Why Super Smash Bros. Ultimate should win Game of the Year

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the definitive Smash experience, crushing sales numbers and being an ode to all generations of gaming.

The timeline of events leading to the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was insane. There was so much speculation on who is returning, who isn’t making the cut, and who will the new blood be. Then came the “Everyone is Here” trailer which basically confirmed the first two speculations. A majority of the stages from previous games would return along with new and refined modes.

Now that we knew what was coming, you had endless forum posts and YouTube videos speculating who the next characters would be. You had many fan requests pre and post-launch. There were a plethora of leaks, fake and real. Every Nintendo Direct after the initial announcement had so many people bombarding the chat wanting more Smash Bros announcements.

Just from the fact that Smash Ultimate was going to have the previous game’s DLC fighters and respective stages at launch as part of the base roster was mind-blowing. You didn’t really miss out on anything from the Wii U and 3DS games other than a few stages, but that’s negligible given how many there are in Ultimate.

This was starting to become more than just another Smash game. It’s a celebration of video games. It has something for everyone. It’s perhaps one of the biggest forms of fan service in a AAA game. The journey to unlocking every character was so exciting. Unlock conditions weren’t as hard as they were in previous games and that was okay. The roster expanded to 69 fighters (now at 74 with DLC) so it took some time to get all of them.

But with each new fighter came additional unlocks like new music tracks and spirits along the way. That was the thing; there wasn’t just one way to unlock a fighter. You can play through the game’s story mode— The World of Light— or fight through each character’s Classic Mode. Alternatively, fighters would be available for an opportunity to unlock if you just fought more battles in any mode, despite if you won or lost.

Speaking of the World of Light, it’s not quite like the Subspace Emissary from Brawl, but it was a lengthy enough single-player experience. It brought some beautiful cut scenes, new and returning boss battles, and of course the spirits. These are basically the byproducts of stickers from Brawl and trophies from the previous titles. With more coming either through special events or new character releases, it’s just amazing to see so many representatives from other games make some kind of appearance in Ultimate.

There are so many songs from several games in Smash Bros. Ultimate. From remixes to originals, just from the fact that there is a feature to create your own playlists from the songs in this game shows how dedicated Masahiro Sakurai was in delivering the definitive Smash Bros. experience. This game’s main theme can never compare to the grace that Brawl’s had, but it is very unforgettable, to say the least.

This game already sold more copies in one year since release compared to Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS combined in their past five years. With post-launch content like the current fighter pass and a second wave in the works, this game will still be kicking years after. We’ve already had long-awaited characters join the roster like Banjo and the Dragon Quest Heroes along with some unexpected ones like Joker from Persona 5 and Piranha Plant.

It doesn’t matter who makes it in. The player base is just being spoiled at this point. Every time a new DLC character is unveiled, it appears on top social media trends. There won’t be this big and successful of a crossover game in a long time. While Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is also competing with other hard-hitting GOTY candidates like Sekiro and Outer Worlds, it’s got an edge over them.