Nintendo's biggest game of 2018 proves that the gaming giant still hasn't figured out how to make online games
The biggest Nintendo game of 2018 is, unsurprisingly, an overwhelmingly good game.
"Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is available for the Nintendo Switch as of December 7 â a massive, sprawling encyclopedia of gaming history. At its heart, the "Smash Bros." series is about Nintendo characters fighting to the death.
"Ultimate" is essentially a fighting game, but it contains so, so much more than that: A 700-plus list of songs spanning three decades of games; a surprisingly deep and expansive single-player campaign; a traditional fighting game "story" mode for each of its 70-plus characters; and, notably in this case, an expanded online multiplayer section.
Nintendo launched a paid online service in September, dubbed Nintendo Switch Online, which is required for online play. "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is the first major Nintendo release since that service launched, and it has a major online component.
Though "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is excellent in nearly every way, its online component is a mess: Persistent lag and bizarre design decisions hamper what would otherwise be a strong argument for Nintendo's new, paid online service.
As a longtime "Smash" fan who's been waiting â hoping! â for a great online experience from the franchise, it's been a tremendous let down thus far.
Here's why:
