There is a laundry list of things to love about Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, one of two prongs that make up the fourth generation of Smash Bros. games, and top of the list is the game’s confidence that allows it to cater to anyone who might be interested in its brand of mascot mayhem. This new Smash Bros. is perfect for those who just want to have a good time bopping their favourite mascots over the head with lightsabers while soaking in decades of Nintendo fan service, and it can just as easily appeal to those who wish to get serious about character tiers, metagames, and high-level play. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has but one thing to say to this crowd: “Show me ya moves!”
This fourth entry of Smash Bros. is actually split across two platforms — Wii U and 3DS — with each version tailored to the strengths and legacy of its platform. On 3DS, Super Smash Bros. was built primarily for on-the-go play, where human opponents or wi-fi connections are an uncertainty. As such, its modes are designed around quick bursts of action that don’t require more people to still be fun (although, the game is certainly enhanced by the presence of one or three). For Wii U, Smash leans into the stationary nature of home console play, where everyone huddles around the same screen — within punching distance of each other — for madcap fisticuffs.
Underneath the thick layers of fan service is a fighting system unlike any other. While a traditional 2D fighter pits combatants in a flat arena trading blows to chip away at their opponent's life bar for a KO, Smash Bros. is more of a platform brawler where victory is awarded to the player that knocks their foes off the stage the most. A player's damage counter increases as hits are suffered, and the higher the counter goes the easier it is to get launched into the stratosphere (literally, in some cases). Throw items, assist characters, and stage hazards into the mix, and you've got yourself some of the best party-gaming on the planet.
Because of its desire to remain a light-hearted fighter, Smash Bros. has had a contentious history with competitive players — most evident in third-game Super Smash Bros. Brawl's measures to dial back the intensity from the tournament-favourite previous game, Melee. Tripping, floaty physics and a slower play speed put off many high-level players from fully migrating away from Melee to Brawl. Now, though, players may finally have a reason to move on. Gone is tripping, the physics are firmer, and play speed has increased — Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is not as fast as the comical pace of Melee, but its brisker speed finds a satisfying middle-ground between the last two home console entries.
The character roster is the same as on the 3DS version, with a total of 50 mascots from Nintendo, Sega, Bandai Namco and Capcom — 52 counting Mii Fighter variations, and 63 considering alt-costume characters like Alph and the Koopalings as well as gender variants — ready to beat the snot out of each other. The new additions to the roster flesh out franchises of recent popularity — no surprise, given how the majority of Nintendo's most iconic characters were already represented — with Fire Emblem and Kid Icarus better represented thanks to successful 3DS entries. Newer mascots such as Mii Fighters, Wii Fit Trainer, and Shulk of Xenoblade Chronicles fame get inducted into the pantheon. Animal Crossing's Villager, Little Mac from Punch-Out!!, and the joyful Duck Hunt fill gaps in the historical line-up.
Characters whose secondary forms came out in special moves — Pokémon Trainer's Charizard, Zelda's Sheik, and Samus' Zero Suit — are now broken out into separate slots on the roster, elevating the legitimacy of their presence while altering the play styles of their former hosts now that they cannot be summoned. A few new clone characters join the mix, and while they don't stand out too much from their sources in terms of play style, they are in essence freebies to the line-up and contenders in their own right.
Third-party characters Sonic, Pac-Man, and Mega Man are also lovingly presented here, treated with a care and reverence that their parent companies seldom extend to their gaming icons nowadays. Pac-Man and Mega Man are more natural fits to the line-up than Snake ever was in Brawl, and we hope that they decide to stick around for future instalments.
The Subspace Emissary mode in Super Smash Bros. Brawl used a disposable sticker concept for boosting character stats, but stickers could only be used in that one mode. This time around, custom characters can be used in any offline mode, equipping gear and and custom move sets to suit (or create) different play styles. Each character can hold up to three pieces to modify their attack, defense and speed capabilities, with some equipment offering bonus attributes, such as taking less damage in the air. Find Link too slow? Strap some winged shoes to the Hylian's feet. Don't like that Down-B bomb attack of his? Switch it out for one of three other options, once you unlock them. Want an early advantage in battles? Start each fight holding a bob-omb, if you dare. Those who want to roll up their sleeves and dive deep into customizing characters may find the simplistic system underwhelming, and all told it's easy to ignore this entire portion of the game. However, the simplicity encourages experimentation, and as each character can have a whole load of configurations, it can be a lot of fun to tweak away. It's an important and natural step forward for the series, even if it proves to be little more than a fun bonus this time around.
Custom characters can be copied in either direction between Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, so that perfect Pikachu build never has to be benched. Pieces of equipment, attacks, or outfits cannot be individually transferred, but will carry over if attached to a custom fighter. The process of moving characters over can be obtuse: the Wii U interface takes precedence over the 3DS once the consoles find each other, which is a confusing switch. Just one character can be transferred at a time — a lack of bulk transfer isn't a major problem for solo players but is a bottleneck when more than one person wants to move custom characters around before playing.
Just as impressive as the character roster is the arena line-up, with 48 beautifully crafted stages on which to duke it out. Where the 3DS version pulled great inspiration for its new stages from portable titles, the selection here is based heavily on home console titles — some of which that haven't even been released yet, in the case of Yoshi's Woolly World. Smash Bros. has always excelled at capturing the essence of the franchises from which it pulls, and the new stages here do so in phenomenal fashion. Mario Galaxy's convex majesty is stunning in its presentation and competitive in its design, and Pac-Land looks like an Amiga fan's dream come true.
These arenas are built for fighting, and in some cases the arenas will fight back. Moving hazards in stages have been with the series since the magma first crept up in Norfair on the original game, and their dynamism is designed still to keep combatants on their toes. On Wii U these hazards now extend to a few stage-specific boss battles: Xenoblade's Metal Face chews the scenery on Gaur Plain, and Metroid's Ridley swoops in on Pyrosphere, for example. These baddies stick to pre-set patterns that change the flow of battle, instead of roaming with the freedom of a fifth player. Player danger is increased by their attacks and occupation of real estate, as well as their potential for destroying segments of the stage at a time — first instinct is to pummel them off the stage, and after a sufficient beat-down the bosses will indeed be defeated (unlike an Assist Trophy or Pokeball, which stick around for a pre-set time). Yet there are plenty of strategic reasons to keep them in play, if only to make it more difficult for everyone else, and their presence becomes an event in itself.
While each stage is structurally unique, there is the occasional odd double-dip in inspiration. Why there are two Mario Circuit stages, for example — one new, one returning — is unclear considering the wealth of Mario Kart tracks to pull from. Then there's the occasional repletion of a traversal gimmick across multiple stages that blurs the identities of those arenas, despite settings in different game worlds. Omega versions of each stage knock the terrain down to one big Final Destination-style platform, which allows competitive players a change of scenery from that ol' chestnut's space opera tomfoolery.
The Wii U and 3DS versions of Super Smash Bros. differ in more ways than just stage selection, some ways more subtle than others. Simpler modes like Smash and Home Run Challenge remain largely the same, whereas Target Challenge increases the stage count from one to three on home console. Classic Mode still offers players a choice in who they fight but doesn't rely on constantly confronting forks in the road — instead, players slide their character over to the clump of character trophies on a board to pick a fight. Classic also introduces rivals who want nothing more than to attack you, eight-fighter battles, and other intriguing match variations. All-Star on Wii U flips the chronology of the 3DS version all sneaky-like, sending players through the roster gauntlet in order of most recent to earliest first appearance.
Familiar series modes absent from the 3DS version are rolled back into the mix here. Coin Battle crowns the winner as whoever grabs the most currency that bursts out after each blow; Special Smash allows special rules to be set, allowing players to tinker with aspects such as gravity, play speed, or stamina, to name a few options; then Event Mode's plethora of scenarios provide a welcome change of pace from plain ol' boppin'.
Brand-new to Wii U is Smash Tour and Special Orders, two modes of varying quality. Smash Tour is a board game-style mode that takes the place of 3DS's Smash Run, having players run around one of three boards collecting power-ups and amassing a small army of fighters to ultimately battle it out in a ballyhooed final match. All players spin the wheel and move at the same time, which encourages mad dashes to reach desirable pick-ups before anyone else. Brawls ensue when two or more players collide on the same space or when somebody lands on a battle tile, and each player dukes it out as the fighter atop their pile.
Smash Tour is good for a few rounds but doesn't hold up for much longer. Moving around a board to collect tiles simply isn't all that compelling, and on the Big map size it can take several turns between fights. Smash Tour can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes depending on how many turns are played, which feels about 10-20 minutes longer than it needs to be. This is the weakest mode in a game flush with multiplayer options, and as such is easily forgotten.
Special Orders is essentially a procedurally generated Event Mode where players fork over coins to take on assorted feats of combat, called tickets. There are two variants of this. For Master Orders, each ticket can be attempted separately, and a win yields a prize. Tickets vary in cost depending on the difficulty, and a loss simply means that no prize is awarded. On the other hand is Crazy Orders, a gamble of endurance and skill with a hefty price of admission — either lots of gold or a rare Crazy Orders Pass acquired in other modes. Players have a total of 10 minutes to take on as many tickets as they choose and then defeat Crazy Hand in an intense Health Point-based battle. All ticket prizes go into a pool, and a single loss at any time will decimate the winnings — oh, and end the game, too. Damage carries over between tickets, and higher accumulated damage will translate into more Health points when going into the Crazy Hand fight. Crazy Orders really puts a fire under you, and with stakes so high it can be an incredibly satisfying mode to conquer.
Due to the smaller screen, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS played best on more compact stages. On Wii U, which lives in the realm of 60" HDTVs, size is no matter. Certain stages shared between the 3DS and Wii U versions, such as Gaur Plains, go from annoyingly open to happily spacious on a larger screen. Nowhere is this size advantage more evident than in the series' first 8-Player Smash mode (which evidently dazzles the game itself, judging by the little "wow!" in the in-game description). The novelty factor is high in this mode, but with this many players the game starts to tear at the seams — Free-For-All is incredibly chaotic, made slightly more manageable by breaking out into teams. We found the competitive sweet-spot for jumbo groups to be six players — any more and you'll struggle to keep your feet on the ground. However, for a rowdy group of people who are more interested in not waiting for controllers to open up than Serious Smash Bros. Business, there is plenty of fun to be had.
Fewer than half of the Normal stages can accommodate mega parties, although the count rises significantly when opting for Omega variants; of course, you can also create as many jumbo-sized (or medium, or small) stages as you wish with Stage Builder. Instead of picking individual elements from a menu and placing them on a grid, Super Smash Bros for Wii U allows builders to simply draw terrain on the GamePad. Now, custom levels can appear far more organic than Brawl's sterile grids, with slopes and waves and circles littered about however you see fit — and if more rigid layouts are desired, switching on the design grid will keep lines straight and edges sharp. Moving platforms, cannons, magma, and the like can be strategically placed to create nightmare scenarios, as well.
A Smash-ready magnum opus can be built in a fraction of the time on Wii U, but to polish it is to deal with Stage Builder's ham-fisted annoyances. Once terrain is doodled into place, it can't be moved — the only option is to erase the offending chunk and re-draw it elsewhere. Similarly, the eraser can't be used to fine-tune terrain in case of an erratic edge, only obliterate the whole chunk from the grid. Once you do have a masterpiece saved, meanwhile, stages cannot be easily shared — there's nowhere to upload them, and nary a QR code to export. Locking stages to the console on which they were created is a needless, confusing restriction.
The GamePad is a natural fit for Stage Builder, but is otherwise an afterthought to the action. By default, the small screen displays damage counters during battles and mirrors the main screen in menus. However, the menus are not touch-compatible, despite their chunky-button design being perfect for finger navigation. One neat touch is the ability to doodle on in-game snapshots, opening up all sorts of goofy new possibilities for Miiverse (oddly, snapshots can only be saved to an SD card and not the console's internal storage nor an external hard drive — a minor annoyance). Off-TV play is supported, and any controller is compatible when played this way.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is compatible with a dizzying array of controllers, in fact. The GamePad, Pro Controller, Wii Remote and optional Nunchuk, Classic Controller — pretty much any input with buttons recognized by a Wii U is compatible, which now includes GameCube pads thanks to a sold-separately USB adapter. Even a 3DS with a copy of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS running can be connected — hell, connect multiple 3DSes like that, see if Smash Bros. cares. It's totally functional and thoroughly bizarre, albeit limited to certain modes with that portable option.
Launching alongside Smash Bros. is amiibo, Nintendo's new range of NFC-enabled figures. Tap a figurine against the GamePad's NFC reader to bring them in as a partner character, customize its stats, and fight with or against it. Amiibo gain experience the more they fight and can go up to level 50; the level scale is not 1:1 against CPU difficulty — our amiibo Mazza wasn't able to hold its own against three maxed-out level-9 CPU opponents until it approached level 25. Wins became steadier by level 35, and come level 45 Mazza's dexterity and tactics became downright fiendish. Amiibo can pose a welcome challenge for those who wipe the floor with CPU opponents on the regular.
Unlike similar smart figures for Skylanders and Disney Infinity, amiibo don't need a constant connection on the NFC reader. Simply tap once to load their data, and when you're done playing, tap again to save. The process is straightforward but imperfect — you can't shake using the GamePad, so if you're playing with any other controller you'll still have to keep the oversized controller within reach. And — this is something of a nitpick — the GamePad slopes just enough to make resting amiibo on top of it a pain. It's possible to keep it there, but relies on awkwardly placing the figure half on the D-Pad.
Smash Bros. has a lot of flashy elements that impress, but a change with the greatest potential impact for long-term play is in the game's structure. Previous games used a spoke model, with Smash matches at the centre out of which all other modes grew in their own direction. Progression in the Subspace Emissary or All-Star, for example, had little influence on each other. For this new generation of Smash, each bell and whistle keeps the flywheel spinning around the economy of brawling. The result is a satisfying meta-progression where you are always moving forward, no matter how you choose to do battle.
Pick a fight, any fight, and by the end of it you’ll earn coins. In past Smash Bros. titles these coins served a minor purpose — gamble for collectible Trophies, be it through a virtual capsule machine or a bizarre Coin Launcher table; bet on fights in online Spectator Mode; or perhaps hand over a few to continue after a loss in All-Star Mode. Coins play a far more substantive role nowadays. Sure, they are still used to acquire Trophies (off a shelf this time!), but coins also act as the price of admission in many modes. The cost of Classic depends on the selected difficulty, with higher levels unreachable without a fat stack of cheddar on the line; in Trophy Rush coins buy time and the increased likelihood for reward; and the all-new Crazy Orders mode is reserved for only the wealthiest of players.
The more invested in a mode, the greater the reward, be it in the form of additional coins, Trophies, equipment, or attacks. If modes grow tiresome from repeat play, a quick glance at the new Challenges grid offers a new objective or five to complete, which in turn sends players back into battle with new purpose, spending coins to play and winning more coins to keep playing. No matter what, Super Smash Bros for Wii U keeps players moving forward to the next challenge or trinket. There are no dead ends here, and no shortage of paths to take to get there.
Smash Bros. is revered for its local multiplayer, a mode likely responsible for forming just as many friendships as it has destroyed over the years. This Wii U entry proudly continues that in-room tradition, and also greatly extends its shenanigans with a robust online mode — one that actually functions well. Now your friends don't have to be in the same room to hate your character choices.
The series took its first steps online with Brawl, but its poor connectivity forced players to endure slideshow-level framerates for far-away battles. By and large, lag is no issue here — matches remain playable no matter how intense the action gets. Sure, some stutter still creeps in — player connectivity and proximity will always be a factor for any title — but in our time online we never had to surrender due to game inertia. In that sense, For Wii U is a massive step forward for the series' online future, finally bringing it into the realm of "playable."
Even better, this online has any and all play styles covered. Playing with friends or strangers is a snap, with games found quickly in any mode. There are three ways to play online, suitable for any audience and mood. For Fun brings in all the items and action-packed stages that the series is known for, while For Glory strips away the extras for pure battles of skill, with no items and Final Destination-style Omega stages. Battle records are tracked in For Glory and not in For Fun, while like in the 3DS version you can opt for individual or team fights. Finally, if you just want to watch others duke it out, Spectator will stream a random match to you that you can place bets on and win prizes. Future updates will bring online Tourneys, which have the potential to add a great deal, but these aren't available at launch
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is more than happy to help you play however you want, and with now-functioning online modes lets you play whoever you want as well.
Conclusion
In many ways, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U feels like a direct response to criticisms of its party-friendly aspirations. Nintendo’s crossover fighter series had its innocuous start as a goofy game with a playground spirit, allowing players to finally see who would win in a fight between the world’s two most famous Italian plumbers and some of their friends. Subsequent entries continued this theme, only with more figurines in the toy box to choose from and more playgrounds in which to do battle.
All that fantastic fan service is still here and more polished than ever — and now, the gloves are off. Super Smash Bros. finally embraces its hyper-competitive side, all the while still managing to deliver one of the most enjoyable party games in years. This is a smarter, more focused blast of fighting mayhem, confident in its ability to appeal to any audience willing to give it a chance. Online play is robust and reliable, enabling players to quickly and easily get in a silly or competitive match — and stay there, to boot, with series-best performance. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is an expertly crafted, deep fighter that is a pure joy to play no matter your skill level.
Comments 314
Wow...here we go
LOL pending... And I was so excited to see the score.
Edit:
They are waiting for the score as well.
Yippee! Hype pending.
Here we go...Grabs Popcorn
If this site is very modest, I say they would give this game 9/10.
Pending the score is smart, online's a big component...why isn't it available to reviewers at least already? That's weird...not that it matters. The real test will be when millions of people try to play it at once...
well the online will make or break it for tons of people
Because nobody is online yet. . .
we know it will be a 9 like everything else
Good plan to wait for online to give it a review score.
But honestly, if you score it less than a 14.37/10, I'm sicking gamerzgate on you, lol
DAmmit i so hope online will be better then 3DS, plsss nintendoo :3 -keeps hoping-
Here we go!
Ahh! I'm so excited!
Also: If this is any bit as good as the 3DS game, I'll be having a blast, and I'm not much of a Smash fan. That game I can agree that it's made with a more polished and competitive feel, to the point where a fighter junkie like me can appreciate it without it feeling uninviting. I think getting Namco was a good move there, since Tekken and Soul Caliber are/were like that as well.
It sounds like a 9 Dear stars only 2 days left.
I just need to hold on one more week without buying a PS4 and I will be all-righty.
HOLY CRAP, To Be Continued returns!
Predicting a solid 9.
Inb4 score.
This is the first time I know the day and time of day when a review goes live, it was quite fun. This is preordered already anyway.
Can't be bothered reading all that especially when there is no score up, what's the point?
I have to wonder, when you transfer custom character special moves, do they get unlocked in the game(as in, you can select it when creating a new custom slot for that character)? Or do we STILL have to unlock them in the wii U version regardless if an imported custom character has said locked move?
Score it now then score online when millions are playing!
9/10 Nintendolife can't give a 10/10 to not look biased.
10/10 or bust
You're teasing a score?
..........
Okay.
Watch the profanity please — TBD
The gloves are now on.
We don't post without a score lightly, but I do recommend you read Jon's words anyway!
Quite a lot of sites doing the same, which is good to see. After Brawl's online issues, we certainly want to be sure that online will deliver the goods and not be a laggy mess. I suspect it'll be just grand as the Wii U's network capabilities are in a different ballpark to Wii's, but we'll know soon.
Good on you for waiting to test the online component before scoring. I've been severely burned by The Master Chief Collection this month (yes I am also an Xbox gamer, please don't yell at me!).
I wonder if it will score higher than Sonic Boom
Are you sick of your Amiibo sliding off the Gamepad? Coming soon from Nintendo the Gamepad Stand, keeps your Gamepad horizontal for the low price of £15 or the Collectors Edition with poster and key ring only £30.
NO! XD I stopped breathing when I saw the review was up and scrolled right down to score and... haha. I hope it'll be a 10!
That's a lot of words. 0.o
Most of it is just describing the game like you're reading a manual.
I'm calling a 9/10… although 10/10 would be nice (and deserved).
@WreckItRyan have you played the game yet?
Whatever the score, can't wait to pick this baby up after I get home from school.
All right, Nintendo Life. Don't fail me now. 10/10 this game and move on!
I can't help but feel some amount of flaw in everyone waiting for online to be available before giving the final review scores.
It's opening day. Thousands if not millions of people are going to be booting up and heading to online at once, which in turn will undoubtedly cause strain on the servers. The same thing happened with 3DS's release and complaints abounded concerning lag, only for the problem to mostly resolve itself sometime later after launch hype died down.
But it can't be helped, and this game will be getting 9s everywhere regardless, so whatevs.
so like this being Nintendo Life, with this game if you score it a 9 it'll feel like an 8 ya know just sayin
@dknintendo I am hoping this isn't the case.
@Jon_Wahlgren If you have the little stand that came with Wii Party U, you can set the Gamepad fully level and thus there will be no problems setting amiibo on it due to the angle of the Gamepad.
Edit: Or maybe @ThomasBW84 just so someone on the staff sees it idk if it's worth adding in there, but it does solve that problem
Very good review! I understand the online isn't up yet, but it sounds like it's going to be a pretty high score!
On a side note, about the stage builder, I believe Nintendo has said that we will be able to share our stages at a later time actually, but it won't be ready for the release day.
I sense a 10/10, and about time too.
Although it sounds like a 9, Hopefully it is a 10. Currently 95 at metacritic it is nice if it keep up like that.
Yah kiddin' me? LOL... Score pending?! And I interrupted my study session to see the score... I'm guessing a 9 or 10.
The review's pretty long too. I'll probably read it on the way home and just die with envy because I'm very sure I'm not getting the game until Christmas. :_(
What's the point of waiting for the online to work? Of course it will sometimes run smoothly and lag horribly at other times, just as with the 3DS version.
Persona Q, Pokemon and Smash? Next week can't come soon enough.
Ugh, I really won't have much time to play it this weekend. I gotta work, but at least I will have the game. Got it pre ordered on Amazon.
Got to laugh at these comments. It's like you're all reviewing NLife, and they're a disappointment unless they give it a 10.
People also saying 'too long to read, pointless without a score' make me sad.
Good review! No score needed for me. It's all the writing.
@ThomasBW84 - Makes sense no score. Are you waiting just for the online to get turned on or for the 4 "pending" things in the 50 things video to get patched in? (sharing, Miiverse level, tournaments, and official tournaments).
I won't count Mewtwo, he's just DLC.
Still on the fence, day 1 or Christmas.
Things I learned from the review -
No Subspace Emissary, which we already knew but it was in the review twice, making me miss it even more, by far my favorite part of Brawl
Smash Tour is boring so we won't be playing
Special Orders is difficult so we won't be playing
Stage builder doesn't believe in white-out, just one and done
amiibo are unplayable
Online isn't up yet but I don't care don't know anyone else w/ a Wii U
Yet still I want this game.
@andyg1971 Please tell me you're joking.
He isn't joking, what if he reads all this text and the game gets a 2/10?
@Damo
I hope not
I think its going to be 8/10 .... OR a 9/10
@Damo he's just looking for attention.
So, how many NL visitors now discovered that there are actually WORDS in a review? Credits to NL, IGN and the other sites that wait for online for the numbers.
(BTW, IMO this review was a bit too much centered about the differences to the 3DS version.)
Can't wait for the game now..... Still want Snake to return though...
Score 15/10
@Gridattack I was thinking the same thing this morning. I think it should be unlocked automatically. In fact, anything the 3DS version shares with the Wii U version should be easily unlocked in the latter if you already have it unlocked in the former. It would be such a stressful shame if I were to work again for the same exact things when I have already unlocked them in the 3DS version.
........
........
........
I'm not holding my breath, though.
@Haz exhales deeply Ok I wont.
10/10
@jariw
They know there are words. You surely have seen the "it reads like an 8 or a 9, why a 7?"
Incidentally, for this review I read it all and I got to the bottom to realize there was no score yet. Actually surprised that IGN decided to go the same route. IGN Italia already gave their score.
I don't care about the number as the reviews themselves matter most. It's a huge positive and a must buy.
I am hoping for a great online experience on top of it all.
@OneBagTravel I've played it! It's awesome!!
I predict a 9. But when get my hands on the game I know it'll be a 10 for me personally.
Metacritic is showing all reviews so far as 90 and above.
@Peach64 Yes. Agreed 100%
Am I the only one that read the full review and didn't even notice the score was missing till the italics unavoidably catched my eyes?
Come on guys!!! Who cares for whatever number a reviewer could say when he actually did a great job for explain very clearly all you could need to know for judge the game yourself >o<
Anyway a question regarding the game! Is Special Smash like in Brawl, with special rules applied to all fighters or is it possible to apply them only to few fighters? (Like making only a character Metal).
I fear I already know to well the negative answear, but it's since Melee that I'm hoping for this feature ;_;
1/10 please understand.
Sadly, I won't be getting this. I was excited when it was announced but the lack of a good single player mode means I won't get as much playtime out of it as Brawl. I have enough trouble persuading my girlfriend to play Mario Kart. Of course, we've known for a while that there wasn't an adventure mode included this time but I still hoped to see something about the single player experience in the review. I guess there simply isn't one.
Still, I'm going to keep hoping for an adventure mode DLC. If that arrives then I'll buy the game.
Great review. Really gutsy not giving it a score since that seems to be all people who read reviews want.
That said, this looks like the ultimate Super Smash Bros. game. Can't wait until Friday!
Bahaha Pending? We already know about lag. You better not take of of the score because of lag. You wouldn't take off from a score if say Mario Kart never had anyone online ready to play with you would you? Its not the developers' fault.
TO THE REVIEWER:
You may want to change the part of the review that says: "Once you do have a masterpiece saved, meanwhile, stages cannot be easily shared — there's nowhere to upload them, and nary a QR code to export. Locking stages to the console on which they were created is a needless, confusing restriction."
Nintendo has officially announced that an update will be available where everyone will be able to share their creations.
Nice review. Nothing I didn't quite know about the game or would sway me from buying it, but a good read to hype things up even further. Holding off the numerical score for the online component is a good move. Hopefully it'll be better than on 3DS. I had no problem with 1v1 fights, but when it came to free-for-all matches, I hardly had a match with no lag. Although I'm not sure how much of the guilt is on one of the player's connection.
Also, it seems you skipped to mention that bonus mode where you could sample a video game from one of the many franchises. I had honestly forgotten about it, but Sakurai retweeted something from the Smash account that mentioned it. And didn't they said stages would be shareable? Or was that the pictures from that photo mode with trophies?
@Peach64
Exactly. A review is more than a number or a letter. Plenty of games have gotten good reviews that don't appeal to me. READING the review lets me know if the game is good or not, the score just tells me HOW good.
"Once you do have a masterpiece saved, meanwhile, stages cannot be easily shared — there's nowhere to upload them, and nary a QR code to export. Locking stages to the console on which they were created is a needless, confusing restriction."
Nope, they said they'll include stage sharing in some future update, alongside the Miiverse stage if I'm not wrong, in the 50 (well, actually 54 lol) must see things Nintendo Direct.
The IGN reviewer said Nintendo will not activate Smash Wii U's online server until 9PM PT ON 11/20
SPOILER ALERT:
It's a 10.
"Custom characters can be copied in either direction between Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, so that perfect Pikachu build never has to be benched."
Yeeeeessss! I can transfer my custom Ike! I really can't wait to play the game! Already have it pre-ordered.
@RogueBologna Actually, the longest review on this site is for Wii Sports Resort. I think it's eight pages?
SMASH 4 REVIEW?!!
NO SCORE YET??!!!
IT BETTER BE A TEN NINTENDOLIFE
0/10
Wii U doomed!
lol, no
Score Pending:P
"Smash Tour is good for a few rounds but doesn't hold up for much longer. Moving around a board to collect tiles simply isn't all that compelling, and on the Big map size it can take several turns between fights. Smash Tour can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes depending on how many turns are played, which feels about 10-20 minutes longer than it needs to be. This is the weakest mode in a game flush with multiplayer options, and as such is easily forgotten."
And this is the part that worried me.... but what can I say, I had the feeling that smash tour was going to be the worst mode.
I think online will make it a 7 or 8.
Well, i read reviews of games, im not sure about getting. So for smash, i dont really need a detailed "whats it gonna be" since its already bought
Therefore, youre pending rating is one of the biggest troll moves
I just wanted to sneak in at look at the beatiful 10/10
@ThomasBW84 Will you be using a wired connection or the system's built-in wireless?
Well, i read reviews of games, im not sure about getting. So for smash, i dont really need a detailed "whats it gonna be" since its already bought
Therefore, youre pending rating is one of the biggest troll moves
I just wanted to sneak in at look at the beatiful 10/10
Also, why are people so afraid of this game being laggy online ? MK8 for instance is absolutely flawless online. I have yet to have a race with a single lagging player or a connection loss, both local and global.
Why should smash suddenly be different ?
96 on Metacritic
http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii-u/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u
Wait, you can't play all the Wii U modes if you opt to use the 3DS as a controller?
@Grumblevolcano
What??? No...
Ryno has elected to not to comment on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U at this time, as the online multiplayer component was not yet live at the time of writing. Ryno will add his thoughts on this aspect once he feel's he has spent sufficient time testing it out.
I don't really care for the rating. I'm much more interested in what they have to say about this game.
@Cosats I was thinking the same thing
I'm expecting 10/10.
Damm NL we dont want a serious professional review. We all just want a big 10!!
(HYPE INTENSIFIES)
Really excited to play this.
And this is why gaming is worse than ever everyone fixates on scores instead of what is actually being said.
@Einherjar Take a look at Wii U sports online... the lag gets really bad on there.
@JonWahlgren I was going to post about the error in the review about the stage uploading which has been already been confirmed by Nintendo (as well as other future features), but both @Cosats and @SuperCharlie78 beat me to it.
No score, this must totally mean the game is trash then, yup, saw it coming.
I actually read the whole thing, just waiting for score now and I like the review. Smash board game now make me feel like it might become stale after a while.
I guess, if you are a die hard Super Smash Bros fan with a Wii u and 3ds and can afford it you will buy both games.
Otherwise you will buy just one of the games depending on which console you have.
If you have both consoles but are not a die hard fan and only want one of the games, you like me may have already bought the 3ds version and so won't be buying the Wii u game. The 3d version was OK but not great. It is the sort of game that was ment for the big screen.
SSB simply isn't for me anymore.
Ok; listen up Nintendo Life staff...
If your experience with a game isn't complete enough that you're having to inform us the review is missing details on major areas of the game and you've not been able to give the game a final score yet then maybe you shouldn't label this simply as a "Review" on the main link. Maybe you should call it something like "Partial Review" or "Unfinished Early Review" or whatever.
When I click a link labelled 'Review' I don't expect to come in and be told that you've not played a fundamental component of the game and then to see that there's currently no score. That's like watching a p*rn video with a huge chunk of footage removed in the middle and that cuts off just before the money shot
Just saying.
@zool
"The 3d version was OK but not great. It is the sort of game that was ment for the big screen."
Sounds like you should get the wii u version.
Smash Run > Smash Tour. Called it.
@gsmaciel
It will be higher than both Sonic Boom 3DS and U combined.
Possible GOTY right here. Looking forward to playing this!
Why are people so upset about a pending score? We're all just going to buy the game in 2 days anyways, so let's calm down a bit.
And plenty of sites do this. They want to test the online modes under real-world conditions.
Anyways, who cares. Come Friday morning none of this will matter.
Calling it now: expect a day or three of online play disaster. I don't think they have a chance of being ready for the onslaught.
I expect 9/10 and likely a 88 or so meta critic score.
@zool i agree. i played a lot of the 3ds version for a week or two, and can't justify buying another new smash bros so soon.
it made me dig out my old melee disc though
this'll get a 9. it'd get a 10 if the online experience is lag-free, but who really expects that to happen on launch day?
im glad they elected not to give a score, i want to see how the online is.
I really do wish this site would give .5 to scores that could use them. It would help differencing 9 and 10s all the time.
i can't wait two more days
somebody bury me after i die of waiting...
Pending scores and pre-chewed homebrew polarization? Its almost like this site wants u to stay engaged/checking back.
I have the same doubt as Gridatttack. It would be quite nice if I didn't have to unlock something like the custom moves or pieces of equipment I've already unlocked on the 3DS.
11/10
This didn't feel so much like an opinion review as it did a synopsis of the game modes. I was hoping for more feels.
While you're waiting for the score, look at this hilarious Smash Bros. video I found about the Ice Climbers losing their spot! lolz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPi9b3d4LWQ
I'm predicting a 10/10.
@DiscoGentleman It's at least a 9, and if it isn't, I'm still getting it
I'm pretty disappointed about Smash Tour. I thought it had a lot of potential to make Smash parties way more interesting. But maybe I'll end up liking it anyway.
Meme run > Smash
I like this type of review. Long, Informative, and no score. Makes the reader come to their own conclusion on if the game is right for them or not based on the contents. Nice read, shame on the stage builder though. Still on my day 1 list.
In the meantime, I'll just have fun imagining people on the internet freaking out for a number. Take your time…. for review accuracy of course
If the 3DS version got a 9/10, then the Wii U version must be 10/10!
The score will not affect my purchasing this game. It's just gonna happen. Let's settle the 'score' in Smash
with or without online this game for me is a 10/10
Didn't need a review to tell me that this game was gonna be awesome but from the look of this one, the game seems to truly live up to the hype!
Because the hype has been so long and the 3DS version is already out I feel like the reviews don't even matter this time. I'm sure its a great game.
@gsmaciel You made me laugh thank you.
Good review, although at this point I'm only really concerned about the online. I'm sure everything else is golden.
@Damo I was joking, don't worry.
About the stage sharing part the reason you couldn't find anything about it was because Nintendo hasn't enabled it yet. I think I recall reading they will add that in a future update
10/10 CALLED IT!!!
It'll be either a 9 or a 10.
Will hopefully get this for chrimbo, and a couple of amibos
7.8/10 too many water stages!
score pending? ohh come on, NintendoLife! We all know your gonna give a 10/10, don't be like this lol
Score pending? Wtf does that mean?
Games like this always get a 9/10.
Won't get it till end of the month, but it will be awesome. I have really enjoyed the 3rd version. 25 hours on it, which is a lot for me.
I'm sure this game could very well deserve a 9/10, but if they give it that they're saying it's the same quality and Smash 3DS...which is complete BS. Maybe they're revising the 3DS score so they can give this one a 9 and not feel like they're lying
@dknintendo Nintendo's just a 9/10 kind of developer. Rarely does a core franchise feel less worthy then a 9. That's what's so great about Nintendo. They can release 10 games and almost every one of them will be a 9 out of 10.
Hell was used in the review, hide your children!
@invictus4000 Means L2wait.
This was a pretty long review. Expecting 9/10.
As a older 30 something gamer, I was wanting to get some opinions whether someone my age would enjoy this game?
This is why games criticism is broken on a fundamental level. Most of the people here don't give a rats behind about the actual content of the review itself. They want to see their favorite video game company and series win the useless game of who can get the most arbitrary scores.
Screw nuance man, let's just boil down every game to one of ten numbers. Then we can throw those scores back in the faces of the opposing fanboys. And heaven forbid then when a game doesn't get the score they want it to. I mean, it'll lower their enjoyment of said game if it doesn't get a 96 on metacritic, right?
You cannot measure art with numbers.
@RogueBologna Your avatar GIF intrigues me.
@hylianhalcyon Anyone who sells art for a living would disagree
Seriously, though, the mentality is a byproduct of materialism- applying a numeric or monetary value to everything. The remedy is fair prose and creativity, but who will look beyond the notion of face value?
A perfect example of this- the original Monster Hunter only got 6 or 7 out of 10 from "professional reviews", but fan reviews gave it 8s and 9s. At this point, the sequel games are generally the same, with a few added bells and whistles. However, after interest in the series rose significantly, despite subsequent releases being akin to a Japanese version of "Call of Duty syndrome", the "professional reviews" suddenly all love the series. The series is no longer niche, so stronger influences flock to it.
Those who stand to gain something material from shifting their viewpoint often do so...
Some of the modes sound very gimmicky, and I have no desire to play a match with 8 characters, 4 is certainly enough.
I hope this entry isn't the Double Dash of Smash Bros.
Regarding customised attributes, I find it a baffling inclusion that adds little to the game, and indeed actually detracts from it. Whereas customised moves add depth that doesn't destroy a character's identity, and should be allowed online.
Is the reviewer sure you can't send custom stages to a friend? Maybe it will be possible once online has been established. If you really can't send custom stages, that's terrible.
2 days THE HYpE iS Toooo REAL
@Porky Hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband cause Nintendo Life is using bad language on everybody out here!
Will online be the deciding factor? Always seemed better as a local multiplayer sort of game, to be honest.
In the review it said theres no way to share custom stages. But I thought in the smash direct it said we could upload them online?
@PlywoodStick Absolutely, what you just described is what is broken about games criticism. Take a look at the critical spheres of other arts and they're nowhere near as terrible in this regard as video games are. Games journalists could benefit from just writing well thought out and insightful criticisms. They don't need to rely on numbers at all. Other industries don't (I give the Mona Lisa a 9/10). It's a problem inherent in video games and it needs to change.
If the critical sphere of video games decided to ween its audience off of reliance on arbitrary numbers, everyone would be the better for it. But when companies pay people based on metacritic scores and when major gaming sites are in bed with said companies it's not going to change.
Nor will it change when the audience only cares about scores, as this thread clearly shows, and the reviewers only care about hits as you described. If I were a writer, wouldn't I want people to read what I wrote? So then why would a reviewer only want people to look at a score, not read their review/writing?
@Kirk That would be known as a "Preview". Unfortunately, at this point, those hardly exist anymore, because most online publications figure everyone just engorges themselves with their desired information. Thus, few still focus on making curious, insightful preview columns anymore...
At least now we know what else you use the internet for
@hylianhalcyon To be fair, there are sites like RPGFan whose staffers highly value telling a story involving their experiences with every review. They still use a numeric grading scale, but that's partially because it's an archaic device they've used since their conception, having not quite figured out how to create an alternative to the archetypical "school-style grading system."
There's actually a debate that's been going on for months now amongst their staff and on the top of their Site Suggestions Forum as to whether they're going to overhaul their review system or just straight out abolish the numeric side of it. Their staff has explicitly stated that for most of them, the number grading is their least favorite part of writing reviews. (Even though their review grade numbers are used in Metacritic and they run ads on their site... probably just because they need the money for operations, though. They don't even have a central physical office.)
I think what you've mentioned is possible, but only smaller, closely knit sites are going to gravitate towards the philosophy of "whatever numbers we use don't necessarily reflect our content, therefore, focus on our words, not our numbers."
@ikki5 I cant second that. I also never had any lag, nor did i have any connection loss.
To be fair, im from Europe, Germany. We tend to have a very solid internet connection overall.
So yeah, everything i played online so far, had a perfectly stable connection.
Monster Hunter for instance would have bombed if the WiiU couldnt keep up with online play !
You really need to see a score? You are here for a score or fine review? This is Smash Bros. game and sounds like it's great, so no reason to wait for a score. Just pick it up
So you can't even upload your custom stages through your PC via SD card like you could with Brawl? That sucks. Do they give you any tools for drawing circles and other curved lines like in Microsoft Paint? I'm a terrible artist, and I could really use some helpful tools like that, otherwise this game's stage builder may not be any better for me than the basic one offered in Brawl.
@roadbuc - I'm also in my 30's and because I don't have countless hours for gaming like I had when I was younger, I tend to gravitate towards games that are easy to pick up and have a quick play. Games like Smash Bros and Mario Kart 8 are perfect for this.
@JonWahlgren In one of the first few paragraphs, you say there are 50 Fighters, 52 Counting the Miis different forms.
However, I just recounted my fully unlocked roster on the 3DS version, and their are 49 fighters, 51 if you count the Mii Fighters. Did you accidentally count the random button or the yet to be released Mewtwo? Is there an exclusive hidden fighter in the Wii U version?
11/10.
@JaxonH
what im saying is everthing is a 9 only 3d mario and zelda get a 10
Zero stars? I believe that's a first for Nintendo Life.
LOL, just kidding!
11 hours till release!!!
@ghosto Hi. What is that referencing? I have been seeing plenty of "too much water" gifs all over IGN and missed the reference.
"Pac-Man and Mega Man are more natural fits to the line-up than Snake ever was in Brawl," but Konami could have drawn from Castlevania, a game which, as a kid, I thought was a Nintendo franchise. Any Belmont would have made a far better fit than Solid Snake did. Oh, well.
I am fully expecting a 10.
@GTWarrior77 I'm in the same boat concerning the amount of time I have to game, but I'll give the game a try. Thanks for the reply.
I expect a 9. Highly doubt a 10
@shigulicious
They are making fun of IGN's review of Pokémon OR/AS, as they said "too much water" as one of the negatives at the end of the review.
Wait, are the screenshots changing every time I load the page? That's so neat!
I'm glad they're waiting to score based on the online, because that's a major part. You never can tell how a game will react and be moulded until it is released upon the unwashed hordes. Pity many other publications don't do the same, especially with major FPS titles...
@Einherjer Yes, MK8 online is smooth (although lately I have been having disappearing players and sudden items, as well as mysterious hits... think it's just my broadband having some coughs, though), but Smash Bros. 3DS is sometimes unplayable online. Anyway, I doubt anything that bad would happen on the Wii U.
@sinalefa
One wonders what they would make of Endless Ocean 2.
@Genesaur WOAH that is awesome!!!
Hopefully after the score is posted this site can start covering stuff other than Smash Bros. I get that it's a lot of peoples' most wanted title, but the ratio of Smash articles and features to everything else has been ridiculous the past few months.
@PlywoodStick
As if I could hide anything that I do from the Internet at this point
😢 score pending
I scrolled to take a look at the score right away. I was expecting something between 8 and 10 of 10. The score pending surprised me, but I makes sense when you can't try the online part of the game yet.
im mega hyped tomarrow!!!!!!!
The hype is real.
10/10 ..... & 98% would be great and mop the floor with ps4 and xboxone game reviews for the winter hollidays.
That would be great last year mario best them all in a cat onesie and this year smash bros won again
@Luna-Harmony Well, after seeing Assassin's Creed Futility on the PS4 (GOOD LORD THAT GAME IS GARBAGE, 27 FPS... SERIOUS. AND YOU CAN SPAM THE KATANA WITHOUT BLOCKING AND NEVER LOSE A FIGHT, AND THEY WANT YOU TO PAY TEN DOLLARS TO UNLOCK A SINGLE WEAPON WITHOUT WORK?! DERP!!!)...... I can safely say that Smash will be a definite "hit" during the Christmas holidays!
"score pending"
@JonWahlgren I don't know how I feel about the score still pending because of online play (even though I usually don't care about scores). I generally think that online mechanics are secondary components to the game since not everyone will play online. If you have a score / review and it includes online portions, does it still apply to those who don't have online support? I personally think that if you are going to add online portions to the review / score, I'd make it like a post-review or add a second score that includes online play.
Why are people so obsessed with scores? Just read the text for the love of....
Less than 7 hours!!!
Aw, no mention of the music? Many new remixes and compoers on-board make the soundtrack fantastic.
Well fingers crossed, I already pre-ordered the game way back in June. As a mater of fact it will be arriving today at midnight! I cannot weight to try out the new features, stages, and characters!
the gloves arent really off until you give us the scores... wait, why are we wearing gloves in the first place?
I think I probably could count the number of games given 10/10 here on one hand.
7/10 "Too many characters." -IGN
:3
@roadbuc
Yeah, you would probably like it. Don't let the weird fan base, teen rating, and atmosphere of the game get the best for you. It's a fantastic fighting game and is good single player and with parties.
Reads like a 2 but I reckon it'll get a 3.
I may not be getting SSBU now, but for Christmas, but I'm still hyped for game and review.
7.5 out of 10 - IGN "Not enough Palutena's taunts"
@triforcepower73 Right?
Rating so high they broke the scoring system!
7/10 - "Not enough money paid for...
er... i mean not enough DLC to pay money for...yeah..." -IGN
@Dreamz Lol the girl facepalming in your picture goes perfectly with that comment.
Already playing...why isn't it saving my control scheme?
UPDATE: found it, on player start up screen
No shooting with dual analog aiming, no random guns or rocket launchers, no fighting Nazi Zombies, 0/9.1 -IGN
@DaemonSword
How did you save your control scheme exactly? What is the player start up screen and how did you get your custom controls to stick? I've been trying for an hour to figure it out.
@SuperWeird on the screen where you pick your player, click on the right corner tab at the bottom--your name selections open up
@DaemonSword
OMG - thank you! I would have never figured that out.
@SuperWeird No prob!
If anyone out there doesn't care for their club nintendo code for SSB Wii U, could i have it? I'd greatly appreciate, i don't have the money for a Wii U but I'd really like that soundtrack (email me at [email protected])
Its obviously between the ranges of 8-10, this game just looks like butter.
@EatMyMoney "Oscar Pending"
All anyone is commenting on is the score (or lack thereof)? Whatever.
Great review; I would like to note that the 50(+) things you need to know video did note that eventually you would be able to share your stages. It was also suggested that you'd be able to upload your customised screenshots to the Internet; I'd suggest that's why they're written to SD card: they might be saved as .png/.jpg and that way you could just pop the card in your PC to upload to whatever social media site you see fit.
Of course more interesting to me is that this indicates that the SD slot IS ACCESSIBLE BY THE WII U. Previously it was assumed the SD card slot was only for Wii Mode and not used by the Wii U because it could be a vector for hacking, but now, well why can't we use the SD slot for Wii U game storage Nintendo? On the same topic, can you save images to the same SD card you're using for your Wii Mode WiiWare/VC content? Swapping SD cards is something I'd rather not have to do, but it would be nice to know in advance along with how big these images are.
I'm also wanting to know: how does more than four player multiplayer work? Are you able to attach four Remotes and four Pro Controllers simultaneously? I'm planning to get a Wii U Pro Controller for two-player Hyrule Warriors, but I might get two if I knew I could play six player Smash using a combination of Remotes and CC Pros, Pro Controllers and Remotes.
This game is beast!!! I absolutely love it, NO downsides or negatives from me whatsoever, it's literally flawless, just seems like smash tour will wear out. 10/10!!!
@PvtOttobot Thanks man. You made my day.
NintendoLife is trying to figure out how to implement an 11th star...
Im waiting for Monday to come faster ;~; btw stop whining about the score jeez!
CAN WE PLZ GET THE SCORE NOW?
@Obito_Tennyson
12 stars at least
1 star! Wii U is last gen they should go third party the Wii was a fluke nobody cares about Mario they're going bankrupt no WIi U support past 2015 no F-Zero iwata is a zombie!!!!
Or maybe 8-9 stars I'd guess? whatever...looks like fun, good review!
Wow I just came back and more people commented about IGN and their 7/10 scores right after mine. Hahhahaha what a small world. :3
I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL CHRISTMAS. WHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY ;-;
Can't wait to play my very first Smash Bro Game !!!!!!!! Looks to be a perfect 10 ... Pit is going to be my guy ... Love Kid Icarus ... Really Hoping there will be a New Kid Icarus Wii U game in 2015-16
Score still pending?
@Sean_Aaron "Of course more interesting to me is that this indicates that the SD slot IS ACCESSIBLE BY THE WII U. Previously it was assumed the SD card slot was only for Wii Mode and not used by the Wii U because it could be a vector for hacking, but now, well why can't we use the SD slot for Wii U game storage Nintendo?"
Shhhhh, you'll reveal the secret to Smash, Stack 2
This game is incredible, the 3DS version doesn't feel as fun anymore.
10? 10.
Score?
@pahvi
They can not rest until it's been judged by a number between the range of 1 and 10.
If it gets a 9 or lower, kids clearly wont hassle their parents for it this Christmas.
@pek727 I know right? I tried playing the 3DS version a little bit yesterday to compare the versions and got bored quickly.
@Inkling Maybe Nintendolife thinks the online reliability will decrease once Europe get it.
So, it's a 10 pending on the online service, I'm guessing.
I can't imagine the online will be a flop. Nintendo's recent track record has been pretty great in that department.
I can't wait for the score to officially remain pending
well if the online is as good as mario kart 8's then it would at least be enough. It seems like Nintendo have learnt where they went wrong with the wii's online capability so this hasn't changed from being a day one buy for me.
Huh? where did the freaking score go?
wow, you really missed the ball here. Score should be a couple days ago at least.
No score yet?
Most surprising thing to me is how different this game feels from the 3DS version. Unlike others, I don't necessarily think one is better (I still Smash on my commute with the 3DS and thoroughly enjoy it). They just feel very different in terms of the stages, modes, and even the physics in the 3DS version feel a little different. Very impressive that they managed to make two games that are basically the same, yet feel very different.
I think NL are trying to manufacture one of those great mysteries of pop-cultural life where people are still talking about it in 10 years time etc "What score were they going to give Smash U?" and conspiracy theories will abound.
Well it won't rub, ok, NL. Now what's the score?
REVIEW UPDATED: details of online modes added along with the all important score
9/10! Reread it and great review!
@Dazza
Only a 9?
I am guessing the unnecessary options — like Smash Tour — caused the score to be a 9. Of course, the score really does not matter. This is the game everyone wants and is playing.
It's nice to see that this eliminates the online lag (at least for the most part). With an ethernet connection, I shouldn't have many (if any) issues. I can't wait to get my copy from Amazon tomorrow!
In after score.
Getting my copy this week, whenever it arrives.
Why would a smash game never get a 10 from nintendolife...
@TheGreatBrawler I kinda agree with the score though. After spending roughly 5 hours playing, the game is a master piece and it is extremely fun. But there are minor set backs like no story mode etc. 10/10 should be for a game that is awesome with no setbacks.
However I think a fairer score would be 9.5.
@sinalefa NintendoLife is not biased. . . .the fans are lol!
However, ocarina of Time got 10/10 and that didn't have an online or multiplayer mode lol.
LOL @ everyone mad that the score wasn't 10. #getalife
This should be a 10.
@TheGreatBrawler I agree that this game isn't a 10 but it is however the best Smash Bros yet!
9/10 is an amazing score, don't know why people are mad. It got 9's mostly across the board (well there were 9.5's etc. and even IGN gave it a 9.8), but that's just the way NintendoLife's Review scale works, it has to be whole numbers (at least to my knowledge). It makes sense then, to round down to 9, but not round up to 10 (because rounding a score to the perfect score is a bit much). Just my opinion though.
I think the U version is better than the 3ds version yet they received the same score here.
So it did score higher than Sonic Boom afterall
@theberrage With a scale of ten different scores to give, there are bound to be dozens of games getting the same score despite being somewhat better or worse than another. It's entirely impossible to reflect every difference in quality on an x/10 scale.
Was pretty sure this'd get a 9, but I'm actually happy with that. Also, I don't think it's unfair to give both Smash releases the same score, they are (almost) as good as they can be on their respective platforms IMO.
No 10??? RAGE!!!
I was expecting an 9.5 but since NL don't do half stars, I rounded up to a 10 in personal expectations. But 9 seems understandable from a public standpoint.
The stage builder have protential with the Gamepad interface but is quite unforgiving with the platform drawing placement and no sharing. Also it is weird that you need a sd card for snapshots.
Nice to know about the online play. I haven't try that mode yet.
Who cares about the score it's smash time baby!
I don't even have Smash U yet btw.
No 10 people are gonna have a field day with this
why are you writing? go play!
I think we all seen that coming. I still say we should have .5 scores here.
I knew it wasn't going to get a 10, so, I was expecting this score. However I don't think it is what you guys felt, haven't you thought in giving decimal points to be a bit more accurate? Anyway, good review!
@KeeperBvK I agree. 9 is a great score. If I could only have one (I have both) Smash game I would get the U version. More robust and that delicious HD. Can't hang your hat too much on the final scores because no one agrees that Night Sky is better than Smash (unless they're lying).
8.5 for me. After playing the game, I have to agree with @Kaze_Memaryu about the single player content being stripped down. But I recon, the 55+ events and the special orders are fun, but not enough.
But whatever, I have people to occasionally play multiplayer.
Good score
Not surprised. Both Smash Bros Wii U and Melee have scored lower than Brawl. Funny thing is, the lack of an "adventure mode" has not been enough for the Wii U version of the game to be off by more than 1% point from Brawl.
Also, the original Smash Bros has a score of 79 in case anyone wants to make the argument that it is impossible for a Smash Bros game to score below an 80.
I wouldn't be surprised if we get an actual adventure mode. Though chances are if we do it'll probably be a DLC.
Great score. I agree 100%.
@Gridatttack I've only been playing Single Player, and I've had a blast! The only thing bothering me about this game is that my friends are never online at the same time, as me!
@ultraraichu I know what you mean, the stage builder is good, but I've spent hours trying to make something, and accidentally double tapping.
For the most part, the online has been great. I've encountered a couple battles where it was very, very choppy, and once spent at least a half-hour in the pre-battle practice mode, waiting for other fighters...
I'd say it's higher than 9, but I don't think any game should get a 10.
Love! Smash Wii U is like the big bro of the baby Smash 3ds. Perfecto, I am overly content. Thank you so much to Sakurai, his awesome team, and the big N.
Just bought the game today in Germany
Should be a ten. Oh wait...
-Too much fun
9/10
Seriously....why are some people so obsessed by review scores? I really don't understand the fascination. Are words too complicated?
@gatorboi352
This
IGN 98% wooooooo Gta v vs Smash Bros .......
Gta last years game but Mario 3D world won this year Smash Bros game of the year i knew it would be ...Yes yes yes...
Now people will be buying up wii u's like no tomorrow and we can say to xbox and sony gamers we told you the wii u was amazing .
I game on ps4 but when i say wii u and how great it is people bog it down .. now they know the power !!
I've not played it yet, so can't make the comparison, but seeing the praise Smash U is getting, and then considering the one-dimensional borefest that was World of Goo (that NL scored a 10), something doesn't add up.
Seems this game is getting marked down for not meeting every single expectation the anticipation-fuelled hype generated.
Is the author of this review, or anyone else at NL, going to confirm that World of Goo is a better game than Smash U?
Wish all pro reviewers marked out of 100!! All these 9's are gradually lowering the metacritic average!!
I can say that I am a hardcore nintendo fan but Smash was never a game I cared that much. I have more hype for pokken, zelda u, xenoblade x than this and prefer games like bayo and hyrule warriors than this. It is just a game to buy only when I find it at good price.
Now I know this is a decisive release for nintendo so I wish it sells like bread in my country so ninty continues to bet in their fans.
As i said 9/10
No 10/10 to Masterpieces because NL don't want to look biased. Zelda U - 9/10 i'm sure about this.
Nintendolife only awards 10s to innovative games. It's why Returns got a 10/10 and Tropical Freeze got a 9/10. If Tropical Freeze came out first I can "almost" guarantee it would get 10/10. Same thing goes for NSMBW and NSMBWU.
This is how Nintendolife has always run the show, period.
@gcunit This might answer your question as well. If this was the first Smash to ever come out, it would easily get a 10/10 (11/10). Most of the reviews I've seen that mark down, do so because they feel its not too much different than previous entries.
@rennandovale I think no N64 or GCN Masterpieces in Smash Wii U is enough to lose a point.
@MasterWario Mega Man 2 and La-Mulana (WiiWare) both got 10's. One of them was a sequel that simply improved on what the original started, while the other was a remake of a decidedly retro (and not really that old) Metroidvania game.
@MrL1193 I'm not saying they won't rate sequels 10/10, but for Nintendolife, being too similar to it predecessor (e.g. Not fixing problems the old games had, not improving on X that clearly should have been improved) is reason enough to mark a score down from 10/10 to 9/10.
At least, this is my impression that I'm confident enough to bet money on.
The game is super fun and that's all that matters. Guys please remember a review is just a posh word for "my opinion". If you have a different opinion than the author then hu ha. Just go play the game guys.
@andyg1971 Already have something to keep Gamepad level. It's the stand that came with Wii Party U for the tabletop games. You could probably buy one on eBay for a couple bucks, or check Nintendo's online store and see if they sell them.
But I am curious, why do you need to keep your Amiibos on the pad? All I do is touch them to the pad and then remove them.
@rennandovale
I do actually feel NintendoLife gives perfect 10 games a 9 far too often, and I too suspect it is in an effort to avoid a perception of bias.
But then again, what do I know? If it were MY review, I'd have given all these games a 10:
Bayonetta
Bayonetta 2
Super Mario 3D World
Smash Bros
Pikmin 3
DKC Tropical Freeze
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
And I would have given these games a 9:
NSMBU
Mario Kart 8
Zelda Windwaker
The Wonderful 101
Rayman Legends
But hey, that's just me.
@JaxonH agree but WW is a 10 in my eyes.
9/10? Eh. I haven't tried the online yet but so far, I'd give the game either a 10 or something higher than a 9.5. Definitely better than the 3DS version.
So upset. You can't be biased if it's true. It lives up to the hype; the mechanics have improved so much; there are so many ways to play with whomever you like UP TO EIGHT PERSONS AT ONCE. Trust me, there is this one club that I go to where we have ten guys taking turns for 4-player Smash Brawl. (not to mention that it's my copy of Brawl -_- ) This would make it so much easier! 10/10
WHAT?! Y U DO DIS NINTENDO LIFE deletes account
So Sakurai... About that vacation...
Ninetendo Life strikes again!
Although given complaints about the Smash Tour mode, it makes sense to not give it a perfect score. 10/10s should be flawless, or at least close to.
Figured it's be a 9/10 and really, it should be. The part that takes it down the point for me is the lack of a true adventure mode like what brawl had (seemed like a push in the right direction only to be removed for a BS reason) and the fact that Smash tour was just a big let down.
@Prime
Sakurai is like Mario, at the end of every big adventure he plans a vacation, but something always happens.
@ikki5 it sucked compared to melee's adventure mode. too long and boring.
Yeah, 9/10 is what I'd also give it. As much as I appreciate the content in this game, I'd say this is right on par with Smash 3DS, in my opinion.
10/10 if it had an adventure mode
@brutalpanda really? It felt more like an actual adventure than what Melee was. It wasn't supposed to be this short run to get to the end, it was supposed to be an actual adventure that took time, hence the save feature and had a real plot that went somewhere. Melee's was fun but seriously, it was short and lacked any plot. You just started, went on your merry way to fight Gigabowser just for the sake of fighting him.
Based off my experience, I totally agree with a nine. A ten should be both innovative and absolutely flawless. This game was absolutely fantastic, but it was neither of those. What we received was the most refined smash bros. ever made, but the two things that took it from a ten were an underwhelming Smash Tour and stage builder.
Hm I suppose by your scoring policy it wouldnt be a 10/10 but I'm a bit surprised it got a 9/10.
Has a Wii U game ever gotten a 10/10 here yet? Not Smash Bros... Maybe Zelda U can get one!
so it got a 9 just like all the other games that score 9 ish?
that means this game should swim in the pool of 9 ish next to all the other games that got a 9, and they are with many!
a 9 is a decent score for a title that took so much attention the last year, there were like 4-5 articles a day for the last past year. it was almost spam
But well, will buy it anyways even if it score a 4. just as investment for my all time favourite gameconsole makers.
NintendoLife's scores are getting so predictable. I wonder why you have delayed the score - we know you weren't going to give this game an 8, and no matter how functional the online would have been, you weren't going to give this game a 10. So...
"Super Smash Bros. finally embraces its hyper-competitive side", not really. Melee still is more competitive than this one, better than brawl though.
Enjoy the party guys...(don,t have a wii u)
@BensonUii That's been my desktop wallpaper for a while now! hehe
@BigGumby : The biggest flaw in Smash Bros to me is the lack of Ice Climbers.
I lost interrest to buy Smash Bros on day 1 because of that.
The game is not the same when my favourite fighters is gone.
@Ventilator mehh I'm glad they're gone. They should've been replaced with Joe & Mac the Caveman Ninjas.
@JaxonH What do you give Hyrule Warriors an 8?
@polivar4 yeah, an 8 pounds about right. Maybe 8.5
All that hemming and hawing and you gave it a 9? Might as well have left it without a score.
Awwww, no more score pending? That's one of my favorite scores! It makes people read the review!
The online still seems choppy (despite my Intenet connection having improved considerably since Brawl), the single player is worse than ever and the game feels flatter and far more one dimensional than Melee.
Faster, flashier, brighter, bigger and more exploitative than ever, it's not just chaotic, it's a mess. From the laughable customization and unreliable Smash and Final Smash controls to the complete waste of the Gamepad and over reliance on Gamecube hardware, this was (yes, was. A week was all it took) my least favorite Smash yet. I won't be getting a 3DS until the New 3DS and even then, Smash isn't going to be a game I'll buy again.
Most overhyped game in Nintendo's history.
Score..?
I personally hate the whole 'score' thing.
99% of gamers buy a game for visual appeal or history with the franchise.
I'd say it's probably a 5 for the single player / online experience and a 6.5-7 for the multiplayer.
After spending the week prior to Smash playing Soul Calibur 2 and DOA 3 on my original Xbox, the depth in the actual fight is so noticeably shallow, it wears thin after just a match or two. Hello multi-tier, 2.5D, intricate combos and solid physics for me, good bye floaty, silent protagonists.
I shouldn't expect a company that lives and breathes 2D platforming to do much else. For all the bravado, it doesn't bring much to the table.
"On 3DS, Super Smash Bros. was built primarily for on-the-go play, where human opponents or wi-fi connections are an uncertainty. As such, its modes are designed around quick bursts of action"
Therefore I find it strange that in the 3DS version it takes pretty long to launch a opponent! It goes against the "short-burst" nature of the system.
But both versions are great. I think Sakurai did a great job.
Great Smashing Fun!
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