Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has officially ended its post-launch support after three years. Series creator Masahiro Sakurai says there are no plans for a new Smash Bros. to follow, and for now this makes a lot of sense. It would be hard for Nintendo to top a massive crossover game with 89 playable fighters, as well as a huge roster of stages, music, and side-activities; especially given the Switch may not be replaced anytime soon.
That being said, it feels inevitable Nintendo will follow up Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with something, even if Sakurai is not involved. The franchise has long been one of its best-selling and an easy hype generator thanks to the prospect of new fighters. Nintendo could shake things up with something like a traditional fighting game rather than another Smash Bros., but even if it moves on the original characters and bosses introduced across its 22 years shouldn't disappear.
Bosses in Super Smash Bros.
The main appeal for Super Smash Bros. has always been its endless potential as a crossover platform-fighter going back to the simple days of Mario, Link, Samus Aran, and Pikachu duking it out on the Nintendo 64. Over time Smash Bros. has grown from a celebration of Nintendo to the entire video game industry, featuring characters ranging from Sonic the Hedgehog to Cloud, and Minecraft's Steve to Sora.
Character match-ups in casual and competitive games are always fun to see, but one thing that makes Smash Bros. games with story campaigns stand out is that bosses from various titles also appear. In Brawl and Ultimate, players can take on titanic foes from Nintendo and third-party developers alike; these include Rayquaza (Pokemon), Porky Minch (Mother), Ridley (Metroid), Marx (Kirby), Dracula (Castlevania), and a Rathalos (Monster Hunter). However, fans will also recognize plenty of original characters.
In 1999's Super Smash Bros., players faced off against Master Hand at the end of a 1P Game. This simple gloved hand originally represented a child playing with their toys, fitting in with the aesthetic of Nintendo models come to life. However, it has since become a staple representative of the franchise alongside Crazy Hand, introduced in Melee on top of the Smash-exclusive Giga Bowser. Smash 4 (on Wii U and 3DS) introduced further variation on Master Hand with the malleable Master Core, which can become everything from sentient swords to an entire platforming fortress.
Brawl's Subspace Emissary had a much deeper mythology all its own, with Tabuu being its main antagonist in command of various villains trying to drag Smash Bros. worlds into his subspace realm. Under his command were aforementioned Nintendo enemies like Ridley, as well as the unique characters Galleom and Duon. Ultimate's World of Light had less of an overarching narrative, but it centered the conflicting antagonists Galeem and Dharkon leading armies of Master and Crazy Hands, respectively.
How Original Smash Bros. Content Can See New Life
Though original characters are referenced in future Super Smash Bros. games, with Galleom returning as a boss and Tabuu as a Spirit in Ultimate's World of Light, most of them exist in their own bubble and have not returned in any substantial capacity. This is a shame given how attached many fans became to characters like Tabuu despite their small screentime. While it behooves Nintendo to keep innovating so each Smash game has its own personality, a precedent has already been set for original characters from the franchise to appear elsewhere.
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror for Game Boy Advance features Master Hand and Crazy Hand as a boss guarding the mirror shard at the end of Candy Constellation. However, Master Hand also shows up as a mini-boss across the game, with Kirby able to gain a "Smash" ability mimicking his Super Smash Bros. moveset if he sucks up the omnipotent glove. Given Kirby is another series created by Sakurai this crossover makes sense, but it opens the possibility for more down the line.
Whether original Smash Bros. characters appear in the upcoming Kirby and the Forgotten Land or other Nintendo franchises has yet to be seen. It's unlikely, but something that would excite many long-time fans. Smash Bros. will continue to thrive via events like an official tournament series hosted by Nintendo and Panda Global, leaving the brand open to potentially experiment. More platform-fighters like MultiVersus and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl are coming around to fill the void, so Smash Bros. should consider doing more with the universes that make its games unique.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now on Nintendo Switch.