Smash Ultimate’s massive roster of characters and stages, as well as the World of Light campaign and a rich competitive scene, seemingly make it difficult for any upcoming game to compare. However, there is one clear route: Smash Ultimate succeeded by delivering on a massive change to the franchise, and the next game has to do the same thing. If Nintendo wants to keep the Smash brand going after its latest entry, the next Smash game has to be vastly different from its predecessors in one way or another.
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Reworking Smash’s Classic Fighters
The next Smash game might be wise to rebuild many Smash mainstays from the ground-up. There are a lot of characters in Smash who have been there since Smash 64 and Melee, and while some have changed drastically as the years went by, others are almost identical to their original forms. Sometimes that’s because the old ways work, but other times it means a characters gets left behind. If the next Smash game delivers huge reworks for some classic characters, it could establish itself as something of a reboot with a new generation of movesets.
There’s a few obvious candidates for reworks in the next Smash game. Ganondorf is historically a low-tier Smash characters; it might be time to examine his moveset and rebuild him to be less like a heavy Captain Falcon and more of a uniquely magic-focused character like the real Ganon and Ganondorf. Other old characters like Donkey Kong and Zelda might deserve moves that better reflect the current state of their franchises, meanwhile basic Smash mainstays like Mario might warrant new kits just to give Smash a fresh start.
A New Story Mode
Telling a unique story within the confines of Smash could also be a fantastic way to revive Smash. Although some players criticized Super Smash Bros. Brawl for its changes to core gameplay, Smash fans overwhelmingly like Subspace Emissary. Although there was no dialogue, it told a pretty compelling story about Nintendo characters from all kinds of gaming forming one unlikely team of heroes in order to stop a great threat. Since the next Smash game will probably trim down its roster of fighters, maybe it will be feasible to introduce another story-driven campaign in the style of Subspace Emissary.
It’s worth noting that Smash Ultimate technically had a story mode in World of Light. However, while World of Light certainly served as a campaign mode, its story was severely limited compared to Subspace Emissary. There’s little room in World of Light for characters to build relationships, which makes sense considering Smash Ultimate’s huge roster, but it’s still a shame. Another Smash story mode with less characters and more interactions would serve the next franchise entry well.
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A New Wave of Smash Fighters
Of course, the simplest way that the next Smash game can stand out from the crowd is inviting some groundbreaking guests. Smash Ultimate finally delivered on major fan wishes by adding the likes of King K. Rool, Ridley, and Sora to the game, while others like Persona 5’s Joker and Minecraft’s Steve took fans by surprise. Regardless, the industry is much more vast than the slice that Smash Ultimate manages to represent.
A few big candidates are figures who have established relationships with Nintendo consoles like Crash Bandicoot. However, the further Nintendo reaches to invite the next Smash game’s guests, the better. The next Smash game will undoubtedly turn heads if it features fighters from franchises with little-to-no previous ties with Nintendo. It could bring in Devil May Cry’s Dante, Halo’s Master Chief, Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy, God of War’s Kratos, and a many more. Smash has always been a celebration of the video game industry, but a new game after Smash Ultimate has the chance to celebrate corners yet untouched by Nintendo.
Smash’s Next Step
If Nintendo wants to continue Super Smash Bros. after Smash Ultimate, then fans probably won’t know about it for a few years. Smash Ultimate will undoubtedly remain the Switch’s one and only Smash game, and since Nintendo only just rolled out the new Switch OLED model, this console is clearly here to stay for a couple more years. Nintendo might want to take a break from Smash before making another entry anyway, considering how much time and energy it just poured into Ultimate. A long break between games might be sad for fans, but a break gives developers more time to cook up new ideas.
Regardless of when Nintendo decides to release a new Super Smash Bros., it clearly has options on how to continue the franchise after the acclaimed Smash Ultimate. The next game doesn’t have to be bigger or bolder than Smash Ultimate; it just has to be different in meaningful ways. Whether NIntendo aims for gameplay reworks, exciting new guests, or a riveting story mode playing on nostalgia, there’s plenty of ways that Smash can change in order to stay alive after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch
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