Though there have been a few pretenders to the crown, it seems no-one else can make a game that's quite as magic as Super Smash Bros. A frantic beat 'em up with a sense of humour to boot, that pits Nintendo's most popular characters against each other in an all out brawl, Smash Bros is quite unlike almost anything else. It has depth, yet it's so easily accessible, its controls can easily be squeezed onto a Wii Remote. It's a beat 'em up, yet it doesn't rely on memorising incredibly lengthy combos, with most moves instead being a case of pressing a single button and a direction on the +Control Pad. And it's a game anyone can lose at, but still have a fun. With the Wii instalment, Super Smash Bros Brawl still a regular fixture in our gaming sessions at Everybody Plays towers, some five years after its launch, the upcoming sequel shot straight to the top of our most wanted list when it was announced it'd be being shown at this year's giant gaming convention, E3. And, we're pleased to say, we haven't been disappointed.
Super Smash Bros Wii U and 3DS as they're now officially known (they don't have an official subtitle at the moment) are two rather similar, yet also subtly different games. On the 3DS, a lot of thought's been put into the smaller screen, and how to make things as easy to follow as possible, during some often frantic battles. Utilising a different graphical style, the characters on the 3DS are now outlined in black to make spotting them on the smaller screen easier, while Nintendo are also currently exploring the new opportunities handheld play will bring when it comes to multiplayer. With each player having their own console, and effectively their own window into the world, developer Masahiro Sakurai has said that the company are currently trying to figure out if there's a way they can take advantage of it - perhaps with power-ups that affect another player's screen, but not your own. While single cartridge download play, to let you play together with friends who don't own a copy of the game remains unlikely, we'll still be keeping our fingers crossed until we hear anything otherwise.
He may be fat, yellow and annoying, but Pikachu's still a pretty powerful character.
Underneath the surface, however, both versions follow a distinctly similar path to earlier games in the series, in terms of controls and gameplay - only this time, there's new characters, new stages, new items, and a whole host of other tweaks and improvements to make an old favourite that much better. With a strong emphasis on same-console, four player multiplayer, and with each character coming with their own, unique move set, with all the strengths and weaknesses you could expect, Smash Bros Wii U/3DS looks set to offer the same fast paced, frantic, yet accessible brawling fun we've come to know and love, only much more of it. And that's a good thing. As a wise man or woman once said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Of course, a game like Smash Bros is only as good as its line-up of characters, so it's good to see that Smash Bros Wii U/3DS already has a solid selection. From lovable Pokemon Pikachu, to amorphous pink blob Kirby; from muscle bound gorilla Donkey Kong to the portly plumber himself, Mario, the list so far reads like a who's who of Nintendo - Kid Icarus, Metroid's Samus, Fox from Starfox/Lylat Wars - and there's been a few new additions, too.
It's the little touches that make Smash Bros great - how clueless Kirby is, the little facial expressions, and how easy it is to pick up and play.
The first, and arguably the most unusual new character here is the Villager from Animal Crossing. While he may have spent most of his life up until now picking up weeds, chatting to neighbours, and occasionally bonking Tom Nook on the head with a net, it seems the Villager has a fair few tricks up his sleeves. As Animal Crossing is a game that has a strong emphasis on collection, the Villager can make use of a number of items he's collected as his offensive arsenal - whacking people with an umbrella, firing off a slingshot or a firework, or even using a sapling. Brilliantly, many of his moves can then be chained together to form ever more powerful attacks - you can dig a hole, plant a sapling, water it, and then cut it down with an axe, with the falling tree dishing out huge amounts of damage to anyone it touches. Or, you can just dig a hole, and wait for someone to fall into it, before dropping a bowling ball on their head. Meanwhile, as a true collector, the Villager can also pick up anything his foes throw at him - even their own weapons. Whether it's Samus's beam, or one of Link's bombs, the Villager can pick them up, pocket them, and chuck them straight back where they came!
A slightly more historic new addition is that of Mega Man, a platform character from the 1980s who made his name on the NES. A character who only has one punch, every other one of Mega Man's moves will involve projectiles, whether from his iconic beam-gun arm, or in the form of the mines he can strap to people. Meanwhile, in a surprise move, the Wii Fit Instructor will also be making her Smash Bros debut. As a fitness themed character, she'll be able to dish out a load of yoga themed punishment - but her high jump, and large range may make her a hidden favourite.
While both the 3DS and Wii U versions are set to have the same number of characters, it hasn't yet been confirmed that they'll be the same characters. For stages, we know that the 3DS version will have a different set of arenas to the Wii U instalment, with the 3DS game focusing on handheld games, and the Wii U version on home console titles. While the 3DS gets a level based around Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and another based around Nintendogs for example, the Wii U gets stages based on Megaman, Skyward Sword, and, of course, Wii Fit.
While the game's eventual release in 2014 now seems like an awfully long time away, after Nintendo have more than whet our appetite with trailers, screens, and a pretty strong initial roster, the wait will likely be made all the easier thanks to Nintendo's planned drip-feed of new information. With creator Masahiro Sakurai set to be posting five pictures every week to the official Smash Bros Miiverse page, and dozens of new characters, stages, and items yet to be unveiled, it's safe to say the wait for Smash Bros Wii U and 3DS will go quicker than you think. If you're eager to learn more (and we certainly are), why not check out our extensive Smash Bros screenshot gallery. In the mean time, there's also the debut trailer, which you can find below:
