Nintendo Unable to Verify Pirahna Plant Save Deletion Bug in Smash Ultimate

Published: February 7, 2019 9:00 AM /

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piranha plant smash bros ultimate reveal

Following reports that the arrival of Pirahna Plant and patch 2.0.0 was corrupting save data, Nintendo investigated but found no evidence of the bug. The comment by Nintendo comes roughly a week after the bug was initially spotted. Reports surfaced as soon as the patch hit, with many taking to Reddit and beyond to voice concerns. In our original story, we noted that while bug 2002-4153 happens more frequently when playing as Pirahna Plant in All-Star Mode, the bug is not universally reproducible. Indeed, Nintendo's statement made to Newsweek reads as follows:

We are aware that some users are posting about possible issues with the latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate update. After extensive testing, Nintendo has not been able to confirm that there is an issue, although we will continue to investigate and monitor the situation.
If only to bolster our original story, recently, videos surfaced of the same dreaded bug occurring when playing as Pikachu online. This has led some outlets to speculate that the problem may be tied to SD cards, a theory whose links to the bug are tenuous at best. GameXplain suggested that counterfeit SD cards may be behind the bug, which prompted users to post images verifying the authenticity of their cards. Perhaps as a silver lining, the bug is only corrupting local save data, not any cloud data. While accessing the cloud obviously requires a subscription to Nintendo Online, it is at least some consolation to anyone who plays online regularly.

With the reported issues covering a wide range of modes and characters, Nintendo will have their work cut out for them in pinning down the underlying problem. Whether tied to new DLC characters or existing fighters and modes, it seems as though Smash Ultimate owners aren't quite out of the woods yet.

Have you encountered the bug yet while playing Smash Ultimate? Know anyone that has? Share your stories in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


Kyle Johnson
| Japanese Gaming Specialist

Professional painter. Semi-professional weeb. I've played hundreds of games, but finished very few. I speak Chinese and Minnesotan.