Fighting Games Friday: What Lies Beyond Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?

The reveal that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s final roster addition would be Sora from the Kingdom Hearts series was both a big surprise and no surprise at all. The only reason it was ever in doubt was because of how strict Disney, who owns Sora, can be with licensing out their characters. Director and producer Masahiro Sakurai and the Smash Ultimate development team were able to get him after what likely involved years upon years of negotiation, though barely given the lack of a presence of any other Disney character. But his appearance isn’t surprising given the sheer number of fans who wanted him.

Beyond the number of users on social media and the remaining message boards that always maintained faith that Sora would show up, he was the real winner of the poll the Smash team held years ago for the 3DS and Wii U title, beyond Bayonetta. The game and team needed a worthwhile character to cap off roster support for one of the biggest fighting games in the genre’s history, and there wasn’t a better choice than him. It was also the choice that led to the least amount of upset among the online community. (Outside the poor saps who still thought there was a real chance for Goku from Dragon Ball.) Good thing no one seriously planned to make a post about the impending internet uproar over the final Smash Ultimate reveal but had to scrap the idea when it didn’t happen, huh? Yeah.

Instead of that (which — you have to believe me — I had no plans for), or a semi-analysis of Sora’s move set that I’m guessing around two-dozen YouTubers have already done, here’s an interesting question: What the heck even lies for this development team beyond Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?

There’s an open question of whether it’s even possible for the Smash Bros. series to go anywhere from here. This game is ending with 89 characters from a wide variety of franchises (though they made sure to exclude anyone black, thanks). Even the name “Ultimate” implies that the team has gone as far as they can, so it’s tough to see them making another Smash Bros. game in the current formula. If they made a new game with updated character models, they might have to start at the bottom to redo the character roster. A not-insignificant number of fans would be disappointed with a considerably lower character count a new game with new graphics would start with, regardless of the visual bump.

This would be a good strategy for a different kind of Smash Bros. game, perhaps one that takes place on a 3D plane instead of a 2D one with more obstacles in the stages themselves while players fight one another. Anyone extremely perceptive might realize that I’m describing Power Stone 2’s gameplay style here, a game that seriously needs a sequel, but I do think it could work well in a Smash Bros. format with necessary adjustments. It’s possible they won’t want to do this, though, with no plans to go beyond what everyone sees as their “Ultimate” achievement.

That isn’t my real suggestion, though. The first thing Sakurai and crew should do now is to get some sleep for several months, given all the evidence we’ve seen of the former being a workaholic. But that’s less a “Sakurai and crew” issue and more one with overall Japanese work ethic. I’m sure they’ll all take some kind of break after Sora releases while a small team continues to work on balance and stability upgrades, but the sky’s the limit afterward.

(I hope at least one person got the little joke there.)

Beyond that, I’d love to see a follow-up to Kid Icarus: Uprising. The previous game on 3DS marked one of the few opportunities since taking on the Smash Bros. series for them to stretch their wings (pun, yes, intended) and provide something new. Making another one for a system with a control scheme human beings can utilize would be a pleasure. (People will disagree with that and I will not listen to them.) Not a single one of the several control options offered were optimal compared to merely using two analog sticks for shooting and action sections, but the controllers for the Switch or a follow-up system would be perfect for it.

If not that, they could stretch their wings in a different way and do something brand-new. The Terry Bogard reveal from The King of Fighters (and, by extension, Fatal Fury) for Smash Ultimate showed how knowledgeable Sakurai is in fighting games, who played them in arcades throughout the 1990s. Nintendo could also use a new fighting game franchise if they let Smash Bros. rest and if they’ve truly bid farewell to ARMS. New fighting game IPs are rare these days, especially above the low-budget level, so a new one from a first-party publisher would be welcome.

It could be a while before Sakurai reveals what he plans to work on next, depending on how early he and Nintendo want to announce it. That is, if he plans to work on anything in the future at all. Those rumors of him retiring could pan out. Until then, there will be plenty more non-roster updates for Smash Ultimate from the team.