Super Smash Bros Ultimate – November Direct – New Characters + Spirit Mode

On November 1st (or 2nd depending on your timezone) a forty minute direct for the upcoming Super Smash Bros Ultimate aired. Followed by a Nintendo Treehouse live presentation.

New Fighters

Two new fighters were announced, that being Ken from Street Fighter and Incineroar from Pokemon Sun and Moon. Ken has his own special moves to distinguish himself. I would have preferred Decidueye since he’s already in Pokken, but at least Incineroar’s got some cool wrestling moves.

 

Amiibo

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The Inkling Girl, Wolf and Ridley amiibo will release on the launch of Smash Ultimate. King K Rool and Ice Climbers are planned for the 15th of February. Other new and returning characters such as Daisy, Ken and Pichu also have amiibo planned for 2019.

Spirits Mode Revealed

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They’ve decided to scrap trophies as collectables, something quite disappointing to me. Instead they have a new kind of customisation in the form of Spirits. These are the spirits of gaming characters represented by pictures of them. The characters will be represented as different obstacles and enemies customised by the spirit, of varying numbers and sizes.

This is very much like Event mode from the previous Smash Bros game. After beating a Spirit battle you have to shoot in-between the shield to acquire it, but if you miss the shield will keep the same damage. Why you have to shoot after beating the battle in the first place beats me.

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The way the spirits work once collected reminds me far too much of mobile games. As they are divided into classes of strengths, and three types being attack, grab and shield. Which works in a paper scissors rock system. A primary spirit can be attached to a character and depending on it’s slots, support spirits can be added as well.

Primary spirits enhance fighters stats while support ones lend extra skills. These spirits can also level up when you battle with them equipped and can be fed with snacks. Some of them can evolve into an enhanced form. You can also trade them in for cores, which can be combined to summon other spirits. The spirits can also be trained, or sent off in search of treasure, which works while powered off. Amiibos can also be enhanced with spirits, which uses them up.

Local Wireless and Online Play

Super Smash Bros Ultimate will have local system wireless play. When playing online you can set your rule preferences to be ideally set up with others who want that. However, they warned that the highest preference is to battle someone with the closest proximity.

When the battle begins it would choose at random one of the players preferred rules. Ranking will be via a Global Smash Power system, so the higher score you have the better you have fared in battle. When your GSP is high enough you will unlock Elite Battles.

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Penalties for self-destructing will be added such as disconnecting them from a match. There are short pre-set messages now available to send before and after battle. You can create battle arenas, which allows you to create friend only rules. Combined local and online play is possible as two players on the one system can join an online lobby.

Nintendo Switch Mobile App Connection

This app allows you to voice chat with others in battle arenas. Smash World a service for the Nintendo Switch Mobile App is in development. You will be able to watch and post game play videos.

Assist Trophies and Mii Fighter Outfits

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More assist trophies were announced. Some interesting ones being Yuri from Project Zero Maiden of Black Water and Akira from Virtua Fighter who appears as he does in the original game.

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More Mii Fighter costumes were also shown, the only one I liked being a Nintendo Labo Kit.

DLC + A Free DLC Character

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It is confirmed that DLC is in development but none have been revealed. DLC will be released in sets of one fighter, one stage and multiple music tracks at a price of $5.99 USD. A Fighters Pass of five of these sets is also available for $24.99 USD. None of the contents of these DLC packs have been revealed.

A new character was announced, who will not be playable on launch. It appears to be a pre-order or early purchase bonus. With the physical edition you will have to register the card for gold points to earn it. Otherwise he will have to be bought separately, and is not part of the Fighters Pass.

 

More Spirits Mode or World Of Light?

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At the end of the direct they showed off an animated cut scene (with voice acting) giving off the heavy impression of a story mode. Then it cuts to a drawn map you walk across to get to new stages or challenges. Most of these being the spirit battles, though it appears that boss battles will happen. It’s called World of Light, I’m not sure how to feel about the story mode being put in with the spirit battles but as long as there are plenty of cut scenes, I can make do.

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Overall

If it wasn’t for Piranha Plant I wouldn’t be happy about any of the new characters and he isn’t coming out on release! They should have left something like King K. Rool for last as Ken and Incineroar aren’t very exciting. The Spirits Mode comes across far too much like gacha mobile games and I don’t like that look if it. Hopefully World of Light turns out to be a good story mode, otherwise I’ll be pretty bummed out.

What did you think of the last direct before the launch of Super Smash Bros Ultimate?

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