Super Smash Bros. Ultimateset out to be an expansion on all the franchise’s key departments, and it certainly managed that. The game’s staggering roster didn’t just swell to new heights in terms of pure size; it also brought more franchises together than ever.Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis filled to the brim with Nintendo IPs and non-Nintendo representatives alike, resulting in the most dense and diverseSmashgame to date. Its sheer volume of content makes it hard for any futureSmashgame to do anything other than stand inSmash Ultimate’s shadow, but with a little creativity, the nextSmashgame might still stand out.
Appealing to indie video game fans would be a great way tomake the nextSmashgame special.Smash Ultimatehad a noteworthy relationship with indie games, but it didn’t quite go as far as some fans might have liked in the indie department. This seems like a great way forSmashto expand in its next installation. Rather than focusing on other AAA developers, the nextSmashgame needs to strike deals with a mix of AAA and indie developers in order to paint a more detailed picture of the game industry. The sixthSmashgeneration could feature characters thatSmash Ultimatefans only dreamt of.
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Smash Ultimate Made Indie Game Progress
There’s certainly a good variety of ways that indie games got some attention inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Mii Costumes madeSmash Ultimateaccessible to a variety of IPs that didn’t get playable fighters of their own; Sans fromUndertaleis a particularly good example of an indie game costume. The Spirits largely used inSmash Ultimate’s World of Light story modealso held some indie characters like Shantae.TheShovel Knightfranchise was even lucky enough to get an Assist Trophy featuring the titular protagonist. Between all these features, indie games definitely held a special place in the game.
Still, all of these features are a far cry from indie characters getting to be part ofSmash Ultimate’s core cast.Undertalefans would’ve been thrilled to get Sans as a playable character, and Shovel Knight’s Assist Trophy already lays the groundwork for a playable character, but AAA characters held the spotlight instead. Consideringjust how many DLC charactersSmash Ultimategot, it’s frankly surprising that Nintendo didn’t opt to invite a single popular indie character out of them all.Smash Ultimate’s DLC run may be over, but the nextSmashgame can always make up for the missed opportunity.
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Potential Indie Fighters in Smash
When striking deals for playable characters in the next game, Nintendo can certainly consider revisiting some of its collaborators fromSmash Ultimate.Shantae, Shovel Knight, and Sans all seem like viable candidates for a slot on the fighter roster. Its options hardly end there, though. The highly popular roguelikeHadesdidn’t get any representation inSmash Ultimate, for instance, but its beloved protagonist Zagreus seems like an excellentSmashcandidate thanks to his fighting skills. Nintendo could also consider picking a sillier indie representative.Adding an Impostor fromAmong UstoSmashwould undoubtedly generate a ton of publicity for the nextSmashgame.
Whatever direction it goes in, the bottom line is that indie games deserve a chance in the nextSmashgame.Hades,Undertale, and their peers may not be AAA titles, but they’re all major influences in their genres nonetheless, and their contributions to the game industry are worthy of recognition through a place on theSmashroster.A newSmashgame hasn’t been confirmedjust yet, but hopefully that just means Nintendo, Bandai Namco, and Sora Ltd have plenty of time to settle on indie representatives and give them highly creative new fighting styles that welcome them toSmashproperly.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis available now for Nintendo Switch.
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