Nintendo fans looking forward to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch have a theory that the game’s secret mode hints at a quest to save Luigi.
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If you didn’t catch Nintendo’s Smash Direct that showed off more of the game, you might be wondering why Luigi’s in need of saving at all. During the stream where more characters and other features were revealed, Luigi explored Dracula’s Castle from the Castlevania games. He was equipped with his Luigi’s Mansion gear, but he wasn’t prepared to take on Death who quickly slashed Luigi with his scythe and ripped the Nintendo character’s soul from his body. Viewers were startled to see that Nintendo killed off one of its most recognizable characters, but we found out shortly afterwards that Luigi’s actually safe and sound.
That startling scene from the Direct might just tie into a secret game mode, one that Nintendo’s been withholding information on. During the Direct, a scene towards the end showed off a menu that consisted of the usual Smash suspects including an online mode and the default battle option. In the bottom-left corner, there was a green tile with blurred out text and an image that was blurred as well to make it nearly impossible to tell what Nintendo was teasing.
Impossible to perceive during the Direct, but not after thanks to fans who have taken a closer look at the tile. Twitter user noctulescent (via IGN) shared a zoomed-in version of the pixelated image that makes it appear as though it says “Spirits.” The same Twitter user shared more evidence by referencing the Japanese trailer that once again hints at that word. Loot Pots also provided a mockup of what the menu might look like if it was un-pixelated and actually featured the word “Spirits” with a logo above the text.
frame by frame, the pixelated green thing in #SmashBrosDirect says “Spirits”. @GameXplain pic.twitter.com/fZKN0nYmIC
โ l’attardรฉ (@noctulescent) August 8, 2018
in the japanese trailer, it’s also visible, and it says ในใใชใใ which is the english word “spirits” in katakana ; not the word for spirit in japanese. pic.twitter.com/qatIqGLkde
โ l’attardรฉ (@noctulescent) August 8, 2018
If the speculation proves to be correct and this really is some type of Spirits mode, it almost certainly has something to do with the Direct’s teaser. While Luigi is okay, according to Nintendo, players might be able to embark on their own story-type mode to make sure that he and other characters actually are safe from Death and other dangers. It could be something else entirely though, but it’s hard to make any guesses with Nintendo not sharing any info on the mode.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate releases for the Nintendo Switch on December 7.
