Summarizing the Smash Bros. Wii U Direct

Published: October 24, 2014 12:00 PM /

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Nintendo promised at least 50 facts in the October 23rdSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U Direct that distinctly separate the title from the recently released 3DS Smash Brothers title. Here is the archived Direct for those who didn’t have a chance to see it live or wish to supplement this summary.) The crucial technical details regarding the Wii U version are native 1080p resolution, viable multiplayer for 5-6 players on all stages and eight player modes on select ‘big’ stages in local play only. Wii U and 3DS compatibility has been revealed in the form of using the 3DS as a controller for the Wii U version in addition to the ability to transfer custom characters over from the 3DS version. The starting roster is set to have more than 40 characters, but the overall roster is the same as the 3DS version. Stage Building with the Wii U gamepad looks to offer far more freedom (and by extension creativity) in comparison to the previous installment’s stage builder. Then finally there was the announcement that made the 90’s kid mentality of social media freak out: Mewtwo was confirmed as DLC. If you buy both Smash for the 3DS and Wii U and register them with Club Nintendo, then he will be free download at the time of availability in Spring 2015.

Apart from these key points, the majority of the facts are refinements or alterations from either Super Smash Bros. for 3DS or Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The replacement for ‘Smash Run’ is a board game-like mode called Smash Tour that allows for up to four players. Smash Tour features the players collecting characters and power-ups to use in a stock match at the end of the session. Multiplayer looks to be the focus of the Wii U as Classic Mode, All-Star Mode, Trophy Rush, and Event Modes all allow for co-op in some fashion. Character specific-interactions return in the form of ‘Palutena’s Guidance’ when playing as Pit on the stage Palutena’s Temple. This announcement could be seen as total confirmation that Snake isn’t returning, but it is fortunate the Codec style is retained for what was originally an Easter egg. Speaking of confirmations, details about Ridley were explicitly explained in the form of Fact #11. Ridley is a boss-like character in the Pyrosphere stage who becomes an ally to whoever damages him enough. However, the tradeoff for this power is that anyone, even the player ally, may K.O. Ridley for the extra point in the final score. In other words, Ridley looks to be a more powerful version of the Birdmen from the Magicant stage in Smash for 3DS.

The Direct also gave us the first glimpses into the online structure for the Wii U version of Smash. Stages like “MiiVerse” will allow for user-generated drawings to move along in the background to motivate fighters during the fight. Voice chat is limited to before and after matches in an effort to best maintain optimal connections. The Wii LAN Adapter is still suggested for users who cannot reliably access a stable hi-speed Wi-Fi connection. Sharing custom stages, photos and other content was also stated to be a capability to come along down the road. A Tournament system has also been alluded to, stated to allow for up to 64 players to battle for supremacy, with the added benefit of native replay support. Details for ‘Tourney’ are still being worked on and will be revealed at a later time.

 

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will be available in North America on November 21st

 

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I'm a contributor to the tech and gaming sections here on TechRaptor. I hold a B.A in English from University of California at Davis.

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