As it has been wont to do over the years, Nintendo has saved a blockbuster release for the final few weeks of the year, this time in form of the grandly titled Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
Unveiled at E3 earlier this year, this generation's entry in the long-running beat-'em-up crossover series positions itself as the definitive Smash Bros experience, featuring every fighter from previous entries -- plus a cavalcade of new faces.
In his Eurogamer review, in which he awards Ultimate the coveted Essential rating, Martin Robinson describes the game as "an enthusiastic grab bag of gaming history, where familiar call-backs are met by deeper cuts and references to obscure NES RPG series by the beloved, departed Data East."
"Nintendo Switch's big Christmas game [is] riotously good fun for anyone"
Tom Hoggins, The Telegraph
He continues: "That enthusiasm is infectious, too -- Smash Bros is, and always has been, a smile of a game, an endless festival featuring all your favourites plus a few more besides. Yes, it gets a bit messy sometimes, but the best festivals always do."
Robinson's referring not only to the range of characters, but also the plethora of stages, items, musical tracks and other references to games past -- both from Nintendo and the other developers it has allowed to share this scrappy fighting platform.
While the nods to their favourite titles have pleased many a critic, it's the sheer wealth of content that has impressed the most, with a solid mix of single-player and multiplayer modes for Switch owners to dive into.
"There is an almost bewildering amount of wonderful stuff and nonsense, making the Nintendo Switch's big Christmas game riotously good fun for anyone that cares to get involved," says Tom Hoggins in his four-star review for The Telegraph.
He continues: "The accessible but deceptively deep brawling isn't necessarily for everyone, while its kitchen-sink approach could be overwhelming for those that don't already have a commitment."

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ical-consensus