Tag: Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros. creator regrets the series’ online multiplayer functions

Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai thinks it was a mistake for the multiplayer game to go online

Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai thinks it was a mistake for the multiplayer game to go online. Sakurai made the comment in a recent YouTube video as part of his series about game development and said he always had concerns about how online competition might make players lose confidence (thanks, Eurogamer).

“I don’t think online play and Smash Bros. are a very good fit for each other,” Sakurai said. “One of the best parts of Smash Bros. is how players can become champions among their friends. But being subjected to online competition can cause people to lose confidence, which isn’t great.”

The technical strain of hosting matches online with synchronous inputs – where games register inputs for every player across every frame simultaneously – also presented issues. Sakurai called it a “major disadvantage” since it created a situation where players are almost forced to play with people as close to them as possible, or else put up with significant choppiness and lag.

The video is about Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii, though some of the same issues – including the lag – still plague Ultimate on the Switch.

Unlike some popular fighting games, Nintendo never implemented rollback netcode in Smash Bros, a function that reduces lag and choppiness. It seems Sakurai didn’t really have a choice in the matter, though.

“When it comes to technical issues, it doesn’t really matter what I personally think,” Sakurai said.
“If my job is to do it, I’ll do it. And you never know, it could be fun in its own way. In fact, when we got online play working, I remember thinking. ‘Wow, it’s actually possible.'”

Lag aside, Smash Bros. Ultimate still sold over 30 million copies between its launch in December 2018 and February 2023 – not quite as impressive as Tears of the Kingdom perhaps, but a respectable number nonetheless. 

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Nintendo partners with Panda Global for first official Super Smash Bros. Circuit

Both Smash Bros. Ultimate and Smash Bros. Melee will be there.

Nintendo is partnering with Panda Global for the first-ever official Super Smash Bros.  championship circuit. 

In 2022, Panda Global will operate a series of officially licensed competitive circuits for Super Smash Bros. Melee  and  Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There’ll be several professional tournaments culminating in a massive championship later — no details just yet on when or where these will take place other than they’ll be in North America. So there’s still plenty of time to  brush up on your Sora skills, at least.

The circuit will begin with qualifying rounds in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate  via online play. Since Super Smash Bros. Melee  doesn’t have an official online component (because it’s a 20-year-old game), in-person qualifiers will come once Nintendo and Panda Global are confident they can host a big event again safely.

Bill Trinen, senior director of product marketing at Nintendo, had nothing but enthusiasm for the company’s joint venture with Panda Global.

“This partnership with Panda Global is the next step in Nintendo’s efforts to create a more consistent, fun and welcoming competitive environment for our players and fans,” Trinen said  in a statement. “We are proud to stand with an organization like Panda Global to celebrate and support the ever-growing competitive Super Smash Bros. community and create a space where all players can test and hone their competitive skills.”

The competitive scene for Smash Bros.  is fairly health, especially with how often  Nintendo adds big-name characters to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. An official tournament series is new, though. Maybe  Masahiro Sakurai will make an appearance during the finals.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Masahiro Sakurai isn’t thinking about a ‘Smash Brothers’ sequel right now

The master hand behind Smash isn’t sure where the series is heading yet.

Masahiro Sakurai, creator of the Super Smash Bros.  series, is trying his best not to think about a sequel to Smash Bros. Ultimate right now, Famitsu  reported Tuesday.

During an interview with the Japanese publication  translated into English by Siliconera, Sakurai stated that no plans are finalized regarding a new entry in the Smash Bros. series.

“I am not thinking of a sequel. I am not thinking of it every time,” Sakurai said via Famitsu. “However, I can’t say with certainty that this would be the end of Smash.”

Sakurai also claims that it’s still undecided if he would be the director on a hypothetical new entry.

“I currently don’t see a path where Smash can be produced without myself,” Sakurai explains via Famitsu. “Honestly, we did actually try leaving it to someone else, but it didn’t go well.”

Sakurai went on to say he wants to get out of the limelight for a while, even departing from his bi-weekly column in Famitsu. Though he’s still working, just unable to say what his next project is right now.

It’s not even been a month since the Sora announcement for Smash Bros. Ultimate, something that  fans are still buzzing over. So it’s a little early to expect any info on what Sakurai is up to currently. Hopefully, he’s getting in some much-needed RnR.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Here’s why Sora joining the cast of ‘Smash Bros. Ultimate’ is a big deal

Do you want the simple and clean details? We’ve got you covered.

So, you don’t know who Sora is or why he’s  joining Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, eh?

 For starters, Sora is the protagonist of Kingdom Hearts, a popular JRPG series where Sora, along with Donald Duck and Goofy, run around battling evil beings called Heartless. Yes, you read all that right. Kingdom Hearts is a crossover series between Disney and Square Enix, the developer and publisher responsible for classics like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Nier, and loads more. 

The original Kingdom Hearts came out on the PlayStation 2 back in 2002, and the series has shipped over 30 million copies worldwide  since then. So despite Sora maybe not being a household name, the character is popular among RPG (and Disney) enthusiasts alike.

Oh, and he’s voiced by none other than Haley Joel Osment. As in the “I see dead people” kid from The Sixth Sense. Osment has been voicing Sora since the first game. That’s 12 games over 20 years!

Okay, we’ve laid out who Sora is, so why is it a big deal that he’s part of Smash Bros Ultimate, then? The simple answer is Smash Brothers is a Nintendo franchise, while Kingdom Hearts’ mainline games have historically been exclusive to PlayStation platforms. However, that’s not the case anymore, as the series  recently made its way onto PC.  

Oh, and in conjunction with Sora coming to Smash Brothers Ultimate, Square Enix announced that the core Kingdom Hearts series is coming to Nintendo Switch next year.

During Tuesday’s Smash Brothers Ultimate broadcast, game director Masahiro Sakurai revealed that Sora had been the most requested character for years now too. And now he’s finally part of the roster! 

So yeah, that’s why everyone is losing it over Sora’s inclusion downright momentous for many people. Not to mention that his move sets in Smash Brothers Ultimate just look cool as all hell too. 

This has been a long time coming, that’s for sure.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

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Sora from ‘Kingdom Hearts’ joined the cast of ‘Smash Bros. Ultimate’ and fans went wild

Simple and Clean better be on the soundtrack.

After years of fan campaigning, Sora of Kingdom Hearts  fame is coming to Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Nintendo announced on Tuesday that everyone’s favorite keyblade wielder is joining the roster, and fans went bananas. 

Masahiro Sakurai, Super Smash Bros Ultimate’s  game director, was quite excited to finally reveal the 82nd and final character to be added to the game. Primarily because fans had wanted Sora added to Smash Brothers  before Ultimate  itself was even announced. Well, it finally happened, and Twitter could barely contain its excitement. Can you blame them, though? Some have been waiting for this for well over a decade!

Check out Sora’s Super Smash Bros Ultimate announcement trailer for yourself below.

It’s still a surreal sight to see.

Of course, it’s one thing to talk about fan frenzy, and it’s another to witness it first-hand. So below, you’ll find a handy little curated list of how people are reacting to Sora in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. 

Most of it is overwhelmingly positive, with a little bit of salt sprinkled in for good measure from DOOM, Crash Bandicoot, and, um, Waluigi fans sad that their favorite characters didn’t make the cut. Regardless, the memes are incredible.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

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Steve from Minecraft is the new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character

Gamers react to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character reveal.

Nintendo fans have been waiting for a new character to be added to the massive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster, and with a character reveal event set for Thursday, rumors and speculation over who the character might be ran wild in recent days. There were reports that we could see a character from Blizzard’s Overwatch. Some thought that Crash Bandicoot might finally land in Smash Bros, while Xbox fans hoped it could be Master Chief.

Instead, Smash Bros. fans are getting…. a Minecraft collaboration. Steve from Minecraft is the new Smash Bros. character, and can be swapped out for Alex, Enderman or a Zombie. Steve is available as a part of Smash Bros.’ Fighter Pass Vol. 2 DLC.

Another presentation starring Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai will air on October 3rd and feature more in-depth gameplay with the new character.

Coincidentally, Twitter went down at the exact moment the presentation started, leading many to joke that Steve broke the internet.

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