Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Stage Builder Released!

Finally, one of my favorite features in the Super Smash Bros. series has returned to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: the Stage Builder.

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It looked quite amazing with yesterday's Smash Direct, but the actual release was a little more disillusioning. The main reason for this are the backgrounds. Being able to choose from all the normal stages' backgrounds is probably the most wanted request for the Stage Builder and always has been. And in the Direct it looked like you can do exactly that, where all the Omega and Battlefield variants of stages could have been used as a resource.

But it turned out that you can only choose from between twelve backgrounds, which are static versions of some of the normal stages in the game. And that's super disappointing.

Well, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth and overall it feels like an improvement over what we had in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. In fact it seems to be an enhancement of said editor, where they've added multiple layers, simple shapes and for drawing and the ability to move and rotate objects during the game.

There are also a series of new interactive objects: Portals, Bumpers, Ladders, Bomb and Explosive Blocks, as well as Windy Areas. Springs and Cannons return from Smash 4, but it doesn't seem like you can create their large counterparts anymore. You can also freely draw with lava and ice now and there is a "bouncy rubber" texture, but it doesn't seem to have any effect.

Talking about textures, those don't seem to be as nice as the ones in Smash 4 and they leave a lot to desire, just like the backgrounds. But maybe they'll add more of both in the future.

Also, only the ladders and ice floors returned from the Stage Builder in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, sadly, but that editor still had many more interesting features like drop blocks, spikes or conveyor belts. The pre-defined structures were also pretty nice...

Well, I've only been able to test the new Stage Builder a little bit and it's certainly nice to have for a free feature, but I still wish that they would consider some more options for the sake of creativity.


PS: I've also tried Joker and he's alright. The real highlight of the DLC seems to be his stage, though. Mementos is super stylish and Ann in the background is a real eyecatcher. I wish I could place her in the background of my own stages. :D (It's also perfect how her Spirit is represented by a red Zero Suit Samus.)

Got the Young Link amiibo

Another addition to my amiibo collection has arrived today:

It's not my favorite, but it's nice enough. Since he is based on Ocarina of Time, this Young Link feels different enough from the Young Link amiibo part of the Zelda series, who is based on Majora's Mask.

So far I have gotten three of the new amiibo for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Ridley, the Piranha Plant and Young Link, where I've gotten Ridley together with the game and the Piranha Plant in February:

Yes, fight that Deku Baba, Link!

That's one amiibo from every release wave so far, where I might continue this trend. I want the Dark Samus amiibo as well, of course, and I might also be getting the Isabelle amiibo for an inside joke and because she's adorable. And if Minecraft is really part of the Challenger Packs, I will be getting the amiibo for the fighter as well, because I love the game and it would probably look really cool.

If Nintendo were to re-release some of the Zelda characters, where except for Toon Link everyone has gotten a makeover in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, I would be getting those as well. Especially amiibo for the new Zelda and Ganondorf would be nice to have.

But right now it seems like we're getting three new amiibo every two months with Isabelle, Pichu and probably Joker coming next.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Stage Builder Confirmed!

By accident... Nintendo posted a new commercial for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate today, where in the beginning you can spot the "Stage Builder" mode the bottom right of the menu.

I'm super excited right now, because the Stage Builder was one of the biggest omissions in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for me personally. In general I dislike the lack of new stages, but in the least I will be able to build my own.

There now remains the question what it can do. I'm not expecting too much here, because in the end even the most bare-bones Stage Builder is better than no Stage Builder at all. But ideally it would combine the features of both the previous Stage Builders from Brawl and Smash 4 Wii U, where you can use the handheld mode of the Switch to draw stages, but also use conventional input on a grid combined with many pre-defined stage pieces.

It would also be great to have access to most backgrounds (and textures) in the game, so you can build your own stages for the different franchises. With Omega and Battlefield variants of every stage available, it shouldn't be hard to implement this. They only would need to let us access these backgrounds and textures. In the very least there should be more than just a handful of backgrounds to choose from.

Otherwise the game already has various stage elements to offer. The cannons made it into the Bonus Game of Classic Mode. Spirit Battles offer stage variations like flaming floors. And of course the normal stages have things like ladders or moving platforms. All it needs is making these features accessible in the Stage Builder.

But let's see... It's probably best not to expect too much here, so we don't get disappointed in the end. It's already fantastic that we're getting a Stage Builder to begin with.

In any case a Nintendo Direct or Super Smash Bros. Direct should happen soon, where this gets showcased alongside Joker and maybe also the upcoming Smash World app, which could go hand in hand with the new Stage Builder, where you can showcase your stages via the app as well.

Rumor: A Link to the Past Coming to Switch?

According to these tweets, both Metroid Prime Trilogy and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past got registered in Best Buy's system. The former shouldn't be a surprise, but the latter certainly would be. And the new Link's Awakening is already there, so this might not be a simple confusion with the title.

This is very curious, since we're already getting the Link's Awakening remake and SNES games will come to the Nintendo Switch Online service eventually, maybe even this year. Also, a remake like this would have been best on the Nintendo 3DS, where we already have A Link Between Worlds and they could just use that game's graphics, enemies and everything to remake A Link to the Past entirely without any bigger efforts.

So, it seems very odd that a remake of A Link to the Past could be announced for the Nintendo Switch soon. But let's wait and see what this all will be about.

The Original Linkle

kazzykazycom on Twitter has just recently published some images of a Japanese magazine from 1986, which depicted Link as a girl (more images in the link):

Hot! I guess, if you only have played the game at the time, it's easy to be confused about Link's lengthy sideburns. In a way this would be the opposite to Metroid, where you might expect to play as a girl, but end up with a male protagonist. But seriously, Nintendo should consider the option. Link looks really good as a girl.