Historically, Super Smash Bros. games have been a once-per-console-generation event. By the time Brawl officially opened the gates for 3rd-party characters to join the fracas, dweebs all over the internet (myself included) were eagerly anticipating every morsel of information and salivating over character reveals.
But realistically—even if Sakurai came back and continued working himself to the bone to appease an insatiable fanbase one last time—where could the series even go from here? Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was a truly unprecedented accomplishment; no fighting game of any kind prior or since has matched the sheer scope of Ultimate after it finished out its two DLC runs. Counting swappable characters that occupy the same slot, the final game ended up with 89 distinct fighters, 116 stages, 82 usable items (not counting the individual Pokeball and Assist Trophy variants), a bevy of different game modes, and over 1500 collectable Spirits. The subtitle of “Ultimate” is no misnomer, as far as I am concerned. The work to create all of this content alone is mind boggling, and that’s not even touching on what I’m sure was a logistical nightmare locking down the licenses and rights required to bring all of these franchises and characters together. I really don’t see how it could be possible to one-up the comprehensive scale of Ultimate.
So… where does that leave us? If matching or exceeding Ultimate is increasingly unrealistic, what direction could Smash take next? Time to baselessly speculate and offer my unvetted armchair expertise.
Option 1: Smash Ultimate Deluxe / Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
I am in no way an IP lawyer, so take everything I say here with a healthy pinch of salt (or maybe some garlic, if you have high blood pressure.) But as much as I can glean from researching the legal logistics of licensing IP in a notoriously secretive industry, the rights for all of the 3rd-party content in Smash Ultimate are probably limited to the same Stock Keeping Units that the original game and the individual DLC packs are sold under. Creating an alternate version of Ultimate, such as a “Complete Edition” for the original Switch, or a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition would likely require signing new contracts, addendums, or extensions with the IP holders. Basically, if the SKU is a different number, there would likely need to be new deals in place that account for it. These licensing agreements are private, non‑disclosed contracts; the terms, duration, renewal requirements, and what counts as a “new version” are not publicly available, so I’m working under a best guess based on established precedents here.
But I’m going to roll with it under the assumption that renegotiating the rights to the 3rd-party content for a hypothetical re-release is more reasonable than penning new deals for a brand new game. Because otherwise, I’d have to cut this whole part of the article, and that’d be a bit of a shame. But anyway, assuming that an updated re-release of Ultimate is the easiest legal way to give a Smash Bros. game a native Switch 2 release, you could do a lot worse. Some graphical and performance updates that take advantage of the Switch 2’s beef would be a great way to extend Ultimate’s lifespan. And if we got a Fighters’ Pass Vol. 3 to go with it, people would lose their minds. The speculators would come crawling out of their basements once more to scream into the night for Geno and Doom Slayer with all the might their bearded necks could muster. If that happens, just give me Crash Bandicoot or Rayman and I’ll be chuffed.
This would be a solid option even if it was the only form of Smash we ever got on the Switch 2. But by bringing forward the definitive “vanilla” Smash game to the current generation, that would also pretty much give Nintendo a pass to get really weird and experiential with a brand new title.
Option 2: A New Title - Scaled Downed, But Reinvented
I feel like Masahiro Sakurai pours his very life force into each game he directs, and he appears rightfully exhausted after each one wraps up. And while he gives each game his all, I sometimes wonder if he returns to Smash more out of obligation than personal desire. Regardless, he’s earned a break; and a new director could bring a fresh creative perspective while allowing Sakurai to pursue new projects he’s passionate about or simply relax. While his guiding hand has defined the identity and impeccable quality of the Smash series, it might be time to pass the torch to a new director.
If there was a new game with a new creative vision, what could that look like? Again, I seriously doubt that the scale of Ultimate will ever be achievable again. If that instinct holds water, then the alternative might be to cut the roster back down to the basics, but completely rebuild their movesets from scratch. Instead of lightly iterating on the past versions of fighters, a scaled down title could offer a chance to completely reinvent some of the base mechanics and give the veterans a top-to-bottom reimagining. I don’t want to speculate too much on the specifics of what that could look like; but at the very least, it could allow the veteran fighters to more faithfully incorporate traits from their more recent games in a much more comprehensive way.
Fighters like Mario, Donkey Kong, Samus, and Link have all felt held back by their legacy movesets that originated in the very first Smash title. The design philosophies behind fighter movesets have evolved significantly since the first two games, with the gap between the mechanics of new and old fighters becoming more and more glaring. Newer fighters like Steve, Banjo, and Hero have some extremely specialized mechanics, bespoke meters to track their specific resources, and nary a move that doesn’t reference something from their home series. But veterans like Mario and Donkey Kong are mostly built around basic punches and kicks that are not actually tied to anything they are specifically known for. Donkey Kong feels more like a generic, brutish gorilla than the goofy, agile ape from Donkey Kong Country. Samus in particular has always been extremely constrained in Smash. The speedy, agile hunter with rapid-fire shots and a bevy of unique weapons was forced to be sluggish and floaty with only a tiny fraction of her toolbox in Smash. Her original Smash incarnation was devised during a time when Super Metroid was the most recent title in the series, and there is so much missed potential in utilizing her diverse abilities that have continued to evolve since then. For instance, the Morph Ball could be fully utilized as a mode-shifting transformation that lets her roll around quickly, boost into opponents, and drop bombs. Her primary attacks could mostly revolve around beam attacks, with a beam-switching mechanic that changes the properties of her directional moves. I’m not trying to insist on anything specific as the way to go, but I’m just trying to illustrate how much potential there is in reinventing these veteran fighters from the ground up.
If I had my choice, I’d probably also draw a line on including 3rd-party characters for this title and focus exclusively on Nintendo franchises. The Nintendo mines are more than rich enough to sustain a game with DLC for quite some time. Additionally, I would cut the roster fluff. Most people will read that as “fewer Fire Emblem characters”, and they’re not wrong; I would definitely be fine with cutting down on the number of fighters from over-represented franchises. While some would be heartbroken to see some mainstays get cut, I think it’s necessary for now.
I’d also welcome some ongoing support for spinning character movesets off into their own Echo Fighters. The work required is much lower than creating entirely new characters from scratch, and it could be a good way to expand the roster with characters similar to established fighters. NetherRealm’s Injustice 2 used a “Premier Skin” system where you could apply different skins, voices, and adjustments to movesets to a base character, effectively representing another character entirely (e.g. Superman becomes Bizarro, Captain Cold becomes Mr. Freeze, etc.) A similar system—possibly synergized with a more open-ended and fleshed-out Custom Moves system like was touched upon in Smash 4—could effectively broaden the roster without needing to commit too much development time or too many character slots.
On the subject of Custom Moves, I’d also love to see another proper go at the system; something expanded and fully integrated into the character select experience. Not only could this allow players to personalize fighters to suit their preferences or matchups, but it could serve as the foundation for a smarter Echo Fighter or Premier Skin system. For example, characters like Peach and Daisy, who already share moves with slight variations, could be unified under one moveset with swappable properties. Daisy’s “Premier Skin” could simply default to a specific combination of variant moves from Peach’s broader pool, making her feel distinct without needing a full character slot or duplicate animations. This modular design would make it easier to offer meaningful variations on fighters without bloating the roster or overloading development. Done well, it could be a win for accessibility, customization, and longevity.
By focusing on reinvention rather than accumulation, a new Smash could feel both intimate and bold. Familiar characters could be brought back with entirely new energy. And if done right, it would feel like a return to creative first principles instead of a step backward.
Option 3: An Entirely New Direction
Especially if Ultimate sticks around as the definitive vanilla Smash game and gets some refreshed support, there would be substantial freedom to try something entirely different and wacky with a new title. Instead of a 2D fighting game, the crossover format could be applied to a completely different genre or experience.
Since this kind of project would be built from the ground up, it would almost certainly follow the same principles of Option 2: scale things down and focus entirely on Nintendo-owned IPs, at least at first. Without the weight of a massive roster or legacy expectations, there’d be room to get truly experimental.
What form the hypothetical game would take is completely open-ended. I’m just gonna spitball a few random ideas here:
Super Smash Bros... but in 3D
Instead of constraining the game to 2.5D like the series has traditionally been, maybe it could branch out into full 3D space. If we’re staying in the lane of fighting games, then maybe a 3D Brawler in the vein of an evolution to the Power Stone formula could work, with characters running around in small 3D arenas.
If we switched genres, maybe a MOBA-type experience could be promising? Something like a better-supported Heroes of the Storm or a less predatory and more polished Pokemon Unite.
If we wanted to get more niche, perhaps a turn-based tactics game could leverage the unique potential of each fighter. Games like Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle already threw Mario and DK characters headfirst into XCOM-style turn-based tactics. Characters like Samus, Link, Kirby, and various Pokemon would all excel in such an environment. The Mario + Rabbids game—along with titles like Marvel’s Midnight Suns—demonstrate the potential of hero-centric tactics games. If pulled-off well, Nintendo characters would be right at home in such a format. A turn-based structure would also offer the freedom to pull from all over the characters’ respective histories for attacks and utility moves, which are inherently easier to parse when cycling through menus versus needing to map everything to real-time button combinations.
A grid-based tactics game could use fighters’ signature abilities as cooldown-based special moves. Imagine Kirby inhaling enemies and copying their abilities, or Samus using her Scan Visor to reveal enemy weaknesses. Pikachu might paralyze enemies with electric shocks to delay turns, while Link could deploy remote bombs for zone control and swap between arrow types. The tactical framework would also make it easier to give characters branching abilities pulled from deep cuts across their series’ history.
Drastic Genre Shifts
What if instead of fighting, we had a crossover game where characters actually kind of got along with each other? Or at least, competed in a way that didn’t involve beating the snot out of each other with fists, swords, lasers, and hammers. If we moved outside of the fighting space entirely, there could be numerous options.
I’ll start with the idea I jive with the least. I don’t know if I have made my disdain for Mario Party clear on this blog, but I loathe its fundamental design. It is absolutely caked in layers of bullshit, from its Roll & Move mechanics, to its slow, time-wasting pace, to its imbalanced team minigames, to its excessive and often malicious randomness. That being said, party games are still popular, and a Super Smash Party would probably sell well. This idea is unexciting to me for a variety of reasons, especially because the Mario Party formula does not utilize the unique attributes of its characters in any way. Each one is basically a cosmetic skin, with no stats or abilities that affect their performance outside of niche cases like unique Dice Blocks or passive partner abilities in some very specific entries. If they did a crossover party game, I don’t know how fun and unique they could make each character outside of the initial novelty. I guess I just listed the idea here mostly to explain why it’s an awful premise and to lay down a soapbox from which to express my hatred for Mario Party. Sorry if you read this paragraph. There’s 60 seconds you’ll never get back.
A more promising idea would be some form of Super Smash Kart, where characters are loaded into vehicles and race through tracks inspired by locations across the Nintendo multiverse. Characters could at least be differentiated with their own unique vehicles, stats, and signature items. The big problem with this is the risk of cannibalizing Nintendo’s own Mario Kart franchise. In order to mitigate that risk, they would probably need to give this game its own identity and speed. Maybe it could lean further into a fast-paced, arcade racing structure—think something closer to F-Zero, Wipeout, or Fast RMX than Mario Kart. You could have a bunch of disparate vehicle types sharing the track with one another: Fox McCloud in an Arwing, Kirby on a Warp Star, Samus in her Gunship, Captain Falcon in his Blue Falcon, Link on the Master Cycle Zero, etc. But it’s the potential for unique tracks that would be the big draw. You could race on tracks pulled from elements of locations from all across the different franchises, such as the Mushroom Kingdom, Planet Popstar, Corneria, Hyrule, and Zebes. The whole idea is low-hanging fruit, but it does hold a lot of promise.
Finally, what if we finally got a proper story-based crossover? This could take the form of a cooperative 3D Platformer, similar to games like TT Games’ LEGO titles, or Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Or, maybe even a traditional RPG or Dungeon Crawler with a longer-form story. Regardless of the specific format, imagine a full campaign where Mario and Samus team up to infiltrate a Space Pirate base, or where Link and Kirby have to solve puzzle-platforming challenges together using their signature abilities. The real draw would be seeing these universes and characters meaningfully interact in ways that the mainline Smash games only ever hint at. Story modes like Subspace Emissary and World of Light scratched the surface, but something like this could finally go all-in.
It’s Whatevs, at this point
It’s all just baseless speculation until Nintendo announces anything, but it’s still fun to spitball. What else? A Disney Dreamlight Valley-style life sim where you dig up turnips for Peach so she can make a pie for Marth? A CCG like Marvel Snap with horrid microtransactions? A dating sim where you finally get to lavish Wario with all of those long-overdue smooches you’ve been holding in (obviously called Super Smash my Bros)? It’s all Schrodinger’s Smash until we have something concrete to argue over and spout dumbass opinions about.