from theSplatoon series;Princess Daisy from theMario series;Ridley and Dark Samus from theMetroid series;Simon and Richter Belmont from theCastlevania series;Chrom fromFire Emblem Awakening;King K. Rool from theDonkey Kong series;Isabelle from theAnimal Crossing series;Ken Masters from theStreet Fighter series; and Incineroar fromPokémon Sun andMoon.[28] When starting the game, players only have access to the eight starter characters of the originalSuper Smash Bros. and unlock the rest by completing the game's Classic mode, playing through World of Light, or fighting a certain amount of battles.[27]
Certain characters whose movesets are directly based on other characters are now classified as "Echo Fighters", possessing similar movesets and proportions to the fighters they are based on, but with unique animations and gameplay differences. On the character selection screen, these characters can either be listed individually or stacked with the fighters they are based on.[29][30] Select characters also have alternative skins featuring different genders or sometimes other characters, such asBowser Jr., who has the otherKoopalings as skins, but with identical animations and abilities.[8][31][30] Several returning characters received updates to their appearances, such asMario having Cappy fromSuper Mario Odyssey accompanying him andThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's incarnation ofLink replacing the one fromTwilight Princess.[31]
Additional fighters have been added to the game via post-releasedownloadable content (DLC). The first of these,Piranha Plant from theMario series, was released in January 2019 and made available for free to those who purchased and registered the game with aMy Nintendo account before the end of that month.[32][33] Additional fighters, each coming with a unique stage and related music, have been released both individually and as part of two Fighters Pass bundles.[34][35] The first Fighters Pass consisted of five characters:Joker fromAtlus'Persona 5, released in April 2019;[24] the Hero[d] from Square Enix'sDragon Quest series, released in July 2019;[37]Banjo & Kazooie fromRare'sBanjo-Kazooie series, released in September 2019;[38]Terry Bogard fromSNK'sFatal Fury series, released in November 2019;[39] andByleth fromFire Emblem: Three Houses, released in January 2020.[40]
The second Fighters Pass, titled Fighters Pass Volume 2, consisted of six additional fighters and was the final content planned forUltimate.[41][42] The first character in this collection, Min Min fromARMS, was released in June 2020.[43]Steve,[e] the default player avatar fromMojang Studios'Minecraft, was released in October 2020.[45][46]Sephiroth, the antagonist from Square Enix'sFinal Fantasy VII, was released in December 2020, with players able to unlock him a few days early by defeating him in a limited-time boss battle known as the "Sephiroth Challenge".[47] Pyra and Mythra, a dual character fromXenoblade Chronicles 2, were released in March 2021.[48]Kazuya Mishima from Bandai Namco'sTekken series was released in June 2021.[49]Sora from Square Enix andDisney'sKingdom Hearts series was the final fighter to be added in October 2021.[50]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was developed byBandai Namco Studios andSora Ltd., the same studios that developedSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U, for theNintendo Switch, with series creatorMasahiro Sakurai returning as game director.[31] Unlike previousSuper Smash Bros. games, the team was not assembled from the ground up, which sped up preparation time.[51] The project plan for the game was in the works by December 2015, when the DLC for3DS andWii U was in development,[52] and finished after it was completed.[53] Staff gathering was done soon afterward.[52] The development period was shorter compared to previous entries in the series.[54]Hatena assisted with the development of some elements,[55] andtri-Crescendo contributed to programming and design.[56]
According to Sakurai, producing aSuper Smash Bros. game for the Switch was the last request that former Nintendo presidentSatoru Iwata had given him before his death in 2015, and he wanted to make the game the best possible product he could to respect him.[57] Sakurai sought to include every character from previous games, as to not disappoint fans.[58] However, he knew this would be a complex problem for both development and licensing;[31] it would also drastically increase the cost of development. The return of Bandai and Sora made it easier for this to happen.[51] Sakurai also wanted to adjust character abilities to speed up the game,[31] although not to an extent that would alienate players unfamiliar with the series.[52] Sakurai knew thatUltimate was a core game for Nintendo and that it had a dedicated player base that he did not want to disappoint, and believed that completing this goal was necessary to satisfy them.[31] Sakurai was also faced with the decision to either create a completely new game system or build off of pre-existing ones; he chose to build off pre-existing ones because there would only be about a third of the characters he desired in the final game.[52] All the returning characters' abilities had to be re-balanced so they could work inUltimate.[54] Originally, gameplay would differ between the Switch's docked and handheld modes, but Sakurai scrapped this idea since the system's screen in handheld mode was better than he thought.[53] Sakurai believed this would be the onlySmash game to have the full roster of returning characters, calling the effort to include the characters, music, stage settings, and other elements as "unprecedented", and cautioned that future games in the series would likely be smaller in scope. However, he still wanted to add as many fighters as possible through DLC.[59]
Voice lines recorded byDavid Hayter for Snake were re-used forUltimate.[60]Xander Mobus, who voiced Crazy Hand,Master Hand, and the announcer inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U, also made a return with new voice clips, in addition to reprising his role asJoker fromPersona 5 when he was added as DLC.[61] The addition of Ridley fromMetroid as a playable character had been highly requested within theSuper Smash Bros. community for some time. In 2008, Sakurai stated that he knew Ridley was a high-demand character, but thought that he was "impossible" to add unless they were able to sacrifice the character's size for balancing purposes.[62] So that Ridley could be included in the game, Sakurai studied the art of the character and redesigned him so he could stand upright.[54] All characters were chosen at the beginning of development except for Incineroar, who had not been created yet;[63] the team instead left a space open for aSun and Moon Pokémon. The Inklings' inkmechanic proved challenging to implement due to its interactions with environments.[53]
The team builtUltimate from scratch with new assets and content. Localization manager Nate Bihldorff stated that the game significantly upgraded lighting effects and texture rendering from thegame engine of theWii U version.[6] The World of Light mode was inspired byBrawl's (2008) Subspace Emissary, and Sakurai chose to start it with a cataclysmic event because he thought it would leave a greater impact on players.[53] The team conceived the Spirits mechanic because they wanted to create an enjoyable single-player mode, but did not have enough resources to createcharacter models. While it did not let them tell stories for individual fighters or create new locations and rules, it let them use various characters and assets.[58] One part of the team chose Spirits to include in the game and had to thoroughly research them; according to Sakurai, the Spirits mode was essential for using various franchises.[53]
Like previous games in the series,Ultimate features several well-known video game music composers and arrangers providing a mix of original music and rearrangements of various tracks for the represented franchises, with over 1,000 tracks in total.[64][65][66] New toUltimate is the tying of tracks to franchises instead of individual stages, as well as the ability to create custom playlists to listen to outside the game when the Switch is in handheld mode.[64] Sakurai stated that he began contacting composers over a year before release, providing them with a database of over a thousand suggested track ideas.[67] In addition, he allowed them to submit their own personal favorites, with those choices being given priority for inclusion.[67] While Sakurai oversaw the process and preferred that the music retain the spirit of the original games, the direction of them was generally handled by the composers themselves.[67] The main theme, "Lifelight", composed byHideki Sakamoto, is the basis of most of the game's original music.[68][69]
As with previous entries, Nintendo planned to offer new fighters through DLC; however, unlike with the3DS andWii U, where players could request which characters they wished to see in the game, Nintendo chose which characters they would add by November 2018.[70] Like the previous title, additional Mii costumes were released as paid DLC, with certain costumes also adding new music tracks to the game.[71] Sakurai believed that despite characters likeJoker, the first announced DLC fighter, not being from games usually associated with Nintendo, they were added because they were "emblematic" of the types of characters they wanted to add toUltimate. He also stated that they "bring just a whole different level of fun and enjoyment for players".[72] The Piranha Plant was chosen as a DLC character because Sakurai wanted to add diversity to the roster.[63] Nintendo met withRare studio head Craig Duncan at E3 2018 to discuss the possibility of including Banjo and Kazooie as downloadable content; Duncan, believing it to be "a great opportunity", agreed and connected the two development teams for further discussions.[73] Sakurai noted that Banjo and Kazooie were the second most requested character forSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U in a Nintendo-sanctioned fan vote in 2015,[74] and that their addition happened "quite easily", despite the property being owned byMicrosoft through its acquisition ofRare.[75]Phil Spencer, the head ofXbox, stated that negotiating their inclusion was "an easy deal to make" thanks to Microsoft's strong partnership with Nintendo.[76]
The development of Fighters Pass Volume 2 was heavily affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as due tostay-at-home orders in Japan, Sakurai and his development team had to work remotely.[43] According to Daniel Kaplan ofMojang Studios, early discussions between Nintendo andMicrosoft about includingMinecraft content in theSuper Smash Bros. series had begun roughly five years prior to Steve's addition into the game.[77] The character's inclusion required the development team to rework every stage in the game to accommodate Steve's gameplay mechanics.[78] Sakurai had wanted to includeSora fromKingdom Hearts in the game because he was the top fighter requested forNintendo 3DS andWii U in the 2015 fan vote.[79] However, they initially thought that the legality surrounding the intellectual property withDisney would be insurmountable, and originally planned for only five fighters in the second pass. However, Sakurai met a Disney representative at an award venue, which facilitated the start of negotiations for Sora's inclusion. Nintendo, Disney, andSquare Enix saw towards including Sora in the game and overseeing all aspects related to his inclusion, with several limitations and guidelines they were required to follow.[80] The Sora Challenger Pack featured a promotional tie-in with the 2020 rhythm gameKingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory: players withMelody of Memory save data on their Nintendo Switch would unlock the music track "Dearly Beloved (Swing Version)".[81]
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On March 8, 2018, Nintendo announced that the nextSuper Smash Bros. game would release on the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2018.[82] The teaser, broadcast in an onlineNintendo Direct presentation, did not reveal the title of the game.[83] However, it showed several characters, including Mario, Link, and the Inklings fromSplatoon, the last of which would be new to theSuper Smash Bros. series.[84] AtE3 2018 that June, Nintendo revealed the game's title asSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, and announced that it would be released on December 7, 2018.[30] The E3 presentation detailed several changes to the gameplay ofUltimate compared to previous titles, and highlighted that every playable character from past installments of the series would return inUltimate,[85] in addition to new characters like the Inklings and Ridley from theMetroid series, who was announced at the end of the presentation.[30][86] Afterwards, Nintendo hosted an invitational tournament for the game featuring competitive players ofSuper Smash Bros.for Wii U andMelee.[87][88]
Demo versions were playable at E3 and atSan Diego Comic-Con the following month.[89][90]IGN nominatedUltimate for its Best Game of E3 2018 award; the game won Best Nintendo Switch Game from bothIGN andGamescom.[91][92] Two Nintendo Direct presentations in 2018, one on August 8 and another one on November 1, were devoted to the game, revealing new characters, stages, and game modes.[93][94]
Nintendo releasedSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate worldwide on December 7, 2018.[17] In addition to the standard retail version, a special edition containing aSuper Smash Bros.-themedNintendo Switch Pro Controller[95] and a Switch with a download code was also released.[96] An additional special edition contained a pair ofSuper Smash Bros.-themedJoy-Con as well as a Switch console, aSuper Smash Bros.-themed dock, and a download code for the game.[97] AGameCube controller with theSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate logo was released on November 2, 2018.[98]
One of the game's new additions had the characterMr. Game & Watch assuming the appearance of a feather- and loincloth-wearingNative American when using one of his attacks—a reference toFire Attack (1982), in which players controlled acowboy defending his fort from attacking indigenous people. Some users on social media saw this as racist, leading to Nintendo of America apologizing and removing the animation in an update shortly after release.[99] Two weeks before its release, a leaked copy of the game was distributed across the internet. Nintendo took steps to issue copyright strikes on YouTube videos usingdata mined content, while fans worked to isolatespoilers, particularly the World of Light story mode, from those that had played the leaked version.[100]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 93/100[101] |
| OpenCritic | 97% recommend[102] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 9.5/10[103] |
| Edge | 9/10[104] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 9.5/10[105] |
| Eurogamer | Essential[106] |
| Famitsu | 38/40[107] |
| Game Informer | 9.5/10[108] |
| GamePro | 87/100[109] |
| GameSpot | 9/10[111] |
| GamesRadar+ | 4.5/5[110] |
| IGN | 9.4/10[17] |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 18/20[112] |
| Nintendo Life | 10/10[113] |
| Nintendo World Report | 9/10[114] |
| USgamer | 4.5/5[115] |
Ultimate received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to thereview aggregator platformMetacritic.[101] Fellow review aggregatorOpenCritic assessed that the game received "mighty" approval, being recommended by 97% of critics.[102] Critics lauded the huge cast of characters and levels, new game modes, and combining of the best elements from its predecessors.[116] French video game websiteJeuxvideo.com called it the best game in the series, praising its features which "brilliantly mix gargantuan content with nostalgia".[112]Bleacher Report hailed the game's colorful art style, faster gameplay, and unique stages.IGN praised the game's decision to bring back every character from the series as "ambitious and excellent".[17] The game's massive soundtrack and portable music player were praised byThe Verge.[117]
However, the game's online mode received criticism for its technical performance and matchmaking. Many players found significantlag affecting their games, even when using wired connections over wireless, while the game's matchmaking features did not adhere to players' criteria, with players frequently playing matches with rule sets they did not choose. The matchmaking process was further criticized for making it difficult for friends to join matches over random players, and not allowing multiple local players to join in online matches.[118] There had been so many complaints onUltimate'ssubreddit that the administrators forwarded all complaints to a separate thread.[119] The lag and loading time issues are lessened on theNintendo Switch 2, which isbackwards compatible with Switch games such asUltimate.[120][121] TheWorld of Light mode also received mixed reviews. While some found the single-player mode both accessible and challenging,[122][123] others found the mode tedious and excessive.[124][125]
In November 2018, Nintendo announcedUltimate was the most pre-ordered game for the Switch and in the series.[126]The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment reported thatUltimate was the fastest-selling Switch andSuper Smash Bros. game in the United Kingdom, with physical launch sales 302% higher than those forSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, 233% higher than those for3DS, and 62.5% higher than those forBrawl.[127] In its first three days on sale in Japan, the game sold 1.2 million copies, outsellingPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! andLet's Go, Eevee! andThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in the region.[128]
Within 11 days of its release,Ultimate had sold more than three million copies within the United States, making it the fastest-selling Switch game in the country.[129] It was similarly the fastest-selling Switch game as well as the fastest-selling game for any Nintendo console in Europe based on the first 11-day sales.[130] It was estimated that the game sold and shipped over five million copies within its first three days of release.[131] Within three weeks,Ultimate became the fifth best-selling Switch game in the United Kingdom, surpassing the sales ofSplatoon 2.[132] In January 2019,Amazon reported thatUltimate was their highest selling video game product of 2018,[133] with Nintendo officially announcing that the game had shipped over 12.08 million copies worldwide.[134]Ultimate was also Nintendo's fastest-selling game of all time until being surpassed byPokémon Sword andShield in 2019.[135][136] By September 2020, the game had sold over 21.10 million copies worldwide,[137] making it the best-selling fighting game of all time,[138] surpassing the record ofStreet Fighter II,[139] and became thethird-best-selling Nintendo Switch game, only behindAnimal Crossing: New Horizons andMario Kart 8 Deluxe. As of March 31, 2025[update], total sales reached36.24 million.[140]
The game won the award for "Best Nintendo Switch Game", "Best Fighting Game", and "Best Multiplayer Game" inIGN's Best of 2018 Awards, whereas its other nominations were for "Game of the Year" and "Best Video Game Music".[141]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Game Critics Awards | Best of Show | Nominated | [142] |
| Best Console Game | Nominated | |||
| Best Fighting Game | Won | |||
| 2018 Golden Joystick Awards | Most Wanted Game | Nominated | [143] | |
| 2019 | 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Fighting Game of the Year | Won | [144][145] |
| SXSW Gaming Awards | Video Game of the Year | Nominated | [146][147] | |
| Excellence in Art | Nominated | |||
| Excellence in Gameplay | Won | |||
| Excellence in Multiplayer | Nominated | |||
| 2019 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Video Game | Nominated | [148] | |
| 15th British Academy Games Awards | Multiplayer | Nominated | [149] | |
| Japan Game Awards | Grand Prize | Won | [150] | |
| Best Sales Award | Won | |||
| Global Award, Japanese Product | Won | |||
| Excellence Award | Won | |||
| Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Award | Won | |||
| 2019 Golden Joystick Awards | Best Multiplayer Game | Nominated | [151][152] | |
| eSports Game of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Nintendo Game of the Year | Won | |||
| The Game Awards 2019 | Game of the Year | Nominated | [153][154] | |
| Best Fighting Game | Won | |||
| Best Family Game | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | 2020 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Video Game | Nominated | [155] |
EVO 2019, held on August 2–4, 2019, featuredUltimate as one of its main events. It was the largest offlineSmash Bros. tournament of all time, with 3,534 entrants signed up.[156] It set a new record for EVO concurrent viewership, with over 279,000 viewers during Top 8.[157] On May 8–10, 2020, topSuper Smash Bros. Melee playerHungrybox partnered withNFL running backLe'Veon Bell and esports organizationTeam Liquid to host The Box, an online tournament with a $10,000 prize pool.[158][159]
In February 2020, it was announced that the Smash World Tour would feature bothSuper Smash Bros. Melee andUltimate players for a grand prize pool of $250,000. The tournament would have included international qualifiers, with the grand finals' location to be in the United States.[160][161][162][163][164] However, theCOVID-19 pandemic quickly led to several of the qualifiers getting either postponed or canceled.[165] The Smash World Tour was successfully relaunched in 2021, featuring a mix of online and offline qualifiers and culminating in a final offline championship.[166][167] In 2022, an officially licensed circuit was introduced, being the Panda Cup, featuringSuper Smash Bros. Melee andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.[168] However, on November 24, 2022, Nintendo stated that the Smash World Tour 2022 could not continue, as they did not have a license from Nintendo. Accusations of Panda CEO, Alan Bunney, caused many players who had qualified for the Panda Cup to drop out. This caused both the Panda Cup and the Smash World Tour 2022 Championships to be cancelled, along with the Smash World Tour 2023.[169]
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