Man, what a crazy day of Super Smash Bros. 3DS and Wii U announcements. Let’s dive right in!
First up, Nintendo has announced a special Smash Bros-themed GameCube controller to go along with the recently revealed GameCube / WaveBird controller adapter for Wii U. These accessories will be available in multiple configurations. Standalone, the controller will sell for $29.99, and the adapter for $19.99. A bundle will also launch this holiday season containing the controller, adapter, and a Wii U copy of Super Smash Bros. for $99.99. (Not much of a bundle value since that’s the same price as buying all items individually.)
Sticking with the accessory theme, Nintendo unveiled its answer to Skylanders today at E3, a line of collectible game toys called Amiibo. In the future, Amiibo figures will be supported in games like Mario Kart 8, other newly revealed Wii U titles Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Mario Party 10 and Yoshi’s Woolly World, and eventually 3DS with an additional accessory. However, the first series of toys will launch this holiday, and naturally Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will be the first game to support them.
Players will be able to scan Amiibo figures such as Link, Mario, Yoshi, Samus Aran and Donkey Kong on top of the GamePad and watch them spring to life in the game as AI fighters that you will be able to match up against your friends’ Amiibos, fight against yourself, or even team up with. Amiibo fighters will be customizable so friends with the same characters won’t necessarily have the same movesets. Stats and fighting styles will also be preserved inside each figurine’s circular base. Kinda cool, kinda gimmicky. Amiibos aren’t for me (I’m SO over this whole toy-to-life category), but I totally understand the appeal and can see Nintendo fans gobbling these things up like crazy, regardless of how much they cost (which has not been announced yet).
On the new challenger front, the Smash Bros. roster grows by two today, including Palutena, the Goddess of Light from Kid Icarus, and Mii Fighter, a customizable fighter that will allow you to import any Mii character you like and choose from a variety of class options to determine his or her fighting style (brawler class will have moves similar to Little Mac, swordfighter class will fight like Link, etc).
I hate ending things on a sour note with so much other awesome news, but sadly the Nintendo 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. has been delayed. It was originally scheduled to launch over the summer. Now it won’t be arriving until October 3rd. Bummer, dude. But cheer up! These new trailers and screenshots are sure to lift your spirits.
Wii U:
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3DS:
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