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You probably won't outlive this 136-year Smash Bros. ban glitch
Harsh, Nintendo. We know ledge-camping is considered unsportsmanlike, but being banned from Super Smash Bros. for 3DS for 136 years, like some unfortunate Reddit users have experienced, seems a bit extreme. Okay, so the 136-year ban is actually a glitch and not a purposeful sentence, but it stinks all the same, especially since there is (as of right now at least) apparently no way to fix it. The glitch can be avoided however, since it seems to be happening only to players who quit online matches early or excessively target an individual in the game's four-player For Fun mode. So, don't be a bully, don't rage quit, or if you're really worried about this happening to you, just don't go online at all, basically. Reddit user "rstevoa" theorizes the glitch is caused by the game's code counting ban time too low, which would in turn cause the code to loop around to the highest number of seconds it can assign to a ban. Of course, that's just a theory - who knows what dark sorcery actually goes on at Nintendo? [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U bumped up to Nov. 28 in the UK
Nintendo has pushed up the UK release date for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, announcing that its crossover brawler will now hit Europe on November 28. Nintendo originally pegged Smash Bros' UK debut for December 5 before deciding to bump it up a week. A special edition GameCube controller, four-port adapter, and controller bundle will also premiere in the UK in November, but players holding out for the region-exclusive Mario Amiibo bundle will need to wait until December 5 to join the battle. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will launch in North America on November 21. [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall gets co-op, Civ: Beyond Earth review, amiibo impressions and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. With Titanfall getting a co-operative, wave-based mode, Super Smash Bros. on Wii U ushering in eight fighters at once and Halo: The Master Chief Collection just a few weeks (and a ~20GB patch) away, we're ready to spend a substantial amount of time beside our friends. Cunning AI is great and all, but what beats teaming up with or taking down local, equally-frantic friends and rivals? Other than wish-granting sacks of money, we mean. Single player diehards certainly aren't left out of this week's best content though – Rockstar launched a super-cheap, upgraded version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the Xbox Marketplace today, there are reviews for Civilization: Beyond Earth and The Legend of Korra, and we got our hands on amiibos and Sony's horror romp, Until Dawn. All of that and quite a bit more is waiting for you after the break!
Super Smash Bros. Amiibo figures are part trophy, part protégé
Nintendo is getting into the figurine game with a lineup called "amiibo" (disregard for capitalization included). Set to cooperate with several different games, most prominently this holiday's Wii U version of Super Smash Bros., the Amiibo statues capture the company's fanciful characters in a cute, tangible form. "Capturing" might be too strong a word, though, because it implies more fiction than there really is.
How Nintendo rolls in 8-player Super Smash Bros.
Moments before attendees grabbed the controllers at a Super Smash Bros. press event, held in a hotel in San Francisco on Thursday evening, Nintendo had a pristine setup (above) aimed at 8 connoisseurs of clash. The configuration - 1 Wii U, 8 wired special-edition GameCube controllers, a token Gamepad and two controller adapter hubs – illustrates just one of the many options you have to exceed the traditional fight between 4 players when the game comes to Wii U on November 21. Each of Nintendo's GameCube adapters supports 4 controllers – add in another adapter and you open the possibility of 8 active, wired players. The adapter itself plugs into 2 USB ports simultaneously, so you'll be taking up all 4 of the Wii U's ports (2 on the front and 2 on the back) if you try to mimic this setup. If you have external storage hooked up already, you can also lessen the load via a powered USB hub. The result, though, is a responsive Smash Bros. experience which serves the true challenge of 8-player mode: finding out where the hell you are in all that delirious chaos.
Watch Nintendo's awkward Amiibo primer for Super Smash Bros.
If you can ignore the obnoxious camera sway, the kids who sound like thirtysomething actors on a CBS sitcom and everything about its clumsy plot, this Amiibo introduction video is a solid primer on the basics of Nintendo's upcoming figurines. [Image: Nintendo]
How 8-way fights work in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Smash Bros.' 4-player fights have been chaotic but properly described by subtitles like Melee and Brawl. With the introduction of 8-player fights in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, though, those fights are going from brawl-ish to downright riotous. How will 8-ways in Smash Bros. for Wii U even work? The official Smash Bros. website offers up a handy guide for octuple pounding. First and most importantly, only certain stages are available for 8-way fights. Screenshots show a Super Mario Galaxy stage, the Xenoblade stage seen in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, the Earthbound stage, and the Kid Icarus desert scene. The site does not specify if these are the only stages available for 8-player fights. Those fights are restricted to Stock (set number of times you can be knocked out) and Time (knock out as many players before the clock runs out) settings. Players can split into as many as four color-coded teams of two as well. How will these fights control? Players can use as many as eight Nintendo 3DSes or eight Gamecube controllers, but there are some restrictions. Only seven Wii remotes or Wii U Pro controllers can be used simultaneously, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U only supports a single tablet GamePad. Plan those Smash parties accordingly. [Images: Nintendo]
35 minutes of Smash Bros. Wii U facts and fights
Today, Nintendo broadcast thirty minutes of Smash Bros. Wii U action for the world, revealing fifty facts about the upcoming game. While a good portion of the Nintendo Direct episode was reiterating information we've already learned about the anticipated game, there were a handful of announcements – such as the reveal of an offline 8-player mode. Other information revealed included notes on the Wii U game's soundtrack, which Nintendo announced would feature original music, "almost all" of the tunes from the recently released Smash Bros. 3DS and tracks from the history of games associated with the fighters. In the spirit of catching them all, Nintendo also revealed that owning both the 3DS and Wii U versions of Smash Bros. give players access to Mewtwo as a playable fighter. The classic Pokemon character is scheduled to be available for download in Spring 2015. For more Smash Bros. and to hear the most excitable announcer in history, watch the video above.
Up to 8 players brawl in Super Smash Bros. Wii U
According to today's Nintendo Direct stream, when Super Smash Bros. hits the Wii U it will boast "the highest quality visuals" the series has ever seen running at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. That's a good thing too, as you'll need those extra pixels to contain the game's simultaneous 8-player brawls. The inclusion of an 8-player Smash mode comes with two caveats: 8-person melees are only available when playing offline and not all stages are eligible for that many combatants. Instead, the game features specially-designed, extra large stages to accommodate all those fighters. As you can see from the Nintendo Direct archive video below the break, even these designated stages quickly grow very chaotic when eight fighters are duking it out. [Image: Nintendo]
Hyrule Warriors to Link up with Amiibo figure
An Amiibo figure slated to launch alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U next month will also be compatible with the recently released Wii U brawler Hyrule Warriors, Nintendo of America announced today. Players who purchase Super Smash Bros. for Wii U's Link figure can register the Hylian hero with Hyrule Warriors, presumably after a software update. No further details regarding Hyrule Warriors' Amiibo functionality have been announced, but Nintendo notes that more information will be available as Super Smash Bros. for Wii U approaches its North American launch on November 21. [Image: Nintendo]
Thursday's Nintendo Direct is all about Wii U's Smash Bros.
Nintendo is hosting a new livestream event on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. EST (3:00 p.m. PST), and this one is focused on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The publisher says it will reveal "50 new things" for the game, which will launch on November 21. It's possible the latest announcements for the fighting game will include the level editor and board game mode mentioned in an Amazon listing late last week. Thursday's Nintendo Direct may also show off poses for trophies in the game, which Game Director Masahiro Sakurai noted in a Miiverse post over the weekend. We're nearly one month out from our review of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, which praised the fighter as "a game that every 3DS owner should play." [Image: Nintendo]
Strike a pose with trophies in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Say cheese, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - you're getting a photo mode. According to a new post from Game Director Masahiro Sakurai on the Super Smash Bros. Miiverse, players of the console version of Nintendo's brawler will be able to pose the character trophies they've earned and take pictures in the game's Photo Studio mode. "Pic of the day. Zael from The Last Story grabs some Superspicy Curry from Master Hand. 'No...! You mustn't let that curry lure you in...!!'" Sakurai writes, describing the scene you see above. Photo Studio won't be the only difference between the 3DS and Wii U versions of Super Smash Bros. though; according to an Amazon listing, we can also expect a stage build mode and board game mode when the game launches on November 21. [Image: Nintendo]
Buy Smash Bros. Wii U, get an amiibo free at Toys R Us
Even if the line of NFC-compatible amiibo toys doesn't eventually reflect Super Smash Bros.' entire roster, buying every figure revealed so far would put you back about $234 (!!!). You can ease into the investment by ordering the game from Toys R Us however, as the chain is offering a free amiibo with the purchase of Smash Bros. on Wii U. The promotion is offered online while supplies last and is activated by placing both a copy of Smash Bros. and an amiibo of your choice in your cart. When we contacted employees at local stores to see if the deal is valid in store however, we received inconsistent answers, so you may want to call your nearest store before stopping in. As for the $99.99 bundle that includes a GameCube-style controller, adapter and a copy of Smash Bros., it's currently absent from Toys R Us' website. We've contacted Toys R Us' PR department to see if the bundle will also eventually be compatible with the free amiibo deal and will update if we hear anything. [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U features board game mode, says Amazon
Product details posted at Amazon today reveal new features and gameplay modes for the upcoming Wii U version of Nintendo's mascot brawler Super Smash Bros. Amazon's description reads: "Whether you're creating stages on the GamePad, competing in challenges crafted by Master Hand and Crazy Hand, or outwitting your opponents in a brand new board game mode, there's no doubt that the ultimate Smash Bros. game has arrived." The update suggests that Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will include a level-editing feature similar to the Stage Builder in 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The board game mode is another new addition, though further details regarding this feature are not yet known. Amazon's promised challenges featuring the Hand characters also coincide with a recent Miiverse teaser, and match up with hidden audio files discovered in the 3DS edition touting "Master Orders" and "Crazy Orders" modes. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U hits retail on November 21. [Video: Nintendo]
Joystiq Discussion: All aboard Nintendo's Amiibo train?
Just a little more than a month to go before patient Wii U owners will finally get a Super Smash Bros. to call their own. November 21st will bring more than just HD Smash into your home, though. Nintendo will also roll out its Amiibo that day, the teensy near-field communication equipped figurines that let you summon up helpers in the game. Slam that little Princess Peach on your Wii U tablet controller, and she'll show up in Smash smacking fools around on your behalf. Here's the thing, though. Those Amiibo are $13 a pop, which is mighty expensive for toys with such limited use in the game. There isn't even a bundle option for anyone interested in collecting. It would be one thing if there was a clear picture of future functionality, but Nintendo's tight lipped about any long-term plans for the toys. Nintendo says Mario Kart 8 will support Amiibo, but still hasn't said how or when. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker will use them as well, but even though that game's out in December, it's unknown Amiibo functionality won't be available in 2015. Why would people buy up these toys when they have no idea why they should? Are they cool enough as collectibles on their own? Will you pick up that Kid Icarus one for no reason other than it's rad? Take our poll after the break and discuss your Amiibo plans in the comments below.
Joystiq Weekly: Vib-ribbon launches, Driveclub Review, RE: Revelations 2 preview and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. "Better eight years late than never," PlayStation Network users probably said during this week's return of Vib-ribbon. Sure, we're not exactly in drought season, but what's stopping you from impulsively bailing on 2014's release calendar to revisit a 1999 cult classic? Beyond money and life's responsibilities, anyway. If Vib-ribbon is fair game for a 2014 appearance, can we go ahead and get our hopes for comparably-unlikely surprises? Sure, StarCraft: Ghost's indefinitely-on-hold status is probably irreversible at this point, but if Blizzard felt like continuing development in secret for years and launching it without warning, we wouldn't be upset. Valve, you're more than welcome to do the same with fresh installments in the Half Life or Left 4 Dead series. There was more to this week than feeble wishes though, including resolution news for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Assassin's Creed: Unity, reviews for Driveclub and Neverending Nightmares, and previews for AC: Unity and Resident Evil: Revelations 2. All those and more are tidied up for you after the break!
Super Smash Bros. Wii U Amiibo figures up for pre-order
Nintendo's Amiibo figures are now available to pre-order at various retailers. There are 18 total figures that players can pre-purchase through Target, GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, each tied to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Most of the figures are listed for release on November 21 as previously announced, the same day that Super Smash Bros. will launch for Nintendo's home console. Certain figures are paired with a December 31 launch date however, which may be a placeholder. Those figures are Zelda, Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Little Mac, Luigi and Pit, though release date listings may vary. Walmart is also offering a Super Smash Bros. bundle, which includes a copy of the Wii U game in addition to Link, Pikachu and Mario Amiibo figures for $100. The collectible Amiibo figures were revealed at E3 2014 in June, and given a price of $12.99 each two months later. Head past the break to see the full list of figures that are up for pre-order. [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. hints that Mario's extra lives are clones
Descriptions for items within Super Smash Bros. for 3DS have already discussed Metroid protagonist Samus' inability to crawl. Another meme-referencing bit of text surfaced this week, this time providing a theory for Mario's extra lives. According to the description for 1-Up Mushrooms in the European version of the game provided by NeoGAF user SalsaShark, an extra life means "a whole extra version of you." The bit of text within Super Smash Bros. pondered the meaning of Mario's clones and whether "making more copies of yourself the real goal of any adventure" before imagining "a bunch of Marios getting together to discuss it." The North American version rephrases the same notion, which recalls a video of the double cherry power-up in action in Super Mario 3D World, found after the break. Do you have any favorite Easter eggs from Super Smash Bros. on 3DS? If so, share them with us in the comments! The Wii U version of the game will launch November 21. [Image: Nintendo, Imgur]
PSA: Wii U GameCube adapter only compatible with Super Smash Bros.
Following up on an erroneous product listing, Nintendo has confirmed that its GameCube controller adapter for the Wii U is only compatible with Super Smash Bros, and does not function with existing Wii and Virtual Console games. Reports issued yesterday indicated that the adapter would be compatible with a broad selection of Wii and Wii U games, allowing players to use GameCube controllers in titles featuring Classic Controller support. Nintendo disclosed its mistake in a statement to Eurogamer earlier today, emphasizing that the peripheral is exclusively designed for the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. "The GameCube Controller Adapter for Wii U is compatible with Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U specifically - it is not compatible with any other Wii U software," a Nintendo UK spokesperson told Eurogamer. "The adapter is also not compatible with Wii and we apologise for any confusion." [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. hits Wii U in November, 2.8M sales so far
The Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. hammers onto retail shelves on November 21 in North America, with Europe having to wait a little longer until December 5. Nintendo is also launching its Amiibo range of compatible figurines on the same day stateside, while in Europe they'll arrive ahead of the Wii U game on November 28. As previously announced, the figures have a suggested price of $13 each, while the game itself comes in at $60. That said, by the sounds of it the already released 3DS edition of the brawler is doing handily enough on its own. According to Nintendo, the handheld fighter which hit Japan's stores last month and the West only last week is up to more than 2.8 million sales worldwide.
