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Smash Run Arcade Mode Unveiled, Exclusive to Super Smash Bros. for 3DS

by Tom Malina - April 8, 2014, 3:57 pm EDT
Total comments: 13

Imagine the Subspace Emissary concentrated into one bite-sized, chaotic dose.

A new arcade-style adventure mode called Smash Run was revealed as an exclusive feature in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS during today's Nintendo Direct presentation.

Supporting up to four-player multiplayer, the mode consists of a large, non-linear dungeon spliced together with environments and enemies from a smorgasbord of Nintendo franchises. Players are given five minutes to explore this level, along the way fighting foes, platforming and collecting power-ups for attributes such as damage, speed and defence.

In addition, special-use items can be collected and activated via the Touch Screen - according to game director Masahiro Sakurai, this was inspired by and functions similarly to Nintendo GameCube racing title Kirby's Air Ride. While exploring, players may also occasionally instigate unique stage events, such as having to survive a wave of Bullet Bills entering the screen.

After the five-minute time limit has elapsed, players will be placed into a standard battle with all of their obtained power-ups in effect, encouraging competition to find the best powers during the exploration phase.

The Smash Run mode will not feature in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, with no word on a comparable mode appearing in this version of the game.

Talkback

AdrockApril 08, 2014

There has to be a Wii U exclusive mode. It's bad enough it's launching months later. Don't give people even less reason to care about the Wii U version.

Mop it upApril 08, 2014

Sounds like it could be fun.

I'm sure the Wii U will have its own exclusive mode(s), they're probably just saving the reveal for later.

AdrockApril 08, 2014

Smash Run looks like fun. I'm glad most of the enemies are actual Nintendo characters even if some of the Subspace Emissary cereal box rejects show up.

MythtendoApril 08, 2014

Sounds interesting, gives another reason to actually buy the 3DS versions (since it's only selling feature was being portable).

I am like... a -HUGE- fan of City Trial. I must have rented Kirby's air ride like... 4 or 5 times wanting to just play City Trial for a weekend. seeing this got me -INCREDIBLY- hyped.

PhilPhillip Stortzum, April 09, 2014

Quote from: Adrock

There has to be a Wii U exclusive mode. It's bad enough it's launching months later. Don't give people even less reason to care about the Wii U version.

Oh, there will most likely be at least one exclusive mode for the Wii U version.

StogiApril 09, 2014

Does there actually need to be? Wii U version I feel is the most sociable version and the easiest to play. I can grab a few friends some brews and whoop some ass. The 3DS version we'd all have to 3DS's and the game.

Ian SaneApril 09, 2014

Releasing the 3DS version earlier with an exclusive mode would be such self-sabotage they might as well discontinue the Wii U.  The Wii U version needs its own exclusive mode to match this.  Does that mean it does?  Well not having that would be insanely stupid but Nintendo and insanely stupid decisions tend to go hand-in-hand.

If any company would seemingly go out of their way to sabotage their own console Nintendo would do it.  You could tell me that they're implementing a Wii U price hike and it would sound plausible.

StogiApril 09, 2014

But but....

What the hell is the point of Smash Bros.? Am I missing something? Is it exclusive modes or is it brawling with your friends with your favorite characters?

OblivionApril 09, 2014

No one cares, Ian Sane.

KhushrenadaApril 09, 2014

Quote from: Stogi

But but....

What the hell is the point of Smash Bros.? Am I missing something? Is it exclusive modes or is it brawling with your friends with your favorite characters?

It depends on your play style. For me, when I first played Melee, it was a solo experience. I basically unlocked everything on my own. When I finally played some rounds with a few other people, they were use to just fighting matches and had all kinds of skills for multiplayer combat. My skills had been trained on Adventure Mode and A.I. combat. Thus, it took me awhile to adjust. Even with Brawl, I spent most of that game single player and unlocking things and getting trophies. For me, it is a more single player experience. I just don't have many friends in my area that I know who want to play it and if they do, they're all more skilled than I am. Plus, some of them have moved away so that number has even shrunk further.

Thus, I'm happy for the effort put into make single player more fun and with the 3DS version, I think that is more important because I think it will mostly be played that way. I've had Animal Crossing: New Leaf's connection crash out on me and other people quite a few times so I have no idea how well online matches would work for it. As mentioned by Stogi, the multiplayer requirement for Smash Bros. 3DS is tougher as everyone would have to have a 3DS and potentially all need a copy of the game. With the Wii U, it should be much easier for multiplayer sessions to happen. I'm not surprised there is a greater single player focus on 3DS. It just makes sense. But I wonder what the focus on the Wii U version will be.

Luigi DudeApril 09, 2014

Quote from: Khushrenada

As mentioned by Stogi, the multiplayer requirement for Smash Bros. 3DS is tougher as everyone would have to have a 3DS and potentially all need a copy of the game. With the Wii U, it should be much easier for multiplayer sessions to happen. I'm not surprised there is a greater single player focus on 3DS. It just makes sense. But I wonder what the focus on the Wii U version will be.

The Wii U version will be more multiplayer focused.  Sakurai said back at E3 2011 when the games were first announced, even though development hadn't started that he wanted to make the 3DS game more for single player and the Wii U version more multiplayer.  The newest Direct just shows Sakurai has stuck to his original plan.

So I'd expect the Wii U version to contain a lot more options and type of matches for it's multiplayer vs the 3DS version which will probably contain the usual stock or time matches, but not much else.  I also wouldn't be surprised if the Wii U version contains more stages then the 3DS version to help put more focus on the multiplayer as well.  Sakurai said both versions will have the same roster of characters, but with different stages.  He never said both versions will have the same number of stages though.


We already see that the 3DS version will have 2 songs per stage while the Wii U will be like Brawl with at least 5 songs per stage with some that'll probably go over 10.  If the Wii U version is going to have that much more music per stages then the 3DS, then that should give a good hint of just how much more they'll probably be for multiplayer on the Wii U including stages and options or new modes.

AdrockApril 09, 2014

Quote from: Luigi

The Wii U version will be more multiplayer focused.  Sakurai said back at E3 2011 when the games were first announced, even though development hadn't started that he wanted to make the 3DS game more for single player and the Wii U version more multiplayer.  The newest Direct just shows Sakurai has stuck to his original plan.

Not sure I agree with this (yet). The big announcement for the 3DS version was a new competitive multiplayer mode.

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