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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review: Is It Worth Buying?

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate pairs a crossover fighter roster with solo modes and chaotic, up-to-eight-player matches. Here’s who should buy it and what DLC adds.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is worth considering if you want a flexible Nintendo Switch fighting game that can shift from solo challenges to lively local matches. Its crossover roster and party-friendly format are its strongest draws; the trade-offs are that large battles can be hard to follow and the solo modes may not satisfy someone seeking a focused, story-led campaign.

What kind of fighting game is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?

Rather than relying on a conventional health bar, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate asks players to launch opponents off the stage. The platform-fighting format makes movement, timing and stage position central to a match, and gives it a different feel from a traditional one-on-one fighter. Nintendo describes the Switch game as a crossover featuring returning and new fighters on its official product page.

That format helps the game serve both as a competitive fighting game and as an accessible group game. The experience depends heavily on how many people are playing and how much you enjoy the energetic, sometimes unpredictable pace.

Is it worth buying for solo play?

World of Light and Classic mode

TIME’s 2018 review describes two prominent solo options: World of Light and Classic mode. They provide reasons to play without a group, but the available review evidence does not establish them as a deep, story-first campaign. If you mainly play alone, they are best treated as additional modes around the core fighting, not as a promise of a substantial narrative adventure.

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#1 Best Overall
Sale
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version
  • New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. Game
  • Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
  • Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
  • Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge
  • Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer

Players who enjoy varied matchups and working through solo challenges are more likely to find enough here than someone whose priority is a tightly directed single-player story.

How good is it with friends?

Local multiplayer is one of the game’s clearest strengths. TIME’s launch-era review reports support for matches of up to eight players, which gives a group room to play together rather than rotate through strictly one-on-one bouts. The same review cautions that a crowded match can become visually chaotic: with many fighters on screen, it may be harder to track your character and read what is happening.

For a relaxed party session, that commotion can be part of the appeal. If you prefer precise, easy-to-read competition, smaller matches are a better fit. TIME also noted that players seeking a more serious control setup may prefer a Switch Pro Controller or a GameCube controller; that is the reviewer’s assessment at launch, not a requirement for playing.

How large is the roster, and what is included?

Nintendo’s official features page describes the game as having “74 fighters plus DLC.” Treat that as the wording on Nintendo’s page, not as a current total for every fighter available through paid add-ons. Nintendo also says returning stages have been powered up and that Battlefield and Final Destination versions are available for every stage. Its claim that this is “The biggest Super Smash Bros. game ever!” is promotional copy, not an independently measured comparison.

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The physical Switch edition is the base game. Additional fighters are available as downloadable content, and Nintendo Support notes that some fighter DLC includes its own stage and music. Do not assume those optional additions come with the base physical edition. See Nintendo’s DLC information for details on downloadable content.

What do reviews say overall?

Critic-review excerpts on Metacritic praise the roster, customization and single-player modes, as well as the way the game can work as both a fighting game and a party game. Those excerpts do not establish a current aggregate score, so a score is not included here.

Rank #4
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo Switch (International Version)
  • International Version. ESRB rated. This game is tied to the USA region and any DLC content is available on the USA regional Nintendo eShop. Works on all systems worldwide. (Middle East / Southeast Asia -- Official Nintendo Product).
  • New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. game
  • Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
  • Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
  • Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge

TIME’s 2018 review is useful for its observations about solo modes, local and online play, eight-player matches and the difficulty of following a packed screen. Those are launch-era review observations, not a claim about current online service terms or a present-day hands-on test.

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Who should buy it?

  • Good fit: Switch owners looking for a crossover fighter with many characters, varied stages and flexible local multiplayer.
  • Especially appealing: Groups who want to play together in a lively match, and players who enjoy moving between solo challenges and multiplayer.
  • Think twice: Players who mainly want a story-driven solo game, or who find crowded, visually busy battles frustrating.
  • Check before purchasing: Decide whether the base roster is enough for you or whether you may also want optional fighter DLC.

Nintendo identifies a physical Nintendo Switch edition. Retail stock and DLC prices can change, so check the current listing and confirm which edition or add-ons it includes before buying. Current Nintendo Switch Online requirements, prices and regional terms are not established by the sources cited here; check Nintendo’s current information if online play is central to your decision.

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Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version
Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go; Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer
$52.99
Bestseller No. 3
Bestseller No. 4
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo Switch (International Version)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo Switch (International Version)
Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
$55.95
Best Value
Nintendo Super Smash Bros. Ultimate + Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass Bundle - [Digital Code]
  • New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. game
  • Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
  • Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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