Topic: Smash Ultimate To Offer Smash Pass, Included Characters Developed From Scratch

[Shaymin]

And there's also a free fighter for launch buyers.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/48797/smash-ultimate-to-offer-smash-pass-included-characters-developed-from-scratch

Although Smash Ultimate already has a 74-character roster, there will be at least six more characters.

A Smash Pass has been announced that will provide five unannounced characters, along with a stage and music. Each character will be $5.99 US, or a pass for all 5 will be $24.99. The characters in the pass will be available by February 2020, will not be Echo Fighters, and have been developed from scratch after the game went gold.

A sixth character will be available for early adopters: Players who register the physical copy on My Nintendo or buy the game digitally before January 31, 2019 will receive the Piranha Plant as a playable character.

[Adrock]

I’m in on the Smash Pass though a game isn’t really “ultimate” if I have to buy more content for the full game. Yes, I’m arguing semantics. No, it isn’t a big deal.

[ShyGuy]

Exclusive preorder bonus! It's like a Ubisoft iconic hat exclusively at Gamestop

[Adrock]

To be fair, Nintendo did this with Mewtwo for Wii U/3DS.

I think Piranha Plant is a better bonus since it’s a completely unique character.

[Bman87301]

To be fair, Nintendo did this with Mewtwo for Wii U/3DS.

I think Piranha Plant is a better bonus since it’s a completely unique character.

I hardly consider that fair--Mewtwo wasn't preorder exclusive and could still be bought separately.

[Adrock]

I hardly consider that fair--Mewtwo wasn't preorder exclusive and could still be bought separately.

I was under the impression that Piranha Plant is free as a pre-order bonus and paid later, like Mewtwo.

[Stratos]

That would make the most sense, but Nintendo is notorious for locking random stuff for no good reason (ambassador titles, Four Swords Anniversary Edition). Smash is big enough that I'm confident it will be purchasable down the road.

[Mop it up]

I'm disappointed the DLC this time isn't more reasonably priced. Though maybe "disappointed" isn't the right word, as I was still expecting it to be expensive.

I wonder if it will still be possible to buy the bundle after all the characters are released. I don't want to plop down any money until I know what I'm getting.

I'm curious if they plan to offer any echoes for lower prices.

I’m in on the Smash Pass though a game isn’t really “ultimate” if I have to buy more content for the full game. Yes, I’m arguing semantics. No, it isn’t a big deal.

That's modern gaming for ya, hee hee.

[Adrock]

That would make the most sense, but Nintendo is notorious for locking random stuff for no good reason (ambassador titles, Four Swords Anniversary Edition). Smash is big enough that I'm confident it will be purchasable down the road.

I understand on both counts. The Ambassador titles were gifts for early adopters (and shitbags like me who price matched 3DS for the discount and still got the games) because Nintendo botched 3DS launch so entirely. Four Swords Anniversary was a free game for just owning DSi/3DS. I guess it would have been nice to sell it later on.

Locking availability of an entire character in a fighting game to a three month time period would be next level shiesty.

I wonder if it will still be possible to buy the bundle after all the characters are released. I don't want to plop down any money until I know what I'm getting.

I imagine so. It’s Super Smash Bros. so I’m personally buying all characters, and I’d be hella mad if a bundle was announced after I bought the DLC fighters individually. It’d be crummy for Nintendo to pull the bundle once the DLC fighters are all announced.

[Shaymin]

Remember the bundles are character + stage + multiple music tracks. Characters on Wii U/3DS were $4.99/$5.99 depending on whether or not 3rd parties were involved, and that only got you one version (add a buck if you wanted portable + console). Stages were $2 - $3, and the pass gave no discount at all.

[broodwars]

Yeah, OK. You can't really criticize a modern Smash game for lacking content at release, especially when we finally have details on a dedicated SP mode in Ultimate.

[Bman87301]

I hardly consider that fair--Mewtwo wasn't preorder exclusive and could still be bought separately.

I was under the impression that Piranha Plant is free as a pre-order bonus and paid later, like Mewtwo.

Read the article--that's certainly not how the info is worded. Everything so I've seen so far only seems to indicate its availability only as a time-limited bonus. Unless you have data suggesting otherwise, I'm going to have to assume your impression probably came from wishful thinking.

[Enner]

Regarding the Fighter Pass pricing, it is in line with the season passes of other fighting games, so it is among its peers.

If you reject the concept or feel that such passes for fighting games are too expensive on its own, then fair enough.

One of the 5 characters has to be Rex/Pyra due to the popularity of Xenoblade 2, right?

I hardly consider that fair--Mewtwo wasn't preorder exclusive and could still be bought separately.

I was under the impression that Piranha Plant is free as a pre-order bonus and paid later, like Mewtwo.

Read the article--that's certainly not how the info is worded. Everything so I've seen so far only seems to indicate its availability only as a time-limited bonus. Unless you have data suggesting otherwise, I'm going to have to assume your impression probably came from wishful thinking.

I'm pretty sure Piranha Plant will function as Mewtwo did. Granted, Nintendo does some bone-headed stuff constantly and consistently, but I don't think they would do that with Smash.

[Bman87301]

That would make the most sense, but Nintendo is notorious for locking random stuff for no good reason (ambassador titles, Four Swords Anniversary Edition). Smash is big enough that I'm confident it will be purchasable down the road.

Just because a company may have a reputation for something, doesn't mean it's at all based on facts. Four Swords Anniversary Edition was only FREE for a limited time. It was actually made available for purchase after that. The reality is Ninty has a more actual history of giving in (First wave of SSB amiibo, Wii edition of Super Mario All-Stars, Xenoblade Chronicles in the U.S., NES Classic... they even eventually made the Wii web browser free to everyone and gave those who paid a free NES game). The only legitimate case I can think of them truly keeping something limited despite demand was the Metroid Prime Trilogy for Wii (even the GBA ambassador games had some legitimacy when you factor in the technical issues preventing sleepmode, and they still made them available later on Wii U).

[pokepal148]

That would make the most sense, but Nintendo is notorious for locking random stuff for no good reason (ambassador titles, Four Swords Anniversary Edition). Smash is big enough that I'm confident it will be purchasable down the road.

Just because a company may have a reputation for something, doesn't mean it's at all based on facts. Four Swords Anniversary Edition was only FREE for a limited time. It was actually made available for purchase after that.

Narrator: No it is not. Try looking it up on the eshop.

Heck, I was expecting it to get one last chance when the DSI shop went down but that didn't happen.

[Wah]

wahhhhh

[Adrock]

Read the article--that's certainly not how the info is worded. Everything so I've seen so far only seems to indicate its availability only as a time-limited bonus. Unless you have data suggesting otherwise, I'm going to have to assume your impression probably came from wishful thinking.

Or common sense. Nintendo doesn’t need a pre-order bonus to sell Super Smash Bros. yet it’s done something similar with the previous installment. Not a guarantee, but something to keep in mind. How often does any company, including and especially Nintendo, permanently lock accessibility to game content like an entire playable fighter behind a three-month pre-order/registration window?

That said, I wasn’t really worried about this DLC not being widely available at some point when I replied earlier. More importantly, if you were, you could have checked the game’s website to assuage your concerns. Here, I’ll make it even easier for you:

Piranha Plant will also be available as paid DLC (separate from Fighters Pass content) at a later time.

[Mythtendo]

The wording from Sakurai in the direct implied that it would be free for early adopters, then be paid DLC. I am glad Nintendo directly confirmed that though.

[UncleBob]

On one hand, it's a fighting game with 74 (74!) characters included.

On the other hand, five more characters cost just under half the price of the full game,

[Soren]

On the other hand, five more characters cost just under half the price of the full game,

Isn't Fighting Game DLC just the best?