Topic: Super Smash Pinball

I really enjoyed Mario Pinball, Metroid Pinball, and Pokemon Pinball, and would like to see more of them, but a thought occurred to me. What if Nintendo did a Pinball version of Super Smash Bros, where everyone had their own ball and tables and boss battles and were just competing for high scores? Mario's ball could get mushrooms and fire flowers as power-ups, Zelda's Navi-ball could lock onto things by hitting them so Link would swoop in and deal damage, Samus's ball could transform and start shooting, the Pokeball could open up and unleash some kind of attack depending on what was last caught, and maybe there could even be a smash ball that gives powers to different things depending on what it's knocked into. I'd really like to see certain bosses pinballified too, like Wario, Lugia, Ganon, or Kraid.

Would this sell better as a single unified game or separate pinball entries? Should it be included in Super Smash Bros Universe as a replacement for the coin launcher? What do you think?

Yeah, this idea seems to be better suited for an SSB Wii U minigame. Nintendo could sell it as a download, though.

Or you could play pinball like it was meant to be played. And play Smash Bros like it was meant to be played.

Why not give unique concepts a try? Though I can't see this happening, it would be great fun. Plain concepts will eventually grow stale (though in the case of pinball, the simplicity has kept it engaging for quite a long time).

Baby Pac-Man, for example, featured Pac-Man with BRUTAL AI and a really small table, but it still proved it's worth as highly enjoyable (that is, if you can ever experience it outside of Virtual Pinball). Merging concepts should be welcomed, and this is an ingenious idea.

I could see this going as a downloadable or a budget release, but there would have to be a shit ton of content to accurately recreate the Smash Bros feel. And yes, it should be one title. I don't want another Skylanders.

By that logic, why not have Super Smash Karts? Super Smash Party? Super Smash Sports? A Super Smash puzzle game or Kingdom Hearts styled RPG with Nintendo characters? Of course Nintendo can slap their characters into pretty much any genre and probably make money. I won't deny I probably would buy something like that and Nintendo would put quality into it. Everyone will have their own opinions on what genres they want Nintendo to stick their characters into, but.Nintendo has limited resources and would most likely rather invest those resources on core franchises, Mario spin-offs, and the next Smash Bros titles, as these are proven to make money. As much as I'd enjoy seeing my favorite characters in some other genres, I'd much rather have an actual Smash Bros game.

Not to say your idea is bad, I just think it's easy to slap Nintendo characters into another style of game and probably isn't the greatest use of Nintendo's resources. It takes a lot to make crossover games like Smash Bros, I can't see Nintendo investing that willy-nilly. Once again, not saying your idea is bad, not meant as an attack in the slightest, in fact if they made this I honestly probably would buy it.

Side note, if they did ever make something like this, I'd prefer it to be a handheld title. Just my preference.

We already have Mario Kart. I think the only reason they don't include other franchises is because Link would have a horse, Samus would have her ship, Fox would have his ship, Kirby would have a star, and Captain Falcon would have his hovercar. Just a little unfair for the little Karts. You could increase the pace but then the weapons would make things too difficult, and at that point there's no point in having any distinction between different characters.

Mario Party works artistically because it's a light hearted concept that can be played by young and old, high and low skill levels. Throwing in more serious characters like Link and Samus would be interesting, but they would inevitably feel like hollow shells of themselves reduced to the rules of a party game, stripped of what little depth they had in their home games.

Super Smash sports isn't a bad idea, but I can't see many other Nintendo characters being interested, or rather. I can't see more serious characters having a motivation to play. Imagine a portal opening up in Hyrule or somewhere in the Galactic Federation and a Lakitu pops out to tell Link and Samus that there's a sports tournament in another dimension they should totally join in on. It just wouldn't fit.

And as for Mushroom Kingdom Hearts. Who would be the main character? Mario is the mascot but he would be terrible in the role of a visitor to Zebes or Hyrule Castle or Kanto. He just doesn't belong there. They could make a new main character or use Pit but Nintendo probably doesn't want anyone looking more important than Mario.

That's not to say I would be opposed to INDIVIDUAL games genre jumping. Zelda would make a great turn-based RPG. Mario hasn't done shooting yet. Fox could use a retro-ish revival as the side scrolling shooter it never was. Donkey Kong would make a good tower defense game as DK defends his banana hoard with jungle creatures and funky's gadgets. Captain Falcon could use an action-adventure game. And pretty much any Nintendo franchise would make a good RTS. Heck, I'd love to see a few of them become movies.

Basically Nintendo themed pinball. I like it!

I don't think I've ever seen a no-theme pinball table. I've seen Batman and Robin, Die Hard, Back to the Future, and many others, but never just a pinball themed pinball table. So I think this IS how pinball was meant to be played.

I honestly don't see any reason pinball would work more than any other genre, I threw out those genres hypothetically and did not mean they actually should do it. A pinball game of that scope would likely not be worth Nnitendo's resources. As for some of your individual arguments... well, the kart racing example is just as realistic as pitting Princess Peach against Samus. Mario Party... like Smash Bros gives the characters much depth? Excluding Brawl's story mode (which still reduced speaking characters to simple actions), Smash Bros has them practically shells, even having them just be trophies. And it makes just as little sense as turning them all into pinballs. Serious characters not having motivation for sports, I see no difference as them competing in meaningless battles to be turned into trophies just to be brought back to life again, over and over. The RPG example, plenty of characters don't make sense in the stages in Smash Bros but no one complains. Heck, Kingdom Hearts itself, the concept of the characters visiting random Disney worlds doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, and in fact is a bit clumsily put together (and I'm a fan of the series admitting this), it many times feels forced and yet that series does fine. I don't see how those arguments defend the idea of the characters being thrown into pinball tables. Like I said, I'd play it, I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but it makes as much sense as any other genre out there.

Also, to your last paragraph... I've always wanted to see a Zelda turn-based strategy (imagine Zelda uniting an army of different races from the games and having them fight similar to Advance Wars or even Fire Emblem), and I'd love a full game spin-off like the Crossbow game. I'd also play an RPG for that. Mario shooting sounds a bit odd but I think it'd be hilarious; I think that's the one genre Nintendo won't put Mario in, though. The Fox game sounds awesome and I'd LOVE that. DK tower defense sounds a bit like a cash-in but it could be good if Nintendo did it. And I would never complain with a Nintendo franchise made into RTS but I'm just as satisfied with Pikmin. And please, a live action Zelda movie is pretty much my dream!

Mainly because the characters themselves don't need to be present, and neither does any kind of story for that matter. I even suggested that Navi be the ball, not Link. It's a pinball game, so there's no need to excuse why everyone's turning into pinballs. They could even just have a normal pinball go through Nintendo themed tables and there's no thematic conflict there. Platformers, Adventure games, Shooters, Fighters, Racers, RPGs, RTSs, Sports games, etc all have the expectation of some kind of simple story, the fundamentals of which may or may not violate the character of the game that came before it.

like Smash Bros gives the characters much depth

No, it doesn't. But the characters still act in essentially the way you would expect they would, and it made an attempt at a story. Link and Ganondorf teamed up at the end of Subspace Emmisary, which is arguably presenting a shade of depth the Zelda games wouldn't dare touch.

Also, to your last paragraph... I've always wanted to see a Zelda turn-based strategy (imagine Zelda uniting an army of different races from the games and having them fight similar to Advance Wars or even Fire Emblem). I'd also play an RPG for that. Mario shooting sounds a bit odd but I think it'd be hilarious. The Fox game sounds awesome and I'd LOVE that. DK tower defense sounds a bit like a cash-in but it could be good if Nintendo did it. And I would never complain with a Nintendo franchise made into RTS but I'm just as satisfied with Pikmin. And please, a live action Zelda movie is pretty much my dream!

And on this we can agree. I'd still love to see an RTS based off of Zelda, Metroid, or Mario.

There is a certain odd connection, especially as we've seen in Brawl's Emissary, between certain characters that would never happen in their respective worlds. One event that I find notable is when Olimar attempts to attack a giant R.O.B. before Captain Falcon shows up. What makes it significant to me is that in Pikmin 2 there is a treasure called Remembered Old Buddy, and it's actually R.O.B.'s head. That's what I love about the Smash Bros. series, the impossible meetings between very diverse characters. For example, where else would you see Marth being swatted by Pikmin? Or Samus tossing a Pokeball at Wario?

Oh, and as for the pinball thing, I think it should be on a handheld.

Yes, at least we have an agreement there. Like I said, I would buy this sort of pinball game if it existed, I don't think it's a bad idea. Thanks for at least not getting upset, some people really can be ridiculous online when others disagree with them.

Nintendo doesn't have to develop it themselves. They'd just need to license some other company to do it. And Nintendo wouldn't let them publish it until it was good.

I'd buy such a game (because I'm a pinball fanatic) but I don't know how much of a market there is for pinball. My hunch is pinball fans are a small but enthusiastic minority of the gamer population.

A lot of you are saying it should be a handheld game. While I wouldn't be opposed to an individual franchise pinball game like a Metroid Pinball 2 being on a handheld, as a unified experience I think it's a bad idea. There were about 6 tables in Metroid Pinball and I believe a similar number in the R/S/E version of Pokemon Pinball. I'd like to see at least the franchises on the Smash Bros character roster get represented, and 6 tables just isn't enough for that. Excluding spin-offs, there are roughly 15 important Nintendo franchises represented in Smash Bros Brawl. There would need to be at least that many tables in order to have this represent games from across Nintendo, if not 2 or three for each Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Pokemon. But if it were on a portable system, I would love another Metroid Pinball, Pokemon Pinball, Mario Pinball, Zelda Pinball, or Kirby Pinball.

Here's another thought. What if this was releases as DLC for Nintendoland?

How about no?

What about it as DLC for Nintendo Land? It fits the theme they are looking for.