GamesFightingSuper Smash BrosSuper Smash Bros. UltimateAs live service juggernauts struggle with balance, Super Smash Bros director reveals all 86 fighters have almost identical win ratesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesFightingSuper Smash BrosSuper Smash Bros. UltimateAs live service juggernauts struggle with balance, Super Smash Bros director reveals all 86 fighters have almost identical win ratesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
In an era where developers are seemingly struggling to balance all their different weapons, characters, and abilities,Super Smash Bros Ultimate’sdirector has revealed that all 86 fighters have a near-identical win rate.
Director Masahiro Sakurai has been sharing game design gold over onYouTubefor two years now, and his latest video delves into the tricky waters of balancing a game, or in other words trying to make all in-game tools as viable as each other. And with a massive flex, the legendary director revealed his team cracked the code across the game’s mega-roster.
“Data gathered from all over the world” shows that the brawler’s most effective character wins matches 51.43% of the time, while the lowest win rate sits at 47.18%. The other 85 fighters land somewhere in between, meaning the unbelievably big roster is pretty much evenly matched.
Sakurai released the information because he thought the internet tended to be “an echo chamber of sorts” where repeated discourse about one character being over or underpowered would “gain momentum and make people think it’s truer than it is.”
Live service juggernauts struggle with evening the odds all the time, sometimes releasing balance patches to balance out the previous balance patches.Helldivers 2 has suffered from thisrecently, as hasOverwatch 2, but Sakurai has some sage advice for developers.
“Now, if you move forward treating uniqueness as ideal, you’ll naturally end up with mixed reception,” he continues. “If you get rid of individuality, there’ll be no point in having a wide array of fighters. A major reason why people enjoy fighter reveals is that each character’s unique traits are firmly established. There won’t be much charm in something with no strengths or weaknesses, after all. Average and mediocre are the same thing.”
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The Super Smash Bros steward announced that"work has finally come to an end"after the reveal of Kingdom Hearts' Sora - which alsoended some decades-long amiibo obsessions. While he previously had retirement plans, Sakurai alsocan’t imagine someone else directing an inevitable sequelto the series.
Find out what else Nintendo is up to ourupcoming Switch gameslist.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”