Nintendo leaves its Calling Card as Joker arrives in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate today

Expected to arrive before the end of April, Nintendo has surprisingly debuted Persona 5’s Joker in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ahead of his release today. The trailer gives us our first look at his move sets, accompanying Mementos stage and even Kirby’s Joker form.

Joker’s move set relies on his gun and knife combination, much like his main-game counterpart. The full extent of his power however, relies on his Rebellion Gauge which is located above his damage. This fills as Joker takes damage and can be hurried along with his Down+B Smash is Rebel’s Guard, a block that halves damage. Releasing this block can cause a knock-back and when the gauge is full, it allows the player to summon Joker’s main Persona, Arsene.

Arsene is completely invincible and remains available for a limited time until the gauge runs out. During his summon, he helps to transform Joker’s specials, swapping out his grapple recovery for a more effective Up+B move.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is incredibly respectful to the source material, with Joker’s Final Smash identically resembling Persona 5’s ‘All Out’ attack, involving a random selection of the main cast. Unaffected by the presence of Arsene, activating the Final Smash causes Joker to swipe to the side of the screen in hopes of slicing an opponent. If a player misses, they can always swipe immediately in the other direction in hopes of catching an enemy off guard.

Persona 5 fans will also notice the faithful replication of Joker’s victory screen provided he gets first place. This mirrors the same victory screen seen in the main game with its signature red and black art style and the presence of Morgana praising the player for their good work.

As shown in the leaks, Mementos is the unique stage that will debut alongside Joker. Trains will pass underneath the stage, making plays off stage a little more risky and the Phantom Thieves will begin to appear as the match rages on. Although they will remain impartial to the fight, they will make comments as fighters are flung off stage.

Mementos has a unique interaction with the track that’s currently playing in the background, as the stage changes from its default red colour scheme. There are 11 tracks in total, but it’s music from Persona 3 and Persona 4 that triggers the switch to a blue or yellow theme respectively. Players can customise their playback order in My Music. The change in colour will also affect the look of the victory screen, to ensure consistency.

Joker and Mementos are available from today, April 17, as a part of Challenger Pack 1. Those that purchase the pack now will receive a Joker Route in Classic Mode and a DLC Spirit Board filled with Persona 5 characters. These are also available as a part of the Fighters Pass, with four more DLC characters inbound.

KitGuru Says: I’ve been incredibly excited for Joker to arrive in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate since his announcement last year, but little did I know that he would fit so well. It will take some time to see where people would place the hero in terms of ability, but he certainly looks like a fun addition. Are you excited to play as Joker?

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