Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Sora / Namco Bandai Platform: Wii U Release: 2014 Players: 1-8 (Local), 1-4 (Online) Genre: 2D Fighting / 2D Platformer Rating: 9.6 / 10.0: Masterful
From the moment Nintendo 64 owners heard Xander Mobus bellow the words "Super... smaaaaash brotherrrrrsss!" upon booting up the game of the same name, they knew they were in for something great. A little over 15 years and a handful of spectacular sequels later, along has come what is arguably one of the greatest video games ever released. While Super Smash Bros.' 3DS iteration was one of the best reasons to own the handheld, but due to it's lack of features previously present in the series such as an animated intro, Tourney mode, Events, and a stage builder, it felt like a glimpse of what was to come with the upcoming Wii U release. The 3DS game kept Smash fanatics busy for the following month, but they all knew that this was the true game they were waiting for that was nearly seven years in the making. Was it all worth the wait? When I popped this disk into my Wii U and was treated to a beautiful opening cut scene, that question became rhetorical.
Something you will notice fairly quickly is that pretty much everything the 3DS edition lacked from previous SSB games has returned, upping the replay value by a fair amount. If you were disappointed by the missing modes in the handheld game (if you played it), than you can rejoice at the return of most aforementioned exclusions. Also, nametags. Don't tell me giving yourself an immature name that results in groans from your pals isn't fun. While these are meaningful features, you'll be spending most of your time with the chaotic local brawls. While the 3DS version had stages based more on handheld titles, the battlegrounds here are console game-oriented, or replace stages based on the same series. Rather than Reset Bomb Fortress (Kid Icarus), there's Palutena's Temple. Instead of Saffron City (Pokémon), there's Kalos Pokémon League.
If you owned the 3DS game, you will notice fairly quickly that there is no Smash Run mode. While this was a fun and addictive addition, it has been substituted here by Smash Tour. This is a Mario Party-style game in which you travel roll a dice (sort of) and travel around the board of your choice as your Mii, collecting stat boosts, items, and fighters as you go. When two players collide, a battle is initiated. Here, you'll use the fighters you've acquired, making this mode a great way to hone your skills with a character without doing training mode. The winner of the fight receives a generous reward. When there are no turns left, a stock battle occurs in which the last person with fighters remaining is the victor.
As you play through the single player modes, you'll earn tickets. These can be used to play the Crazy Orders and Special Orders modes. In these games, you're given a time limit to face fighters and earn coins, custom moves, stat badges, Mii Fighter clothing, and other goodies. When you think you're ready or when time is up, you can face either Master Hand or Crazy Hand (this depends on which variant of the mode you are playing) to make the loot yours-- if you win, of course.
SSB Wii U is the flagship title for Nintendo's new Amiibo figurines, the company's take on toys-come-to-life gaming popularized by Skylanders and Disney Infinity games. When you place a new Nintendo character toy onto the Wii U Gamepad, you will be asked the customize it. Choose its outfit's color scheme, give it a name, then ... feed it equipment. These aren't limited to three stat badges like normal custom fighters-- instead, they gobble up (off screen) any number of badges. You could just go ahead and stuff your Amiibo with all your equipment, or balance out its stats until you are satisfied. You can then proceed to place to level up your FP (Figure Player) by battling it, all the way 'till it gets to level 50. The higher its level, the more skilled it becomes. The figure can go from being destroyed by you to become the destroyer in just a few hours of dedicated training . It can even adapt to your moveset and develop its own habits. It's always fun to play a one-on-one match teaching your Amiibo a specific tactic. Amiibo support has since been added to the 3DS entry, but the figurines are compatible only with the New 3DS mode unless you purchase an adapter. Additionally, DLC has been added to Smash for the first time. Extra fighters, stages, and Mii Fighter outfits are available, and Nintendo is listening to the fans. There are online ballots for potential DLC characters (they must be video game characters, so sorry, Dragonball fans, but it will be over 9,000 years before Nintendo listens to your cries of "Goku for Smash!"), and I was pleasantly surprised to see stage ideas from the magazine Game Informer make their way into game. However, I am annoyed by how overpowered some of the DLC characters are -- Ryu and Mewtoo specifically. I guess you can say Smash, in away, has become a pay-to-win game (I'm joking of course).
While the series' previous console iterartion had tons of controller options, this game has even more! You can use a sideways Wii Remote, a Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo (my personal favorite), the Wii U GamePad, a Wii Classic Controller, a Wii U Pro Controller and diehard fans of Melee can now get their hands on the GameCube controller adapter! I haven't yet mentioned the marvels that are this game's graphics and soundtrack. While Super Smash Bros. Brawl (which it is your duty as a gamer to play) opted for a dark and gritty visual style, SSB4 return to Melee's vibrant and colorful aesthetic, making this a treat for the eyes. Additionally, I was blown away by the size of this game's 490 track musical score, a number that may increase. This dwarfs Brawl's already astounding 267 songs as well the 3DS version's still-impressive 127. However, I can't notice a few tweaks to the soundtrack from the other addition involving a few of my favorite songs. I don't really mind that the beautiful guitar remix of the Gerudo Valley theme was replaced by the original composition. I do mind that the awesome horn and electric guitar version of the Punch Out! Circuit theme from the series' Wii reboot was substituted by a generic rearrangement that can't even hold a candle to the original chiptune. My final complaint is that the issues with online play in the handheld game have not been addressed. There's just as much lag and games that are forcibly ended, possibly more so than in the other version. Overall, most of the issues I faced were only nitpicks and I still didn't have many of those. If you own a Wii U, than you absolutely must own this game. This is a masterpiece that any fan of Nintendo must play.
Ups
Years of replay value
8-Player Smash
Massive roster
Amiibo training is great fun
Missing features return
Online character ballot
Tons of controller options
Downs
Overpowered DLC characters
Smash Run substituted
Online connectivity as bad as ever
ESRB: E 10+ Content: Cartoon Mischief, Cartoon Violence, and Mild Suggestive Themes Price: $59.99 (Retail / Download)
From the moment Nintendo 64 owners heard Xander Mobus bellow the words "Super... smaaaaash brotherrrrrsss!" upon booting up the game of the same name, they knew they were in for something great. A little over 15 years and a handful of spectacular sequels later, along has come what is arguably one of the greatest video games ever released. While Super Smash Bros.' 3DS iteration was one of the best reasons to own the handheld, but due to it's lack of features previously present in the series such as an animated intro, Tourney mode, Events, and a stage builder, it felt like a glimpse of what was to come with the upcoming Wii U release. The 3DS game kept Smash fanatics busy for the following month, but they all knew that this was the true game they were waiting for that was nearly seven years in the making. Was it all worth the wait? When I popped this disk into my Wii U and was treated to a beautiful opening cut scene, that question became rhetorical.
Something you will notice fairly quickly is that pretty much everything the 3DS edition lacked from previous SSB games has returned, upping the replay value by a fair amount. If you were disappointed by the missing modes in the handheld game (if you played it), than you can rejoice at the return of most aforementioned exclusions. Also, nametags. Don't tell me giving yourself an immature name that results in groans from your pals isn't fun. While these are meaningful features, you'll be spending most of your time with the chaotic local brawls. While the 3DS version had stages based more on handheld titles, the battlegrounds here are console game-oriented, or replace stages based on the same series. Rather than Reset Bomb Fortress (Kid Icarus), there's Palutena's Temple. Instead of Saffron City (Pokémon), there's Kalos Pokémon League.
If you owned the 3DS game, you will notice fairly quickly that there is no Smash Run mode. While this was a fun and addictive addition, it has been substituted here by Smash Tour. This is a Mario Party-style game in which you travel roll a dice (sort of) and travel around the board of your choice as your Mii, collecting stat boosts, items, and fighters as you go. When two players collide, a battle is initiated. Here, you'll use the fighters you've acquired, making this mode a great way to hone your skills with a character without doing training mode. The winner of the fight receives a generous reward. When there are no turns left, a stock battle occurs in which the last person with fighters remaining is the victor.
As you play through the single player modes, you'll earn tickets. These can be used to play the Crazy Orders and Special Orders modes. In these games, you're given a time limit to face fighters and earn coins, custom moves, stat badges, Mii Fighter clothing, and other goodies. When you think you're ready or when time is up, you can face either Master Hand or Crazy Hand (this depends on which variant of the mode you are playing) to make the loot yours-- if you win, of course.
SSB Wii U is the flagship title for Nintendo's new Amiibo figurines, the company's take on toys-come-to-life gaming popularized by Skylanders and Disney Infinity games. When you place a new Nintendo character toy onto the Wii U Gamepad, you will be asked the customize it. Choose its outfit's color scheme, give it a name, then ... feed it equipment. These aren't limited to three stat badges like normal custom fighters-- instead, they gobble up (off screen) any number of badges. You could just go ahead and stuff your Amiibo with all your equipment, or balance out its stats until you are satisfied. You can then proceed to place to level up your FP (Figure Player) by battling it, all the way 'till it gets to level 50. The higher its level, the more skilled it becomes. The figure can go from being destroyed by you to become the destroyer in just a few hours of dedicated training . It can even adapt to your moveset and develop its own habits. It's always fun to play a one-on-one match teaching your Amiibo a specific tactic. Amiibo support has since been added to the 3DS entry, but the figurines are compatible only with the New 3DS mode unless you purchase an adapter. Additionally, DLC has been added to Smash for the first time. Extra fighters, stages, and Mii Fighter outfits are available, and Nintendo is listening to the fans. There are online ballots for potential DLC characters (they must be video game characters, so sorry, Dragonball fans, but it will be over 9,000 years before Nintendo listens to your cries of "Goku for Smash!"), and I was pleasantly surprised to see stage ideas from the magazine Game Informer make their way into game. However, I am annoyed by how overpowered some of the DLC characters are -- Ryu and Mewtoo specifically. I guess you can say Smash, in away, has become a pay-to-win game (I'm joking of course).
While the series' previous console iterartion had tons of controller options, this game has even more! You can use a sideways Wii Remote, a Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo (my personal favorite), the Wii U GamePad, a Wii Classic Controller, a Wii U Pro Controller and diehard fans of Melee can now get their hands on the GameCube controller adapter! I haven't yet mentioned the marvels that are this game's graphics and soundtrack. While Super Smash Bros. Brawl (which it is your duty as a gamer to play) opted for a dark and gritty visual style, SSB4 return to Melee's vibrant and colorful aesthetic, making this a treat for the eyes. Additionally, I was blown away by the size of this game's 490 track musical score, a number that may increase. This dwarfs Brawl's already astounding 267 songs as well the 3DS version's still-impressive 127. However, I can't notice a few tweaks to the soundtrack from the other addition involving a few of my favorite songs. I don't really mind that the beautiful guitar remix of the Gerudo Valley theme was replaced by the original composition. I do mind that the awesome horn and electric guitar version of the Punch Out! Circuit theme from the series' Wii reboot was substituted by a generic rearrangement that can't even hold a candle to the original chiptune. My final complaint is that the issues with online play in the handheld game have not been addressed. There's just as much lag and games that are forcibly ended, possibly more so than in the other version. Overall, most of the issues I faced were only nitpicks and I still didn't have many of those. If you own a Wii U, than you absolutely must own this game. This is a masterpiece that any fan of Nintendo must play.
Ups
Years of replay value
8-Player Smash
Massive roster
Amiibo training is great fun
Missing features return
Online character ballot
Tons of controller options
Downs
Overpowered DLC characters
Smash Run substituted
Online connectivity as bad as ever
ESRB: E 10+ Content: Cartoon Mischief, Cartoon Violence, and Mild Suggestive Themes Price: $59.99 (Retail / Download)
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