Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has announced its final character, bringing its total roster to a very impressive 82 total fighters. The completed roster brings together the largest collaboration in the games industry, with dozens of series and companies represented. One of the companies with the most representation is Square Enix. While there are many different publishers and game series that are represented in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Square Enix is one of the few non-Nintendo companies with multiple series represented.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been particularly varied in its new additions thanks to its two fighter passes of DLC characters. Fans have hoped for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to receive a third Fighters Pass despite Nintendo claiming that the game will be done after receiving its newest character. Regardless, the DLC characters have been a big plus to the game, with some long-called-for additions like Banjo & Kazooie and some unexpected ones like Steve. However, the fighter passes have also featured a few Square Enix characters, illustrating just how impactful and important the game studio is to the industry.
Square Enix's History
Square Enix came to fruition through a merger in 2003 of the video game developer Square and its frequent publishing partner Enix. The company released its first title outside of Japan in 2003 with the launch of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on the GameCube. This was quickly followed in the same year by the classic titles Sword of Mana, Drakengard, and Final Fantasy X-2. The next year saw the release of Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King, cementing the company as a juggernaut of the JRPG genre. That legacy has lasted to this day, with Square Enix being widely beloved for series like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, and Star Ocean.
Lately, however, the studio has expanded its portfolio with other RPGs like the NieR series, Dungeon Siege 3, and Bravely Default. Square Enix also acquired the British developer Eidos Interactive in 2009, expanding its reach to include very different titles like Deus Ex, Hitman: Blood Money, Just Cause, and the Tomb Raider series. Most recently, Square Enix fans have been able to enjoy massive games like Final Fantasy 14, Dragon Quest 11, and Octopath Traveler while looking forward to the studio's upcoming Final Fantasy 16, Forspoken, and Triangle Strategy. With how long and storied Square Enix's line of game releases is, it is no wonder that the studio has become so influential.
Square Enix's Impact on the Games Industry
Perhaps the largest impact Square Enix has had on the games industry is how its earliest titles define the JRPG genre for so many fans. Square Enix's earliest titles before and after its merger laid the foundation that the genre was built on. While other JRPGs had been released prior, Square Enix's biggest early titles helped kick off what is known as the genre's golden age, with the studio's scrolling text, epic scores, turn-based combat, and cast of characters becoming widely recognized throughout the medium. Square Enix has also managed to constantly iterate and experiment with its approach to the genre, with titles like Final Fantasy 7: Remake managing to capture the turn-based style of the originals in a more action-packed and visually exciting fashion.
Square Enix's portfolio also includes a number of classic titles that are very fondly remembered amongst JRPG fans. Perhaps the biggest of its titles is Final Fantasy 7, which is widely regarded as having one of the best stories in all of gaming. The combination of Disney and Final Fantasy in the Kingdom Hearts series has also left its mark on a fair number of players who have patiently but anxiously endured the long stretches between mainline entries. The studio also enjoys cult followings for its titles like NieR: Automata, NEO: The World Ends With You, and Romancing SaGa.
Square Enix in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate started receiving DLC, Square Enix already had Final Fantasy 7 represented in its roster in the form of Cloud. Cloud is a very capable sword fighter that is preferred by some players for his speed combined with hard-hitting attacks, and solid control on the ground and in the air. Cloud was first added to the series with Super Smash Bros. 4, and he still sees plenty of high-level play in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community. Cloud was then joined by Hero as part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's first fighter pass. Hero represents the nameless protagonists from the Dragon Quest series, with a number of skins taken from the series' history. Hero is a very unique and powerful character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with the ability to call in various spells as well as being proficient with his sword.
With the release of the second fighters pass, Square Enix saw even more representation in the game through the addition of Final Fantasy 7's antagonist, Sephiroth. Sephiroth is a very light fighter that focuses on zoning and spacing thanks to his ranged attacks and extremely long blade. Very few non-Nintendo titles have multiple characters present in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, showing just how impactful Final Fantasy 7 is on the industry. Then, Square Enix fans also recently got the announcement that Kingdom Hearts' protagonist Sora will be the final DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While the announcement presentation gave fans an idea of what the character will play like, which looks very unique and interesting, only time will tell what sort of impact he ultimately has on the fighting game's meta.
According to the reveal stream, Sora was one of the most highly requested characters to be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so it is great for all the fans who were hoping for his inclusion. It is a bit sad to see the roster for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate finally come to a close, but the game's director Masahiro Sakurai has more than earned his planned retirement. It will be very interesting to see what sort of impact Sora has on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and where the series will go in the future. What is very clear, though, is that Square Enix has been shown a lot of love within Smash Bros. - and rightfully so.