E3 2018: 5 Ups & 3 Downs From Nintendo's Direct

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Looks INCREDIBLE, Releases December 7

And of course, the game that's on everyone's lips right now is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which was finally given a formal unveiling in the second half of Nintendo's Direct.

The gameplay presentation was deep and significant, showing off the game's slick visuals and confirming that it's not merely an "enhanced port" of the Wii U game.

Astonishingly, Ultimate will in fact feature every pre-existing Smash fighter - yes, even Solid Snake! (and voiced by David Hayter!) - for a massive 65-character roster, with character unlocks being "streamlined." In addition to Splatoon's Inklings joining the fray, it was also confirmed that long-requested Metroid boss Ridley is now a playable character.

What else, then? Smash Ultimate supports up to 8 players, features numerous female versions of classic characters (including Pikachu) and an almost exhausting list of new techniques, abilities and smaller gameplay nuances.

Oh, and you can even plug a GameCube controller in if you want to play it that way, though it won't work in handheld mode and you'll need to pick up a USB adaptor to get it running. Still, pretty damn sweet.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate releases December 7. A little later than most fans would probably like, but still easily in time for the holidays. If nothing else, it sure looks like Nintendo has poured an insane amount of effort into this release, ensuring it's not just a lazy rehash as it so easily could've been.

What did you think of Nintendo's E3 Direct? Shout it out in the comments!