'Smash Bros.' fans are furious over "Lame AF" January Nintendo Direct news
Nintendo fans finally got their wish for a Direct livestream in January. They should be careful what they wish for.
After weeks of silence, speculation, and anticipation, fans of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate finally got their wish for news of a January 2020 Direct. But what they wound up with was nothing but a monkey’s paw.
On Tuesday, Nintendo announced its first Direct livestream of the year, scheduled for January 9 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. But rather than showcase a broad array of upcoming Nintendo games — including an update for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — the January 9 Direct will be centered exclusively on Pokémon.
“Tune in on 1/9 at 6:30 a.m. PT for roughly 20 minutes of new Pokémon information in a livestreamed Pokémon Direct presentation,” Nintendo tweeted.
While Pokémon fans are happy, and indeed this may be the formal, in-depth reveal of the next Niantic Pokémon game Pokémon Sleep, non-Pokémon fans are throwing a tantrum. With the Direct being focused only on Pokémon, fans are still being kept in the dark regarding the still unrevealed fifth character in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass DLC (downloadable content).
As of this writing, the first reply underneath Nintendo’s official tweet comes from a Twitter user asking plainly, “That’s it? No smash?” with 204 likes.
“You’ve all been bamboozled again” reads a tweet with 48 likes. “We’ve been trolled so hard lmao” reads another. And Twitter being what it is, there are plenty more reply tweets containing hostile memes expressing frustration, apathy, and outright boredom towards the Pokémon Direct. Only a “minority” of fans aware of the situation are saying they’re pleased for more Pokémon news.
“LAME af,” reads another tweet. Tell us how you really feel, fam.
Below are even more reply tweets containing memes that can’t be described in text. You just have to see them for yourself.
Although it is amusing to see vulgar frustration expressed by Nintendo fans — an audience who generally play more wholesome, family-friendly games than the usual M-rated offerings on either Xbox or PlayStation — it is easy to understand their frustration.
New Nintendo games and new characters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are nigh endless points of speculation, and over the last few weeks there have been numerous telltale signs (including a new list of SKUs, or stock-keeping units, from retailer GameStop) that a January Direct will finally answer these questions. But with the Direct livestream being Pokémon-only, fans will have to wait even longer to learn about new games and the new Smash Bros. fighter — unless Nintendo has a surprise announcement planned.
But maybe fans won’t need to wait long. Earlier this week, the eShop page for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was updated to confirm that the fifth character, which can be purchased separately for a lower price than the $24.99 bundle, will be available on February 29. (It’s a Leap Year, in case you didn’t realize.) Nintendo has never announced a new character just before, or on the day of, a release date so fans should know exactly who they’re getting within a month’s time. For many Smash Bros. fans, however, a month is just too long of a wait.
The fifth character, whoever they may be, will join Joker (Persona 5), The Hero (Dragon Quest XI), Banjo & Kazooie (Banjo-Kazooie), and Terry (Fatal Fury/King of Fighters) as an add-on playable character for Nintendo’s popular fighting game on the Nintendo Switch console. Popular speculation for the character’s identity include Doomslayer (DOOM), Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Geno (Super Mario RPG), KOS-MOS (Xenosaga), and Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden/Dead or Alive).
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Pack #5 will release on February 29.
