Discussion What's Next For Smash Bros?

[FrostyLemon]

Tomorrow the final character in Super Smash Bros Ultimate will be revealed. After 3 years of hype and speculation it should finally be coming to an end. Personally, this game went above and beyond my expectations with the base roster alone. Banjo Kazooie being revealed as DLC was mind blowing at the time and meant a lot to me personally. The N64 will always be a special console to me and Rare was a big part of my childhood. It was wonderful seeing that legacy recognised somewhat and I think this gif sums up how everyone was feeling. Especially after the disaster that was the Grinch Leak.

The Rare boys reunited again.

Beyond that we had excellent reps from across the medium, Joker started the DLC with a bang, Hero took a deserved spot for Dragon Quests legacy, Terry Bogard annd Kazuya broadened the fighting game representation, Sephiroth redeemed the mediocre FF7 content in smash 4 and was arguably the biggest announcement, the indie scene (in spirit) finally got a rep with Mincraft Steve and Min Min, Pyra and Mythra are cool female Nintendo characters from a new IP. Ridley too big? Na. King K Rool back from the 90s? Sure. Two Castlevania characters? Why not. Snake is back? Everyone is here?

So it's the biggest and greatest Smash game ever. Where the hell do they go from here? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe it for the next 10 years? Try and stick to the same smash but have the burden of beating this insane roster? A complete reboot from the ground up? A new director? Or bow out here and call it a day?

 

[Raccoon]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe it for the next 10 years?

If it's technically and legally feasible, I hope they go this route. I'd love to experience a period not completely dominated by Smash Bros discourse and constant announcements. Even better, we could see some original work from Sakurai.

 

[Mr_No_U]

Mario Kart is taking the crossover mantle thus becoming Smash Kart.

Smash is taking Mario Kart's role and becoming a Marioverse-only platform fighter.

 

[TheDok]

Nintendo Vs. Capcom (Smash-style) and Capcom Vs. Nintendo (Fighting game style) is my dream. Capcom and Nintendo seem to have the best relationship out of any of the third parties, and it'd be a good concept to justify the inevitable roster downscale.

Whatever the next Smash is I hope Sakurai isn't working on it. Seeing him tied up with Smash for a decade has been disappointing when he could've been working on original projects instead.

 

[lexony]

I know it isn‘t going to happen but I would like to see a Story Expansion to Ultimate.

 

[KC Hazel]

If it's technically and legally feasible, I hope they go this route. I'd love to experience a period not completely dominated by Smash Bros discourse and constant announcements. Even better, we could see some original work from Sakurai.

Dang, this sounds like a gaming nightmare. I never really understood why Smash announcements bothered people who weren't into the game. It's not like it's taking the place of another announcement.

Anyway, I assume they'll just keep moving forward with Ultimate as a base and expand the roster from there. The next graphical leap might be pretty big so perhaps that will be a big draw. Focus on the online maybe? I know I just want more Smash.

 

[Josh5890]

Billion dollar idea that will never happen

Nintendo vs Disney (and I'm not even including Marvel + Star Wars properties)

 

[Mekanos]

I think a hard prediction for Smash is impossible. That said, I feel a massive cut to the roster (talking more than 40%) is unlikely. Smash Ultimate is far and away the best selling fighting game of all time and it's unthinkable to me they would cut the roster by that much when characters are what sell the game. It would be like BOTW2 saying "we are cutting the world size by half." Nintendo knows what people play Smash for and what hypes people up. Only turbonerds care about stuff like reworking all the old Smash fighters to be more accurate to their games and whatnot.

Ultimate Deluxe Turbo strikes me as unlikely as I would be surprised if they can get all these third parties back together again and I feel like it's not in Sakurai's character to accept a port for the next title.

 

[Peleo]

It's very hard to say for Smash. Especially without Sakurai, I simply don't think keeping on building from Ultimate is feasible.

I think the next game will be from a different director altogether (wouldn't be surprised if it was someone from Bamco either) and scaled back in terms of content, especially from a third-party perspective.

 

[Vantell]

I think it depends what we here tomorrow from Sakurai himself. Either he continues with the next project and perhaps do a reboot of the series, maybe he retires or maybe he works on other games.

I do expect some cutting in the roster in some ways and updating some characters at the same time to be more inline with recent games.

I can also see someone new taking the role of director. At the same time just building upon Smash Bros Ultimate with some additions like MK8DX would work as well .

 

[RailWays]

There will be another Smash in development, because:

1. Smash doesn't have nearly the amount of legs of MK to pull an 8 Deluxe (i.e. where they can drop a port and have it leg 30+ million).
2. Them dropping a new game is a guaranteed 15+ million copies.

As for whether they start from scratch or attempt to work of Ultimate's towering base, I'd think either would be successful, but I'd just prefer they try to keep as much in later projects as they can.

 

[9-Volt]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe it for the next 10 years?

Yup.

Smash fighting game, Smash Bros Ultimate will get ported for future platforms with even more DLC characters. While this is happening Sakurai and his team will focus on Smash side series in different genres. Sports games or third person deathmatch games? It doesn't even has to be Sakurai and Sora even, other studios can take on that challenge.

 

[Mbolibombo]

There's gonna be a new Smash Bros and they will want to release it in the first two years of Switch 2. I dont think there's even a question about it.
It's one of those franchises that drives A LOT of attention to Nintendo from media, from social networks, from fans.

They're gonna give Sakurai a blank check and tell him: Blow us away, again.
I think next Smash will be a lot more ambitions in terms of extra content though. Which is a really weird thing to say considering how much Ultimate has lol.

I'd love for Sakurai to spread his wings a bit, but Smash will always be his main gig.

 

[GamerJM]

I think for the sequel to Ultimate, they'll go even bigger. And one-up themselves in the only way that's possible: non-video game characters. I'm talking Goku, Batman, Mickey Mouse. They'll all be there. Because why not?

Then the franchise will go in hiatus for a while. And eventually come back rebooted as a Power Stone-esque game in the late 2030s.

 

[BGBW]

At least one more year of spirit events.

 

[Scrawnton]

New Super Smash Bros.

 

[Hentz]

They should just port the game to new systems and keep adding new DLC characters until the end of times. Kinda like MK8 Deluxe, but keep supporting it with new DLC. Eventually, a couple generations and 15+ years from now, reboot the series.

 

[LoneRanger]

Just do a Smash Ultimate Deluxe.

the base game + 6 new fighters/stages/music/AT/Items & Pokémon. You still need to purchase separately any FP1/2 or Mii Costumes. You can buy as an upgrade for standard Ultimate by $40.

Lets go for +100 roster, after tomorrow character, they would still need 11 more (counting echoes).

Relases on march 2024, for Smash 25th anniversary. In 2-2.5 years they can do it.

 

[CyberWolfBia]

As much I love Ultimate as it is... I would loathe the idea of just see it being ported forward with no original entry on sight for years; --The Switch already has a giant Mario Kart shaped hole, and it costs the Switch identity so much;

I sincerely doubt that Sakurai would be satisfied with JUST porting Ultimate too; We all know well he'll return at the director's chair when Nintendo asks him again to do it, and if he's in charge, he'll do a complete new entry and not just a quick port.

 

[Oheao]

Speculation never ends...