...or not really, but I would be thrilled to get another Subspace Emissary-type adventure mode in Ultimate, and I'm interested to hear what ideas/wishes everyone has if Nintendo were to implement something like SE again. In the time it took me to write this, I definitely realized that the cast is simply too vast imo at this point for Nintendo to go to the effort of creating an all-inclusive story, in all likelihood, but hey, we can dream...
This is my idea for a story mode, including my most-wanted newcomers and the order in which they'd be unlocked roughly:
On a wide and empty expanse of golden tufted grass, ROBIN wakes on the ground, disoriented and amnesiac. As he fights off hostile Goombos and Bombshell Koopas, he eventually sees a convoy approaching, headed by PEACH. After some discussion, Robin joins the convoy, which also has a PICHU. As a castle looms in the distance, the convoy is attacked by dragon Laguz seen transforming on a nearby hilltop.
[Robin and Pichu unlocked!]
In her castle in Sarasaland, DAISY is playing tennis against KIRBY when guards arrive to announce the guests waiting. Daisy receives Robin, Peach and Pichu in her court, greeting her fellow princess cheerfully. Robin observes the court proceedings pleasantly until he notices KAMEK and Kammy Koopa dressed ill-fittingly in guards’ outfits. Suddenly the castle shakes; Robin and Kirby look outside to see the entire fortress being lifted into the sky by giant chains hooked into the earth. Overhead, a smiling enormous Koopa balloon has captured the structure. Goombos and Koopas storm inside through the windows, followed by BOWSER himself. While Robin and Pichu are knocked out in the chaos, Kirby has enough time to choose either Daisy or Peach to escape with on a warp star…
[Daisy unlocked!]
At Shadow Moses Island, the RAY MK III and a PIKACHU are furiously trying to defeat and deactivate a variety of rogue Metal Gear Rex’s, Basilisks and Sahelanthropus’s. With the help of FALCO, who rains hellfire on the machines from his Arwing while skillfully weaving in and out of structures at the compound, the heroes seem to have won the fight, until the Mechonis suddenly looms overhead, dwarfing the facility. The Mechonis’ sword grazes Falco’s Arwing, sending him crashing into the sea. As it begins to storm, Pikachu uses a powerful thunder attack in the slim hope that the giant machination can be damaged…
[Ray MK III unlocked!]
In the clouds, BAYONETTA is seen fighting PIT, whom she defeats before he is revived by PALUTENA, who combats Bayonetta in Pit’s stead. As Palutena gains the upper hand, DARK PIT suddenly appears and comes to Bayonetta’s aid. Pit returns to the fray as well, and the battle is in a stalemate when suddenly the stormclouds spontaneously electrify and lightning (originating from Pikachu’s thunder attack far below on the surface) strikes the four characters, incapacitating them and causing all to fall through the sky. Meanwhile in the distance, Daisy’s castle breaks through the clouds, still carried by Bowser’s balloon…
[Dark Pit and Palutena unlocked!]
In a fluorescent-lit dojo, WII FIT TRAINER does her stretches as LITTLE MAC practices his technique on myriad punching bags. Suddenly the SANDBAG sparks to life and repels Little Mac across the gym before hopping as quick as it can outside. Wii Fit Trainer chases after it…
[Wii Fit Trainer and Little Mac unlocked!]
WOLF is seen in pursuit of another Arwing against a backdrop of raging thunderstorms when Bayonetta crashes against the cockpit of his Wolfen II, irreparably damaging the equipment. Bayonetta semi-consciously sticks to the ship as Wolf crash-lands into a medieval castle, which lies mostly in ruins and flying tattered Crimean flags…
The Mechonis is seen advancing across a mountain range. As the Halberd and a hunter-class gunship are flying, assailing the robotic monstrosity with a barrage of beams and missiles, the ICE CLIMBERS are climbing the rock, approaching the fight. The Mechonis attacks, swiping the gunship and sending it sprawling into the distance mountains. The Halberd suffers a direct hit and begins to split asunder midair as it falls through the air far away. Meanwhile the Ice Climbers stumble upon the wreckage of the gunship just as SAMUS ejects from it and lands nearby. META KNIGHT floats down from the explosion overhead…
At the gymnasium, DR. MARIO enters and inspects Little Mac, who is sitting injured on the edge of the ring. As Little Mac nurses his injuries, SPRING MAN enters and mocks him. Little Mac waves Dr. Mario aside and enters the ring to fight his rival. As they battle, however, the building shakes. Outside they find New Donk City swarmed by helicopters and armored trucks with the Team Rocket insignia emblazoned on the vehicles and graffiti’d on the streets by Octolings. Three Team Rocket trainers approach the gym, smirking, and summon SQUIRTLE, IVYSAUR and CHARIZARD. Dr. Mario, Little Mac and Spring Man team up to face the Pokémon…
[Dr. Mario and Spring Man unlocked!]
On a pirate ship out at sea, Tetra and her crew and TOON LINK are pursuing the Helmaroc King in the distance when Toon Link notices seagulls flying in circles around their ship, an omen. Suddenly SHANTAE appears and assails the pirate ship, attacking the crew with fury. Toon Link fends her off with the help of the crew’s pet DUCK HUNT DOG duo. As Shantae flies away, the Helmaroc King is seen having turned around and is speeding towards the ship with a thunderous screech…
[Toon Link and Duck Hunt Dog unlocked!]
Elsewhere in New Donk City, as Wii Fit Trainer is searching for Sandbag, following the squat hopping prints through muddy puddles down the street, she sees Octolings graffitiing buildings and causing mayhem. As she fights them off, she begins to be overwhelmed before an INKLING comes to her aid. As the pair continues through the city fighting off Team Rocket’s Pokémon, a spiky blond-haired swordsman watches from a high rooftop above…
At a haunted mansion, LUIGI is nervously walking in the dark, equipped with his Poltergust 3000, when MIMIKYUs appear and wage battle against him. After overwhelming Luigi, the ghosts haul his unconscious body downstairs. Luigi awakes in the dark cellar and is terrified upon the appearance of RAYMAN, whose memories reveal that the mansion’s ghosts rebelled against him at the command of a treacherous winged reptile. A single loyal Mimikyu is at Rayman’s side. He helps Luigi to his feet and confides a plan of action…
[Mimikyu and Rayman unlocked!]
Thousands of feet above the ocean, C. FALCON is in the heat of furious race on the Big Blue circuit when he sees a lightning-quick blue ball whizz by his Blue Falcon. He soon is neck-in-neck with SONIC, and the rivalry escalates when suddenly a colossal hand belonging to the Mechonis looms in the background and brings its crushing strength onto the racetrack, splintering the entire structure and sending dozens of racers and the duo falling, falling…
As they are lifted into outer space, Robin, Peach and Pichu escape from their captors in Daisy’s castle and find the whole fortress is suspended amongst other prized feats of architecture, all floating around Bowser’s Castle. The trio storms the fort, encountering Bowser’s minions and Kamek and BOWSER JR. along the way. From afar, ROSALINA sees from her Observatory, with ASHLEY at her side. Rosalina launches her observatory into action, full speed towards Bowser’s Castle, determined to help. Breaking the Earth’s atmosphere, FOX’s Arwing zooms towards the castle as well…
[Rosalina and Ashley unlocked!]
At the ruins of the Crimean castle, Wolf and Bayonetta awaken and fall under attack by members of the Greil Mercenaries, who are possessed by some strange force. Backed into a corner, the duo are nearly defeated when IKE appears at their rescue and fights off his former friends with great internal struggle. He leads Wolf and Bayonetta inside the castle as they escape the mercenaries as well as possessed Daein soldiers and dragon Laguz. Backed against the top of the battlements, the situation looks dire just as the Halberd comes careening from the sky, wildly destroyed and flinging fragments of its hull into the castle, destroying the ruin. Bayonetta uses Witch Time to spare the trio from the impact, and they are last seen consumed by enormous clouds of dust and smoke…
[Wolf unlocked!]
In the pit of a coliseum, ZELDA presides over matches between MARTH and ROY, followed by LUCARIO and RYU. As the crowd roars and cheers, an enormous monitor at the mouth of the coliseum buzzes and turns to static before a low-res footage reel reveals a tall and dangerous-looking man with his back to the camera. The man suddenly subtly flourishes his hands. Electricity crackles around the stadium and a Windblight Ganon and a Fireblight Ganon appear. The four arena combatants stand together to face the new enemies as SHEIK appears behind them to join…
As soon as the bosses are defeated, the ground begins to tremble and shake with an almighty lurch; the crowd fearfully abandons the coliseum while the heroes warily exit as well and witness a colossal tower suddenly emerge from the ground with a diameter equal to the coliseum’s vast pit and climb hundreds and hundreds of feet into the air. At the top of the tower, a barbaric-looking, enormous antennae surges violet and begins transmitting chaotic, malevolent radio waves across the continent…
[Roy, Lucario and Ryu unlocked!]
On a tropical beach teeming with a variety of wild Piranha Plants and Crazy Dayzees, GRENINJA and YOSHI make their way past the entrances to several caverns (adorned with cave drawings of Paper Mario enemies) when they see wreckage in the waves crashing onto the shore and notice Falco lying in the sand. They wake him, and soon the trio see a sinking ship in the distance being assaulted by the Helmaroc King. Falco rides Yoshi as the dinosaur and Greninja speed-run across the ocean surface towards the fight. Just as the group, joined by Toon Link and Duck Hunt Dog, defeat the great bird, they see an enormous structure resembling a shattered racetrack falling from the sky on the horizon. As Sonic and C. Falcon wade in the ocean by the sinking remnants of Big Blue’s track, all of a sudden a score of Gooper Bloopers and Big Octos break the water’s surface and wreak havoc. All seems lost when they are miraculously joined by the five heroes. The seven unite to fight the Twilit Aquatic Morpheel that appears in a whirlpool suddenly…
Once the giant boss is defeated, the heroes celebrate their victory before shuddering under a spontaneous wave of violet energy that surges past them, and as they look at its source they notice a dark tower looming far on the horizon…
[Greninja unlocked!]
In a peaceful village far away from everything, DIDDY KONG is seen moving amongst a crowd of Waddle Dees and anthropomorphic animals in the town square. Diddy Kong, as well as KING DEDEDE are passing out flyers and inquiring about the whereabouts of Diddy’s missing friend. As Diddy grows disheartened, Dedede pats him on the back, reassuring him. VILLAGER notices them and the flyers and invites them to his house, where he researches about Diddy’s friend on his computer, finally finding something helpful. As they leave the village, however, on the outskirts of the woods they find swarms of Bokoblins and Zubats, which they fight through. Meanwhile, a cardboard box in the basement of Villager’s house is thrown away, revealing SNAKE. Snake sneaks outside and stealthily hides from the villagers just as the silhouettes of Team Rocket balloons materialize against the sun…
[Snake unlocked!]
Amidst a vast heap of concrete ruins, the possessed Greil Mercenaries discover the unconscious Wolf and Ike and lead them away captive. Nearby, Bayonetta is woken by EDELGARD and LUCINA, and the three soon are forced to fight off Daein soldiers and Laguz before they are confronted by MEWTWO, who attempts to possess the trio with his psychic powers and begins to overcome their mental defenses even as Bayonetta shoots wildly with her guns. In the distance, Kirby and Daisy see the attack and rush to the women’s aid. After being defeated, Mewtwo teleports away while the heroes go after the Greil Mercenaries beyond the wastelands. As Wolf and Ike are rescued, the seven heroes are assailed by the great dragon king Dheginsea...
After defeating the dragon king, a sudden wave of energy engulfs the heroes. In the distance, the dark tower looms on the horizon where it had not been before…
[Edelgard and Lucina unlocked!]
In a dark and malevolently spirited hall in the haunted mansion, SIMON BELMONT is seen proceeding through the place in pursuit of his quarry, RIDLEY. When they finally meet, Ridley is defeated and badly wounded, but still he escapes and drags himself out of the mansion into the swamp beyond as Simon follows. Meanwhile, Luigi, Rayman and Mimikyu discover the remains of the fight and follow the marks in the walls and floors Ridley has made, into the swamp…
[Simon Belmont unlocked!]
In the woods, YOUNG LINK and LUCAS are attacked by Bokoblins, struggling against the number of foes just as DONKEY KONG appears and helps. Elsewhere, Snake is sneaking towards a timber compound past patrolling Moblins, when a MAWILE brazenly walks the same way, attracting enemies’ attention and blowing Snake’s cover. The two team up to advance through the compound, where in an underground bunker SAKI AMAMIYA is seen facing off against Gray Fox, who is assisted by an army of R.O.B.’s via remote control. Young Link, Lucas and Donkey Kong arrive at the rear entrance of the compound and face off against a Metal Gear Sahelanthropus. The Metal Gear’s firing heavy artillery creates a sinkhole, causing everyone to fall through several levels to the bunker, where Gray Fox is defeated by Snake, and a single R.O.B. remains to join the heroes’ team…
Once everyone climbs out of the sinkhole, however, the ground quakes and they spy a dark tower precipitous in the distance, radiating dark energy…
[Young Link, Lucas, Mawile, R.O.B. and Saki Amamiya unlocked!]
At the top of the mountain range, the Ice Climbers, Meta Knight and Samus approach an ominous research facility built into the frosted stone. As they near the entrance they encounter the Divine Beast Vah Rudania, atop which the legendary hero LINK is working to defeat. While MK and the Climbers join Link, Samus is ambushed by the seven Koopalings, who attack her from all sides, eventually cracking her power suit that it falls off, even after ZERO SUIT SAMUS defeats them. With the Divine Beast also defeated (it falls, deactivated, down the mountainside, causing an avalanche), the four heroes enter the facility…
As chaos reigns still in New Donk City, CLOUD and Pokémon Trainer (having been flown to the top of the skyscraper by Charizard) are seen storming the Team Rocket HQ beginning from the rooftop. Fighting past Electrodes, Crobats and Magneton, the duo enters a room full of machinery, where a pair of generators surround an electromagnetic field suspending the rad hat Cappy. Amidst the brawling, an Electrode detonates and launches everything and everyone out the windows. Down in the streets nearby, Cappy lands in front of Dr. Mario as he continues to fight Team Rocket alongside Little Mac and Spring Man; donning Cappy, MARIO sheds his doctor’s outfit for his signature shirt-and-overalls. Elsewhere, Cloud and the Trainer land gracefully near Wii Fit Trainer and Inkling and join in storming the tower from the ground floor. The seven heroes meet just in time to join forces against Giovanni’s triple-threat of Regigigas, Zekrom and Reshiram…
After conquering the Pokemon, the heroes are joyful before an earthquake strikes, and they see the dark tower rising out of the horizon, casting baleful waves over the city…
In a jungle on a lonely island far from the rest of the story, Shantae appears out of thin air and entertains her friend the SKULL KID as they play hide-and-seek. In the middle of their game, they stumble upon WARIO easily fighting off swarming Pikmin and acting as though about to beat up OLIMAR. The Skull Kid draws away Wario’s attention and fights him. Though he is defeated, Wario seems prepared to fight the Skull Kid again before he spies Shantae, instantly becoming comically slack-jawed. As Skull Kid, Shantae and Olimar delve deeper into the jungle, chasing after a luminescent glint emanating from the mouth of a cavern in the cliffside in the distance, Wario follows along after them…
In the cavern, which is overrun with Bulborbs and elemental dweevils, the group finally reaches a large room filled with gold coins and other vast mounds of treasure. Wario is instantly unconcerned with Shantae and runs towards the treasures, swimming through seas of coins, when the cavern begins to quake and stalactites break from the ceiling along with boulders and crystals. The group flees the cave, dragging along Wario who yearns to return to his treasure. Once they reach the outside, the cavern collapses, and the group spies the sudden emergence of an ominous tower across the sea…
[Shantae, Skull Kid and Wario unlocked!]
As the heroes penetrate his castle, Bowser rages at his son and his koopa advisors about the plans being disassembled. As Rosalina’s Observatory collides into the castle and Peach, Pichu and Robin advance nearly to Bowser’s quarters, joined by Fox, Bowser turns on Kamek, blaming the koopa for his failure. Kamek fights off Bowser and his son, holding his own long enough to be joined by the heroes. Defeated, Bowser and Jr. escape, leaving behind automated Magnus von Grapple 2.0 and Megahammer robots to fight the heroes…
After destroying the machinations, surging waves of iridescent, ultraviolet energy scatter the clouds on the earth’s atmosphere and ravage the floating castle. Rosalina looks with concern and invites all onto her observatory before they launch and fly towards the source of the energies…
[Kamek unlocked!]
Sandbag is seen briefly hopping along an empty tundra, the ruined body of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania collapsed nearby…
Deep in a secret facility, GANONDORF watches Bowser’s and Team Rocket’s Giovanni’s defeats on a series of holograms, frowning darkly. After analyzing several other holographic models and schematics, including those of the Metal Gear varieties and the Mechonis, he summons several armored darknuts and issues orders before he interrupted by a holographic projection of Master Hand and Crazy Hand writhing around and giving Ganondorf a message before fazing out…
The Mechonis presses inexorably, aimlessly across the ocean, going by islands great and small and empty, and meanwhile the Pikachu and Ray MK III are in hot pursuit still, following the giant monstrosity by land. Meanwhile, Pit, Dark Pit and Palutena are giving chase through the air, ceaselessly firing arrows of light at the metal body. As the party nears a shadowy and abandoned Isle Delfino, the Mechonis turns around to finally attack. Suddenly, Shulk and NESS appear to help combat the giant. Shulk attacks with the True Monado, while Ness unleashes a mixed fury of PK Starstorm and Flash. Yet the seven heroes are hopelessly unable to defeat the Mechonis. As Shulk unleashes a devastating attack on the giant, the heroes are struck by intermittent visions of a mysterious gray-and-magenta figure controlling the Mechonis, then visions of a dark tower and violent frequencies, which suddenly disrupt the visions and cause tidal waves in the sea. The heroes abandon the Mechonis and look to the horizon…
[Shulk unlocked!]
In a dense portion of swampland of snakelike ebon-colored trees that spontaneously burst aflame, the mud-soaked floor boils as Luigi, Mimikyu and Rayman dodge searing geysers and encounter Diddy Kong, Dedede and Villager. A sonic screech causes the six heroes to look around warily, and they spy Simon Belmont, standing waist-deep in the swamp with his eyes peeled and whip raised as a great portion of swamp suddenly explodes into wildfire and the monstrous Vorash soars out of the mire. The seven heroes join forces to attack the flying beast…
After defeating the great fish-like alien, the fires die down when the swamp inexplicably begins to transform into a churning maelstrom as a dark tower is seen rising in the twilit sky…
As ZSS, Link, MK and the Ice Climbers brave their way through the facility, rescuing a captive JIGGLYPUFF on their route, they eventually come to Ganondorf’s base of operations. After defeating his most elite Darknut guards, Ganondorf escapes into a teleportation machine, but not before summoning the G&W Octopus, which attacks the heroes. Ganondorf vanishes, but the heroes overcome his monster, which disappears, leaving behind the reverted MR. GAME & WATCH, who wakes disoriented before making peace with the heroes. Observing the holographic projections around Ganondorf’s lair, the group finds coordinates and glowing, vibrating tower projection on a map of the continent…
[Mr. Game & Watch unlocked!]
As the various groups of heroes are arriving at different entrances of the great tower, the group consisting of [Ice Climbers, Samus, MK, Link, Jigglypuff, Mr. G&W] arrives just as Mewtwo suddenly materializes and possesses the group. Sandbag hops along and appears just in time as the group of heroes turns dark and shadowy and looks menacingly at him.
[reader’s note: in the following 8-Player Smashes, the player controls the singular character against the seven, though even after winning as the villains, the subsequent cut-scenes show the villain inevitably being defeated.]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Sandbag VS. Ice Climbers, Samus, MK, Link, Jigglypuff, Mr. G&W, Mewtwo]
Defeated, the heroes are thrown out of Mewtwo’s possession. Mewtwo retreats, disappearing and teleporting into another part of the tower…
[Sandbag unlocked!]
Elsewhere in the tower, the villains take on the arriving groups of heroes…
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Bowser VS. Mario, Little Mac, Spring Man, WFT, Inkling, PT, Cloud]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Bowser Jr. VS. Robin, Peach, Pichu, Rosalina, Ashley, Fox, Kamek]
[Bowser Jr. unlocked!]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
CORRIN (possessed) VS. Bayonetta, Wolf, Ike, Edelgard, Lucina, Kirby, Daisy]
[Corrin unlocked!]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Ridley VS. Luigi, Mimikyu, Rayman, Simon B., Diddy Kong, King Dedede, Villager]
[Ridley unlocked!]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Mewtwo VS. Ray MK III, Pikachu, Ness, Shulk, Pit, Dark Pit, Palutena]
[Mewtwo unlocked!]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Ganondorf VS. Young Link, Lucas, Donkey Kong, Snake, Mawile, Saki, R.O.B.]
[Ganondorf unlocked!]
[BOSS FIGHT!
Druthulidi Bellum and Aparoids VS. Toon Link, Duck Hunt Dog, Falco, Greninja, Yoshi, C. Falcon, Sonic]
[BOSS FIGHT!
Twilit Usurper Zant VS. Sheik, Marth, Roy, Ryu, Lucario]
[BOSS FIGHT!
Plasma Wraith VS. Shantae, Skull Kid, Wario, Olimar]
The heroes, along with the villains defeated and persuaded to join, congregate at the top of the tower, where Master Hand and Crazy Hand ritualistically make signs that alert the Mechonis far away to the intruders’ presence. The Mechonis, knee-deep in the sea still, throws his gigantic sword, which hurls miles through the air and strikes the tower, causing the great structure to begin to collapse as the heroes face off against the Hands…
[BOSS FIGHT!
Master Hand and Crazy Hand VS. everyone]
Just as the duo Hands are defeated, four more Crazy Hands materialize and devastate the army of heroes. In the distant shadows of chaotic energy swirling around the room, a large shadowy figure can be seen mimicking the actions of the hands. All hope seems lost when MEGA MAN appears suddenly and launches his Final Smash barrages at the figure, injuring it and revealing it as Hoopa Unbound, who crashes to the ground before preparing a final attack in his materialized form…
[BOSS FIGHT!
Hoopa Unbound VS. everyone]
As Hoopa Unbound is defeated, we see the Mechonis glow subtly and then suddenly give out, collapsing into pieces which sink into the ocean.
This is my idea for a story mode, including my most-wanted newcomers and the order in which they'd be unlocked roughly:
On a wide and empty expanse of golden tufted grass, ROBIN wakes on the ground, disoriented and amnesiac. As he fights off hostile Goombos and Bombshell Koopas, he eventually sees a convoy approaching, headed by PEACH. After some discussion, Robin joins the convoy, which also has a PICHU. As a castle looms in the distance, the convoy is attacked by dragon Laguz seen transforming on a nearby hilltop.
[Robin and Pichu unlocked!]
In her castle in Sarasaland, DAISY is playing tennis against KIRBY when guards arrive to announce the guests waiting. Daisy receives Robin, Peach and Pichu in her court, greeting her fellow princess cheerfully. Robin observes the court proceedings pleasantly until he notices KAMEK and Kammy Koopa dressed ill-fittingly in guards’ outfits. Suddenly the castle shakes; Robin and Kirby look outside to see the entire fortress being lifted into the sky by giant chains hooked into the earth. Overhead, a smiling enormous Koopa balloon has captured the structure. Goombos and Koopas storm inside through the windows, followed by BOWSER himself. While Robin and Pichu are knocked out in the chaos, Kirby has enough time to choose either Daisy or Peach to escape with on a warp star…
[Daisy unlocked!]
At Shadow Moses Island, the RAY MK III and a PIKACHU are furiously trying to defeat and deactivate a variety of rogue Metal Gear Rex’s, Basilisks and Sahelanthropus’s. With the help of FALCO, who rains hellfire on the machines from his Arwing while skillfully weaving in and out of structures at the compound, the heroes seem to have won the fight, until the Mechonis suddenly looms overhead, dwarfing the facility. The Mechonis’ sword grazes Falco’s Arwing, sending him crashing into the sea. As it begins to storm, Pikachu uses a powerful thunder attack in the slim hope that the giant machination can be damaged…
[Ray MK III unlocked!]
In the clouds, BAYONETTA is seen fighting PIT, whom she defeats before he is revived by PALUTENA, who combats Bayonetta in Pit’s stead. As Palutena gains the upper hand, DARK PIT suddenly appears and comes to Bayonetta’s aid. Pit returns to the fray as well, and the battle is in a stalemate when suddenly the stormclouds spontaneously electrify and lightning (originating from Pikachu’s thunder attack far below on the surface) strikes the four characters, incapacitating them and causing all to fall through the sky. Meanwhile in the distance, Daisy’s castle breaks through the clouds, still carried by Bowser’s balloon…
[Dark Pit and Palutena unlocked!]
In a fluorescent-lit dojo, WII FIT TRAINER does her stretches as LITTLE MAC practices his technique on myriad punching bags. Suddenly the SANDBAG sparks to life and repels Little Mac across the gym before hopping as quick as it can outside. Wii Fit Trainer chases after it…
[Wii Fit Trainer and Little Mac unlocked!]
WOLF is seen in pursuit of another Arwing against a backdrop of raging thunderstorms when Bayonetta crashes against the cockpit of his Wolfen II, irreparably damaging the equipment. Bayonetta semi-consciously sticks to the ship as Wolf crash-lands into a medieval castle, which lies mostly in ruins and flying tattered Crimean flags…
The Mechonis is seen advancing across a mountain range. As the Halberd and a hunter-class gunship are flying, assailing the robotic monstrosity with a barrage of beams and missiles, the ICE CLIMBERS are climbing the rock, approaching the fight. The Mechonis attacks, swiping the gunship and sending it sprawling into the distance mountains. The Halberd suffers a direct hit and begins to split asunder midair as it falls through the air far away. Meanwhile the Ice Climbers stumble upon the wreckage of the gunship just as SAMUS ejects from it and lands nearby. META KNIGHT floats down from the explosion overhead…
At the gymnasium, DR. MARIO enters and inspects Little Mac, who is sitting injured on the edge of the ring. As Little Mac nurses his injuries, SPRING MAN enters and mocks him. Little Mac waves Dr. Mario aside and enters the ring to fight his rival. As they battle, however, the building shakes. Outside they find New Donk City swarmed by helicopters and armored trucks with the Team Rocket insignia emblazoned on the vehicles and graffiti’d on the streets by Octolings. Three Team Rocket trainers approach the gym, smirking, and summon SQUIRTLE, IVYSAUR and CHARIZARD. Dr. Mario, Little Mac and Spring Man team up to face the Pokémon…
[Dr. Mario and Spring Man unlocked!]
On a pirate ship out at sea, Tetra and her crew and TOON LINK are pursuing the Helmaroc King in the distance when Toon Link notices seagulls flying in circles around their ship, an omen. Suddenly SHANTAE appears and assails the pirate ship, attacking the crew with fury. Toon Link fends her off with the help of the crew’s pet DUCK HUNT DOG duo. As Shantae flies away, the Helmaroc King is seen having turned around and is speeding towards the ship with a thunderous screech…
[Toon Link and Duck Hunt Dog unlocked!]
Elsewhere in New Donk City, as Wii Fit Trainer is searching for Sandbag, following the squat hopping prints through muddy puddles down the street, she sees Octolings graffitiing buildings and causing mayhem. As she fights them off, she begins to be overwhelmed before an INKLING comes to her aid. As the pair continues through the city fighting off Team Rocket’s Pokémon, a spiky blond-haired swordsman watches from a high rooftop above…
At a haunted mansion, LUIGI is nervously walking in the dark, equipped with his Poltergust 3000, when MIMIKYUs appear and wage battle against him. After overwhelming Luigi, the ghosts haul his unconscious body downstairs. Luigi awakes in the dark cellar and is terrified upon the appearance of RAYMAN, whose memories reveal that the mansion’s ghosts rebelled against him at the command of a treacherous winged reptile. A single loyal Mimikyu is at Rayman’s side. He helps Luigi to his feet and confides a plan of action…
[Mimikyu and Rayman unlocked!]
Thousands of feet above the ocean, C. FALCON is in the heat of furious race on the Big Blue circuit when he sees a lightning-quick blue ball whizz by his Blue Falcon. He soon is neck-in-neck with SONIC, and the rivalry escalates when suddenly a colossal hand belonging to the Mechonis looms in the background and brings its crushing strength onto the racetrack, splintering the entire structure and sending dozens of racers and the duo falling, falling…
As they are lifted into outer space, Robin, Peach and Pichu escape from their captors in Daisy’s castle and find the whole fortress is suspended amongst other prized feats of architecture, all floating around Bowser’s Castle. The trio storms the fort, encountering Bowser’s minions and Kamek and BOWSER JR. along the way. From afar, ROSALINA sees from her Observatory, with ASHLEY at her side. Rosalina launches her observatory into action, full speed towards Bowser’s Castle, determined to help. Breaking the Earth’s atmosphere, FOX’s Arwing zooms towards the castle as well…
[Rosalina and Ashley unlocked!]
At the ruins of the Crimean castle, Wolf and Bayonetta awaken and fall under attack by members of the Greil Mercenaries, who are possessed by some strange force. Backed into a corner, the duo are nearly defeated when IKE appears at their rescue and fights off his former friends with great internal struggle. He leads Wolf and Bayonetta inside the castle as they escape the mercenaries as well as possessed Daein soldiers and dragon Laguz. Backed against the top of the battlements, the situation looks dire just as the Halberd comes careening from the sky, wildly destroyed and flinging fragments of its hull into the castle, destroying the ruin. Bayonetta uses Witch Time to spare the trio from the impact, and they are last seen consumed by enormous clouds of dust and smoke…
[Wolf unlocked!]
In the pit of a coliseum, ZELDA presides over matches between MARTH and ROY, followed by LUCARIO and RYU. As the crowd roars and cheers, an enormous monitor at the mouth of the coliseum buzzes and turns to static before a low-res footage reel reveals a tall and dangerous-looking man with his back to the camera. The man suddenly subtly flourishes his hands. Electricity crackles around the stadium and a Windblight Ganon and a Fireblight Ganon appear. The four arena combatants stand together to face the new enemies as SHEIK appears behind them to join…
As soon as the bosses are defeated, the ground begins to tremble and shake with an almighty lurch; the crowd fearfully abandons the coliseum while the heroes warily exit as well and witness a colossal tower suddenly emerge from the ground with a diameter equal to the coliseum’s vast pit and climb hundreds and hundreds of feet into the air. At the top of the tower, a barbaric-looking, enormous antennae surges violet and begins transmitting chaotic, malevolent radio waves across the continent…
[Roy, Lucario and Ryu unlocked!]
On a tropical beach teeming with a variety of wild Piranha Plants and Crazy Dayzees, GRENINJA and YOSHI make their way past the entrances to several caverns (adorned with cave drawings of Paper Mario enemies) when they see wreckage in the waves crashing onto the shore and notice Falco lying in the sand. They wake him, and soon the trio see a sinking ship in the distance being assaulted by the Helmaroc King. Falco rides Yoshi as the dinosaur and Greninja speed-run across the ocean surface towards the fight. Just as the group, joined by Toon Link and Duck Hunt Dog, defeat the great bird, they see an enormous structure resembling a shattered racetrack falling from the sky on the horizon. As Sonic and C. Falcon wade in the ocean by the sinking remnants of Big Blue’s track, all of a sudden a score of Gooper Bloopers and Big Octos break the water’s surface and wreak havoc. All seems lost when they are miraculously joined by the five heroes. The seven unite to fight the Twilit Aquatic Morpheel that appears in a whirlpool suddenly…
Once the giant boss is defeated, the heroes celebrate their victory before shuddering under a spontaneous wave of violet energy that surges past them, and as they look at its source they notice a dark tower looming far on the horizon…
[Greninja unlocked!]
In a peaceful village far away from everything, DIDDY KONG is seen moving amongst a crowd of Waddle Dees and anthropomorphic animals in the town square. Diddy Kong, as well as KING DEDEDE are passing out flyers and inquiring about the whereabouts of Diddy’s missing friend. As Diddy grows disheartened, Dedede pats him on the back, reassuring him. VILLAGER notices them and the flyers and invites them to his house, where he researches about Diddy’s friend on his computer, finally finding something helpful. As they leave the village, however, on the outskirts of the woods they find swarms of Bokoblins and Zubats, which they fight through. Meanwhile, a cardboard box in the basement of Villager’s house is thrown away, revealing SNAKE. Snake sneaks outside and stealthily hides from the villagers just as the silhouettes of Team Rocket balloons materialize against the sun…
[Snake unlocked!]
Amidst a vast heap of concrete ruins, the possessed Greil Mercenaries discover the unconscious Wolf and Ike and lead them away captive. Nearby, Bayonetta is woken by EDELGARD and LUCINA, and the three soon are forced to fight off Daein soldiers and Laguz before they are confronted by MEWTWO, who attempts to possess the trio with his psychic powers and begins to overcome their mental defenses even as Bayonetta shoots wildly with her guns. In the distance, Kirby and Daisy see the attack and rush to the women’s aid. After being defeated, Mewtwo teleports away while the heroes go after the Greil Mercenaries beyond the wastelands. As Wolf and Ike are rescued, the seven heroes are assailed by the great dragon king Dheginsea...
After defeating the dragon king, a sudden wave of energy engulfs the heroes. In the distance, the dark tower looms on the horizon where it had not been before…
[Edelgard and Lucina unlocked!]
In a dark and malevolently spirited hall in the haunted mansion, SIMON BELMONT is seen proceeding through the place in pursuit of his quarry, RIDLEY. When they finally meet, Ridley is defeated and badly wounded, but still he escapes and drags himself out of the mansion into the swamp beyond as Simon follows. Meanwhile, Luigi, Rayman and Mimikyu discover the remains of the fight and follow the marks in the walls and floors Ridley has made, into the swamp…
[Simon Belmont unlocked!]
In the woods, YOUNG LINK and LUCAS are attacked by Bokoblins, struggling against the number of foes just as DONKEY KONG appears and helps. Elsewhere, Snake is sneaking towards a timber compound past patrolling Moblins, when a MAWILE brazenly walks the same way, attracting enemies’ attention and blowing Snake’s cover. The two team up to advance through the compound, where in an underground bunker SAKI AMAMIYA is seen facing off against Gray Fox, who is assisted by an army of R.O.B.’s via remote control. Young Link, Lucas and Donkey Kong arrive at the rear entrance of the compound and face off against a Metal Gear Sahelanthropus. The Metal Gear’s firing heavy artillery creates a sinkhole, causing everyone to fall through several levels to the bunker, where Gray Fox is defeated by Snake, and a single R.O.B. remains to join the heroes’ team…
Once everyone climbs out of the sinkhole, however, the ground quakes and they spy a dark tower precipitous in the distance, radiating dark energy…
[Young Link, Lucas, Mawile, R.O.B. and Saki Amamiya unlocked!]
At the top of the mountain range, the Ice Climbers, Meta Knight and Samus approach an ominous research facility built into the frosted stone. As they near the entrance they encounter the Divine Beast Vah Rudania, atop which the legendary hero LINK is working to defeat. While MK and the Climbers join Link, Samus is ambushed by the seven Koopalings, who attack her from all sides, eventually cracking her power suit that it falls off, even after ZERO SUIT SAMUS defeats them. With the Divine Beast also defeated (it falls, deactivated, down the mountainside, causing an avalanche), the four heroes enter the facility…
As chaos reigns still in New Donk City, CLOUD and Pokémon Trainer (having been flown to the top of the skyscraper by Charizard) are seen storming the Team Rocket HQ beginning from the rooftop. Fighting past Electrodes, Crobats and Magneton, the duo enters a room full of machinery, where a pair of generators surround an electromagnetic field suspending the rad hat Cappy. Amidst the brawling, an Electrode detonates and launches everything and everyone out the windows. Down in the streets nearby, Cappy lands in front of Dr. Mario as he continues to fight Team Rocket alongside Little Mac and Spring Man; donning Cappy, MARIO sheds his doctor’s outfit for his signature shirt-and-overalls. Elsewhere, Cloud and the Trainer land gracefully near Wii Fit Trainer and Inkling and join in storming the tower from the ground floor. The seven heroes meet just in time to join forces against Giovanni’s triple-threat of Regigigas, Zekrom and Reshiram…
After conquering the Pokemon, the heroes are joyful before an earthquake strikes, and they see the dark tower rising out of the horizon, casting baleful waves over the city…
In a jungle on a lonely island far from the rest of the story, Shantae appears out of thin air and entertains her friend the SKULL KID as they play hide-and-seek. In the middle of their game, they stumble upon WARIO easily fighting off swarming Pikmin and acting as though about to beat up OLIMAR. The Skull Kid draws away Wario’s attention and fights him. Though he is defeated, Wario seems prepared to fight the Skull Kid again before he spies Shantae, instantly becoming comically slack-jawed. As Skull Kid, Shantae and Olimar delve deeper into the jungle, chasing after a luminescent glint emanating from the mouth of a cavern in the cliffside in the distance, Wario follows along after them…
In the cavern, which is overrun with Bulborbs and elemental dweevils, the group finally reaches a large room filled with gold coins and other vast mounds of treasure. Wario is instantly unconcerned with Shantae and runs towards the treasures, swimming through seas of coins, when the cavern begins to quake and stalactites break from the ceiling along with boulders and crystals. The group flees the cave, dragging along Wario who yearns to return to his treasure. Once they reach the outside, the cavern collapses, and the group spies the sudden emergence of an ominous tower across the sea…
[Shantae, Skull Kid and Wario unlocked!]
As the heroes penetrate his castle, Bowser rages at his son and his koopa advisors about the plans being disassembled. As Rosalina’s Observatory collides into the castle and Peach, Pichu and Robin advance nearly to Bowser’s quarters, joined by Fox, Bowser turns on Kamek, blaming the koopa for his failure. Kamek fights off Bowser and his son, holding his own long enough to be joined by the heroes. Defeated, Bowser and Jr. escape, leaving behind automated Magnus von Grapple 2.0 and Megahammer robots to fight the heroes…
After destroying the machinations, surging waves of iridescent, ultraviolet energy scatter the clouds on the earth’s atmosphere and ravage the floating castle. Rosalina looks with concern and invites all onto her observatory before they launch and fly towards the source of the energies…
[Kamek unlocked!]
Sandbag is seen briefly hopping along an empty tundra, the ruined body of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania collapsed nearby…
Deep in a secret facility, GANONDORF watches Bowser’s and Team Rocket’s Giovanni’s defeats on a series of holograms, frowning darkly. After analyzing several other holographic models and schematics, including those of the Metal Gear varieties and the Mechonis, he summons several armored darknuts and issues orders before he interrupted by a holographic projection of Master Hand and Crazy Hand writhing around and giving Ganondorf a message before fazing out…
The Mechonis presses inexorably, aimlessly across the ocean, going by islands great and small and empty, and meanwhile the Pikachu and Ray MK III are in hot pursuit still, following the giant monstrosity by land. Meanwhile, Pit, Dark Pit and Palutena are giving chase through the air, ceaselessly firing arrows of light at the metal body. As the party nears a shadowy and abandoned Isle Delfino, the Mechonis turns around to finally attack. Suddenly, Shulk and NESS appear to help combat the giant. Shulk attacks with the True Monado, while Ness unleashes a mixed fury of PK Starstorm and Flash. Yet the seven heroes are hopelessly unable to defeat the Mechonis. As Shulk unleashes a devastating attack on the giant, the heroes are struck by intermittent visions of a mysterious gray-and-magenta figure controlling the Mechonis, then visions of a dark tower and violent frequencies, which suddenly disrupt the visions and cause tidal waves in the sea. The heroes abandon the Mechonis and look to the horizon…
[Shulk unlocked!]
In a dense portion of swampland of snakelike ebon-colored trees that spontaneously burst aflame, the mud-soaked floor boils as Luigi, Mimikyu and Rayman dodge searing geysers and encounter Diddy Kong, Dedede and Villager. A sonic screech causes the six heroes to look around warily, and they spy Simon Belmont, standing waist-deep in the swamp with his eyes peeled and whip raised as a great portion of swamp suddenly explodes into wildfire and the monstrous Vorash soars out of the mire. The seven heroes join forces to attack the flying beast…
After defeating the great fish-like alien, the fires die down when the swamp inexplicably begins to transform into a churning maelstrom as a dark tower is seen rising in the twilit sky…
As ZSS, Link, MK and the Ice Climbers brave their way through the facility, rescuing a captive JIGGLYPUFF on their route, they eventually come to Ganondorf’s base of operations. After defeating his most elite Darknut guards, Ganondorf escapes into a teleportation machine, but not before summoning the G&W Octopus, which attacks the heroes. Ganondorf vanishes, but the heroes overcome his monster, which disappears, leaving behind the reverted MR. GAME & WATCH, who wakes disoriented before making peace with the heroes. Observing the holographic projections around Ganondorf’s lair, the group finds coordinates and glowing, vibrating tower projection on a map of the continent…
[Mr. Game & Watch unlocked!]
As the various groups of heroes are arriving at different entrances of the great tower, the group consisting of [Ice Climbers, Samus, MK, Link, Jigglypuff, Mr. G&W] arrives just as Mewtwo suddenly materializes and possesses the group. Sandbag hops along and appears just in time as the group of heroes turns dark and shadowy and looks menacingly at him.
[reader’s note: in the following 8-Player Smashes, the player controls the singular character against the seven, though even after winning as the villains, the subsequent cut-scenes show the villain inevitably being defeated.]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Sandbag VS. Ice Climbers, Samus, MK, Link, Jigglypuff, Mr. G&W, Mewtwo]
Defeated, the heroes are thrown out of Mewtwo’s possession. Mewtwo retreats, disappearing and teleporting into another part of the tower…
[Sandbag unlocked!]
Elsewhere in the tower, the villains take on the arriving groups of heroes…
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Bowser VS. Mario, Little Mac, Spring Man, WFT, Inkling, PT, Cloud]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Bowser Jr. VS. Robin, Peach, Pichu, Rosalina, Ashley, Fox, Kamek]
[Bowser Jr. unlocked!]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
CORRIN (possessed) VS. Bayonetta, Wolf, Ike, Edelgard, Lucina, Kirby, Daisy]
[Corrin unlocked!]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Ridley VS. Luigi, Mimikyu, Rayman, Simon B., Diddy Kong, King Dedede, Villager]
[Ridley unlocked!]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Mewtwo VS. Ray MK III, Pikachu, Ness, Shulk, Pit, Dark Pit, Palutena]
[Mewtwo unlocked!]
[8-PLAYER SMASH!
Ganondorf VS. Young Link, Lucas, Donkey Kong, Snake, Mawile, Saki, R.O.B.]
[Ganondorf unlocked!]
[BOSS FIGHT!
Druthulidi Bellum and Aparoids VS. Toon Link, Duck Hunt Dog, Falco, Greninja, Yoshi, C. Falcon, Sonic]
[BOSS FIGHT!
Twilit Usurper Zant VS. Sheik, Marth, Roy, Ryu, Lucario]
[BOSS FIGHT!
Plasma Wraith VS. Shantae, Skull Kid, Wario, Olimar]
The heroes, along with the villains defeated and persuaded to join, congregate at the top of the tower, where Master Hand and Crazy Hand ritualistically make signs that alert the Mechonis far away to the intruders’ presence. The Mechonis, knee-deep in the sea still, throws his gigantic sword, which hurls miles through the air and strikes the tower, causing the great structure to begin to collapse as the heroes face off against the Hands…
[BOSS FIGHT!
Master Hand and Crazy Hand VS. everyone]
Just as the duo Hands are defeated, four more Crazy Hands materialize and devastate the army of heroes. In the distant shadows of chaotic energy swirling around the room, a large shadowy figure can be seen mimicking the actions of the hands. All hope seems lost when MEGA MAN appears suddenly and launches his Final Smash barrages at the figure, injuring it and revealing it as Hoopa Unbound, who crashes to the ground before preparing a final attack in his materialized form…
[BOSS FIGHT!
Hoopa Unbound VS. everyone]
As Hoopa Unbound is defeated, we see the Mechonis glow subtly and then suddenly give out, collapsing into pieces which sink into the ocean.
