Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the most anticipated Nintendo title this holiday season, and with good reason. Whether it's the intricate and deep gameplay mechanics, the sheer amount of content reported to be on offer or the crossover Nintendo theme and the fan service that comes with it, it’s a game that potentially has something for everyone. Its 3DS counterpart has already released worldwide to near universal critical acclaim, and this upcoming Wii U iteration promises to offer an even more substantial and action-packed experience, if the recent Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: 50 Must-See Things presentation is anything to go by. Of course, the question on a lot of interested minds at the moment is whether or not this next home console instalment will live up to its tremendous hype.
While that’s not a question to which we can currently provide a definitive answer, we can give you a pretty good idea of what to expect from it. Recently, we were invited down to Nintendo UK’s offices to play a preview build of the game. It’s worth noting that we weren't able to try out everything that it has to offer in the short time we were there, but certainly enough to get a good feel for it. We were also able to test out the game’s much-touted amiibo functionality and the recently announced Smash Tour mode, which we'll cover — very soon — in separate articles to allow for greater depth.
Our hands-on session began with a mandatory viewing of the game’s opening cinematic; something which, as you may know, is already available to view on the web. However, seeing it running off the system’s hardware not only got us pumped for the impending chaos that we were going to experience over the next few hours, but it also gave us an insight into the technical performance of the game. The movie itself is shown in full 1920 x 1080 resolution at 60 frames per second, the quality and smoothness of which carries over to the real-time gameplay.
The presentation is the first thing that hits you when playing Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: the performance is consistent, the visuals are incredibly sharp and all the different elements work in unison to provide an experience that overloads the senses. Everything comes together seamlessly — an incredible accomplishment given the game’s crossover setting — without altering any of the individual franchises from which assets and ideas are taken.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the stage selection, which — much like the character line-up — comprises a staggering wealth of Nintendo IPs and their respective styles. We were able to try a previously unannounced stage based on upcoming 2D platformer, Yoshi’s Woolly World; from a gameplay perspective it transforms as you play to create some interesting and surprisingly challenging layouts for battle, but where it really shines is in the visual design. The stage captures the aesthetics of the source material flawlessly, to the point where it could have quite simply been pulled straight out of that game. Similarly, Pac-Land retains the vibrant, insanely colourful visuals of the original arcade game on which it’s based, although it’s remarkably more polished as a result of the vastly improved resolution.
Returning stages also benefit greatly from the resolution upgrade, and the team behind the game has chosen wisely when it came to deciding what should return. Port Town Aero Dive and Castle Siege were two technically impressive stages in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, although they were visually hindered by the Wii’s limited power. In the Wii U version, the HD enhancement ensures that they not only look great, but so good that they don’t look out of place alongside the new stages. The new locales, however, generally possess a more advanced design; the layouts and the way in which they transform in certain stages is more complex, adding much more depth to how you navigate the battlefield.
If the already impressive number of stages announced for the game isn't enough for you then you’ll be glad to hear that the Stage Builder feature returns in a new and improved form. You use the touch screen on the Wii U GamePad to put your stage together, resulting in a much quicker and more bespoke experience. For example, you can simply draw the terrain of the stage using the stylus, and additional features such as launch cannons and springs are effortlessly placed through the magic of touch. At the same time, there are some notable omissions: you can’t click-and-drag terrain once it has been placed, nor can you increase or decrease the size of it, meaning that it’s not as intuitive as it could have been. It’s also worth noting that there is a limit to how much you can add to the stage, and it must also have enough traversable space for up to four players. We were, however, able to create four very different stages in our short time with the game, so the amount of value the mode can offer is arguably determined by the amount of personal creativity you’re able to invest in it.
Of course, no discussion of the stages would be complete without a mention of Ridley, who makes an appearance in the Pyrosphere stage. The pterodactyl-like space pirate serves as a boss hazard, a CPU-controlled character who is able to team up with and attack players — those who have played Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS will be familiar with such a mechanic if they've played the Magicant stage. Ridley performs non-standard attacks that involve him flying out of the playable areas at times, but he’s not invincible; he takes damage just like everyone else. Hitting him enough will result in him teaming up with you — which provides a near-broken advantage — and he’ll only disappear once defeated. Sending him packing will add an extra KO to your score, and even the player allied with him can do this. It may also interest you to know that despite his massive form, Ridley is still no match for the home-run bat, as we had the immense pleasure of finding out during our playtime.
Ridley’s inclusion throws a degree of chaos into the mix that exceeds that of what previous Super Smash Bros. titles were able to provide. With that said, it’s nothing compared to the Wii U game’s new 8-Player Smash mode which, as the name suggests, allows you and seven chums to battle it out simultaneously. In brief: it’s bonkers, but it’s not just a player increase for the sake of it. 8-Player Smash shakes up the gameplay dynamics, and allows for setups such as 4-vs-4 and 2-vs-2-vs-2-vs-2 team battles. Larger stages — both old and new — are included to accommodate the increased player count, and stages like The Great Cave Offensive and Hyrule Temple, which have lots of separate areas within them, are the most suited to this mode. 8-Player Smash, as per the standard multiplayer mode, also allows for amiibo functionality. Needless to say, these modes — along with Smash Tour and returning classics Special Smash and Coin Battle — ensure that there’s plenty of variety when playing with friends.
Multiplayer extends beyond the standard versus mode more than ever in this iteration. You can play cooperatively through Classic Mode, All-Star Mode, Events Mode, Multi-Man Smash and Home-Run Contest. While the name may suggest it’s the same as always, Classic Mode actually features a different setup from past entries. In this mode, you choose the order in which you play stages, and the interface for deciding this involves you moving a trophy of your chosen character around a board filled with groups of other trophies. Choosing who to fight next is entirely up to you, although there are certain factors at play designed to influence what you do. Rival trophies will appear next to certain groups, and the longer you wait before you encounter them, the better the potential reward. Another game changer comes in the form of intruder trophies, which alter the dynamics of a particular stage. During our playthrough, a giant Rosalina intruded on a team match, providing the side we were up against with a (literally) large advantage. Classic mode stages feature battles with up to 8 characters, as well as the standard encounter with Master Hand, Crazy Hand and the various Master Core forms at the end. In addition to having an extra pair of fighting hands, cooperative Classic Mode speeds up the process of collecting playable character trophies.
Events Mode returns in a slightly modified form. It still presents you with a series of specific challenges to complete, but this time they’re divided up along branching paths. Your access to these paths is determined by either completing the event or meeting a certain additional requisite, such as beating it within a specified time limit or on a certain difficulty level. The extra layer of depth extends the lifecycle of certain events beyond a mere single attempt, especially when played cooperatively as greater coordination is required between players.
As to be expected from a Super Smash Bros. game, the entire package of game modes and features is layered with a thick spread of Nintendo fan service and nostalgia. Collectible trophies are plentiful, and are lovingly displayed in the Trophy Shop mode where you can buy them, packaged up as if they were real products. It’s the attention to detail that makes this title truly stand out, from the little details in stages right through to the painstaking effort that has gone into recreating locations and assets from Nintendo franchises as accurately as possible. Oh, and if you like the series’ musical offering, you’ll be glad to know that the list of available tracks in Sound Test will make your jaw hit the floor when you see it — this feature alone distracted us for more time than we’re willing to admit!
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U launches on 21st November in North America and 28th November in Europe (in case you missed it, the game’s release was recently pushed forward a week in Europe) and looks set to offer the most comprehensive and gorgeous Nintendo brawling experience to date. Keep your eyes peeled for more Super Smash Bros. for Wii U content over the coming weeks, including our Smash Tour and amiibo previews and, naturally, our review.
Comments 55
I've played it! I can honestly say its awesome. Beautifully presented, smoother than a baby's bottom to play, and so much more melee than brawl.
I sure hope the stage builder is good, some of the ones shown at the direct looked stupid to battle on.
@G0dlike Hearing from you, I seriously want this now
Hopefully by then I've beaten 9.0 Classic Mode on Smash 3DS...
"...the game’s release was recently pushed forward a week in Europe..."
Wasn't the game release pushed backwards?
@jariw
No, it was originally December 5th, it is now November 28th
@StephenYap3 yep, spent a good hour with it on Saturday, can not wait!
Thanksgiving party'll be a blast!
Can't wait for the stage builder. I can tell it will have limitations, but being able to draw things and add danger zones opens up an incredible amount of possibilities.
Does anyone know if it'll be possible to have players respawn in an entirely enclosed surface? Perhaps by covering the outside with danger zones or setting spawn points?
I'd really like to make an entirely enclosed map, but I'm curious if I'll still have to give a small entrance for people in get in through.
Wow it's almost here, time does go fast.
Don't know why's I'm anticipating November 21st, I probably won't get it until December 25th.
Does this game really even NEED coverage? Everyone here already knows that if they like Smash Bros then they're buying it regardless.
i have to wait till x-mas week to buy the wii u version and the 3ds, might also buy the adapter, might.
This game simply cannot come soon enough and with the ability to pre download the game digital seems to be the way to go for me!
Played the demo and I am loving how smooth and fast it is compared to brawl. Won't buy on release day but asap and I can't wait!
I really hope this game does well, but my expectations are low. Anyway, this is a day 1 buy for me!
p.s buy a wii u if you don't already
I've gotta wait for Christmas to get both versions. Still super hyped to get both versions, plus a pro controller!
Can't wait to get this one. I'd buy the GCN adapter if I didn't completely suck at Melee.
I won't be able to get the game Day 1, so I hope that Nintendo releases an eShop demo, like the 3DS version. Maybe the demo will have 8-Player Smash?
Honestly can't wait as I'm hungry for the main meal at this point (3DS version being the appetizer).
Wait there was a demo for this version?
Ca you play online against strangers? i dont have a Wii U but im interested in getting one and this game looks awesome. Can anyone explain if and how online play works on Wii U?
@dauntless5183 You can choose to play with strangers if you want to.
http://www.smashbros.com/us/howto/gamemode1.html
@Storytime7 Thanks for info and link Story. Appreciate it.
I hope there is an early demo for this game like there was for the 3DS version. Im buying this day 1 anyway but it would be awesome to play even a little chunk of this early.
d
@Robfozz there's every chance we will see a demo as they've already made one for promotional events and what not so it would just be a case of releasing it and hoping the servers are ready...
This game is going to be amazing! I hope they make a special Wii U bundle just for it!
So there's no more "Super, Smaaaaaaassh Brothers!!!" here is there? :c lol
Hype level to the Maximum. While I'm still curious to see how many systems this one game will manage to sell, I would absolutely not understand anyone who already owns a WiiU and who don't plan to pick this game up for Christmas. This is the ultimate must-buy of the console, even more than Mario Kart, in my opinion. And Mario Kart is a must-buy too
Hmm, the Game Overview says Players: 4. Wasn't this confirmed to have 8 or 9 players?
@Extremist If you actually read the article you will see that it does indeed have 8 player.
Can't wait for November 21st. I've played this version also, and it's so amazing. Played thousands of matches so far in 3DS version so yeah, I'm ready.
Knowing that this game is right around the corner almost makes me forget how truly awful the first year of the Wii U's life was. That's all under the bridge now, though. Tropical Freeze and HD Mario Kart and Smash Bros?? Thank you, Nintendo.
I'm really not getting the hype for this game. More excited for better games like Zelda U IMO.
@Diddy_kong It wasn't that awful, it was the year of Luigi!
@drewb0203 The reason it's so exciting is because it has so much... content. Unless you aren't a fan of the series, and I know some people aren't, it's hard not to be hyped.
Of course, I'm looking forward to "Zelda U" (who isn't?), and they haven't shown a percentage as much as they have for Smash Bros. 4 Wii U.
Am I the only one who finds Chrom's face to look so awkward in that last picture?
Am I the only one who finds Chrom's face to look so awkward in that last picture?
Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta 2 and Smash. Such a fantastic trifecta of hundreds of hours of gaming goodness.
"Extended time with Nintendo's biggest game this holiday season"
Hate to say this but.... isn't Pokemon a bigger franchise than Smash? And pokemon is being released at the same time (same NA date)
@ikki5 Console wise smash bro's is Nintendo's biggest game this holiday season.And hate to say this but both game are going to sell well in their own right's.
@G0dlike "...and so much more melee than brawl."
Music to my ears. Not that I didn't like Brawl. I did. I just liked Melee better.
With all this praise, please don't pull a typical Nintendo Life move and give this game a 9/10 in your official review. You tend to do this to games that obviously deserve a 10/10. (Looking at you, Bayonetta 2).
@Giygas_95 Melee was the pinnacle of mispent days off my youth
Were you able to see what online options there are? What I want most is just a free for all with two friends on one system and someone else in another area, without having to resort to team matches just because of the sometimes shared location.
@G0dlike Quite right! Quite right!
I wish to try it but the game has no demo to download...
@abbyhitter agreed!
Are you allowed to talk about the music you saw in the Sound Test? That's my favorite feature of the Smash games.
Hope a demo comes out soon....
Man, I've barely made a dent in the 3DS version, and I just started the Bayonetta series yesterday. I'm only about halfway through Wonderful 101, I haven't unlocked all the kart options in Mario Kart, and there's new DLC coming for Mario Kart this month. And there a ton of other games I'm in the process of beating. My game backlog is completely out of control.
@earthboundlink .......What?!
"Oh, and if you like the series’ musical offering, you’ll be glad to know that the list of available tracks in Sound Test will make your jaw hit the floor when you see it — this feature alone distracted us for more time than we’re willing to admit!" My ears are ready!
I wish the 3DS version had as many songs. I'd like to utilize the sleep feature more.
I plan on getting the bundle that includes: Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Gamecube controller adapter, a special edition Smash Bros Gamecube controller, and an Amiibo for $99
The detail explains the love of the developer. A brawler showcasing what Nintendo has to offer.
@SockoMario I hope this game does so well and that it's fantastic for everyone out there, but to be honest, I'm not looking forward to this game at all. I doubt I'll buy it. I wish I had not gotten the 3DS version, or else I may be a little more excited about this one. I've played the 3DS version twice. Haven't touched it since. Huge mistake.
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