Masahiro Sakurai Explains Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Builds On Pre-Existing Games

Masahiro Sakurai E3 2018 Photo

Nintendo has been clear in stating that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is “a new game built for the Nintendo Switch system.” But, despite the Nintendo Direct: E3 2018 presentation meticulously breaking down all the changes that have been made to the mascot brawler, many unconvincingly continue to protest that the game is a port.

In his Weekly Famitsu column, which this week is called “Smash is Special – Part 1,” Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has inadvertently addressed that conversation.

The column, which Source Gaming has expertly translated in entirety, sees Sakurai explain that the proposal for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was completed in December 2015, while he was still working on downloadable content for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

His immediate dilemma was whether to “create a completely new game system” or build on the existing foundation. The second choice, that he ultimately took, having allowed the development team to include every previously playable character in the roster – as well as adding new characters like the Inklings and Ridley.

“First, I was faced with a decision: create a completely new game system, or build off of pre-existing ones. I went with the latter; had I not, we might have ended up with only a third of the fighters we have now. Some people might still end up preferring an earlier title, but I decided to put that thought aside for later and focus on the more important tasks at hand,” Sakurai writes.

“That said, I still increased the overall speed of the game, but only by an amount that wouldn’t be alienating to people unfamiliar with Smash. After all, we haven’t seen a huge influx of brand-new gamers like we did when the Wii was released, and the on-screen movement is much easier to follow on the Switch than it is on the Nintendo 3DS.”

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will release exclusively for Nintendo Switch worldwide on December 7th.

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