Nintendo Wii U: Smash Bros For Wii U And Nintendo 3DS Details Announced

Project Sora director Masahiro Sakurai discusses all things Smash Brothers during the latest segment of the popular Iwata Asks.

As I’m sure the majority of you are aware the game is coming to both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. A lot of questions about the game remain unanswered though, especially the way that the two games will interact with each other. Anyway, here’s some of Sakura’s thoughts and musings regarding the highly anticipated game.

• Internal talk about creating a new Smash Bros. first started a bit after the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii in 2008.
• This was about the time Nintendo first asked Sakurai to make a 3DS game. Iwata realized that fans would want a new Smash Bros. for the 3DS, but he was unsure if it would be okay to ask Sakurai to make another Smash Bros. immediately following Brawl.
• When Iwata first mentioned the development of Wii U to Sakurai, it seems that Sakurai immediately realized that they’d need to make Smash Bros. for both platforms.
• Iwata had actually intended to ask him if he’d like to make the game for 3DS or for Wii U.
• Sakurai had actually begun thinking about what he’d do with the next Smash Bros. while he worked on Kid Icarus.
• He felt that it would be wrong to make a mere extension of Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube) and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He did not feel that it would be right to just increase the volume, adding 50 characters or doubling the stages for instance.
• He also felt it would be wrong to just improve the visuals. This is why he felt that selecting to make the game for the console just because it would have greater performance would be wrong.
• Making a portable version had its appeal for him, as they’d be able to do a number of new things. At the same time, there would be limits, as they’d be handicapped in some areas when it comes to offering the usual enjoyment areas of Smash Bros.
• Specifically, Sakurai feels that a portable system makes the game a more “individual” experience in that, compared to a console, it’s easier to make players attached to the data that they’ve built up and collected. The fact that you’re carrying the hardware with you makes for a more personal experience.
• The difficulty here is that the current Smash Bros. games haven’t relied on rewards, collecting money or raising your character’s level. There’s no element of gaining experience to make your character stronger, Iwata noted.
• Adding the notion of experience would pose a dilmena, explained Sakurai, as there are some players who would get into such a game, while others would not like it. Iwata added that placing a focus on experience would also make the game lose its instant play quality.
• What Sakurai hopes to do is have the 3DS version of Smash Bros. allow players to build up their character through battle and rewards, then take their custom character to the Wii U version to face off against everyone. He feels it could be nice if they can make the “personal” portable space and the stadium-like “public” console space mesh together.
• Iwata summed it the basic idea nicely: players would spend time on the 3DS version, building up their character and collecting stuff, then show off their skills on the Wii U version.
• Sakurai noted that as the Wii U is an HD system, this version could offer 60 frames per second visuals, high quality graphics, dynamic effects, and smooth character movements.
• While it is important to have both versions of the game be enjoyable on their own, Sakurai feels that connectivity between the two versions will make the experience even more enjoyable.
• Closing off the little section offering vague hints about the new Smash Bros. games, Sakurai said that his aim with the 3DS version is to offer players a slightly
• different experience from conventional Smash Bros. games. He believes that there is merit in having skilled and unskilled players play together, so one emphasis will be on elements of players helping one-another.