Super Smash Bros. Epsilon is a 2025 fighting game for the Nintendo Switch developed by Sora Ltd. and Hal Laboratories and published by Nintendo. It uses an modified version of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate engine and focuses on a smaller, more refined roster, as well as a plethora of content to dive into. It is the 6th entry in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Super Smash Bros. Epsilon | |
Developer(s) | Hal Laboratory, Sora Ltd., and Bandai Namco Studios |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Director(s) | Masahiro Sakurai |
Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch |
Genre(s) | Fighting, Platforming |
Series | Super Smash Bros. |
Release Date(s) | August 29th, 2025 |
Mode(s) | Single Player, Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer |
Age Rating(s) | CERO: B
ESRB: T for Teen ACB: PG PEGI: 12 USK: 12 |
Media Included | Nintendo Switch Cartridge, Digital Distribution (Nintendo EShop) |
Available Input | Joy-Con, Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, GameCube Controller |
Storage Needed | 20 Gigabytes |
Cost | 59.99 (USA and EU), 79.99 (Canada), 49.99 (UK), 89.99 (AU) |
Gameplay[]
The gameplay of Super Smash Bros. Epsilon is similar to the past 5 entries in the series. The player will go head-on with up to 7 other fighters on a varied selection of stages, playing as characters from various Nintendo and 3rd-party franchises. The gameplay of the series is a departure from traditional fighting games as a whole, as the games require the player to launch their opponents out of the boundaries (known as the "blast lines" in-game) of the stage to KO them, earning them a point, as opposed of simply draining their stamina bar. Instead of stamina, the series has traditionally had damage percentage which is raised by being damaged. The higher one's percentage is, the farther a fighter will be launched, helping greatly with KO-ing them. Another difference from standard fighting games are the way each character controls. Their moves are almost all different, but their controls are identical. A fighter can use standard attacks, tilt attacks, smash attacks, aerial attacks, special moves, grabs, throws, and a powerful final smash, as well as items found across the stage.
Additions[]
- Game speed: Super Smash Bros. Epsilon runs on the engine of previous series entry Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which has been modified to run at a faster pace similar to fan-favorite Melee. The games runs like this by default but it can be configured to be slower (or slightly faster) in the settings.
- Parrying: A mechanic which replaces perfect shielding. Shield just before being struck by an attack and an explosion of light will indicate a successful parry. All damage will be absorbed and converted into health by an equation of Damage taken divided by four equals damage healed.
- Perfect Dodge: Dodge in any direction within a second of being attacked to trigger a perfect dodge. Time will freeze for a few seconds afterwards, allowing for a short window to land a few attacks your opponent.
- Air Shielding: Shielding is now able to be done while airborne. They break much easier than ground shields but also regenerate faster.
- Air grabbing and throwing: Grabbing can be done in the air and is easier to escape. Throwing is possible but also weaker while airborne.
- Wall jump physics: More characters are able to wall jump and walls can be slid down too. Additionally, wall jumping can be done during helplessness as a last resort but is generally less reliable as a recovery move.
Stickers[]
Stickers make a return from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. They are stuck to a bottom of a Fighter’s Trophy and provide various effects, such as extra strength for a type of move (e.g. neutral attacks, special attacks, throws) or starting a match with a specific item. They also come in many different sizes, with larger stickers being more powerful but taking up more space on the trophy, and smaller stickers being less powerful but also taking up less space. Stickers, however, come with a few twists this time around. They are divided into four classes that measure their strength and are symbolized by a specific number of stars, Novice (one star), Advanced (two stars), Ace (three stars), and Legend (four stars). Stickers can now also have new effects that were previously exclusive to Ultimate’s Spirits, such as immunity to certain stage hazards and super slow armor. Stickers can also be levelled up with Snacks to increase their power, and some can even be “Enhanced” into a more powerful related sticker by levelling them up all the way to level 99.
Trophies[]
After being absent from Super Smash Bros Ultimate with the addition of spirits, Trophies return to the Smash Bros series for this instalment. These are collectable, highly detailed busts of characters and objects throughout video game history with descriptions that provide extra context to them. Not a lot has changed from their last appearance, except for the addition of countless new trophies.
Game modes[]
Smash[]
Standard Smash[]
The signature mode of the series, a fighting match where up to 8 fighters (either CPUs or human players) go head to head in the pursuit of winning! Custom rulesets are able to be created and selected before a match for a more personalized experience. Smash is categorized into five sub-modes:
- Standard: Try to earn the most points by KO-ing your opponent or having them KO-ed within the time limit to come out on top.
- Stock: Each fighter has a configurable amount of lives which are lost by being KO-ed. In order to win, be the last man standing.
- Stamina: Instead of damage percentage, a fighter has stamina, which has to be drained completely for them to be KO-ed. Be the last one alive and victory is yours.
- Coin: Everyone starts out with 0 coins. Get coins by attacking other fighters and KO them to get half of their wealth. Most coins obtained within the time limit gets the top spot.
- Fan: Get yourself some fans by taunting, strong, flashy attacks, and using long combos on your opponents. KO them to win an especially big amount. Be the fan favorite by the time the clock runs out to win.
Tourney[]
A huge tournament for up to 64 participants. There is the option to play in teams for a more chaotic experience. A perfect mode for large parties!
Special Smash[]
Heavily-cranked up versions of regular smash matches. Possesses a uneven balance of skill and luck.
- Squad Strike: Assemble a team of 2 to 8 fighters that can be switched between at will. Have your opponent's entire team eliminated to win.
- Smashdown: Play with a different fighter each match. Fighters you have already played as will be inaccessible, so choose carefully. Complete the most matches before losing or quitting to set yourself a new high score.
- Custom Smash: Add a variety modifiers to your Smash experience, from reduced weight or a permanent metal form, for all-out chaos!
- Super Sudden Death: All characters start at 300% damage and must fight to the death as the screen zooms in and bob-ombs fall from the sky. You can add some additional modifiers to improve your experience as well.
- Super Random Smash: Stages, fighters, and item distribution will change suddenly throughout the match. A good opportunity to test your adaptability to certain situations but not exactly skill due to the mode's sheer randomness.
Solo[]
A plethora of modes are waiting to be discovered here. Best experienced solo but some modes have multiplayer support as well.
Smash Royale[]
An enhanced version of Smash Run from Smash Bros. For 3DS with a few notable twists. Up to four contestants (which can be human players or CPUs) are spawned into separate maze-like maps filled with enemies and treasures. They tasked with getting the most stat boosts under a time limit of five minutes. Stat boosts are items which increase the effectiveness of certain attributes. They come in six types:
- Speed: Increases movement speed in both the air and on the ground.
- Jump: Increases jump height, falling speed, and the distance of special moves that are a viable recovery option.
- Attack: Increases the attack and launch power of all normal moves.
- Special: Increases the attack and launch power of all special moves. Some projectile and charge-based attacks might also get extra range and shorter charging time respectively.
- Arms: Increases the attack and launch power of throws, projectiles, and item attacks. Grab range gets a boost as well.
- Defense: Increases resistance against nearly every attack and stage hazard and makes you harder to launch. Also increases shield health.
After the five minutes is up, all players are taken to a slightly smaller, constantly shrinking battlefield where the goal is to try to be the last man standing with your newly acquired stats. The winner wins a wide variety of prizes.
Classic Mode[]
Players begin by selecting a fighter and then a difficulty option which ranges from 0.1 all the way to 10.0. The higher the difficulty, the tougher the challenge and higher the rewards if completed. Classic mode has the player go through 10 stages with a single stock consisting of battles, minigames, and a final boss, all of which are related to the selected character in one way or another. Progress is made by KO-ing opponents or completing a minigame. If you fail a battle (Game overs can't happen during a minigame even if you lose one), there is the option to simply give up or to continue in two ways. The first way has you spend 700G to continue at a somewhat lower difficulty and the second way sees the player use a smash ticket to continue at the exact same difficulty with no penalties whatsoever. Winning Classic earns the player a fighter trophy among many other rewards.
All-Star Mode[]
This mode returns after yet another absence from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After the selection of a fighter, the player is tasked with defeating every fighter (whether they have been unlocked or not) in chronological order. Battles are separated into "Waves" which represent different time periods throughout the history of gaming. The player gains access in between Waves to a rest area where a limited supply of healing items can be used and progress can be viewed. The cycle continues for several waves until the game is won. Difficulty and continues are present and work exactly the same as they do in classic mode. Completing All-Star earns the player a fighter sticker among other rewards.
Stage Builder[]
This mode allows players to create a custom stage either on a grid system or a free-drawing system. Players can choose from different surfaces, such as steel and rubber, to create floors and walls for the stage and different objects, such as cannons and platforms, to place as well. Stages can be posted online via shared content upon their completion.
Stadium[]
Various minigames can be played within this mode.
- Home Run Contest: The player is tasked with launching the sandbag as far as possible. Ten seconds are provided to damage the bag enough to launch it. Three seconds in, a Baseball Bat will spawn to greatly assist with gaining distance on the sandbag.
- Sandbag Soccer: Fighters are split into two teams and tasked to launch the sandbag in the opposite team's goal the most times within the time limit. An temporary boost in both speed and strength is given to a player who manages to KO a fighter on the opposing team.
- Sandbag Basketball: Similar to Soccer, except the game is modeled after Basketball.
- Target Smash: The player is tasked with destroying all 10 targets within a maze-like stage. The stages are designed uniquely for each character and require decent knowledge of their moveset.
- Board The Platforms: The player must reach the end of an obstacle course, boarding special platforms along the way which act as checkpoints. Similarly to Target Smash, stages are unique to each character.
Mob Smash[]
The player must battle against the Fighting Mii Team in multiple sub-modes. Because each mode now has a difficulty option (Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard), Cruel Smash has been removed.
- 10-Man Smash: The player must KO ten Miis as fast as possible.
- 100-Man Smash: The player must try to survive long enough in order to KO 100 Miis.
- 7-Minute Smash: The player must survive for 7 Minutes while also trying to KO as many Miis as possible.
- Rival Smash: The player is tasked with KO-ing more Miis than their Rival (either a CPU or a human player) before they get KO-ed themselves.
- Endless Smash: The player must KO as many Miis as possible without the constraints of a time limit. The game only ends when they are KO-ed.
Custom Characters[]
Allows the creation of highly customizable Mii Fighters. Players can start by simply importing a Mii from Mii Maker, creating one right off the bat, or gaining a Mii via QR code. After finally naming them, the real customization begins. Players can decorate their fighter with various headgear and outfits, choose from 5 classes (Brawler, Swordfighter, Gunner, plus the brand new Mage and Thief), select between 3 options of Special Moves and Final Smashes, and also choose voice types for the Mii. Up to 100 Miis from a single class can be saved.
Vault[]
A variety of modes that focus on collectables and activities other than fighting (most).
Trophies[]
A player’s trophy collection can be viewed here among other things related to trophies.
- Trophy Gallery: The player can scroll through their trophy collection one by one. They can view the trophy alternatively with a free-camera system and read it's description along with a small list of appearances in whatever games the trophy's subject had appeared in.
- Trophy Hoard: The entirety of the player's trophy collection can be viewed in a giant hoard. Trophies can also be arranged in front of a variety to create Dioramas, which are meant for photo shoots.
Stickers[]
The player’s stickers can be viewed, collected, and rearranged for photos in this mode.
Fighters[]
TBA
Stages[]
TBA
Items[]
TBA
Enemies[]
TBA
Assists[]
TBA