First look: 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' brings the classic fight to the Switch

To say that there is excitement for Nintendo's "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" for the Switch is a bit of an understatement.

Over 3 million people have watched the company's recent 40-minute Nintendo Direct reveal on YouTube to get the latest information before the game arrives Dec. 7. It's the first console "Smash" game since 2014's "Super Smash Bros. for Wii U." 

After playing the game for roughly an hour earlier this month at an event in New York, I am pleased to say that, at first blush, the wait seems to be worth it. 

Pulling in characters from over 30 different game franchises, this version truly is the all-encompassing game one would expect from the "Ultimate" title. Staples such as Mario, Kirby and Pikachu are all here, as are characters from different versions of "Smash" such as Snake from "Metal Gear Solid," Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man.

Newcomers for this round include Ridley from the "Metroid" series, Incineroar from "Pokémon" and the Inklings from "Splatoon."

All told, there are 74 playable characters in the new game with over 100 "stages" — or arenas — to battle with them on, a far cry from the 12 playable characters found on the original "Super Smash Bros." that came out for the Nintendo 64 nearly 20 years ago.

Six additional characters and stages will be available for purchase as downloadable content after the game releases. One character, the Piranha Plant from the "Mario" series, will be free for those who purchase and register the game with their Nintendo account before Jan. 31. 

"Ultimate" has a few different game modes. There's a story-like mode called "World of Light" that players can use to unlock the different characters. "Spirit board" mode lets you unlock different enhancements for those characters. And, of course, there is the traditional "Smash" mode that lets you pit different characters against one another, battling against friends or the computer. 

The original eight characters from the first "Smash" game — Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby and Fox — are available to start, with others available to be unlocked as you play.

In my brief time with the game, I wasn't able to explore much of the other modes. I was, however, able to play a few games of "Smash," the mode that those who buy this game will likely spend most of their time in. 

With beautiful HD graphics, the cartoon game looks clear, colorful and vivid on the large flat screen TV I was playing on. The controls are simple and unchanged from earlier versions of the game and using Nintendo's Pro Controller (an optional $69.99 more traditional gamepad) played as one would expect. 

Players will also be able to use the Switch's built-in screen and the console's included Joy-Con controllers to play on the go, though I wasn't able to try that out at this event. Nintendo will also be selling a GameCube controller for $29.99 that works with the Switch, but this accessory was similarly not available to demo.

Nor did Nintendo showcase the online mode, which lets you play with up to four different players over the Internet through the company's Nintendo Switch Online subscription service. Up to eight players can battle together in the same room off one Switch console, assuming you have enough controllers to pass around. 

Rolling around as Sonic, beating up other players as Pac-Man and zapping competitors as Pikachu was a blast. New features such as a "stage morph" that changes the battlefield mid-game are a welcome twist that is sure to keep matches lively.

While most multiplayer games today are primarily online-focused, there is a welcome nostalgia factor when playing "Smash" together with others huddled around the same screen playing the same game in the same room, an experience prior "Smash" players will remember all too well. 

From the classic characters to the traditional gameplay, that type of callback is a theme with the latest "Smash." But in the "Fortnite" era of massive online "Battle Royale" games, having this type of throwback is a welcome change of pace. 

Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal