Super Smash Bros.

Overview

Super Smash Bros. is an upcoming dual-platform edition of the latest entry in the Super Smash Bros. series in development for both the Wii U and 3DS. The games are titled in a straight-forward manner as simply "Super Smash Bros. for Wii U" and "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS". Both are scheduled for release in 2014. The 3DS version will be the first handheld entry in the Smash Bros. series.

Roster

The currently known roster features the following characters:

Returning Fighters

• Mario (Super Mario)
• Link (The Legend of Zelda)
• Kirby (Kirby)
• Samus Aran (Metroid)
• Pikachu (Pokemon)
• Bowser (Super Mario)
• Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong)
• Pit (Kid Icarus)
• Fox McCloud (Star Fox)

Newcomers

• Villager (Animal Crossing)
• Wii Fit Trainer (Wii Fit)
• Mega Man (Mega Man)

Version Differences

Not much is known on how the Wii U and 3DS versions of Smash Bros. will differ from each other. However, it is known that the two games will feature different graphic styles, with the 3DS version featuring a more cel-shaded look. Both games will feature the same roster of characters, but the selection of stages will differ; the Wii U version of the game will feature stages inspired by console titles, while the 3DS edition will feature stages inspired by portable games. Also while there will be no cross-play between the two versions there will be some interactivity in the form of character customization, though how characters can be customized has yet to be revealed.

Development

The game was announced during Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference, but development had not yet started at that time. During a Nintendo Direct presentation on June 21, 2012, it was announced that in order to get the game done more quickly, Nintendo is partnering with Namco Bandai Games and Namco Bandai Studio with oversight by series creator Masahiro Sakurai at Sora. Development officially began after the completion of Sakurai's previous game, Kid Icarus: Uprising.

The team at Namco Bandai working on the new Smash Bros. includes Masaya Kobayashi, Yoshito Higuchi (producer and director of the Tales... series), Tetsuya Akatsuka (producer and director of Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs.) and the art/sound director of the Soul Calibur series as well as the main development staff from the Tekken series.

The first footage of the game was revealed during a Nintendo Direct video stream on June 11, 2013. The video revealed a select few playable characters and also demonstrated that the game will use two different art styles; cel-shading on the 3DS, and a more standard shading on the Wii U.

On the June 11, 2013 E3 Nintendo Direct, the first three additions to the roster were revealed: the Villager from Animal Crossing, the female trainer from Wii Fit, and Mega Man.