Super Smash Bros. Ultimate set off a firestorm of excitement. From the massive list of playable characters to the wide range of stages, the reasons for excitement continue to multiply. However, a fly may have landed in the ointment of competitive gamers: they weren’t the primary focus during development.

Game director Masahiro Sakurai told The Washington Post that providing a game specifically for competitive players “doesn’t go in line with Nintendo’s philosophy.” Instead, Nintendo wants a game more easily accessible for a wider range of players.

A huge reason behind this is the technical aspects of the game, which was a major sticking point in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Sakurai believes that “a game should really focus on what the target audience is,” which means simpler controls and easier accessibility.

“I feel like a game, at the end of the day, is about playing the game. But if we focus too much on the top level players – or the audience – then the game skews a little bit too much on the technical side,” Sakurai explained. The company, it appears, learned this the hard way from its previous experiences. “I think a lot of  Melee players love Melee. But at the same time, I think a lot of players, on the other hand, gave up on Melee because it’s too technical, because they can’t keep up with it.”

This, of course, does not negate the possibility of a strong competitive circuit for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Previous franchise installments did not aim for competitive gamers, yet tournaments remained plentiful. I appreciate the company’s dedication to its average consumer rather than the competitive players, which is refreshing in today’s gaming scene. While earning paychecks for video games is wonderful, I grew up with the original Super Smash Bros. Nothing rivaled battling it out with three friends on my couch, and it appears that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will reintroduce that unparalleled feeling.

For competitive and casual players alike, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches for the Nintendo Switch on December 7.

Are you excited for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Are you happy that Nintendo is making the game more universally accessible? Let us know in the comments, and follow DFTG on Twitter for more gaming news and updates!