Nintendo has been doing a pretty good job dripping out information on the new Smash Bros. titles for the 3DS and Wii U, but today they put out a forty minute Nintendo Direct solely based on the game. Get ready for some hot Smash news!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xUWnQu2Grs&w=760]
First thing you need to know is the release date, or…dates. The two titles will not release simultaneously, instead the 3DS version will release this summer with the Wii U version out this holiday. If we want to make asses of ourselves, we can assume a couple of things: One, the 3DS version will be out right before or right after E3 to give Nintendo something to talk about, and the Wii U version will release just before Black Friday, as all big games do. Two, Nintendo either really needs the extra time for the Wii U version, or they don’t really have any other games to put in that prime November slot. If it’s the second thing that’s too bad, but the developers did have almost two years to work with final 3DS hardware before the Wii U even launched, so the console version may just be a bit behind.
Now, after the release date there is lots of news. For online games, there will be two modes to choose from: For Fun and For Glory. For Fun is “normal” Smash Bros. with items and normal levels. For Glory is Final Destination only with no items. However, almost all of the levels have a flat “Final Destination” variant, so you won’t be playing the same level over and over. For Fun will also only track your wins while For Glory tracks your wins and losses.
For these multiplayer modes, matchmaking isn’t based on your win/losses or anything like that, instead opting for a Global Smash Rating. The rating is accrued from doing things in single player, and the rank helps the game matchmake with those who have put in the same amount of effort in the game.
The characters themselves have changed a bit, and not only from having new or updated moves. Those characters that used to change form mid-battle have been split into distinct characters. So, for example, Samus and Zero-Suit Samus are now two distinct characters, as are Zelda and Sheik. Other characters have been balanced more effectively than they were in Brawl. Pit no longer can fly for so long, and Olimar now pulls up Pikmin in the same sequence every time instead of randomly grabbing a color.
And, finally, two new characters were shown: Charizard and Greninja, a frog ninja thing.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEJBPMcbRkk&w=760]
Those are the highlights, but definitely check out the video to see all of this in action. There are a ton of new assist trophies and items shown in the video, too. Now just to wait months and months for the games to come out or be delayed again!