A 3DS Can be Used as a Controller in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Judging from the Demo, the 3DS controls work reallt well, so it's a nice option.

I'm totally buying that Gamecube Adapter and controllers though.

Thats pretty cool, Although I will probably just used my Wii U controller

@TysonOfTime I can imagine. The demo reacted well enough to my broken circlepad. Can't wait to get my 3DS XL. It's going to be awesome for to just go to a friends house or gaming club meeting and play if there is a WiiU.

I've always said the 3DS should be used as a secondary Wii U controller.

Cool I guess.

Now you can have 3 screens! One on the TV and two on the 3DS!

@Knuckles maybe that's one of the reasons for the New 3DS because that has the same buttons as the Wii U Gamepad

That's exciting but they should let us play against each other online.

Hot dang that's genius. Now the one friend with a Wii U doesn't necessarily need to invest in a whole bunch of controllers for everyone to have a good time, and people who're most comfortable with playing on the 3DS won't ever have to be at a disadvantage in the console version.

@ThomasBW84 "If you're short on Pro Controllers or GameCube pads"

Does that imply that you can't use Wii Classic Controllers on the Wii U version?

@antonvaltaz You can use them,

Gamepad
Pro Controller
Wiimote/Nunchuk
Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
3DS

All the above.

@kereke12
There's probably a bunch of reasons they don't do that.

A big one I'd imagine would be the complexity of some of the Wii U arenas. They wouldn't run on the 3DS, and having a simplified version on 3DS might give unfair advantages. I'm sure it'd be a nightmare to make the online matchmaking handle that players across versions would only be able to play the arenas that were the exact same on both systems.

@JaxonH
How about the Wiimote on its own

That was an option in Brawl, is this not available anymore?

This is what I have wanted to hear since the beginning when the two versions were first announced.

I would use that feature. They should just make the 3DS a Wii U controller in general so they can sell the Wii U without the Gamepad at a lower price point to lure more 3DS owners to buy it.

If I beat a bunch of people using this control method will I get a cookie?

Better than a CD offer to get people to buy both versions. All the same, this news makes me happy. I carry my 3DS around everywhere anyway and I'm getting Smash Bros. (paid it off on Thursday), so it's nice knowing I can go to a friend's house and be able to play.

It's a cool feature, but I probably won't make any use of it personally.

Rather play SSB on a big screen and I can't afford both versions, also noone I know owns a 3DS, so owning that version would mean playing on my own, which isn't great for SSB.

@Knuckles I think Primary. (Or the choice as an addition of a Gamepad with a 3DS built into it). Don't think it would work now but if it was designed with that in mind originally it would be good. Link up stuff is always so badly supported. (Using a GBA for the Gamecube Megaman X Collection would have made it far more playable).

Feels kind of silly you need a copy of both games to use it as a controller, mights as well just play multiplayer on the handheld. But another control option is always great and maybe I'll be proved wrong when the gaming club at school starts up!

WHAT THE HECK?!? Sakurai spent all that time apologizing, saying that the 3DS would no longer directly connect to the Wii U in smash, and it does.... I don't get it

This is good,I hope this can work with other games in the future

Cool for some people, but I'll stick to the GameCube controller, which is unarguably the best controller for Smash.

Now THAT'S more like it! As i said before, no matter how hard i tried i struggle with the pro controller and Gamecube controller and the wii remote felt cramped to me, so this is perfect! I doubt many others will use it, but at least now when Smash is released on the Wii U i can finally join in multiplayer and not make too much of a fool of myself- hooray! I wonder how the Wii U gamepad will work- only time will tell. Before i wasn't too happy to get Smash on the Wii U just to get the cd, now though i'm very happy to take the plunge

I guess that's cool for people with a wii u and 3DS who don't have extra controllers. I still had hopes there would be some limited local multiplayer cross-play between the 3DS and wii u versions, even if only on a few stages. I can't decide if I should get both versions. The real incentive for me would be a nice discount on the wii u version for registering the 3DS version; I don't care that much about soundtracks

@unrandomsam I wish the system link feature was used more. I remember reading a Popular Science magazine back in 2001 saying the GCN/GBA link was to be a big feature for the system. I had a GBA so, in my mind, I already had a controller, thus every incentive to get a 'Cube (then I met a new $50 Dreamcast...). A decent number of games supported the feature (eg: Zelda: Four Swords; Wind Waker; Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles; Pac-Man VS.; Animal Crossing; Game Boy Player; Pokemon; et cetera), but it never reached the level of support I expected from the PopSci article.

The Wii/DS support was even worse. I think all that happened was Pokemon, the Mii Channel, and a Batman game. At that point, I gave up on the concept from Nintendo altogether. However, seeing Smash Bros do this gives me hope they might explore the idea further, perhaps incentivizing other developers to try a WIIU/3DS system link.

So future Wii U games will probably support a New 3DS as a controller instead of adding second game pad support. It seems more and more likely that the next nintendo console will be a handheld/console hybrid. That would be so awesome.

I've got an awesome trigger grip for my 2DS, making it a chunky, comfortable, heavy controller. This might be perfect!

Interesting. That way I don't have to buy a classic controller to play with friends.

Wow that will be a fun feature to try out! Me and my friends probably won't ever need it but it will be impressive to see it in action.

@Bulbousaur Unarguably ha I like that, but yeah the Gamecube controller is so perfect for Smash Bros I wonder if Sakurai had involvement in its design seeing as Melee was one of the first games to be developed for the Gamecube.

Always nice to have more control options.

It's a very good idea i think, now i don't think i'll be using it but people who loves the 3DS and own a Wii U can use it and be quiet handy for them.

With all these control options, I can't imagine anyone crying about a control that is not in it. Unless there is someone that loves the N64 controls.
The power of choices.

Great feature but i'll stick to other controllers, most likely the Gamecube controller.

Sweet, I was scared that the Wii U button was only going to be for the exchange of Mii Fighters. Although this is local only, I know that some of my friends will be buying the 3DS version so that's a plus.

Yeah 3DS version controls fine...there's one thing that bothers me but I'm sure I can fix it in the full version.
Gonna still use a Pro Controller for the Wii U, though. lol

System stability, right? Too stable for horses, right?
All those "stability" jokes look very poor now that they finally unveiled the reason why they had to change 3DS' system so much. New 3DS with hardware upgrades uses the same system, 3DS now works as a pro controller for the Wii U, Miiverse can be locked on games that demand more memory. Too stable, right?

Yay!

Wish I had thought of that!

I'm really amazed at how calm everybody is about this, its Dual Gamepad support without needing to buy a 2nd Gamepad!! Its the way it should have worked from the beginning!! Why is everybody shrugging their shoulders about this!! Splatoon, Starfox, everything you want it dual controller support here it is. I dont get the lack of excitement. Im sure they can parch in support for any game to do this. Why am I the only one whos happy? Well besides having 3 3DS in my house.

Plus, new 3DS have NFC support so everybody can enter their own amiibo. This is it, this is big, the new 3DS and Wii U united. They really should start xalling the new 3DS the 3DS n with the n represented by a white on blue square upside down u to match the Wii U.

Why am I the only 1 who cares?

Just careful not to throw it against the wall in rage when losing battles...

So my friends will be able to see the game on the 3DS screen? If so, that's great. We can play at college without a big screen during our lunch break or while we wait for a film at the cinema. Give me a plug socket and away we go!!!!

nice for if you don't have enough controllers, but with no c-stick and crummy bumpers, there is not reason not to use a classic controller, pro controller, GameCube controller or the gamepad. Nice to have options though

@Shy_Guy I could imagine it working well with Mario Kart 8

I KNEW IT! Wouldn't have any use for that though...

That's nice! Now we presently have 7 control options probably with more on the way;
GamePad
Pro Controller
Wiimote + Nunchuk
Classic Controller
Wiimote Sideways
GameCube controller
3DS

And a chance for
Two GamePads
A new controller thingamajig
Although the two GamePad may be unlikely because it may sacrifice some stuff in the game.

Told ya!

Maybe this is a major reason why Nintendo is creating a New 3DS model. To allow players who don't have a gamepad to have their own screen on a controller for a Wii U game. Sony already offered something like this with the PSP & PS3, and the Vita and the PS4.

Maybe Nintendo could not figure out a cost effective way to sell the gamepad separately or add a second one onto the console, so this is the next best solution.

If they can link the Wii U and the 3DS together, it can only benefit both systems in the long run.

Plus, this might be the test for that Console/Handheld hybrid system that the rumors keep talking about.

Now imagine if the Wii U version will let you connect to the 3DS (the other way around). You can finally use a GC controller to play the 3DS version without needing 3rd party adapters.

I'm excited for this, but I'm more excited about the possibilities it opens. I wish more games would allow this.

@rjejr This is exciting news, I like your logo idea.

OK, calmed down a bit - question time:

Whats the lag like? Im guessing the old 3DS doesnt have the Gamepad wireless dohickey. Im betting new 3DS has it though And if not, whats the lag like?

Does the 3DS fuction like a Gamepad or a Pro? Is there a picture on either of the 3DS screens, top is unneccassary but bottom = Gamepad. No picture is sad face

As usual, more questions than answers once reality sets in. This could be huge, or it could be nothing, hard to say unti we see it in action. New 3DS having NFC still helps w/ amiibo though for multiplayer.

@whiffy5 I bet MK8 gets 3DS support patched in w/ the amiibo update You know, if and when amiibo ever launch.

That's so weird, but okay. I'm fine with that.

Y'know, another good thing about the 3DS version coming first is that it forces people to get used to the GamePad/Pro Controller button layout ahead of time. I'm already used to it, and I thought it'd have taken a while to adapt to it for Smash.

I love Mega Man, by the way.

@Weedy - Thanks, I actually came up w/ it when the new system was announced, DSi stood for internet, 3DSn for NFC. I dont like "new", not even a little. Question is do they keep selling the old models at a discounted price or just secretly replace them overnight and hope nobody notices? Buf I think having a new name helps, but not new as that name.

Nintendo does some really amazingly cool stuff! I do wish they'd do it a bit more uniformally across whole systems/generations though. I guess the inconsistencies are the price of continually innovating, but I would love a more easily updateable set-up so we could create our individual mega consoles with all the options we crave. It's feeling more and more like the WiiU could be a stepping stone to something ultimate. And it's not bad at all in it's own right now we've got all the fabulous games. Imagine designing your own console like you can with a PC. Ahhhh!

@rjejr

Well, if this finally shuts you up about when dual Gamepad support is coming, I am all for it

Anyway, the biggest hurdle is using the second stick and their extra button when you click them. In this case the New 3DS would clearly have the advantage, as it already has 4 triggers and a second stick built in, plus Amiibo.

And I disagree about the name. There is always someone complaining about weird non descript names confusing consumers, and now they nail it IMO (as this is indeed a NEW 3DS) and people still complain? If the old models are cheaper, they will stay there, but for me the logical thing would be to replace them. Yet DSi never replaced DS Lite.

@sinalefa - I'll shut up about dual Gamepad support when...

oh, who are we kidding, I never shut up about anything. -)

So you like the name "new 3DS" huh? So 3 years from now after the old 3DS models are long forgotten and the new expensive 4DSU come out you don't think it will be odd some kid walking into a store and asking for the "new 3DS"? That's the problem w/ new", it won't be new forever. I think Apple used iPad, iPad 2, new iPad, iPad Air. New iPad wasn't very new after Air came out, though I do think this is the last redesign of 3DS before whatever comes next so Nintendo won't have that problem.

Oh, and what happens after the "new 3DS" comes out and some grade school kid gets a new - to him or her - old model 3DS for their birthday b/c their parents saw it on clearance and they bring it to school to show all their friends their new 3DS but it isn't' really a new 3DS. Poor poor kid:

(warning, may not be safe for work)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypmJ39s5X0M

Nice Idea! Hopefully it will be utilized more in the future!

@rjejr

When the old models are long forgotten you say? Well, the kid will ask for a 3DS and they will get him a new 3DS because the old models are long out of print and worth a lot to collectors. Plus the kid will have a lot of time to do his homework, probably seeing a "non new" 3DS with as much curiosity as we look at a phat DS now, as belonging to a museum.

The clearance kid may have a tougher time, but as in your video he would pick it up the floor and still have fun because it is his new 3DS.

I think Nintendo is doing the "new" in the logo match the font for amiibo to set it apart.

Awesome adition, too bad I don't own a 3DS.

@JaredJ 4 if you count the Gamepad XD.

@sinalefa - "new" in the logo match the font for amiibo"

Yeah, I don't like the word "new" but I do like the lower case font use to match the amiibo, they have my seal of approval for that. I know it means so much to them

Beyond using it as a last ditch resort, I can see people who are too used to the 3DS version to take advantage of this feature. If you're used to the way the Circle Pad feels over a control stick when fighting, you might as well take this offer up.

Also a really nice feature in the last ditch resort area. What if I go to a friends house and we spontaneously decide to play Smash Bros., but he doesn't have enough Pro controllers, CC Pros, and/or GC controllers with adapter, along with the Gamepad, forcing someone to play Wiimote or Nunchuck? I almost always have my 3DS on me (because Streetpass) so this would work awesomely in a pinch.

And so it begins...

You know what would be a fun twist? If you unlock a new character or more for hooking your 3DS version to the Wii U version. That would show the leakers... XD

Sweet!

So, New 3DS suddenly seems so tempting because of this.

@Captain_Gonru - "the day a new Super Mario game was released"

They can keep the new for the Mario games, but they need to update Super to Stupendous Mario. The plumbers union needs to get him a promotion.

@chiefeagle02 Warioware DIY + DIY: Showcase worked quite well and I think I unlocked something for Geometry Wars but it was pretty rubbish.

Whoa, whoa , whoa!!! Something really fishy about having to own the 3ds version of the game to only use the 3ds as a controller on Wii u! If u wanted local multiplayer on Wii U with 4 3ds owning friends you'd need 5(!!!!!!) copies of the game!! Surely integrating the 3ds as a controller would be/should be as simple as a dlc programme to install on your 3ds to make it compatible!!!

@Knuckles I've always thought that too. The reason they most likely won't be using this strategy, is because they will want you to go buy a whole new gamepad. But the nice part of this is that after everyone masters smash bros 3ds, it will be easy to play on the wii u. And this will also convince people who have a 3ds and are on the fence with buying a wii u.

Cool, but I need Nintendo to work on a patch so that screens can be posted to Miiverse from the 3DS version. Come on Nintendo, it's the only game where taking and posting screens to Miiverse actually excites me...

@fluggy: You're right! It does sound a bit,... greedy of Nintendo for the need of owning Smash 3ds just to control the WU ver.

@Everyone_Else: Ya know, perhaps this is the reason Miiverse/web browser will not work on older models. It's possible there's code almost constantly running in the background to actually support issuing control commands to the WU. I wonder if this control option will require the 3ds to carry itself power-wise, or if there will be a cord of sorts to connect to the system. Possible, but doubtful. The 3ds will more than likely connect wirelessly, meaning the system will run on it's own power; wonder how quickly that'll drain the lithium-ion?

@unrandomsam: "Link up stuff is always so badly supported." - Nintendo should really fix that with their VC titles. Sega done it on Wii VC for Sonic 1/2/3, & Knuckles, though it is debatable if the Sonic 2/3 roms have most, if not all of the necessary data to make such legacy "lock-on" tech easy. Why I say this, is I remember reading somewhere online that the Sonic 3 rom had a sizable portion of the "& Knuckles" lock-on cart in its code. I am also aware those 2 specific games were, as some ppl have been led to believe, originally intended to be one game, split by tech limits.

Please! I can't afford to buy the game myself. The demo would be the only way that I could play. please send a NA code to [email protected]...
i will be foreverrrrr grateful! PLEASEEE

All I took away from this was an excellent proof of concept: The 3DS is compatible with the Wii U. Now we just need Zelda Four Swords Adventures on Wii U VC using 3DS to replace the cumbersome GBA to gamecube cables.

@KatyMeow93: An alternative would be to d/l the demo next Friday, & leave the demo on as the running game for prolonged periods. Unless Nintendo has changed demo architecture for Smash, usually the game counter does not count down plays, except when you exit the game/demo, & restart it later.

@Everyone_Else: Provided the select CN members' specialty codes last for a good long time, perhaps indefinitely, I bet some code receivers have not fired up the demo once, & are going to sell the demo code on eBay as a collector's item much later. I didn't read the eBay code selling article, but I imagine some will do what I just said.

@Everyone_Else: In some ways, using a 3ds as a controller may have positive implications, for the WU not being used to its max. Considering the 3ds needs its copy of Smash to act as a controller, it's possible the WU acts the same in this scenario, as the SNes does to the Super Game Boy. In the SNes/SGB case, the SNes was pretty much little more than a controller input, some video ram, & the use of the spc sound chip on occasion, since the SGB pretty much is a fully function GB on its own. In this case, the WU will, theoretically, do nothing more for 3ds controlled players than be "listening" for commands from the 3ds "controller". This is just hypothetical, of course.

One other thing, this also opens up a nasty little subject: The 3ds can, & probably will be eventually harnessed as a WU controller separate from any game. Fine, that's cool. But, depending on the level of interconnectivity, both hard, & soft hacking/pirating, &/or modding one of the 2 devices has implications for doing similar to the other device, &/or perhaps may help totally break the security of the other device. I hope Nintendo has something up their sleeve to counter this.

I have 3 GCN controllers, and im getting the bundle. No need for other controllers if you can use the GCN one. :>

To me 3DS controller is just weird. not cumfy

GameCube master race controller. I think I'd press the 3DS buttons too hard and break it...

@rjejr
you have to own a copy of the game on your 3ds to use it as a controller!
I haven't heard of splatoon, star fox, or any other wii u games coming to 3ds.
not quite sure what you are excited about.

@beautifulstrong - There's nothing magical about software code. If Nintendo can write some code to let the 3DS work as a controller for SSB on Wii U then it can get it to work as a controller for any Wii U game even if it meant DLing a bit of code for each game from the 3DS eShop, though I suspect they'll do something in a firmware update that will link the 2 systems permanently. I would be surprised if the chip in the Gamepad that links it to the Wii U isn't in the new 3DS. Ever move a Wiimote to a different Wii or Wii U just press a couple of buttons to link them. W/ the PS3 you can bring a controller to a friends house and link it to their PS3. Sony promotes Vita as a way to play PS4 games remotely. The Wii U and 3DS, at least the new models, will link just fine without SSB being in either system, don't worry. But it's smart for them to do it this way at first to promote sales of both versions of the game. Probably after the new 3DS models release this will become bigger news.

Now if Nintendo would just go the final step and let us play our 3DS games on the TV thru the Wii U that would be great. Sony is releasing PS TV to play Vita games on the tv but it's severely crippled.

@fluggy - If you have friends who own a 3DS but not a copy of SSB for 3DS then you need new friends

Seriously though, I already just commented about the DLC route above so I agree w/ you there, but I think at this point we have more questions than answers about how all this stuff works since the Wii U version isn't out yet. Or even dated for that matter. But I can see Nintneod going this route to promote sales of both versions of the game, but I can also imagine the 3DS working fine as a controller w/o a 3DS version of the game except maybe then it would work more like a Pro w/o anything on the 3DS screens.

On the other hand who knows, maybe we are all reading this backwards, and it's not about using the 3DS to control the Wii U version of the game but it's about having the 3DS version of the game appear on the tv for onlookers to watch at tournaments. (Why you would want to play the 4 player 3DS version if you had a Wii U and that verison of the game I don't know, but it's a possibility I suppose.)

Like I said, more questions than answers, but at least it looks good going forward, wherever forward may lead.

I think this connection is really cool. I would love to see Nintendo implement it for other games. I've always loved it when Nintendo has brought console and handheld together.

@Capt_N

On the email I received, Nintendo clearly says that the codes must be redeemed by Sept 19. so no way they can sell them after that date.

cool!!! up to 4 screens being used at once?

Thats very nice! Though i probably won't use it unless I'm short on controller also I'll be getting the GameCube adapter.

Still nice feature.

@xj0462 I doubt it.

@noctowl Unless you have an oversized living room, there are very few problems with the cord. Even if you do have a problem with the cord, the Wavebird exists.