The potential future of Smash

Nintendo shocked its fans with the announcement of two major Animal Crossing: New Horizons updates–a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and a free Version 3.0 update. With the news, nine of the top 10 best-selling games on the original Nintendo Switch have received either a direct sequel, a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, or an officially recognized free update for the new console.

The only remaining top seller to upgrade is a big one: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the third best-selling game on the console. Some sort of update seems inevitable, and if it were me, I’d go the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition route.

This method actually answers a major post-Ultimate question: How would a sequel to Smash follow it up? With a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition making smaller adjustments, Nintendo can push back the clock on that question until Sakurai–or perhaps an unnamed successor–can figure it out.

Here’s what a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition could look like.

An Ultimate online update

First and foremost, online play has to be improved. Delay-based netcode in fighting games has been rendered obsolete, with virtually every major fighting franchise turning instead to rollback netcode, with incredible results.

As impractical as it sounds, a full overhaul of Smash Bros. Ultimate’s online environment, and a switch from delay-based netcode to rollback netcode, would need to be included in a Switch 2 Edition. We’ve seen other games do it–Dragon Ball FighterZ, which launched the same year as Smash Ultimate, has made the switch, and Bandai Namco co-developed SSBU with Nintendo. The relationship is there.

Online play in Ultimate is the best the Smash Bros. franchise has ever seen, but the bar there is set so low you could trip on it. This Switch 2 Edition could finally fix that.

Visual and technical improvements

Let’s quickly acknowledge that Smash Bros. Ultimate is slightly improved when playing on the Switch 2. However, those improvements are mostly with loading times–single-player menus and matches load faster, but the visuals remain at 1080p when docked and 720p when in handheld mode.

Increasing those visuals to 4K when docked and 1440p in handheld would be a worthwhile improvement, provided the game continues to move at 60 frames per second. However, if there has to be a choice between 4K visuals and a consistent 60fps, then 1440p docked would suffice. Nicer visuals would be a major selling point for those looking to upgrade.

A few new faces

It’s hard to say a character roster with 82 characters needs an “upgrade,” especially an all-star cast like the one Smash Bros. Ultimate features. That being said, if Nintendo is going to go ahead with this Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, the Smash community would expect a few new fighters to come with it.

Let’s say, for this hypothetical, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition brings with it another six-character Fighters Pass. These are my selections:

Waluigi (Super Mario)

Easily the most-requested character for Smash. Make him the first new character in the Pass, and make him available day and date with the Switch 2 Edition.

Zagreus/Melinoe (Hades)

Both Hades and Hades 2 have now made their console debuts on Nintendo hardware. Having the two of them take up a slot–four costumes for Zagreus, four for Melinoe–makes sense to me.

Crash Bandicoot

Not only would this fulfill many an older fan’s dream, but it would also give Microsoft a rep in all three Fighter Passes thanks to its ownership of Activision.

Urshifu (Pokemon)

While Pokemon has a lot of representation on the Smash roster, we’ve now had two generations of Pokemon since Smash Ultimate launched. Of those new Pokemon, Urshifu seems like a prime fit thanks to multiple fighting stances and plenty of powerful moves.

The Tarnished (Elden Ring)

One of the most successful games in the modern era, with a port coming to Switch 2 in the near future, and published by the company that helps Nintendo develop Smash Bros. Arise, Tarnished, you’re a natural fit.

Geno (Super Mario RPG)

A pure vanity pick from the author here, but the living top from Super Mario RPG is also highly requested, and he would also represent Square Enix’s running partnership with the game.