Smash Bros. Wii U Wait Could Be Even Longer Than We Thought

"We'll give you very good odds on 2015."
laughed out loud

I was expecting it to be really late it, actually, so I'll be fine. And yeah, 2015 or 16 sounds like how long we're gonna have to wait. Oh well.

Late 2014/2015 is my guess.

2016 the latest

That could be near the end of the 3DS's lifetime if it's end of 2015. I guess something's gotta come at the end as long as its not the next Zelda.

I'm not a big Smash fan, but this seems like a big mis-step. Smash Bros sells consoles, and it needs to come out earlier in a system cycle. No single game caused more people to buy the GameCube than Melee. And I'd bet the majority of Wii owners bought their Wii either for Wii Sports or Brawl.

But Sakurai, the world's gonna end before that happens!!11!!

Oh it's gonna be at least a couple of years into the console's life before we see a new Smash Bros game...

Shouldn't be hard to make another clone of the same game. They've done it three times now with this famous button masher.

2020 the earliest,2199 the latest.

@TheDreamingHawk
Second this

Yeah 2014/15 sounds about right for me! Let's hope Zelda Wii U comes out before that though!

yeah i wasn't expecting to see this for a long time, most people didn't know the game is not in development. They heard new smash and thought it was almost done. I'm not expecting to see this till 2014-2016 which is good for me, cause it gives me time to get a hold of a Wii U

I knew it would be at least 4 years. What we some people thinking when they thought they would see something at E3 2012?

Wow I knew it was going be a while, but wow! It probably won't make it out in 2015 after hearing about Brawl's many delays, I am expecting before or after E3 2016.

I wonder if they could just take Brawl and port it to the 3DS, so we can wait
Or use that game and build from it?

For the record, we're probably looking at the same time, at least, before we see a new Zelda game on the system too.

Like sketchturner, I'm not really a big fan of Smash Bros. Still, I understand it's importance for the platform. The sooner they get it out the better.

I say 2014. If Nintendo does give him a big team to work with, could be sooner

My guess is that they are going to release it for holiday the year it comes out. So i'm guessing holiday 2015.

@bezerker99 You're kinda close to what they call "trolling" I think.

Anyway, Sakurai, just take your time, and make a good game. No hurry.

you've seen it here first.. its the game that will launch with N4DS

More time for them to polish it off, along with their online service.

Early 2014,the earliest.
Late 2016,the latest.

I hope they have some new IPs to work with by then. Seriously Nintendo, that gives you at least 3 years to give the smash bros series something new to work with. Brawl has already managed to take care of everything pre-2010.

I am afraid that I won't be able to play as many games as I would want to, my life starts right after next year. Living alone with a 9-5 and absolutly no time to have any sort of hobby and have a social life at the same time.

I can haz survey to take about this on facebook?

I thought we already knew this. He said several times he had no idea about the game before Iwata opened his big mouth on stage. We also know from history that every Smash Bros. game has taken several years to develop and we know he's said that he wants to try new things with this one, wants to be extra careful in balancing this one, and wouldn't even begin to look at development until Kid Icarus was completely finished and distributed, which was only a month or two ago.

We've known for a while that we've got at least 2 or 3 years to wait.

@@bro2dragons and yet people on here are calling this a "misstep" and faulting him for it. Seriously, Sakurai-san is actually doing very well with the games he managers, I feel Kid Icarus and Smash are in good hands with him. Brawl was a huge undertaking, with a giant crew, a huge roster of artists and composers, I mean, I'm sure it was exhausting. And he just reinvented Kid Icarus and it was a success. Give the guy a moment to prepare for this one. I'm looking forward to it. And really, I'm sure there are plenty of people who still play Brawl.

Not surprising. The game only started pre-production two months ago and the only reason were probably getting another samurai helmed smash bros J's because iwata at E3.

Honestly I wish he would go to another studio or just say the hell with smash bros.

@NintyFan Yeah, I think that's the only bummer here. I really wish Miyamoto just kept his mouth shut about the whole thing. Sakurai is actually fairly young for how many huge projects he's created.

How about Grezzo do a 3D port of Brawl to keep fans quiet for a little while?

Good thing is we all have Brawl, hopefully. But my guess for San wii u/3ds is mid 2013 between mid 2014. Just crossing my fingers it's not a double A disc/card.

I meant to say ssb, not San.

Might as well forget about it until then. Keep playing brawl. That is still the best game on the Wii, by far

@bro2dragons We knew it'd take ages, but Sakurai's saying "it might take longer than you think." Considering I was betting on five years it looks like this could be one of the last 3DS games.

Say it isn't so. Oh well, I can wait for it. Silly for Iwata to blurt it out on stage though.

@beserker99 The Smash Bros. games are far from button mashers. They're surprisingly deep with over 15 different attacks per character, several advanced movement techniques, and advanced analysis down to the frame by the Smash Bros. competative communities.

2015!

ajerhdigoidgfsiklgjsklljksg

Sorry about that. Tekken it is then!

Nintendo usually takes 2 1/2 to 3 years so, yay, 2014/2015 like you guys said

I'm almost tempted to say it won't see the light of day until the Wii U itself draws closer to its last straw.

I was hoping it would come around early 2013 or something to help boost Wii U sales But oh well.

It's kind of a bummer not to see this sooner, but this was expected. Sakurai is the kind of developer that needs time, but then creates a masterpiece, and that is a great thing to see in the video game industry.
And remember, launch games never utilize a console to its full potential, whereas games that come later in the console's life cycle do. The new SSB will definitely be worth the (long) wait

Not surprising, when they announced it last year it seemed like a desperate attempt at saying "we have games! really!!". Announcing it before it had even BEGUN development was pretty silly.

Not a surprise to me at all but then again, not everybody takes into consideration the amount of time and effort needed to make a great game. 3 years sounds like a long time but in reality everybody will forget this is in development and it will sneak up on us. Difficult to believe I will be 27 when it comes out. I will probably have kids by then too. Yikes.

Maybe we'll get a "New Play Control" Brawl before then, or whatever N will be calling old Wii games w/ tacked on Gamepad touchscreen support in HD. I think Sony must be selling the PS2 remakes - R&C, J&D, Ico, Sly, GOW, ZoE - b/c they keep making them. You just know we are going to get more HD remakes of old N games - see OoT. Seeing as how SSBB is one of the best looking games on the Wii - Subspace Emissary alone could easily be a PSN game - why not an HD remake w/ touch controls? With online voice chat
I'm betting we see a remake before a new game. Said new game will be announced for a holiday 2014 release but won't actually come out until early 2015.

Probably best. Whilst Brawl was great, it wasn't quite the jump from Melee that Melee was to the original. A few extra years could help make the next game truly worth the wait.

When you get knocked off the TV screen, you appear in the GamePad screen and try to fight your way back in to the TV screen by means of a minigame of some sorts

Stop being lazy Nintendo, you had 4 years to get ready

After making an argument that letting people have multiple and adjustable control options for Kid Icarus would be "unfair" I am under the impression that Sakurai is more concerned about making the game the way he wants it over what is reasonable. I hope if he were to make the next Smash Bros. he takes into consideration what people didn't like and improves upon it.

I don't care as long as I can DL it, but in the mean time put Melee on Wii Us VC

@James: "One of the last 3DS games."
That would hurt. Honestly, my hope is for them to drop 3DS development and cut the time in half. But we'll see. I still play Brawl almost daily with my friends, so I'm set for now, but still... the things I would do for a new Smash. I'm already set with the fact that it's going to be a long time coming, but I hope it's out a few years before this current/next (3DS/Wii U) generation of Nintendo consoles has run its course.

@bezerker99 Wow... this has troll written all over it.

Yeah, I really wasn't expecting the next Smash to be ready by late 2014, at the absolute earliest. Late 2015-early 2016 looks much more likely.

Development doesn't start without Sakurai, and Sakurai's been busy for years stuffing Uprising full of content and has had less than three months to even consider how the next Smash will play. Now he'll have to build a new game from the ground up for a new console he presumably hasn't had much, if any, time to tinker with yet, not to mention a simultaneous 3DS release.

@James Why did it take so long to publish this on NL? I've had my Nintendo Power for 3 weeks. Were you waiting on Nintendo Everything?

I'm guessing early 2016.

@sketchturner agreed. super smash moves consoles for sure.
however, i do hope he takes his time with this one and just takes half a second to check out all the internet posts and wii mods on brawl to see the changes that gamers want and made themselves and take that into account when developing the next game.
i hope he really takes full advantage of the graphics too...brawl & melee were some of the best looking games on their consoles.
a new engine would be great for the next smash...and that would take some time to develop.
i'll be patient, but Nintendo should give sakurai all the funding and resources he needs to push out the next smash ASAP.

And SSBB was in development long enough for it to be considered as a launch title....

O_O
WHY CRUEL GAMING WORLD, WHY!!!?!?!?!?!

I think that it will be out at 2015 but i hope its at 2013 i really like it(from the wii version).

I'll guess on 2016 myself. 4 years seems like a possibility. I know it'll be worth the wait though... And I'm sure I'll end up buying both the WiiU and 3DS title. Love the Smash games, they're by far the best brawl fighters in the gaming world.

I'm guessing 2016 too. By then, both the WiiU and the 3DS will be past their prime

Why do I hear this article every month?

SSBB was announced in 2005. Released in 2008. But SSBB had already started development when it was announced. Q4 2015 at the earliest

Who would want to wait on this pile of garbage anyway? After all, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is coming out this year AND looks a hell of a lot better than any of the three SSB games!

@Knux - That's how to troll. ^^ (What I said was merely my opinion)

I'm still guessing 2014 will be the year at the least.

What about Mario kart Wii U? When will we expect that to come out? Just curious.

@Super-Mario-Fan

Possibly sooner than we expect.

hmmm they should have been working on this game for wii u 2 years ago. if this doesn't come out in 2013 that would be just unacceptable. first im hearing news of other devs not making games for the wii u and now this. this is not looking good for the wii u no matter how much reggie tries to gloss over it.

that sucks i was going to get it for my 3DS

The Super Smash Bros making can take 3-4 years of making. So yea, it's a good estimate. The only thing it chucked that we still have to wait.... I hope we get download content.

@Knux Is that so?! How's actually going to get that smash brothers rip off????

@Super-Mario-Fan I'm not really looking forward to that, but it would be in Nintendo's interest to release it within the first 3 years. Why? They sell like hot cakes!!

Its fine with me. I'd rather Sakurai take his time than rush it. That's why his games are so excellent.

All they need to do is retexture Melee for HD and add online capability. We could have it by next year and they could sell it for $25.

I was expecting 4-5 years and if it takes longer than that then this is very likely to be released in the last years of the 3DS and Wii U but at least the longer development time, the more likely it is to be as amazing as it can be.

Not surprised or worried at all. There will be plenty of other good games until the next Smash Bros. comes out, so it'll be easy to be patient.

dang, sorta dissapointed, but i can wait. this game is one of the many reasons i bought a 3ds for. i sorta expected this though.... nintendo will probably already have another portable device available.

This makes sense think about it ssbm came out in 2001 few years later they came out in 2008 with ssbb super smash bros Wii u could come out late 2014

They're probably waiting to see how they can make it better than PlayStation All-Stars. Which won't be too hard...

@LavaTwilight You mean Mario Kart U?

I’ve known this for quite some time. I tired of people saying, “It will come out next year!” Yeah, not even close. We’ll be incredibly lucky if we even see any sort of trailer at E3 2013. And even then, like Brawl before it, it’s will still be another 2-3 years after that until it finally hits the shelves!

Why so long?By 2015 a new console would come out.

Although, it may take longer because they are going to do something a bite more unique with this one?

Why are people saying it will launch at the end of the WiiU/3DS' life? It's starting and these consoles might last 10 years or more, so it at the very least will launch in the middle

@LordOtakWiiU Its only been a years since 3DS has picked up.

I say give 'em enough time to make a good game, but don't keep us waiting for too long.

Lol, I pre-ordered it during 2011 E3. I might be dead before the game releases.

2015 is not bad... but if they started earlier this year in the conceptual stages and did that for say, the last 6 months roughly, they can begin development starting July and have something for us by fall of 2014 at the earliest, and that's assuming all goes well. By then, the launch title drought will be long past (you KNOW that's sadly coming but will eventually subside), the "next big deal" Nintendo franchises (and hopefully 3rd party titles) will be in fully swing by late 2013, and Wii U should have a good footing under it's belt for a holiday 2014 SSB4 release. 2.5 years should be more than enough time, but what do I know about dev costs, staffing, and time management?

DAMN! This just killed my day. Hopefully it won't take 3 years, but i place my bets that it can be released in 2014, and they should put a demo on the floor during E3 2013. Either Q4 2014 or Q2 of 2015.

@sketchturner: You hit the nail on the head there. I had Brawl a full week before I got the system itself (this was due to winning a bet).

I just realized something. If it does come out in '15/'16, I'll probably be living out of the house. Maybe even married! (I'm 16 now btw). Scary thought at how much time must pass before we see it...

I CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG! It's okay, Brawl was made to last until this next one comes out.

At first, my guess was 3-4 years , but now, i'd say 3-5 years ... I guess it's gonna be one of the last 3DS games...

If anybody thought it would be sooner than 2015 you were deluding yourself. Brawl took I think around 3 years, and this is going to be bigger than it and was just started so.

I'll guess 2015-2017

Man, I really hope that 2015 (I'm presuming that's when Smash 4 will hit the 3DS) won't be the end of the 3DS' lifespan; I say this knowing that there are some exceptions, but successful handhelds are usually supposed to have a longer shelf life (pocket life?) than the typical 5-years-and-out runs of their home console cousins.

Nintendo make the best games and these take time. The only problem with more powrrful hardware is that each gen the waits become longer.

I really hope that Nintendo have been working on some Wii U games for 12 months or more because if not we will probably only get 1 Zelda this gen.

Fall of 2014....hopefully.

Huh, I Was Expecting This!! Late 2014-2015 is My Guess, I'll Probaly Be An Adult By The Time I Get This, I'm Right Now, 15, I'll Be 16 On December 6th

Like many others here, I'm not surprised by Sakurai's latest remarks in the least.

Actually, I'm glad that he's making it known that people shouldn't get their hopes up for Smash Bros. U being released in the next couple of years. I want Nintendo to take their time with the game (just like their other 'big' franchises) and let Miyamoto (and others) introduce brand new games and franchises.

We all know there will be a new Mario, Zelda, Metroid, SSB, etc. for the Wii U (and 3DS). It's funny - people are always at the Big N's throat for milking their franchises - yet that's what most continue to clamour for. Yes, I too want to see their latest blockbusters, but I also want to see bold new experiments, such as Steel Diver, Pullblox, Freakyforms and Dillon's Rolling Western.

Additionally, I'm glad that both Sakurai and Iwata realise that the new Smash Bros. can't just be more of the same - it needs to evolve. I can't wait to see how the game works with the Wii U and 3DS.

Early 2017 at the very latest. I hoped it would be earlier so I could play it properly but oh well... I didn't actually expect it.

Huh!? But Sony already announced that the next smash bros would be out this holiday season.

@Knuckles You might know that our news team (such as me, hello!) is based in the UK and so doesn't get Nintendo Power. If you'd like to help us out with Nintendo Power-related news, get in touch using the Contact form, I'd appreciate it!

@James Sure! I did know that the site is UK based, but I would have thought someone like Corbie would have done that, as he is a member of NL, and in America. But he's a reviewer right, not an editor? You should really have an editor in the US in my opinion at least.

Either way, it doesn't matter. You guys always seem to post the last paragraph of the NP interviews, or the paragraph containing info on the next big game, I'll send that in

Let's all wait for SSB4! Let Mr. Sakurai take his time. The world would not ind this year. The longer it takes, the better the game will be. But it will also increase waiting time. Just let Mr. Sakurai take his time.

Maybe it's better to drop the 3DS version all together! I rather have one gigantic and fantastic new Smash brothers on the Wii u, then 2 shorter and weaker ones!

@LordOtakWiiU With Melee online

if olimar is in ssb for 3ds ans wii u IM BUYING IT!

@Knuckles Corbie is an editor. This is just something we haven't done yet.

Games actually take time to develop. Like the Wii U Zelda, Smash Bros can't possibly be complete before 2015.

@Henmii Lolno.

This is my favorite nintendo franchise of all time i would give them all the time in the world if I had to!