Super Smash. Bros Ultimate is not a port, Nintendo says: it’s ‘a brand new game built from the ground up’

Sakurai’s ‘Are you Happy Now’ Edition

After the Smash Ultimate Direct aired, a lot of folks had already gotten over the hype and were accusing Nintendo of porting the Wii U edition, adding a few characters and stages, and calling it a day. But it seems like they did a lot more than just a port job.

Speaking to USGamer, Nate Bihldorff, localization manager at Nintendo, confirmed that as well as “significant” texture updates, that it’s a “new game built from the ground up.” He shares that Nintendo doesn’t think of the series as a bunch of sequels, but rather “new Smash Bros. games.” Bihldorff explains that in order to really see the new engine at work you need to look at the little nuances, like the lighting in a certain stage or character interaction differences. He backs up the “tens of thousands of changes” comment from Sakurai.

So while that isn’t going to sate a lot of you who feel like it’s re-using assets, the fact is, Nintendo is saying that it’s a brand new project and not just a Wii U port. We settled it [out of Smash]! The myriad changes to the core cast have already sold me and back up the sentiment of this being a whole new thing.

Nintendo on Whether Smash Bros. Ultimate is Just a Wii U Update: “It’s a Brand New Game Built From the Ground Up” [USGamer]