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3DSWiiU

Sakurai Insisted on Smash Bros. for Both Wii U and 3DS

by Karlie Yeung - June 9, 2011, 10:31 am EDT
Total comments: 5 Source: http://www.project-sora.co.jp/interview2/03.html

Do you want to make a game for Wii U or 3DS? I'll take both.

Masahiro Sakurai, co-founder of Project Sora, said that there is no way that they can't make Super Smash Bros. for both Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, in response to Iwata's reveal that Nintendo are making a new console. 

This comes from the recently posted "Iwata Asks" article on Project Sora's website where he interviewed Sakurai about his future projects. Iwata approached Sakurai to ask which of the platforms they wanted to develop for, and was shocked when the response was both. We translated more of the interview and found out some of Sakurai's interesting ideas for the future Smash Bros. games. 

  • Sakurai mentions that for him, just extending upon the previous Smash Bros games, putting in more characters, more levels, and improving the graphics because the hardware is higher spec, is not an option (in relation to the Wii U).

  • As for the portable version, he thinks it's attractive that they are inherently different from consoles so there are new possibilities that can be explored, although obviously these same aspects can lead to limitations for people who enjoy the Smash Bros gameplay as is. He sees portable gaming as more personal, gaming that you can make your own.

  • That being the case, for the portable version he wants to make it so that when a player plays alone they can get results from that, such as gaining experience and to level up characters, making them customizable. He thought that then you could take that character over to your Wii U and do battle with your friends.

  • For the portable game he plans on making it so that there is merit in players of varying ability playing together, as well as players who are good helping those who aren't.

  • In talking about the kinds of artists they need to hire, he mentions that he is aware that making the graphics in the same style as the previous versions would result in the characters becoming too tiny to see on the portable screen. (This seems to indicate that they would consider handling that problem through the graphics style in some fashion.)

  • At the very end, he mentions that if he can't find enough good people to make the games he'll have to cut it down to only making one (this Iwata Asks was posted on Project Sora's employment page, after all). Iwata mentions that this surprises him, since he announced it at E3, and then Sakurai backtracks and says , "Well, then instead it will take us like five years to make the game(s)". 

    So we can rest assured that the games will be ready before five years is up. Probably.

  • Translations by our staff Japanese Correspondents.

    Talkback

    AdrockJune 09, 2011

    I agree that they shouldn't just add more characters and stages. They need to work on updating the gameplay so it feels fresh and unique, like Melee did compared to the original rather than Brawl. Even if you preferred the original, it's hard to deny that the additions (i.e. dodging, directional attacks) didn't change the way the game was played.

    What I don't really want are modes that barely feel like Smash Bros. like the adventure mode. When Melee came out, I was a big supporter of expanding the mode but in hindsight, it's not really in the spirit of the series. It feels hollow and once it was finished, I didn't feel like playing it again. I don't know if there's a way to take the Smash Bros. gameplay and translate it into a solo/co-op adventure mode that I'd ever want to play again, like Zelda or Metroid.

    I'm a little weary of a 3DS version. I just don't see how it would work with how the camera pans out besides limiting the size of stages. Maybe the 3DS game will be the adventure mode with co-op and Super Smash Bros. Universe (the obvious title for the WiiU version) being focused mainly on free-for-all. I'd accept that and probably ignore the 3DS title. And if any version gets canned, I think it's safe to assume the 3DS would be the one to go.

    CericJune 09, 2011

    You see I'm in the boat that the Single Player should have a mode that allows you to place different characters into the different game play styles of the other characters.  I find that interesting.  Then you have the events for the true Smash game play craziness.

    GKJune 09, 2011

    I wonder if your custom characters will be fighting Miis. If you can take moves from various characters & put them together on a Mii you might have something pretty interesting.

    CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterJune 09, 2011

    Man this will be a long time coming. At least Soul Calibur V and to a lesser extent Tekken will hold me over next year. Well smash see you when I'm 29!

    CericJune 09, 2011

    If you have a 3DS you should not feel a dirth of Fighters there.  I would not be surprised if we start to see the backlog of fighters start showing up on the VC.

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