For much of the night at The Game Awards, Nintendo was surprisingly quiet. We had gotten an indie game reveal, and we had gotten a 3rd party exclusive, and…that was about it. But then, while host Geoff Keighley was talking, the power went out at the stadium, and the world’s mind was about to be blown. Because Persona 5 arrived on screen. Many were likely thinking spinoff title, but instead, the Smash Bros logo flashed on one of the cards, and Nintendo confirmed that Joker would be the first DLC character pack.
To remind you, after the launch of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, there will be 5 DLC characters. Each character will be their own “pack,” for they come with their own character and a stage and a bunch of music. Joker from Persona 5 is the first of those five (Piranha Plant is not a DLC character, but a bonus character.)
This is an exciting reveal, for Persona 5 has NOT been on the Nintendo Switch (but it’s teasing rumors that a port is coming…), so this actually breaks the “one rule” about 3rd party inclusions. However, this is a welcome addition, for Persona does have a good history on Nintendo platforms, mainly the 3DS. And Atlus (the publisher) has an excellent relationship with Nintendo.
Reggie Fils-Aime talked afterward about the reveal and noted that this is but a “taste” of what’s to come and that we should expect more surprises like this. Super Smash Bros Ultimate is about to arrive! And Joker won’t be far behind.
