The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is fast approaching, and while it doesn't have a traditional campaign, it does have two Zombies storylines. At launch, the fan-favorite mode will have both the returning Aether story, which consists of the Blood of the Dead map, and the new Chaos story, which spans the Titanic-themed Voyage of Despair map and the Roman Gladiator-themed IX map.
We recently spoke to Treyarch's senior executive producer Jason Blundell and lead writer Craig Houston about Black Ops 4's take on Zombies, how writing for the mode works, and the most bizarre things that made it into the games. The two have been working together for 17 years and, as they put it, have a very particular brand of British and Scottish humor. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Is there a connection between the Chaos storyline and the previous Zombies story?
Jason Blundell: I can absolutely confirm that the Chaos story is in no way connected to the Aether story.
Craig Houston: Other than sharing space.
JB: Well, they do share a connection there. They are on the same disc. Yep, that's true.
Are there Easter eggs in Blood of the Dead that fans can look forward to?
CH: Lots. I think the thing we started talking about was, over these last 10 years the Aether story involving Richtofen, Dempsey, Takeo, and Nikolai has been a very involved, time-traveling, multidimensional thing of craziness that has a beginning, middle, and end. But we left a lot of very deliberate gaps so that we could revisit, and Blood of the Dead is definitely one of those. It's nice to see the speculation in the community about exactly where it sits in our chronology. All will be revealed. But in terms of Easter eggs, it's gonna change people's understanding of some of the things we have seen and perceived so far.
JB: In the article, can you put a little star next to the bit where Craig says, "All will be revealed?" And it says, "Jason says, 'Not really.'"
CH: Lots will be revealed.
JB: Yes. Some things will be revealed.
CH: A thing will be revealed.
JB: With Easter eggs, it's like the Easter Bunny just ran around Alcatraz throwing things around.
CH: Which is true of everything we're doing in Black Ops 4. We're trying to return to a lot of old-school Easter eggs in terms of audio logs and things like that, rather than just giving people impossible-to-solve ciphers so Jason can show off his brain.
JB: That's a very good point. Let me do the serious answer to that. [laughs] As we got to the end of Black Ops 3, especially toward the end of the Aether story, we had to make Easter eggs more and more difficult to kind of slow down or control the drip of information to the community. So we started to utilize a lot more ciphers, because that would slow it down. You have to do math problem solving and so forth. Going into the new stages with the Chaos story, we eventually took our mentality back to the beginning of Aether where it was more about pressing X on things, or reading things that we had on textures, or stuff we'd hide in the world. So those stories have different mentalities now. You'll see a lot more "traditional" ways of hiding stuff for the players. But the thing about the Blood of the Dead is, you know there's a couple of ciphers around for the fans who enjoy that part of it.
Do you guys, and does the team in general, feel pressure for Zombies and for making some really fantastic Zombies storylines considering that Black Ops 4 doesn't have a traditional campaign?
CH: The pressure's always been there, on Zombies, as it's grown. Because it took off so early on, as the little bonus map in World at War. You know, with every iteration, we just really tried to push it further and further, both gameplay-wise and narrative and everything. So, given that the love for that kind of feels natural, we're just doing it even more so this time.
A lot more writing goes into the Zombies stuff than in writing something like World at War.
[...] I think in narrative terms, as well, to be perfectly honest--a lot more writing goes into the Zombies stuff than in writing something like World at War. Because in a linear campaign, characters don't talk as much as they do in those kinds of modes as they do in Zombies, because Zombies is constantly evolving and constantly changing. You need lines dialogue for people who've gotten very good at the game and are getting headshots from 20 meters, and you need lines of dialogue for people like me and Jason [who] need help.
So the sheer volume of dialogue, which is not just on the player characters but is also in Easter eggs, that ends up being a pretty massive chunk of work. The world building and planning for the mythologies that we're exploring is really quite significant.
JB: And Craig and I both have that campaign background. In terms of the level of engagement, and the kind of narrative exploration, we actually scaled up our narrative team for the Zombie work.
CH: I've got a good one: Zombies is a world that you can live in, not just pass through. [laughs] You know what I mean. Campaigns are often a one-and-done thing.
JB: Yeah. Zombies is more of a state of mind than a methodology. Is that what you're saying, Craig?
CH: No, I wasn't.
JB: I know. Thank you.
Is the writers' room always this bantery?
CH: Well, whenever Jason and I get together, it is. But when I'm working with other writers I try to be a bit more serious and encourage them to write, not just make jokes.
JB: We're just putting on a show for you. We're actually very serious, boring individuals.
CH: In all fairness, though, I think we do have--well maybe it's a British thing, but our disagreements are usually solved through ridicule. Jason suggests an idea, and if I don't like it I go straight to ridicule. "Oh, you think that's a good idea, do you? Think that up in the shower, did you? Oh, it writes itself, doesn't it, Jason?"
What is the weirdest thing you thought up that still made it into Zombies?
CH: Thousands? I mean the fact that you've got a golden spork in Mob of the Dead.
The golden spork.
JB: Oh yeah, the golden spork was good. The idea of a, what, 1960? When was the spork invented? I don't know.
CH: I don't know.
JB: Kind of a utilitarian utensil. The combination of a spoon and a fork. It just blows me away. Still to this day it seems like a greater achievement than the moon landing.
CH: Yeah, and there's so many. I don't think there's a bar where anything is too silly. I mean, Richtofen cut out Maxis's brain and put it in a drone. And then flew it into a dimensional portal. So if you can do that kind of thing...
JB: That's like a normal day at work.
JB: [pauses] I dunno. All of them, really. I always say, when it comes to Zombies development--not only the way we work with the team but also how we direct it as well--which is that it has to feel like the inmates are running the asylum. It's gotta feel like a mode where--and I say this [hoping for] forgiveness here with Activision on the line--like they've not got any control over us and it's a bunch of madmen making a mode. So I think that speaks to people in a certain way. And that's the spirit we keep on going, that kind of rock-and-roll attitude. That kind of, "Yeah we're not really going to listen to what the official advice should be for this, but this is the way it is."
Nickelodeon's hugely popular animated kids show Dora the Explorer is getting a live-action makeover, and the first image has been released. The movie stars Transformers: The Last Knight's Isabela Monar as the intrepid Dora, who embarks on an adventure with her pals.
Dora the Explorer is now in production in Australia and hits theaters on August 4, 2019. The image shows Monar as an older Dora, but with her familiar haircut, clothes, and backpack. Check it out below:
Paramount has also released a synopsis for the movie. It reads: "Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents nothing could prepare Dora for the most dangerous adventure ever--High School. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego, and a ragtag group of teens on a live-action adventure to save her parents and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost Inca civilization."
Dora the Explorer is directed by James Bobin, who is best known for movies such as The Muppets and Alice Through The Looking Glass, plus the musical TV comedy Flight of the Conchords. It also features hugely popular Mexican star Eugenio Derbez as "a mysterious jungle inhabitant," plus Micke Moreno (Escobar: Paradise Lost) as Diego, Adriana Barraza (Babel, Thor), and Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Moana).
Dora the Explorer ran from 2000 to 2014 for 14 seasons and 172 episodes, and spawned the spin-off shows Dora and Friends: Into the City! and Go, Diego, Go! And if you can't wait for the movie, you can check out this hilarious spoof trailer for a fake live-action Dora film, which was made in 2012 and starred Modern Family's Ariel Winter.
GameSpot can reveal that Grasshopper Manufacture and GungHo Online Entertainment are bringing their free-to-play hack-and-slash RPG, Let It Die, to PC. Originally an exclusive for the PlayStation 4, the PC version of the game will launch via Steam this fall.
Let It Die puts you in the role of a poor soul who--while under the guidance of a skateboarding grim reaper named Uncle Death--is tasked with climbing a tower filled with enemies and traps. Initially your character is just running around in their underwear, so it's paramount you find more powerful pieces of armor or weaponry to increase your chance of survival. You'll have to manage your character's bodily needs as well, scavenging for food to replenish health.
Let It Die's defining mechanic is "death data." If your character dies, you lose everything and are sent back to square one. However, your previous character and every item and weapon that was on them at the time of death is saved to Let It Die's servers and circulated throughout other player's games. Other players can then encounter the spectral remains of your previous character as a powerful enemy. Likewise, in your game, you can run into the ghosts of the characters of other players.
Let It Die has proven popular in recent years, reaching two million player downloads in February 2017 and four million in April 2018. We imagine that number is only going to go up with the game's release on PC.
Both Grasshopper and GungHo continue to support Let It Die, updating the game and patching bugs. Grasshopper is also currently working on Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes while GungHo is developing Ninjala. Both titles are scheduled to launch for Nintendo Switch, the former in 2018 and the latter--which we covered as one of the 21 stellar games you probably missed out on from E3--in 2019.
Bethesda showed off the first Doom Eternal gameplay footage during the QuakeCon 2018 keynote. It's as fast, frantic, and gory as you'd expect if you've played the game's 2016 predecessor. What the publisher didn't mention onstage--but the official Doom Twitter account tweeted shortly after the presentation--is that Doom Eternal is also coming to Nintendo Switch.
It's already been confirmed for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In fact, you can pre-order Doom Eternal on those platforms right now. But the news that it's also coming to Nintendo Switch is something Bethesda hadn't confirmed yet.
Not that it's entirely unexpected. Bethesda had the development studio Panic Button Games bring Doom and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus to the Nintendo Switch. If a seemingly tongue-in-cheek tweet from Panic Button is any indication, the same company is also handling the Switch version of Doom Eternal.
Bethesda hasn't announced a specific release date for any version of Doom Eternal; all we know is it's coming sometime in 2019. It's not clear if the Switch version will come out on the same day as the other versions, either. The Switch version of Wolfenstein II arrived eight months after it landed on the other platforms.
For full coverage of all the Doom Eternal news coming out of QuakeCon 2018, including a new trailer and lots of gameplay footage, click here.
By Anonymous on Aug 10, 2018 11:09 pm BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle added 9 new DLC characters this week which makes for the perfect excuse to play the game live against you, the loyal GameSpot viewers.
Bethesda has shown off the first gameplay video for Doom Eternal, the sequel to the 2016 reboot. The follow-up was originally announced during Bethesda's E3 2018 press conference with a cinematic trailer--albeit an exciting one. This trailer was shown once again during the QuakeCon keynote, before game director Marty Stratton and creative director Hugo Martin appeared on stage to discuss the sequel.
Once again, Doom Eternal will be about killing monsters with badass guns, and for the sequel the Doom Slayer will be the "strongest, most badass hero" id Software has ever created. The Slayer has had a makeover and has a new weapon called the Ballista, which can spear demons with an explosive bolt. There's going to be plenty of new weapons in Eternal, and id Software has created new enemies for players to face. Old favourites have been updated, and some have been reimagined, such as the arachnids. They also showed off a new character called the Marauder, who looks a lot like the Doom Slayer--and there's a story behind that, the developers teased. A new system called "Destructible Demons" was also briefly mentioned, and it'll help players "rip and tear" through enemies.
The gameplay video began with the slayer once again putting on his helmet and activating systems. He takes a look at the new blade mounted on his left arm, before loading his shotgun again. Before long he's staring into a massive world where buildings are crumbling and monsters float around the sky. Seconds later, he's latching onto enemies and grappling around, shooting them to bits up-close.
The previous game's loop of dealing damage and then finishing enemies with a melee attack is back, and some new animations have been introduced to make use of the arm-mounted blade. The action looks fast and visceral, which is to be expected from the sequel. This time, however, there looks to be more of an emphasis on moving around seamlessly, as the grapple is used to get to high ground to take out threats.
Larger enemies are shredded to bits by gunfire, and there's also a new mechanic where Doom Slayer is able to climb walls. His mobility is further enhanced by a short-range dash, which is handy for closing the distance on enemies and building momentum. In the demo the Doom Slayer very quickly goes through an assortment of deadly weapons. Along with the arm blade and shotgun, there was a shoulder-mounted flamethrower, a rocket launcher, a sniper-rile, and a grenade launcher.
Amidst the violence there was a moment of levity, when an announcement said, "Remember, 'Demons' can be offensive, refer to them as 'mortally challenged.'"
The Slayer is then shown getting the Blood Punch power-up, which was then used to hit enemies with crushing melee blows. This fit nicely into the frantic leaping around platforms, using floating enemies as grapple points, and shredding anything and everything with lead.
At the very end of the second section of gameplay, it was confirmed that you can invade demons and take control of them. This ability goes as far as letting players team up with demons to form hunting parties. Doom Eternal will allow players to join friends to invade or be invaded, but you can also choose to play alone.
The environment shown during the demo was referred to as Hell on Earth, and it is just one of the "many" places that the game will take players. Id Software has promised it will take players to places they've never seen in a Doom game. The studio said it is building a Doom universe, instead of just another entry in the series. One of the new areas shown is Phobos, a space station that is being besieged by demons. As you enter, people are shocked to see you, stepping out of the way and regarding you with awe. The Slayer uses a red keycard to enter an restricted area, snatching a gun out of the hands of a befuddled guard.
Descending onto the surface of the planet, the Slayer stares out at a giant laser as a voice over comms says, "Warning, the Slayer has entered the facility." Of course, that's when the killing starts. Demons are dispatched with ruthless efficiency, as the Slayer zips around industrial tunnels, launching grenades to obliterate bigger enemies, while using a plasma rifle to pick off the smaller ones. The action only escalates, with demons being set ablaze, picked off using a sniper rifle, and exploded using charged bolts. It's pretty much exactly what you'd expect to see in a sequel to Doom. The gameplay video ends with the arrival of a new enemy that summons a wall of fire, just as the Slayer draws an energy sword and leaps at it.
Another detail confirmed about Doom Eternal is that it will run at at 60 frames per second, which is nice given the highly-demanding nature of its first-person shooting.
Little had been said about Doom Eternal since its reveal at E3 until now. However, producer Marty Stratton and creative director Hugo Martin did reveal that it would build off the previous game, taking its satisfying, fast-paced combat and pushing it further forward. This time, the Doom Slayer will be even more powerful and the types of enemies have doubled. Doom Eternal will also take place on Earth, though we imagine you'll be taking regular trips to other hellish dimensions too.
Id Software's 2016 Doom was a very successful reboot of one of the most iconic and acclaimed first-person shooters of all time. In GameSpot's Doom review Peter Brown said, "Without a doubt, the loud and chaotic campaign is Doom's strongest component."
He continued: "It's straightforward and simple, but it serves its purpose: to thrust you into increasingly dire scenarios fueled by rage and the spirit of heavy metal. Many shooters chase the thrill Doom delivers, but few are as potent in their execution. It captures the essence of what made the classic Doom games touchstones of their day, and translates it to suit modern palates with impressively rendered hellscapes and a steady influx of tantalizing upgrades.
"Doom is the product of a tradition as old as shooters, and while it's not the model to follow in every case, modern shooters could learn a thing or two from Doom's honed and unadulterated identity."
With Lauren Cohan set to exitThe Walking Dead this season, alongside original star Andrew Lincoln, the actress has been careful to note this isn't necessarily the last fans of her will see on the show. Instead, she says Maggie's story is left "open-ended." That's a massive change of course, given that most departing characters on The Walking Dead wind up dead or turning into zombies.
Now, after wrapping her final scenes on the series, for now, Cohan opened up to GameSpot about saying goodbye to The Walking Dead. "I've been really busy, so I've been definitely distracted from getting too much into my thoughts about it," she tells GameSpot while promoting her new film Mile 22. "But I had a lot of time to think about it before I came back to Walking Dead this season. And what the show means to me, what my family there means to me, what my time there has meant, and how this role has impacted my life which is immeasurable."
As for the decision to keep Maggie's fate on the series open-ended, she's quick to note it doesn't mean she'll return to the show, though that is certainly a possibility. Instead, Cohan feels like this is the proper way to say goodbye to Maggie, as the show reaches the end of her story at this point.
"It feels like the greatest way to honor it is to keep it open-ended because whether it's about me going back as Maggie or whether it's about me just taking in, absorbing, and honoring everything I've learned there," she says. "It never leaves me. It will never, ever leave me. And that is I think the greatest compliment you can give to anything and to any group of people because we all came together to make something that we didn't know was going to have this success that it did."
In many ways, she also grew up as an actor on the show. "It taught me to trust in such an important, creative way," she explains. "I don't think I can ever shake that. Once you have an experience like that, it really dictates the measure of how you want to connect with people going forward in my work."
Now, as she looks to life after the zombie apocalypse, Cohan is stretching her acting wings. Whether it's the espionage drama Whiskey Cavalier she's starring in on ABC or her new action movie Mile 22, in which she stars alongside Mark Wahlberg and Ronda Rousey, she's taking on projects a far cry from characters simply trying to survive in a dying world.
"I feel so honored that [director Peter Berg] wanted me to be involved in Mile 22 and that Mark wanted me to be involved in Mile 22," she says. "It was a quick casting process. I made my tape and then I had a little bit of feedback that Pete liked it and wanted to meet me. And when I sat down to meet with him, he told me there on the spot that I had the part. I was so overwhelmed with pride that he wanted me to be involved in one of his projects. And somebody that I respect so much, I was just pinching myself."
Judging by how well it was received, it's no real surprise that the 2016 shooter Doom is getting a sequel. Much like its predecessor, Doom Eternal will feature fast-paced first-person combat, new and classic demon enemies, and an array of firepower, all set to a heavy metal soundtrack composed by Mick Gordon. The game is set to launch sometime in 2019, but you don't have to wait until launch to reserve a copy for yourself.
If you're ready to lock in your pre-order, you can already do so at a number of retailers. Read on to find out where it's available, how much it costs, and what to expect from your pre-order.
No Pre-Order Bonuses Announced Yet
Since Doom Eternal isn't releasing until some yet-to-be-revealed date in 2019, it's entirely possible Bethesda will include some kind of pre-order bonus--the company just hasn't announced yet anything to that effect.
Pre-Order Doom Eternal Standard Edition
No additional editions for Doom Eternal have been announced yet, so the standard edition is the only one you can pre-order at the time of this writing. As you might assume, it just comes with the game itself. Here's where you can pre-order the standard edition of Doom Eternal now, and how much it costs.
Amazon -- $60 ($48 with Amazon Prime) -- PS4 | Xbox One | PC
Bethesda has announced it has acquired Escalation Games, the Dallas-based studio that contributed to the development of Skyrim VR, Fallout VR, and Skyrim Switch. It will know be known as Bethesda Dallas, as confirmed by during QuakeCon 2018. Bethesda Dallas is currently working on Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls: Blades, and the company's brand new property, Starfield.
Sadly, those eager to hear more about Starfield, which is an ambitious sci-fi role-playing game, were left wanting, as there was no further discussion about the game. This doesn't come as a surprise, as Bethesda was very coy about it when it debuted at E3 2018. Producer Todd Howard previously said that Starfield has been in development for years, and it's a game that Bethesda feels uniquely positioned to pull off.
We don't expect to see or hear about Starfield for a while, as both Howard and Bethesda's marketing boss Pete Hines asked fans to be patient. "We've been talking about it for a decade, we started putting things on paper five, six years ago, and active development was from when we finished Fallout 4, so two and a half, three years," Howard said. "Everyone should be very patient [for Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6]. It's gonna take a while for what we have in mind to come out."
On the other hand, QuakeCon will deliver more details about Fallout 76, the next major release from Bethesda. A Q&A session about Fallout 76 is set to take place on August 11, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET and series producer Todd Howard, along with other developers from Bethesda Game Studios, will be present to drop new details and also answer questions from fans. Bethesda has promised there will be also be a "deeper dive into the character system and Perks coming in Fallout 76."
Bethesda's annual fan event, QuakeCon, is back, and this year's convention promises to be the biggest one in the company's history. The event takes place this whole weekend, from August 9-12, and will feature panels, announcements, giveaways, developer interviews, and much more.
QuakeCon 2018 begins with The Elder Scrolls: Legends Masters Series qualifiers on Thursday, August 9, but the event will formally kick off with a big keynote address on Friday, August 10, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST. The presentation will provide new details on a number of Bethesda's recent and upcoming titles, including Quake Champions, Rage 2, and The Elder Scrolls Online, but the most exciting reveal will be the world premiere of Doom Eternal, the new sequel to the 2016 reboot.
There's an added incentive to tune in to the keynote; fans who've linked their Bethesda.net and Elder Scrolls Online accounts with their Twitch account will be eligible to win some prizes in various Bethesda games just for watching the presentation. You can find the full list of prizes here.
The following day, Bethesda will host a Q&A session about its highly anticipated online RPG, Fallout 76. The panel takes place on Saturday, August 11, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET and will feature Todd Howard and other developers from Bethesda Game Studios answering fan questions and providing a "deeper dive into the character system and Perks coming in Fallout 76."
In addition to the keynote and panels, Bethesda is hosting a Quake Champions tournament, which kicks off on Friday and continues into Sunday. The entire competition will be streamed live on the Quake Twitch account.
We got a whole lot of new information in the latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-focused Nintendo Direct presentation. Among the announcements was that when the game launches on December 7, it will be available in a bundle called Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Limited Edition.
This version comes with the game itself, plus a Smash-branded GameCube controller and a USB adapter that lets players connect up to four GameCube controllers to their Switch. So far this bundle has only been announced for Europe, though it may come to the US as well. You can pre-order it here for £90.
A GameCube controller has been the preferred input for pro-level and diehard Smash Bros. players ever since Super Smash Bros. Melee came out for GameCube in 2001. Each main Nintendo console since then has supported the controller, as have all non-handheld installments of the Smash Bros. series.
The Limited Edition of the game comes in a big, wide box adorned with an image of dozens of fighters from the Smash Ultimate roster. As yet, no pricing information has been revealed.
Nintendo will also sell standalone Smash-themed GameCube controllers. You can pre-order one them now from Amazon for $30 each. If you're not planning to get the Limited Edition, make sure you also pre-order an adapter.
The world of Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom just got a little bigger, with the addition of the free "Adventure Pack." The new DLC adds some challenging new bosses and quests along with fresh loot to dress up your adventurers.
The challenge in the Adventure Pack takes place in the Faraway Forest Cave, which has been expanded with additional floors full of creatures and area to explore. It also includes two new bosses, named Blackhart and Zeta, some new costumes and other assorted rewards, and a set of new quests that can be taken on after you've finished the main story quest.
Though the DLC comes alongside a patch for the game, you'll need to download it separately to access all the goodies. Two more DLC packs are planned for release, but those will be paid DLC for season pass holders. They'll include a new dungeon and new story content, respectively. The season pass is available for $20.
GameSpot's Ni No Kuni 2 review gave the game an 8/10, and it appeared on our list of the best games of 2018 so far. Reviewer Peter Brown wrote, "It's chock full of excellent battles and surprising moments that make for a far more memorable experience than you initially expect and leaves you impressed by your own accomplishments. If you didn't play the first game, don't let this one pass you by too."
"The tone is a little different--they're more grounded with their mythology, and we're more magical," Jason Dozois, Shadow's narrative director, told GameSpot. "They're more humor-oriented and we're a bit more drama-oriented. I think we have a uniqueness on the exploration side."
The director also said he and the Eidos Montreal team are "huge fans of Uncharted." He continued: "I loved Uncharted 4, it was a lot of fun. Great storytelling and great character moments. It's fun to be in that world."
Following a tantalizingly brief teaser trailer back in March, Nintendo formally unveiled its next Super Smash Bros. game at E3 2018. The new installment in the beloved fighting series arrives on Nintendo Switch later this year, and while there are still undoubtedly many details we don't yet know about it, Nintendo revealed a ton of information about the game during its June presentation, giving us a good idea of what to expect.
To catch you up on everything Nintendo has revealed about the game so far, we've compiled everything we know about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate below, from the game's release date and new characters to the many changes being made to its gameplay. We'll continue to update this list as new details emerge, so be sure to check back for the latest information on Nintendo's highly anticipated mascot fighter.
Prior to its official reveal at E3, there was much speculation over whether Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be a new installment in the series or an expanded port of the Wii U entry, in the vein of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo cleared up any misconceptions during a Q&A session at the expo, confirming that Ultimate is indeed a brand-new title built for Nintendo Switch.
How Many New Characters Are There?
Nintendo revealed three new fighters debuting in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during its E3 presentation: Inkling, Ridley, and Daisy. The first two are brand-new additions to the series, and both boast their own unique movesets and play styles that draw from their respective franchises. Inkling can splatter opponents with ink and use a variety of weapons from Splatoon, such as Splat Bombs and the Splat Roller, while Ridley can spew fire and spear other combatants with his tail.
Unlike the other two newcomers, Daisy isn't an entirely new addition to the roster, but rather an Echo Fighter--a clone of an existing character, in the vein of Lucina and Dark Pit. Her moveset and play style are based on Princess Peach, although she boasts some different characteristics to set her apart. As we learned during Nintendo's dedicated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct in August, Echo Fighters can either be displayed as separate characters on the selection screen or stacked atop the fighter they're based on.
Everyone! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features the largest roster in the series to date with more than 70 confirmed fighters (and presumably a couple of surprises still to be revealed). Every playable character who has ever appeared in a Smash Bros. game will return in Ultimate, including all of the DLC fighters released for the Wii U and 3DS installments--such as Bayonetta, Corrin, and Mewtwo--as well as third-party characters like Sonic, Cloud, and Street Fighter's Ryu.
The roster even encompasses characters who have previously only appeared in a single Super Smash Bros. game, including Pichu and Young Link (whose sole appearances were in 2001's Melee), and Wolf and Snake from 2008's Brawl. Longtime Metal Gear Solid voice actor David Hayter revealed he is reprising his role as the latter in Ultimate, and Snake's signature stage, Shadow Moses Island, has also been confirmed to return.
It's unclear just how many of these characters will be available from the outset; Nintendo teases that the starting roster could be as small as that of the first Super Smash Bros. for N64--eight characters--but an exact count has not been confirmed. However, the company says the conditions for unlocking characters have been streamlined this time around, and new fighters will be doled out frequently, giving players the feeling that they're constantly making progress.
How Many Stages Are There?
Nintendo confirmed during its August Direct presentation that there will be 103 different stages in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, each of which also boasts a Battlefield and Final Destination form. Taken together, this amounts to more than 300 levels to fight on. Moreover, Nintendo is introducing a new feature to the game called Stage Morph; when toggled on, it will cause one stage to transform into another in the middle of a match.
The majority of the stages in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are taken from previous installments in the series. Among those that have been confirmed thus far are Spirit Train and Tortimer Island from Super Smash Bros. for 3DS; Princess Peach's Castle and Great Bay from Melee; New Pork City and Frigate Orpheon from Brawl; and Mario Galaxy and Gaur Plain from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. That said, there will also be a handful of new stages in the game. At E3, Nintendo revealed Great Plateau Tower (based on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) and Splatoon's Moray Towers, while the August Direct gave us a look at New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey and Simon Belmont's signature stage, Dracula's Castle.
What Else Is Different?
Aside from all of the new characters, stages, and items, Nintendo is making a ton of mechanical and balance changes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Game director Masahiro Sakurai says the amount of tweaks in the game could number in the "tens of thousands," and they range from subtle visual upgrades--like Wii Fit Trainer's refined face--to reworked movesets and other dramatic overhauls.
One of the most notable changes is the pace of the game. Combat in Ultimate feels speedier than in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, resulting in quicker and more intense matches. Moreover, Nintendo has introduced some new techniques, such as directional air dodges, and simplified other ones, like short hop attacks, improving the game's accessibility while also allowing for more skillful play. In keeping with this emphasis on speedier matches, players will dish out more damage in one-on-one battles, while those who excessively dodge will now be penalized with slowed dodge movement and a smaller window of invulnerability.
Most Final Smashes have also undergone some dramatic changes in Ultimate. Some existing specials, like Pikachu's Volt Tackle and Sonic's Super Sonic transformation, are now uncontrollable, lightning-fast attacks, while other characters have received new Final Smashes entirely. This time, Link fires a devastating Ancient Arrow, while Pit barrels through opponents in the Lightning Chariot. Nintendo says that nearly every Final Smash has been reworked in Ultimate to be more immediate, allowing players to get back into the fray more quickly.
Likewise, many returning characters have received significant overhauls in Ultimate, both in terms of their appearance and their movesets. Ganondorf, for instance, is modeled after his classic look in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and he now uses his sword for his smash attacks. Princess Zelda's new model is based on her appearance in A Link Between Worlds, and Link dons his Champion's Tunic from Breath of the Wild. Shulk can now choose Monado Arts directly rather than having to cycle through them, while Palutena's special attacks have been streamlined.
Can I Use GameCube Controllers?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will support several different controller options, including the Switch Pro controller, a single Joy-Con, and many Smash fans' preferred gamepad, the GameCube controller. As was the case with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the latter will be compatible with the console via a separate adapter. This peripheral plugs into the Switch dock and works with both standard wired GameCube controllers and the wireless WaveBird.
Those who already own the Wii U GameCube controller adapter will be able to use it with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Switch. Nintendo will also release a new controller adapter later this year, along with a new line of Smash-branded wired GameCube controllers. Both are already available for pre-order from various retailers such as Amazon and GameStop; the adapter retails for $20, while the GameCube controllers run for $30 each.
Will It Work with Amiibo?
Nintendo confirmed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be compatible with the existing range of Smash Bros. Amiibo, and data saved to those figures will carry over to the new game. The company has also announced it will produce several new Smash Bros. Amiibo. During E3 2018, Nintendo showcased figures of Ridley and Inkling, two of the new fighters making their debut in Ultimate. The third new fighter announced for the game thus far, Daisy, will likewise receive an Amiibo, although it wasn't on display at E3.
In addition to the new figures, Nintendo announced it will also produce Amiibo for returning characters. The company has specifically confirmed Wolf, Ice Climbers, and Pichu will receive Amiibo, although that will presumably apply to other returning fighters, such as Young Link and Snake, as well. The Ridley, Inkling, and Wolf figures will launch alongside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this December and retail for $16 each. Reprints of many previous Smash Bros. Amiibo will also be available later this year for $13.
Will I Need to Pay to Play Online?
While online play on Nintendo Switch has been free up until now, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (and other online-enabled games like Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee) will require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription once the premium service rolls out this September. Subscriptions will be available for one month (US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6), three months (US $8 / £7 / AU $12), and 12 months (US $20 / £18 / AU $30). Nintendo will also offer a Family Plan, which allows up to eight accounts to share one membership for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 a year.
Will There Be DLC?
Nintendo hasn't given any indication as to whether or not it will release additional content for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, the most recent installments in the series received an extensive amount of DLC following their release, from new stages and characters to a wide assortment of Mii Fighter costumes, and it seems likely that Ultimate will get a similar level of post-launch support, although nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
When's the Release Date?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch later this year, on December 7.
Each week the Nintendo Eshop gets a new set of deals on digital Nintendo Switch games. The discounts end at varying times, so if you see something you want, it's best to pick it up sooner rather than later. This week we don't get to save money on any big first-party titles, but some fine third-party and indie games are on sale. Here are the best Switch deals available on the Nintendo Eshop right now.
One of the biggest discounted games is Shovel Knight. If you only want a taste of this retro-style platformer, you can grab Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment for $8 (down from $10). It only contains the Specter Knight's campaign, though, so you'll miss out on campaigns for Shovel Knight, Plague Knight, and eventually King Knight, once that releases later this year. To get the full game, you'll need to buy Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which is on sale for $20 (regularly $25).
Another big indie that's currently available for a discount is the roguelike RPG Darkest Dungeon. It's also $5 off, bringing it down to $20. This challenging turn-based game is drenched in gloom--which is a perfect tone for a quest that pushes your party to (or past) the brink of insanity.
On a brighter note, you can grab the new action-puzzle game Bomb Chicken for $9, or the relaxing Farming Simulator for $30. And if you're into party games, you can pick up The Jackbox Party Pack 4 for $15 or pre-order Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, which releases August 16 and is on sale for $13.50. There's also an open beta going on for Dragon Ball FighterZ between now and August 11.
We have more highlights from this week's Eshop sale below. To see even more discounted Switch games, plus a selection of 3DS and Wii U deals, click here.
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle added 9 new DLC characters this week which makes for the perfect excuse to play the game live against you, the loyal GameSpot viewers.
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