Development of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and its post-launch content concluded on October 18, 2021 with the release of Kingdom Hearts’ Sora as the last DLC challenger, setting the final roster count to 86. Out of these 86 characters, Sonic is one fighter that’s gained quite a bit of notoriety in the competitive scene due to his emphasis on what is perceived as an extremely campy playstyle.
Regardless, it seems that many fans all over the world still dream of a Super Smash Bros. entry that features an even larger roster than that of Smash Ultimate’s. Of course, those experienced with hacking have figured out a way to unofficially implement their own visions for characters into the latest Smash title.
Recently, the Beefy Smash Doods showcased a mod that essentially injects Knuckles from Project M into Smash Ultimate. Despite Sonic’s problematic playstyle, it seems that there are many fans out there that would like to see another Sonic the Hedgehog rep mixing it up with the likes of Mario.
With that in mind, it seems the Beefy Smash Doods were once again contacted to check out another mod that also features a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. This particular mod makes Shadow the Hedgehog playable.
The timing of this mod’s showcase couldn’t be better as Shadow is set to debut in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie seemingly as the main antagonist on December 20, 2024. It’s interesting to note that Shadow is being voiced by Keanu Reeves, who has reportedly been taking the role very seriously by doing research to ensure that he properly captures the essence of the character with his voicework.
In any event, Shadow isn’t simply just a clone of Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While Sonic ends up being slightly faster than Shadow in terms of run speed, Shadow appears to boast a lot more power with his attacks.
Though Shadow does technically have a Spin Dash side special like Sonic, it’s functionally very different. Shadow’s air side special functions kind of like a homing attack that always goes straight. If Shadow hits a target, he’ll go into a flurry of punches and kicks, just like in some of the games that feature him. It’s demonstrated that this is a particularly high risk, high reward maneuver if used off stage.
Unlike Sonic, Shadow actually has a traditional projectile with his Chaos Spear special. Functionally, it’s pretty similar to Wolf’s Blaster. It’s fast and easy to spam, making it an excellent tool that controls the opponent’s movement.
Shadow’s grounded down special has him disappear so long as the special button is held. Once the action is released, Shadow will reappear at the scene with a burst of energy, similar to how Greninja’s Shadow Sneak works. Using the down special in the air will result in Shadow performing a dive kick instead.
Overall, Shadow is filled with unique animations that do an amazing job of referencing the source material for the character. The modder even went so far as to design unique victory animations for Shadow.
By the end of the video, the Beefy Smash Doods declare that Shadow has a fairly steep learning curve. Though Shadow’s mod page indicates that the character is currently only 90% complete, it feels like the most polished mod I’ve ever seen in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Check it all out below: