A surprise mini Nintendo Direct has revealed that Joker and Smash 3.0 will launch on April 17!

The fifteen minute video is full to the brim with lots of cool new details, and a first full look at Challenge Pack 1.

Joker, lead character in Persona 5 is the first officially announced character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and he will bring a Mementos stage with him into the game along with all the Phantom Thieves.

Joker uses a knife and gun in battle, while a Grappling Hook can help him bring opponents closer or latch onto edges.

He also uses a special Eiha move which doesn’t hurt from the initial strike but delivers continuous corruption/poison damage to weaken his enemies.

Joker’s Rebellion Gauge fills up when he gets injured but when he uses Rebel’s Guard – a cool looking block move – his gauge fills up faster and can even deflect combos with pushback.

When full, he can use his Persona, Arsene, and attack using moves like Wings of Rebellion, Eigaon, and more.

Meanwhile, the Mementos stage is based on Persona 5’s otherworld, and adds the Phantom Thieves with Morgana’s car when Joker needs a helping hand.

It features 11 music tracks, including 5 from Persona 5, 3 from Persona 4 and 2 from Persona 3. Using the Persona 3 or 4 music, the colour of the stage will even change to match the game.

 

There will also be Mii Fighter costumes to suit Persona 5 with a Morgana Hat, a Persona 4 Swordfighter, as well as a Teddie Hat, and a Persona 3 Swordfighter.

Sonic the Hedgehog also joins in the fun with Tails Gunner and Knuckles Brawler. Each Mii costume will cost $0.75 each.

As for the free Smash 3.0 update, there’s a brand new Stage Builder mode which lets you create your own stages that can then be played immediately.

It makes use of the Switch’s touch screen in handheld mode so you can draw whatever you like and add things like moving platforms and new stage elements.

The stage builder also has front and back layers so you can add even more detail.

A new Video Editor also lets you splice videos together, transition, between them, add background music, post description, and even share it with the rest of the world.

Finally, Smash World has been added to the Nintendo Switch Online App, allowing you to view videos on stages, fighters, and even download stages other people’s have made.

Frankly, this is an awesome Smash Update with plenty to keep you coming back for more and we’ll be sure to give you our impressions of Joker and more once it drops.