Super Smash Bros. is coming to Switch, and it's bringing Inklings and BotW Link - but is it a port or new game?

Nintendo has confirmed a new Super Smash Bros. game is coming to Switch in 2018, and judging by a teaser trailer released at the end of a Nintendo Direct, it looks like we'll have some *alert noise* NEW CHALLENGERS APPROACHING; both the Inklings from Splatoon and Link (as he appears in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) show up, which would be new additions to the cast.

I know, I know, it could just be a reskin. After all, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS use the Twilight Princess version, and that particular version of Link is more than a decade old at this point - I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo just wanted to update his look for a ported version of what's also known as "Super Smash Bros. 4" that has just a few extra bells and whistles (kind of like the approach it took with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe). If that's the case, the Inklings are just one more little nice thing for those willing to buy what would essentially be the same game a third time.

On the other hand... what if it's something more substantial? What if this is an all-new Smash Bros.? Think about it: Breath of the Wild Link not only looks but plays quite different from his Twilight Princess incarnation. You could have him shield-surf across stages, implement the stamina and weapon durability systems, and make his Final Smash something incorporating the Divine Beasts. That'd be pretty cool. And the Inklings are definitely new, so who's to say they're the only new Nintendo characters being rotated in this go round? The release window of 2018 is also vague enough that there's still plenty of time to make additional changes and announcements while keeping hype levels high.

Really, I could see it going either way, and frankly I'd be happy with Super Smash Bros. Deluxe Edition or Super Smash Bros. 5. What do you think? Which would you prefer?

Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.