Back during the 2020 Game Awards Show, Nintendo debuted a trailer for the newest DLC fighter to join its increasingly expansive roster of characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Sephiroth from Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7. This announcement came as a big surprise to fans and long-time players. The addition of another Square Enix character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has left some fans wondering about Nintendo’s future plans with its fellow developer.
Speculation about who the next SSBU DLC fighter would be was already rampant even before the announcement that a new character would be revealed at The Game Awards Show. This speculation included such characters as Doom Slayer, Nintendo characters like Dixie Kong, or even a character from Overwatch. But Nintendo surprised fans with the announcement that the 78th fighter to receive the coveted invitation to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be the villain of Final Fantasy 7 and Cloud’s greatest rival.
Sephiroth is the main antagonist of Final Fantasy 7 and wielder of Masamune. He has joined Smash as the third fighter pulled from the ranks of Square Enix heroes and villains and the second from Final Fantasy 7. Speaking of, he appears earlier than in the original game in the more recent Final Fantasy 7 Remake. In regards to which is the burning question for many fans: does the inclusion of the One-Winged Angel hint towards a possible port of FF7 Remake for the widely popular Nintendo Switch?
First, there is precedent to consider here: Solid Snake first made the cut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii in 2008. This followed the 2004 release of Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, an updated version of the original Metal Gear Solid designed specifically for the Nintendo GameCube. This was the first time Metal Gear Solid had made its way to a Nintendo platform. Solid Snake’s appearance in Brawl came as a result of the relationship between Nintendo and Konami that made Twin Snakes a possibility, and the relationships between Nintendo and other companies is something some fans would point at as an important factor in whether ports get made.
Secondly, the ever-popular Joker from the Persona series made his way into Smash just before the announcement of Persona 5 Strikers in Japan, the upcoming action spin-off title for the West. Strikers will be the first game on Switch bearing the Persona name. Again in reference to relationships, Atlus and Nintendo have a long-running one including the inclusion of Persona characters in the musical mash-up title Tokyo Mirage Sessions. Atlus also produced many Persona games for the 3DS and Nintendo has already stated its intention to bring franchises from 3DS to the Switch. And with Persona 5 being one of the most popular titles of the past several years, rumors about Nintendo working to port it over as well are rampant online.
Thirdly and specifically to Square Enix, there was the addition of the Hero from the Dragon Quest series. The character(s) were released several months before the port of Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Illusive Age was released for the Nintendo Switch. The inclusion of the Hero heralded the beloved JRPG series’ first appearance on the Switch. So, there is precedent that Sephiroth’s appearance might indicate the same could be in the works for the FF7 Remake, especially given both entities are owned by Square Enix.
However, in speaking to reasons why the port might not happen, there are a few issues to be addressed. From a technical standpoint, this would definitely be a behemoth of an undertaking, as FF7 Remake is an enormous game. Weighing in at over 100 GB, the JRPG dwarfs the internal 32 GB hard drive of the Nintendo Switch. And while the Switch does support expanded memory, this is still a large roadblock to bringing over the highly acclaimed FF7 Remake.
But with rumors swirling about whether or not Nintendo is planning an upgraded Switch Pro, some fans are wondering if that means a higher chance to see a Switch port of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. If Nintendo is indeed planning a Switch Pro, it leaves the door open that there might be a bigger internal hard drive, support for larger external memory cards, and increased graphical prowess. This would all point to the possibility from the technical standpoint that Remake could successfully be ported to the popular Nintendo system. If Nintendo is planning this move, then Final Fantasy 7 Remake could potentially be a great title to help launch a new more powerful Switch.
Commercially, bringing Remake over to the Switch would almost undoubtedly be a good move, and players are more than used to long waits for Switch ports like 2020’s Doom Eternal. Although, it would make sense that Square Enix might be hesitant to produce a port that might not pan out how it hoped. The Final Fantasy brand is in an upswing right now with the popularity of Final Fantasy 14, the success of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and fans eagerly awaiting more information about Final Fantasy 16. Square Enix may, as a result, be trepid about porting over Remake only to garner ire from fans if the port isn’t executed properly.
While currently Square Enix has announced no official plans to port FF7 Remake, the relationship between the publisher and Nintendo is certainly strong enough to make such an undertaking more than a possibility. And now that Sephiroth has been featured as a boss battle in Smash and has already become considered a high-tier character, many Nintendo fans are eager for a chance to play FF7 Remake. But for now, Switch players can still play the updated version of the original Final Fantasy 7 on Switch and enjoy Sephiroth being more than just a memory for Nintendo now that he’s available in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available for Nintendo Switch.
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