Smash Bros Ultimate Update 3.0 Hits Tomorrow, Brings Joker
Nintendo surprise-dropped a video covering the release of Smash Bros Ultimate Version 3.0 to the Web this evening. The video was 15 minutes long and could have easily been its own Direct, but….we know by now that to call Nintendo unpredictable would be an understatement.
The biggest news of the day was what we already knew: Joker from Persona 5 is coming as the first of five DLC characters. We just didn’t know WHEN he was coming, and it turns out….tomorrow. Joker arrives April 17 and he brings with him his gun, a grappling hook, and the defensive move Rebel’s Guard. If Joker keeps taking damage, his Rebel’s Guard meter will continue to build, until finally when it fills up his Persona, Arsene, can be unleashed.
Arsene is indestructible and floats constantly behind Joker, endowing him with more powerful attacks, an increased number of bullets for his gun, and a better recovery technique if he falls off the stage. To be honest, the video made us concerned Joker could be too powerful and might upset the balance of the game, meaning in one week 90% of all the fighters you face online would be him. But Nintendo has been diligent in patching the game whenever such imbalances become obvious.
Joker is $5.99 individually and comes with eleven music tracks from across the Persona series, plus the stage Mementos that changes color depending on the music being played. You can also get Joker automatically if you have the $30 Fighter’s Pass.
Even if you didn’t pay for the Fighter’s Pass there are plenty of other reasons to wake up eagerly tomorrow and turn on your Switch. In Version 3.0, all players will receive the long-awaited Stage Builder, last seen on the Wii U but considerably more powerful here. Layered objects are now possible, allowing you to decorate the background of your stage any way you see fit. Most importantly, YOU CAN FINALLY DOWNLOAD OTHER PEOPLE’S STAGES!
And to show off your custom stages, a robust Video Editor will now be part of Smash….you can trim and edit scenes, paste multiple videos together, add transition effects, and upload your mini-movies to YouTube or Twitter.
Smash gets smashier April 17, when Joker arrives and the custom stages raise the number of arenas in the game to “infinite.”