Sakurai’s leaked column reveals that rollback net code was trialed in Smash Bros. Ultimate

Masahiro Sakurai’s latest column in Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu revealed that the much-requested rollback net code was originally considered for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate but failed to make the cut, according to PushDustin.

Rollback net code apparently “had a lot of adverse side effects” during development. Since the Smash series deviates heavily from a traditional fighting game, potential problems like its large cast of fighters, differently detailed stages, and special items could have interfered with the net code.

Rollback net code is an alternative to the standard delay-based net code used by most fighting games, including Ultimate. While delay-based net code intentionally delays each players’ button input until it receives information from the other party, rollback net code will immediately cause the player to act. Once information is received from the other party, the game will synchronize by jumping the opponent a few frames ahead, resulting in little chops during individual actions but ultimately, smoother overall gameplay.

Going off excerpts of the leaked piece, PushDustin summarized that the column will talk about the changes to online one-vs.-one in Ultimate, and why it was not announced in-game.

An individual’s improvement in network speed depends largely on how their Switch is connected, with the best and steadiest results coming from a wired LAN connection.