Super Smash Bros. Needs a Full Reset on the Switch 2

I've been playing Super Smash Bros. since Melee, and after watching Masahiro Sakurai push himself to the brink for Ultimate—the man literally passed out during development—I think it's time to say the quiet part out loud. The next Smash on Nintendo's newest console can't just be another victory lap. It needs to start over.

Now that the Switch successor is finally out in the wild and Nintendo's 2026 lineup is starting to hum, everyone expects the company to roll out a new Smash sooner rather than later. Sakurai might be exhausted—I don't blame him—but Nintendo is not going to let its biggest crossover event sit on the bench forever. The big question is whether the studio takes the easy road or does the brave thing.

The Deluxe Temptation

The obvious play is a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe. Toss in a handful of fighters, a stage or two, maybe call it a day. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe proved that approach prints money, and it wouldn't drag Sakurai away from his YouTube channel for too long.

But I really hope Nintendo doesn't go that route. Playing Ultimate again recently reminded me why a Deluxe re-release would feel hollow. The roster is enormous, yes, but some of Nintendo's oldest faces are starting to feel like they've been frozen in time. The movesets need more than a fresh coat of paint—they need a full renovation.

Mario Is Stuck in the Past

Let's start with Mario. In Smash, the plumber still leans on his Fire Flower—a power-up from the very first Super Mario Bros.—and FLUDD, a sidekick from a game that launched more than two decades ago. It's charming, sure, but Mario has collected so many new toys since then.

Give him Cappy from Super Mario Odyssey. By the time a new Smash actually arrives, Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be old news, so let him use the bubble and drill abilities too. Peach could get that badge ability that fires vines, and Daisy should absolutely be able to turn into an elephant. As for Luigi, it's about time Gooigi got a bigger role in Smash. That guy has been waiting in the wings for years.

Link and Zelda Need Tears of the Kingdom Love

Ultimate's Link was lucky because he arrived after Breath of the Wild, so he didn't feel quite as dated as Mario. But now Link has a whole new arsenal from Tears of the Kingdom. Giving him Ascend as a recovery move would be ridiculously cool. Imagine popping up through a platform right under an opponent's feet.

Zelda is even more overdue. In Smash Ultimate, she barely looks like the princess from Tears of the Kingdom. Her design has evolved so dramatically that keeping the old Smash appearance feels like a missed opportunity. A redesign is long past due.

Old Guard, New Tricks

The list goes on. Samus isn't exactly outdated, but a couple of tricks from Metroid Dread—like her spider magnet and flash abilities—would make her feel a lot fresher. Kirby can now fit entire cars inside his mouth, so Car Kirby plowing through opponents as a Final Smash feels like a no-brainer.

Pokémon Trainer's companions could also use a shake-up. We all love Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard, but it's time to mix the lineup. My vote goes to Scorbunny, Floragato, and Empoleon.

Some Fighters Need to Go

Here's the hard truth, and I say this as someone who has spent hundreds of hours with these characters: updating movesets isn't enough for everyone. If the series is going to start over, some roster members have to be cut.

I know some folks are still convinced a new F-Zero game is coming any day now, but in my ideal Switch 2 Smash, Captain Falcon isn't there. F-Zero 99 doesn't count, and let's be real—that ship has sailed. Fox and Ness can also step aside. They had their time, but Nintendo has moved on.

Instead, let's make room for the characters who have become Nintendo staples since then. An Inkling from Splatoon, Isabelle or Tom Nook from Animal Crossing, Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade, Byleth and Alear from Fire Emblem. And for goodness' sake, let us be Waluigi.

A Clean Slate Is the Only Way Forward

Mario and Link are still as important to Nintendo as they have ever been, but sometimes it feels like Nintendo hasn't actually moved on all that much. The characters have evolved massively since the original Smash roster, and new series have replaced games that were a big deal two decades ago.

The future of Smash isn't another Ultimate expansion. It's starting things all over again. A smaller, carefully chosen roster with updated movesets and some painful cuts would give the series room to grow into the modern era.

If that's what it takes for Sakurai to finally get some rest—or at least for Nintendo to let him go free—then I'm all for it. The next Super Smash Bros. should be brave enough to burn it all down and build something new.

The following analysis references UNESCO Games in Education to frame why a full Smash reset could be healthier than an “Ultimate Deluxe” encore: long-running games stay culturally relevant when they periodically re-teach players new systems rather than endlessly stacking legacy content. Applied to Smash on Nintendo’s new hardware, that supports a tighter rebooted roster with modernized kits (Cappy-era Mario, Tears of the Kingdom-inspired Link/Zelda) so the game’s learning curve, readability, and character identity feel intentionally redesigned instead of patched onto an already-maxed foundation.