Something to look forward to: Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series is one of the most popular fighting game franchises out there, and it's not hard to see why. The games manage to be light-hearted while still rewarding skilled play. The latest franchise entry, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, has been shown off at E3 2018, and it's character roster is set to include every fighter from all previous games in the series.

Nintendo's E3 presentation is underway, and so far it's largely centered around one game in particular - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Nintendo Switch iteration of the popular game franchise.

As you might expect, the game has received quite a few new improvements. The graphics and lighting have noticeably been improved over past games in the Super Smash Bros. franchise, of course, but gameplay tweaks are where Ultimate shines.

Numerous returning fighters have received new Final Smashes (the Smash Bros. version of an "Ultimate" ability) and mechanic changes. For example, Ryu now automatically faces his opponent, much like he did in the original Street Fighter games. Furthermore, Final Smashes across the board have been shortened to allow players to return to the action as fast as possible.

"Perfect Shields" have also been adjusted, now requiring more precise timing to negate incoming damage.

Ultimate is also receiving a new type of combatant called an "Echo Fighter." Echo Fighters are slightly-tweaked versions of existing fighters, with mostly the same movesets. An example would be Princess Daisy. Her moves are, for the most part, identical to Peach's, but she has a few small mechanical tweaks that can make her a worthwhile alternative in some circumstances.

Another significant tweak Ultimate is bringing involves the stage and fighter selection process. Specifically, stage selection now occurs before any fighters have been chosen, allowing players to pick a character based on how well they would work in a given stage.

Punch-out character Little Mac, for example, excels on flat maps like Final Destination but performs worse on angular maps like Moray Towers.

Perhaps the most significant difference between Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and previous games in the franchise involves the game's character roster. In Ultimate, every single character from every game in the franchise will be present. This means characters like Pichu and Ice Climbers will make their triumphant return this time around.

A few of Ultimate's unique new fighters include the Inkling from Splatoon, Ridley from Metroid and Cloud from the Final Fantasy series.

If you'd like to get your hands on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo has some good news for you. The game will release this year on December 7 for Nintendo Switch, but you can pre-order it right now for $59.99.

Image courtesy IGN