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Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS - Utilizing 3DS features, patching, dev status, roster limitations, single player and more
The following comes from an IGN interview with Masahiro Sakurai...
On working with 3DS and Wii U
“Back when I was working on Kid Icarus Uprising, I was already getting a feel for the 3DS performance and the features in that hardware. Mr. Iwata came to me and asked which platform I would want to put the next Smash Bros. on. Looking at those two platforms and seeing their individual styles and uniquenesses – I saw with the 3DS that it would be good for one flavor of the game, but there was also the other end, getting the grand scale what was possible with the Wii U. So with that in mind, we decided to go ahead and put the game on two platforms.”
On trial and error
“We’re currently going through a lot of trial and error, seeing what fits best for the game. Eventually that will come to fruition in some form or another, but right now it’s a little bit early to say exactly what that will be.”
On 3DS' uniqueness
“What’s unique about the 3DS is that you have your own screen. There are things we can do that are unique to having a personalized experience for yourself. Also, having your own data that you can carry around in your own personal device creates a lot of neat opportunities. That’s something we want to take advantage of – without going into too much detail.”
On development status and patches
“We’re not at a stage in development where we’re going through those fine sorts of adjustments. When we get towards the end of development, we will have what we call monitor playtests, where we watch people play the games. We perform thorough analysis based on those observations. There have been cases in the past, admittedly, where we didn’t gather sufficient data for certain characters, and that resulted in certain game imbalances. Patches are something we’d definitely like to be able to do, if possible.”
- 3DS limitations are keeping the roster in check
- no characters had been cut so far
- “multiple character” combatants like the Ice Climbers are proving a technical challenge on the 3DS
On customization
“We’re planning for a level of customization to some degree and in some form. It’s not completely decided at this point. But it’s very important to point out that we do this in a careful way that doesn’t affect the strength and balance of the characters. One thing we’d like to do is to be able to customize the direction of attacks. But not give characters a stronger jump or a stronger or weaker attack. You can consider customizations like that possible.”
On single player
“At the very least, we’re thinking of maybe not implementing that sort of single-player experience like Subspace Emissary, where you play through to a conclusion and you’re rewarded with something like a movie. We found that if you wanted to see those movies, you could just go to the internet. That sort of thing loses its appeal as a reward for the player. I can’t say concretely, but we’re thinking about removing that sort of element and coming up with a way to provide a more rewarding single-player experience in which players will be rewarded in different ways.”
- as for online worries, Sakurai says Nintendo has “significantly updated” its network
- this is forming a “good base for what we’re going to do.”
No plans for a world ranking system
“We don’t want to have a type of situation where you have a ranking pyramid, and only the people at the very top can enjoy it. I think there are other unique ways to be able to implement a system where people can get satisfaction out of performing at a skill level relative to their peer group.”
On Melee vs. Brawl
“Quite simply Melee was something that was targeted more towards hardcore, advanced players. With Wii, on a platform where you were getting experiences like Wii Fit and there was an audience that tilted slightly more towards beginning players, we slowed down the gameplay. This time around, we don’t see a situation where we’ll be encountering as many beginning players, and so as far as the speed and the feel of the game, I think you could say confidently that we’re targeting something right in between those two versions.”
Link
On working with 3DS and Wii U
“Back when I was working on Kid Icarus Uprising, I was already getting a feel for the 3DS performance and the features in that hardware. Mr. Iwata came to me and asked which platform I would want to put the next Smash Bros. on. Looking at those two platforms and seeing their individual styles and uniquenesses – I saw with the 3DS that it would be good for one flavor of the game, but there was also the other end, getting the grand scale what was possible with the Wii U. So with that in mind, we decided to go ahead and put the game on two platforms.”
On trial and error
“We’re currently going through a lot of trial and error, seeing what fits best for the game. Eventually that will come to fruition in some form or another, but right now it’s a little bit early to say exactly what that will be.”
On 3DS' uniqueness
“What’s unique about the 3DS is that you have your own screen. There are things we can do that are unique to having a personalized experience for yourself. Also, having your own data that you can carry around in your own personal device creates a lot of neat opportunities. That’s something we want to take advantage of – without going into too much detail.”
On development status and patches
“We’re not at a stage in development where we’re going through those fine sorts of adjustments. When we get towards the end of development, we will have what we call monitor playtests, where we watch people play the games. We perform thorough analysis based on those observations. There have been cases in the past, admittedly, where we didn’t gather sufficient data for certain characters, and that resulted in certain game imbalances. Patches are something we’d definitely like to be able to do, if possible.”
- 3DS limitations are keeping the roster in check
- no characters had been cut so far
- “multiple character” combatants like the Ice Climbers are proving a technical challenge on the 3DS
On customization
“We’re planning for a level of customization to some degree and in some form. It’s not completely decided at this point. But it’s very important to point out that we do this in a careful way that doesn’t affect the strength and balance of the characters. One thing we’d like to do is to be able to customize the direction of attacks. But not give characters a stronger jump or a stronger or weaker attack. You can consider customizations like that possible.”
On single player
“At the very least, we’re thinking of maybe not implementing that sort of single-player experience like Subspace Emissary, where you play through to a conclusion and you’re rewarded with something like a movie. We found that if you wanted to see those movies, you could just go to the internet. That sort of thing loses its appeal as a reward for the player. I can’t say concretely, but we’re thinking about removing that sort of element and coming up with a way to provide a more rewarding single-player experience in which players will be rewarded in different ways.”
- as for online worries, Sakurai says Nintendo has “significantly updated” its network
- this is forming a “good base for what we’re going to do.”
No plans for a world ranking system
“We don’t want to have a type of situation where you have a ranking pyramid, and only the people at the very top can enjoy it. I think there are other unique ways to be able to implement a system where people can get satisfaction out of performing at a skill level relative to their peer group.”
On Melee vs. Brawl
“Quite simply Melee was something that was targeted more towards hardcore, advanced players. With Wii, on a platform where you were getting experiences like Wii Fit and there was an audience that tilted slightly more towards beginning players, we slowed down the gameplay. This time around, we don’t see a situation where we’ll be encountering as many beginning players, and so as far as the speed and the feel of the game, I think you could say confidently that we’re targeting something right in between those two versions.”
Link