As promised, Nintendo shared a load of new details about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s next DLC character, the Hero from Dragon Quest, during today’s special video presentation. Not only did game director Masahiro Sakurai give us a detailed look at the Hero’s moves, he confirmed when the DLC fighter will go live, and it’s very soon.
The Hero will join the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster today, July 30. This news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. It was expected the Hero would release this month when he was featured among July’s other big Nintendo Switch releases in a recent promotional video.
The Hero’s default look is based on the Luminary from Dragon Quest XI, while his alternate costumes are the heroes from Dragon Quests III, IV, and VIII. Each of his special attacks are inspired by different spells from the Dragon Quest series. His neutral special fires off a Frizz that can be powered up to Frizzle or Kafrizz depending on how long you charge it; his side special unleashes Zap spells; and his up special unleashes Woosh spells. However, you won’t be able to use these spells if your MP gauge is too low.
The Hero’s down special, meanwhile, is the Command Selection. This pulls up a command menu just as you’d see in a true Dragon Quest game. The commands are randomized each match and allow you to select a spell or other move, such as Oomph, which buffs Hero’s attack power for a limited time, or Kaclang, which will temporarily turn him metal. Between all of these possible attacks, Sakurai says the Hero has the highest number of moves of any character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Arriving alongside the Hero is a new stage called Yggdrasil’s Altar, which is based on a location in Dragon Quest XI. Occasionally a chest will appear on the stage; if you open it, you may either receive an item or be attacked by a Mimic. Additionally, a handful of new Dragon Quest Spirits are being added to the Spirit Board. A couple of new Mii Fighter costumes based on the Dragon Quest series will be available for purchase as well; these will each run for 75 cents apiece.
The Hero is included as part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Fighters Pass, which costs $25 USD and grants owners access to five DLC characters as they’re released, including the already available Joker from Persona 5 and the upcoming Banjo-Kazooie. Each DLC fighter can also be purchased individually for $6 USD and comes with a brand-new stage, an assortment of music tracks drawn from their series, and a handful of new unlockable Spirits.
The aforementioned Banjo-Kazooie are the next DLC characters coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The bear and bird duo are slated to arrive sometime this fall, although no release date has been announced just yet. Nintendo still has two other unannounced fighters on the way to the game by February 2020.
Releasing alongside the Hero today is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s 4.0 update, which adds a few new features to the game, including a Final Smash meter time limit and a Very Easy difficulty setting for the World of Light adventure mode. The patch also introduces an Online Tournament mode, which will occasionally host special event tournaments, as well as a new spectate mode that allows you to try to predict who will win a match; guess correctly and you’ll earn tokens that you can then exchange for items. You can rewatch the Hero presentation above.
