Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has received characters from all across the gaming industry since its launch in 2018. As a celebration of video games in general, no longer being just the Nintendo celebration it once was, it was anyone's guess just who would show up as a guest fighter. Nintendo set the precedent early on in Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the inclusion of Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake, video game icons and some of Nintendo fiercest rivals. For Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo's Fighters Passes consistently rocked the gaming world, as Nintendo had shown, really any video game character.
Across the two passes, 11 fighters were added, as well as dozens of Mii costumes that brought in additional characters. Square Enix was one of Ultimate's biggest winners, having four DLC fighters in Cloud, Hero, Sephiroth, and most recently, Sora from Kingdom Hearts. With Sora though, all possible fighters for Ultimate have been included, as Nintendo has no plans for further Fighters Passes. Between fighters and Mii costumes, Xbox was certainly another one of Ultimate's winners, bringing some of its largest franchises into the game.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter #73: Banjo & Kazooie
Banjo & Kazooie's presence in Ultimate was significant for many reasons once they came to the game via the first Fighters Pass. For starters, this is through and through a mascot of Xbox's, as Rare, the developers of Banjo Kazooie is one of Xbox's first-party developers. What's more, before being acquired by Xbox and Microsoft, Rare was originally a Nintendo studio during the 90s, developing Donkey Kong Country for the SNES and the Banjo Kazooie for the Nintendo 64. The character's inclusion in Smash Bros. brings the relationship between Nintendo, Xbox, and Rare full circle, and definitely set the stage for the next character (or rather, characters).
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter #77: Steve
Minecraft is one of the most popular games of the last decade, with millions of players worldwide, endless merchandising, and consistent support from Xbox and Mojang. Seeing the classic Nintendo roster fighting against Steve to this day is a surreal experience, and is a testament to the game's quickly attained legacy. Other iconic Minecraft characters appear through Steve's alternate skins, including Alex, a Zombie, and an Enderman, furthering the game's representation in Smash. What's more, due to Steve's unique building mechanic where he can mine at the ground on any stage, craft items, and place blocks, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's stages had to be redesigned so that the character could be properly played.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Xbox-themed Mii Costumes
Although many like to dismiss the Mii Fighter, its customization potential was taken full advantage of by Xbox throughout Ultimate's lifespan. Before Microsoft purchased Bethesda, the studio put costume pieces into Ultimate allowing players to create Fallout's Vault Boy and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim's Dragonborn. With Steve's addition to Ultimate came Mii Fighter pieces as well, including an ever-dangerous Creeper skin, a set of Diamond Armor, and a classic Pig costume. It was announced in the last Smash Direct that Doom's Doom Slayer is coming as a Mii Fighter outfit, resembling the character's recent appearance in 2016's Doom and Doom Eternal.
All-in-all, Xbox has a really strong showing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Though many fans would've liked to have seen Master Chief in Smash Bros., what is here is still very special, as it involves much of the history between Nintendo and Xbox while also capturing some of gaming's most popular franchises. The future of Smash Bros. is uncertain, but one must hope that if another game happens in the future, these characters return and even more join the battle.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now on Switch.