Super Smash Bros. has been a Nintendo staple since its initial release in 1999. Since then, there have been quite a few iterations and, so far, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been one of the best. Although it isn’t immune from annoyances, it is still one of the most solid games, introducing new fighters and levels that haven’t been seen in previous games in the franchise. Although Nintendo has made playing online a bit of a hassle, it’s not impossible to do.

If you want to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate online with your friends, you’ll first need to sign up for a Nintendo Online subscription, which costs $3.99 for one month and $19.99 for a whole year. If you have an active subscription, you should be set and ready to go.

To play with friends online, you need to create a Battle Arena, which can be found in Smash Bros. Ultimate’s online menu. Battle Arenas are specialized rooms that can be found online and allow you to play with players from around the world. You can create your own area and rules or even join someone else’s arena.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Source: Cnet

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a fighting game designed for players who normally don’t play fighting games. Although the controls are much easier to understand — so much so that you can get by with button mashing — you won’t get the most out of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate unless you know what you’re doing. From picking a character to learning how to fight, here’s our beginner’s guide to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. 

How to fight

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s control scheme is essentially identical to that used in every game since Melee, and the game even supports GameCube controllers for those used to that setup. Most actions are performed in the game with a single button press, as well as an optional stick movement to access special moves.

The goal of a basic Super Smash Bros. match is to score more eliminations than your opponents. As you deal damage, the percentage above that character’s icon will go up. The higher it is, the more likely it is that they’ll get sent flying after the next big attack.

Basic attacks

Press the “A” button on your controller without moving the left stick to perform a neutral attack. Moving the stick left, right, up, or down while down this will give your character a different standard attack.

Standard attacks are quick, and good for building up damage on your opponent if they’re a slower character who cannot keep up with your movement speed.

Certain characters will perform longer attacks if you repeatedly hit the “A” button. Fox, for instance, will deliver a flurry of kicks, quickly racking up damage from the ground.

Special attacks

The “B” button in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is devoted to special attacks. These are moves tailored to each characters’ unique abilities, and often deliver radically more damage at the cost of speed. Mario, for instance, can spin a target around with a cape and deflect projectiles, as well as launch targets into the air as he collects coins.

Like with the basic attacks, moving the left stick while pressing “B” will change the attacks. All characters have neutral specials, up-specials, side-specials, and down-specials, though not all of these are attacks. Pokémon Trainer’s down-special, for instance, changes out the three available monsters instead of dealing damage.

Special attacks are great options for keeping your opponent on their heels, and for characters with projectile weapons, you can use them to deal damage from afar. Just don’t rely on them exclusively as many of them have long windup times that make them easy to avoid.

Smash attacks

Perhaps the most important move you’ll use in the game, smash attacks are the moves you’ll often use to knock an enemy off the stage. They take longer to use than standard attacks but can be quicker than special attacks, making them a great option later in fights.

There are a few ways to perform a smash attack. The first is to use the right analog stick (the C-stick on the GameCube) and simply move it in the direction of the attack you want. This will deliver a quick version of the attack, albeit not at its maximum power.

Movement and other actions

You can move left and right, duck, and travel between thin platforms by using the left analog stick by itself. If you slam the stick to the left or right, you’ll perform a run, which can come in handy when you’re closing in on a stunned enemy to perform a smash attack.

Jumping can be done by either pressing the stick up or by using the “X” or “Y” buttons. If you’re below a thin platform, you can jump on top of it without having to go around to the edge.

To use your shield, press the ZL or ZR buttons on a Switch controller, or the left or right triggers on the GameCube controller. This will protect you from damage from attacks, but the shield takes damage over time. If you let it run completely out, you’ll be stunned and left open to an enemy smash attack.

You can also counter another player’s shield by performing a grab —  use the L or R trigger buttons on the Switch controller and the “Z” button on the GameCube controller. This will ignore the shield and allow you to then throw your enemy, but performing a grab while an enemy is attacking will result in your character taking damage.

You also have access to a few evasive and recovery moves that can help you stay in a fight. Press the shield button and either left or right on the left stick to perform a dodge. You can do this both on the ground and in the air, and it’s crucial for avoiding big attacks.

The up-special attack can also be used as a recovery move for reaching ledges after you’re knocked away. Typically, your character will launch themselves upward for this move, but a few characters require more work. Ness, for instance, fires a lightning bolt from his body which you then must manually direct toward him in order to launch him back to the ledge.

Picking a character

The most important thing you can do when getting started in Super Smash Bros. Certain fighters like Incineroar and Ness are a ton of fun once you’ve become used to the game’s pace and mechanics, but you are going to struggle with performing recovery moves or reliably doing damage if you play these characters right out of the gate. Here are some great characters to try when first starting out:

• Mario
• Pikachu
• Kirby
• Donkey Kong
• Link
• Fox
• Marth