Summary
The anticipated release of the successor to the Nintendo Switch has led to some speculation about what games the next console will have. Some fans have speculated thatthe nextSuper Smash Bros.game is in the works, although there is nothing to back this up concretely at the moment. More definitively, series creator,Masahiro Sakurai has previously countered such assertionsby claiming that fans should not always expect another installment.
That said, the continued success of the series leads people to believe that Nintendo won’t discontinueSuper Smash Bros.just yet. If a future installment of the game were ever to be released, there are definitely certainmodes from previous games that are worth carrying over.
5All-Star Mode/ Boss Battles
Wiping Out the Roster
All-Star Modewas a mode that debuted inMelee, where players could take on every fighter from the game in succession These fighters were divvied up randomly inMelee, split by franchise inBrawl, and stratified by debut in4. In between each session, the player’s damage would carry over between levels, but they could make use of limited recovery items to heal themselves from all damage when things got desperate.
Boss Battles was aBrawl-exclusive mode which functioned the same as All Star Mode, but exclusively pitted the player against bosses.
Ultimatenods to All-Star Mode, with All-Star Smash, which is functionally closer to Multi-Man Smash. While it does allow the player to take on the entire cast at once, it’s just not the same. Admittedly, the larger roster this game has could be a culprit behind why it was changed. Consecutive Boss Battles are only available in World of Light,save for Sephiroth’sclassic mode, which features the One-Winged Angel taking on each boss inUltimate. Once again, while the basic functionality of fighting each foe in succession is there, it is fundamentally different from the original mode.
4Event Match
Situational Smash
Event Matchwas a long-running mode in the series that was discontinued inUltimate. Debuting inMelee, it consisted of a series of levels in which the player was required to perform certain tasks. Sometimes they were as simple as defeating a powered-up foe, but other times they were a bit more complex, like defeatingcolor-coordinated Yoshisin a specific order, with any deviation being considered a failure.
To some extent, the DNA of Event Matches exists inUltimate. Spirit battles often impose conditions upon the characters. The customized narrative angle of Event Matches is recognized in the game’s Classic Mode runs, which are more tailored to each specific fighter than they were in past games. However, if neither of these elements return for the follow-up, more Event Matches might not be the worst idea.
3Coin Launcher
Gunning ‘N’ Gambling
Smashoften utilized various trophy-earning methods across the first three games in the series.Meleehad the Lottery, which allowed the player to collect trophies in exchange for coins.4had Trophy Rush, where the player destroys crates and avoids various hazards to acquire trophies.Super Smash Bros.Brawlhad the most entertaining take on trophy collecting with Coin Launcher.
The Coin Launcher mode turns the player’s coins into ammo, which they can shoot at trophies, as well as enemies, which increases the rarity of trophies obtained upon their destruction. This allows for a more fun experience which actively involves the player – unlike the Lottery mode – while also not feeling as tedious as Trophy Rush. Perhaps the more direct ways in which players can acquire Spirits throws the necessity of this mode into debate, but even if Nintendo does replace trophies in future games, it could be a fun way for players to collect Spirits they do not have.
2Break The Targets!
The Title Says It All
Target Smash, or Break the Targetsas it has also been called, is another mode discontinued inUltimate. It was conceptualized by Sakurai as an indirect tutorial mode, where players could get a feel for how to use each character’s attacks.Meleeeven created custom target smash stagesfor every character, though the larger rosters of more recent releases may have retired this practice.
This mode serves as a way to help players understand not only how to pull off effective attacks, but also how to navigate different types of terrain, which is essential for a platform fighter. Sakurai mentioned on his YouTube channel that he wanted to have a proper tutorial mode inUltimate, but that time constraints led to it being scrapped. This fun and helpful mode could be a welcome presence in futureSmashgames, even in lieu of a proper tutorial mode.
1Story Mode/The Subspace Emissary
…But Mostly The Cinematic Cutscenes
Brawl’siconicStory Moderemains one of the series' most triumphant achievements. It features a majority of the cast banding together against a greater threat that seeks to conversely merge and destroy all the worlds into one; The Great Maze. From there, the player sees various fighters team up and take on bigger opponents. Foes are battled and bonds are forged, with everyone involved ultimately joining the same collective to take on Tabuu.
This mode was so iconic that limited attempts at recreating gameplay passages such as World of Light and Smash Run were created. WhileWorld of Lightdoes manage to capture an all-encompassing grandiosity in the vein ofThe Subspace Emissary, including giving players control of Master Hand for one stage, it falls short of its predecessor in certain ways. The primary issue is that the many character-establishing cutscenes of The Subspace Emissary are gone. While collecting and playing as the various fighters is fun, it was seeing these characters come together and play off each other in animated cutscenes that made The Subspace Emissary so memorable.
However, Sakurai does not want to use this element in future releases, and not because of the ever-expanding roster. He was primarily upset at how widely clips kept getting leaked online and shared by outlets, which he said made the clamored crossover cutscenes feel like less of a reward. Even if the cinematic storytelling never returns toSmash Bros., The Subspace Emissary is still beloved to this day by many fans for it.
