Super Smash Bros. for Wii U preview
UPDATE 24/10/14: Eight-player showdowns come to Nintendo's beloved brawling series
Apologies to the die-hards out there still clinging to the candy-coloured nostalgia of their youth, but the Wii U has been a borderline disaster for Nintendo. Yes, there are a handful of truly great games, but third-party developers bailed out early and the hardware feels underpowered and still overpriced.
As with many of the company’s past platforms, it’s now fallen on Nintendo to provide most of the meaningful games going forward, and none is bigger in the months ahead than Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Like earlier entries, the latest of the cartoonish brawling series brings together all manner of fighters from Nintendo’s own franchises, along with guests from other iconic classics.
A similar version just launched for Nintendo 3DS, but it’ll be the Wii U game that satisfies the most fans, delivering epic four-player big-screen brawls. And it’ll also be the first proving ground for the Amiibo smart figurine platform, not to mention the biggest Wii U game of the holiday season by far. Ready to throw down? Here’s what you need to know.
READ MORE: Nintendo Wii U review
It’s (mostly) more of the same
Maybe that’s not the most exciting place to start, but it’s true: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is ultimate comfort food for Nintendo fans, and we expect they’ll eat it right up. That’s not a bad thing at all; after the company’s earlier attempts to create innovative second-screen experiences, they’re just focusing now on making great games, full stop.
As ever, you’ll battle it out on large, multi-tiered stages with up to four characters at a time (online or in the same room), using special attacks and items to try and defeat your foes or push them off the of the platforms. Super Smash Bros. trades in simple actions and inputs, and finds fun in chaos and competition rather than complexity.
And don’t worry, you don’t need to use the hulking Wii U GamePad if you don’t want to: Nintendo will release an adaptor to make GameCube controllers – long the preferred input device of series fans – compatible with the console, plus Wii Remotes and their Classic Controller attachments all work as well.
But there are big new features
In addition to announcing the holiday release not long before it’s due out in stores, Nintendo has also just recently dumped some rather significant info about the game.
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer Related content
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