Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Connect everyone and save a simple preset

Use the Nintendo Switch game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, physical or installed digital copy. Nintendo's U.S. support page lists version 13.0.5 on October 2, 2026. Check the installed version before guests arrive and allow time for installation or updates. This guide uses an original Switch or Switch OLED in TV mode; Switch Lite cannot use that TV setup. It does not describe a separate Switch 2 edition, online matchmaking, local wireless between consoles or a tournament bracket.

Bring one working console, its compatible dock and power adapter, an HDMI cable, one TV or monitor, the playable game, and 2–4 charged Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers or pairs of Joy-Con, one full controller set per player. Provide seats with an unobstructed screen view and a safe cable route. A pair of Joy-Con counts as one full controller here. Single sideways Joy-Con and GameCube controllers are supported by the game but use different button layouts; the instructions below assume Pro Controllers or paired Joy-Con. Internet may be needed to prepare the software or digital access, but the actual shared-console battles do not use online play or require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

From the game menu choose Smash → Smash, create a rules preset and name it something recognizable. Set Style to Time, Limit to 3:00, Items to None, FS Meter to Off, Spirits to Off and Damage Handicap to Off. In Advanced use First to 1 Win, Stage Morph Off, Stage Hazards Off, Launch Rate 1.0×, Underdog Boost Off, Pausing On, Score Display On and Show Damage Yes. Use ordinary unmodified fighter balance. These are this guide's host choices, not an official competitive ruleset.

Select the standard Battlefield stage: a main platform with three smaller platforms above it. On the fighter screen leave the battle as free-for-all, add only your human players and remove unwanted CPU slots. Pair controllers first if necessary; press L and R together for each Pro Controller or paired Joy-Con to join. Each person chooses an available fighter and checks their player number, color and portrait. An unmodified save already offers starter fighters such as Mario, Link, Kirby and Pikachu; the entire advertised roster is not necessarily unlocked on your console. DLC is optional. Duplicate fighters are fine; use different costumes to help track them.

Learn the buttons before counting wins

Confirm each player's selected name and control layout. Old custom profiles or system button remapping can change these defaults. In the game's Controls menu, choose the matching controller type and use its Test option if a button behaves unexpectedly. Do not overwrite someone else's saved layout. The following is the default Pro Controller or paired-Joy-Con layout.

• Move: use the left stick; a gentle tilt walks, a quick sideways flick starts a dash. Down crouches on the ground and lets you drop through a smaller platform.
• Jump: press X or Y. Press again while airborne to use an available air jump. Most fighters have one air jump; Kirby has several. Up on the left stick also jumps when Stick Jump is enabled.
• Attack: press A without a direction for a basic attack; add a gentle direction for a directional attack. In the air, A attacks in the chosen direction. Quickly flick a direction with A for a stronger smash attack; the right stick also performs smash attacks on the ground with this default layout.
• Special moves: B alone, or B with left, right, up or down, selects that fighter's different special moves. Their effects vary by fighter. Up+B is a recovery move for many fighters; learn yours near the stage before relying on it over an edge.
• Defend: hold ZL or ZR on the ground to shield. The shield shrinks while held or hit, so release it between threats. A quick sideways stick movement while shielding rolls; down dodges in place. Pressing shield in the air makes an air dodge, not a protective bubble.
• Grab and throw: L or R grabs a nearby opponent, including one shielding. After a grab, press a direction to throw; A can pummel first. You can escape an opponent's grab by rapidly moving the stick and pressing buttons.
• Pause: + pauses when enabled. The directional pad performs taunts; HOME leaves the game screen. Keep both out of live play unless everyone needs a stop.

Start one unscored 3-minute practice battle with the same preset. Say which portrait is yours, move, jump, use A and B, then shield and try a grab. Take turns giving each other room to practice returning from just beside the edge: steer toward the platform, use an available air jump, then try the recovery move. A missed return is useful practice, not a session point. If someone cannot yet follow their fighter or controls, repeat practice before counting results.

Fight together until the clock ends

Keep the fight friendly and settle interruptions

Use a familiar fighter while learning. Experienced players can volunteer an unfamiliar fighter and explain one useful recovery input rather than overwhelm a newcomer with combinations. Do not quietly alter another player's controls or force them into a handicap. If everyone wants more unpredictability, switch together to the item variation below after practice.

The results screen settles KO credit, missed recoveries, simultaneous falls and ordinary scoring disputes. A fighter being offstage does not by itself prove the battle was over. Never retroactively award a knockout because the group thinks someone deserved it.

Agree to this house interruption rule before the first scored battle: for a disconnected controller, unexpected HOME press or an urgent comfort/safety stop, pause as soon as possible. Fix the problem. Resume only if everyone agrees the interruption left the battle usable; otherwise abandon that battle and replay it from zero with the same fighters and stage. The abandoned battle does not count toward the three. If the preset or stage was wrong, replay with the correct setup. There is no automatic stock or point penalty in this friendly session.

Keep the TV volume low enough for normal conversation. Ask about flashing effects, visual tracking and controller comfort rather than assuming a seated game works for everyone. Stop or choose another activity if it is uncomfortable. This guide supports 2–4 simultaneous human players; the game's larger shared-console capacity needs additional controllers and is outside this beginner format.

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Ideas & Twists

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