Smash Ultimate is here at last. It’s been more than four years since the series’ last full entry, but Super Smash Bros. is back and now exclusive to Nintendo’s newest console, the Nintendo Switch. There’s a lot more to do this time around, too — like an absolutely enormous single-player campaign called Spirits. Smash Ultimate is far and away the most complete package the series has ever seen. And we really mean that.
The Smash Ultimate roster brings 74 different playable fighters at launch. Every single previous Smash character is back again, along with a heaping helping of fresh faced fighters. We even get the long-awaited Ripley and some other unexpected additions. That doesn’t even include the slew of upcoming DLC characters, assist trophies, Pokemon, and more.
- 7 Characters That Deserve to Be Smash Ultimate DLC
- Smash Ultimate Character List – Complete Fighter Roster
- Smash Ultimate Pokemon List – All Poke Ball and Master Ball Pokemon
This guide will focus exclusively on Nintendo’s bubblegum-colored… creature, Kirby! The adorable pink blob is a favorite pick among new and casual players, thanks to his wide variety of abilities (via eating enemies) and super simple air recovery.
According to Nintendo’s official description of Kirby in Smash Ultimate…
Kirby’s ability to copy other fighters is totally unique! While he is light and can be launched easily, he can also jump up to five times in the air, so he has great recovery. Look for his new Stone transformation, too.
Moves
Inhale (B) – Inhales opponents. Can then copy opponent’s ability or spit them out as a star.
Hammer Flip (Side + B) – Delivers a powerful hammer attack that can launch foes. Dangerous when fully charged.
Final Cutter (Up + B) – Jumps high into the air, striking on the way up and on the way down. Creates a shock wave when landing.
Stone (Down + B) – Turns into a heavy object and plummets downward, taking no damage while transformed.
Ultra Sword (Final Smash) – Kirby swings a sword that’s waaaaay bigger than he is. Make sure the first swing connects with an opponent, or nothing else happens!
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
The pink puff… gum… glob of whatever-that-is survived Sakurai’s thematic cull of the Smash roster for good reason. He’s got annoying recovery options and surprisingly powerful hits. Not to mention, all of his special moves got a little bit stronger in Ultimate. Kirby is pretty much the best character to annoy your friends with. You can squishy-crouch under moves!
Weaknesses
The floaty pink orb is also one of the lighter characters in the game, so even if you have good recovery, it doesn’t matter much if the opponent sends you flying farther than you can recover from. Heavy-hitting foes can really do some damage to Kirby and it’s hard for him to close the distance on long-ranged characters.
Changes
The real question is, what does Kirby look like when he copies other characters?
According to leaks, Kirby’s Dash Attack will no longer take you off of ledges. We’ll take that good bit of news as casual fans of the franchise.
Kirby’s Inhale has been buffed slightly as it now has more range and can catch projectiles. You can either swallow it to heal or spit it out as a star to deal damage.
Kirby’s Hammer attack can now break shields when fully charged.
Lastly, Final Cutter, the move where Kirby jumps up, slams down, and sends out a blade to deal damage, has been buffed as well. He can more reliably hit characters on the upswing and the projectile it sends out now goes slightly further.
Outfits
Lots of palette swaps!
And that’s most of what we know about Kirby in Smash Ultimate! Kirby is a member of the Smash Ultimate starting roster (and, based on pre-release trailers, seems to play a major role in the story). So more players than ever might want to pick him up and try out his changes.
Starting roster aside, there are still a ton more Smash Ultimate characters to learn about and discover. Not to mention the single-player campaign seems bigger and better than ever. So check out the rest of Fanbyte’s Smash Ultimate guides and walkthroughs— from single-player hints to vital multiplayer tactics. More than anything else, though, make sure you play the characters you enjoy the most.
All of our Smash Ultimate guides created with the help of Eric Van Allen.
