ssbb
Latest
Analyst predicts the Wii's bestsellers
In the most recent simExchange report, analyst Jesse Divnich had some interesting predictions about Wii software sales. According to Divinich, the top selling games will be as follows (including estimated worldwide sales for the software during the Wii's lifetime): Wii Play – 20 million Super Smash Bros. Brawl – 13.95 million Mario Kart – 13.16 million Super Mario Galaxy – 12.61 million Wii Fit – 8.73 million We're not surprised that Divinich would predict Wii Play to be the top selling piece of Wii software, since the game is constantly popping up in the top of the NPD and Japanese charts. Since two of the five predicted games aren't even out yet, and one of them is only out in Japan, it's hard to tell by trends if the rest are good choices. Still, taking our best "we're not paid analysts" guesses, we'd say that Wii Fit will have much higher sales than Divinich predicted. The game already sold one million copies in Japan, and it's only been out for a month. We do think that those are a solid top five, though, even if we don't agree on the order and total sales for all games.How about you? What are your best guesses for the Wii's top five?[Via Joystiq]
Dojo update: Snake calls in the chopper
We really like the fact that Snake is in Brawl, especially the dichotomy that's created by the man's ... real-worldness and the franchise's cartoon world. But what we like even more than that is his Final Smash, which might just be the most badass thing since, well, Contra 4.With Smash Ball in hand, Snake is able to summon a helicopter to the arena, which promptly drops a rope ladder to his position. Our hero then clambers up, before pulling out a grenade launcher and unleashing round after round at his foes. You target the launcher yourself (much like you would with the Dragoon), and get a dozen grenades in total, though only a limited amount of time to fire them.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
Smash Bros. Brawl's Multi-Man gets online co-op
Smash Bros. Melee's Multi-Man mode, which pitted you against tons of wire frame models was a great way to take out your aggressions, especially if a wire frame model had just beaten you out for the big promotion or the WF Gang was picking on you in school. Smash Bros. Brawl's take on the lengthy battle mode looks to be even more satisfying though, with wire frames replaced by the the much more substantial-sounding Fighting Alloy Team.More exciting is the revelation that a buddy will be able to join you in your campaign against the colorful robots from all the way across the country with online co-op. There's also just regular old two-player, for all the Smash Bros. fanatics' real life friends ... Hey, if you don't use a mode long enough, do you think it will actually get dusty?
Wii Warm Up: The Brawl train
There's got to be at least one person out there who's not super hyped for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Is it you? Let's start choosing sides -- are you in or out? If you plan on skipping the game, we want to know why. Are you just planning to buy it later? Not interested? Didn't like the previous versions? If you are in, what's the thing you're looking forward to the most?
Pikmin and Captain Olimar join the Smash Bros. Brawl cast
FINALLY, some new and interesting information arrives on the official Smash Bros. Brawl blog, this time announcing Pikmin's Captain Olimar as a playable character. According to the blog, Olimar fights by plucking Pikmin from the ground, and most of his attacks are done indirectly through the adorable little creatures.Olimar brings the number of new characters announced in Brawl up to an even twelve, equal to the number of veteran fighters announced. With everything all neat and tidy, could this be the last announced character for the game before its release? Do we have more secret characters to look forward to once the game is out, or has Nintendo gone and spoiled all the fun? We'll find out soon enough.
Dojo update: Fight the FAT
No, Brawl hasn't gone all Wii Fit on us. If you were wondering, FAT stands for "Fighting Alloy Team," and refers to your opponents in Brawl's Multi-Man Brawl mode, as unveiled today on the dojo. The new metallic fighters replace Melee's Fighting Wire Frames, and come in shades of red, blue, yellow, and green. You'll be able to scrap the FAT in a variety of ways, including a 10-Man Brawl, a 100-Man Brawl, a 3-Minute Brawl, a 10-Minute Brawl, an Endless Brawl, and the (frankly sadomasochistic) Cruel Brawl.True to form though, Brawl comes with some extra frills not seen in previous games. As the above shot of Mario and Sonic demonstrates, there's now a co-op option for Multi-Man Brawling, while the friendless can even head online and fight with a partner there. One day, maybe we'll discover a Brawl mode that isn't completely, ridiculously all-encompassing and exhaustive. But that day isn't today.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
Dojo update: Fight above Corneria all over again
That shot of the Great Fox can mean only one thing. Well, two things, actually. Firstly, it means that the dojo is back, and that our mornings have some purpose once more. Secondly, it means that Brawl will include yet more Super Smash Bros. Melee stages, to accompany the return of Hyrule Temple.Corneria, Yoshi's Island, Onett, Brinstar, and Rainbow Ride are the returning stages, with Corneria comfortably our favorite of the revived bunch. It's also worth nothing that Brawl's total number of confirmed stages is now 25, with (we'd estimate) another dozen or so dojo updates left to add to that total. And, in the unlikely situation you ever get bored of those, you can always make your own.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
Japanese Smash Bros. commercials tease its nearing release
GameTrailers shows three Japanese Super Smash Bros. Brawl commercials made of in-game and animated footage. We know you Smash fans have been shaking since Nintendo pushed back the fighting title; let these clips deliver your Nintendo-fighter fix before the February 10 North America release. (Japan gets it at the end of this month, while other territories have to wait even longer.)Keep your eyes peeled for random Nintendo background characters; that's our favorite game-within-the-game.See the other two videos after the break.
A further sprinkling of non-dojo Brawl details
The dojo may be on a well-earned hiatus, but we're still getting various snippets of Brawl news and impressions from the Jump Festa show in Tokyo. Thanks, Jump Festa!The latest selection of tidbits has been rounded up by the folks at Brawl Central for lazy types like us, and deals with all sorts of Brawl minutiae, from Kirby's Final Smash (which we learn deals 35% damage) to more on Rosalina's Assist Trophy appearance (apparently, she distributes health-boosting star pieces over the arena) to Snake's land mines (which are controlled remotely, rather than exploding whenever a foe comes into close proximity).The purpose of the mysterious Clock item is also revealed -- it reportedly slows your opponents -- and we learn about a new Assist Trophy, a Pegasus Knight from the Fire Emblem games. Rad! There's a few more minor details, so hit the link below for the full list.[Via Go Nintendo]
Wii Warm Up: Dojo withdrawals
What with the Smash Bros Dojo being on hiatus, do you miss the daily updates, or is it kinda nice to take a break and NOT think about the fact that the game is still more than a month away? On the one hand, the daily updates are nice to soothe the burn that results from the fact that we should be playing already, right now in fact ... but on the other hand, the dojo can also be a painful reminder that we're not. Oh woe! All is angst and misery.
Our New Year's resolutions: Wii edition
Now that the sun has set on 2007, it's time for the Wii Fanboy staff to start laying down some New Year's resolutions, such as resolving not to use tired metaphors about the sun setting on stuff. So, without further ado, here are each of the staff's personal goals for 2008 (Wii-related ones, obviously. It goes without saying that I'd like to try to stop having wine for breakfast, but some things just aren't appropriate topics of conversation here): Alisha: I resolve to populate YouTube with many short films of my forthcoming baby playing Wii. Of course, since he's not even gonna get here until February, you can probably replace "playing" with "lying there looking pissed while Mommy makes him hold a Wii remote." David: I resolve to actually keep my job and not fall into a shame spiral of bad hygiene and lone nights crying alone as I play nothing but Smash Bros. Brawl in February. Hopefully I'll find the courage to not be sucked into that vacuum. Mike: I resolve to not buy ten new games before beating the last one. That either means I'll be spending more time playing games (yikes!), or just buying less of them. The more games I get, the harder it becomes for me to finish any of them, and even a masterpiece like Super Mario Galaxy ends up sitting at a measly 61 star gets, princess saved, and no green overalls. JC: I resolve to make a deal with Mike that could solve both our problems. (Here's how it works: Mike continues to buy too many games, but sends them to me instead. I play them until he is ready to start another one. There are no flaws with this perfect plan.) Candace: I resolve to not laugh at my mom anymore when she plays Wii ... even though she looks really, really ridiculous. Chris: To not excitedly squeal like a schoolgirl the first dozen times I insert No More Heroes into my Wii. This will almost certainly end with abject failure. And to beat my cousin, who is LESS THAN HALF MY FRICKEN' AGE, at Guitar Hero III. The child has the fingers of Hendrix. Eric: In the Year 200ERIC, I will exercise with Wii Fit while wearing a Banana yellow suit and a huge pair of shades, singing out "Too Wii Fit to Quit" like it's going out of style. Was it ever in style? Hey, HAAYYYYYYY! How about you? If you haven't already filled us in on your resolutions for 2008, what are you waiting for?
Smash Bros. Brawl gets Coin Launcher, Dragoon, and sharing
A trio of updates to the Smash Bros. Brawl DOJO reveal a handful of new features sure to excite the patient fanbase, while confuse the average gamer. First was yesterday's announcement of the Coin Launcher, a minigame of sorts to collect the game's myriad collectibles. Play matches to earn coins, use coins in the Coin Launcher, collect virtual gewgaws. Excited yet? How about a three-part superpowered rideable dragon, err, Dragoon? You can collect the three pieces during a battle, snag parts from your opponents, and assemble the "legendary Air Ride machine." Once you've got it, that's a one-hit KO. Still not excited? Put down those barbiturates and check this out: some pics of the game's sharing functionality, to blast levels and screenshots to your chums.[Thanks, tipster army!]Read – Coin LauncherRead – DragoonRead – Share
Dojo update: A double helping of dojo goodness
Sad smiley faces at the ready, everybody -- looks like Masahiro Sakurai has remembered he has an actual game to make, as this is going to be the last dojo update until January 7th. The good news is that it's a pretty decent one, with two pieces of news and tons of screenshots.First up, we have a new item to purr over: the Dragoon. Capable of one-hit KOs, this powerful addition to the Brawl armory comes in three parts: the nosecone, the hull, and the tail. Collecting all three lets you target your fleeing foes, before unleashing all sorts of crazy havoc on them. Like the Smash Ball, however, Dragoon components can be fumbled if the holder is hit, and the parts are also dropped if you lose a life.Secondly, we're given the skinny on the new "Smash Service," which you'll have to switch on if you want to receive data from Nintendo (including snapshots and the daily fan-made stage) and your friends. The stuff you'll get from Ninty gradually cleans itself out, freeing up your memory in the process, though anything sent by your friends will have to be either deleted manually, or saved to an SD card.And that's it. See you again for more dojo delights on January 7th, when we'll finally have something to read again on these cold, lonely winter mornings.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
Dojo update: Coin launcher
A semi-serious thought crossed our minds upon visiting the dojo this morning: Super Smash Bros. Brawl might well be the only game we need in 2008. You see, there's not just fisticuffs on offer in Brawl, but also adventuring, construction, and now even an entirely separate game dedicated to acquiring trophies and stickers.It's called the "Coin Launcher," and it already sounds like a far more absorbing way to collect the elusive trinkets than Melee's luck-based Trophy Lottery ever was. Players get to fire the coins they've collected in the main game at various trophies as they float about on a table, while also taking care to avoid formations of enemies and incoming missiles (destroying these rewards you with stickers). It looks rather like a cross between a shmup and pinball, and as we love both shmups and pinball, we're probably going to be dedicating an unhealthy, skin-paling amount of time to this.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
Dojo update: Sonic's boom and trophy stands
Yesterday's update featured Sonic's Final Smash, during which the hedgehog shifts into Super Sonic. Surprised? Neither are we. So, what does this transformation mean for the blue hedgehog in terms of Brawl? Using the power of speed pills Chaos Emeralds, he becomes even faster, making him a force to reckon with. While this may satisfy your need for speed, failing to control Super Sonic well will allow enemies to dodge him more easily.As for today's update, the dojo presented us with an item the trophy stand item. This item is necessary to turn enemies in the Subspace Emissary into trophies. Using one properly requires skill, but whether or not the item appears is entirely based on luck. Do you think the collecting aspect will bring more replayability to the game's adventure mode, or do trophy stands sound like more trouble than they're worth to you? We're going to go with the latter, simply because of the luck factor.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%Read: Sonic's Final SmashRead: Trophy stands
Dojo update: Wario gets classic
Today's dojo update doesn't bring us anything too exciting, especially considering that Christmas is right around the corner (yes, we're spoiled, what of it?). Wario fans will be pleased to know, however, that the flabby mischief-maker is not limited to his WarioWare outfit. Yep, that's right, the purple suspenders are back. That's not all, you greedy piglets. Aside from Wario's six standard color variations, the classic version also has its own choosable colors for you to pick from. In the end, though, we think the best outfit for Wario in Brawl is this one.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
Jump Festa Brawl impressions: 'Thrilled! ... is not.'
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/nintendo/Super_Smash_Bros_Brawl_impressions'; Bloggers from the Japanese site wii-ds.com attended the Jump Festa anime/game show at Tokyo' Makuhari Messe convention center (also the site of the Tokyo Game Show) and made a beeline for Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Brawl demo booth. Nintendo had free play available, and also a tournament-style competition. Players could use the Wiimote or the Classic Controller.Initially, the wii-ds.com fellows were nonplussed by the experience, finding the controls confusing and the lack of playable Lucas disappointing. Later, they went back and played it again, and it clicked. (Because they discovered how to customize the controls, mostly). They also were able to face Lucas, and were disappointed again by the apparently non-Japanese voice actor used.Shockingly, they really enjoyed playing Brawl with the Wiimote, saying (in obvious autotrans-ese) "Surprisingly, the controller make it simpler and easier classic! And finally smap bra that was able to feel the texture." Really, the main reason to read this is the consistent translation of Smash Bros. as "bra smap." That is hilari-tastic.[Via NeoGAF]
No Mega Man in Brawl, it seems
If you're anything like us, you might be hoping that one of the daily dojo updates will drop the bomb that Mega Man will be a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Unfortunately, it looks like that isn't happening. Bionic Commando recently interviewed Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega Man, who had this to say regarding Brawl: "Well, I really do love Super Smash Brothers. It's a great series...but, Nintendo hasn't asked me yet if they can use Mega Man in their game. I'm still waiting...we have a little bit of time left, it's not coming out for another few months."Somebody, call the man! But in reality, it seems too late to add the lovable blue robot if they haven't already (the game comes out next month in Japan). Is anybody as bummed as this blogger, or are you glad that Mega Man won't be involved in Brawl?[Via GoNintendo]
Dojo update: The Subspace Awesome-ary
It's hard for us to clear our minds after watching this trailer, and have any thoughts beyond our initial reactions of drooling all over ourselves. But, we will try, if only for you, dear reader.You may remember the Subspace Emissary update in August, introducing a side-scrolling action game to flesh out Brawl's single player experience. Today's update is nothing but a preview for it, but oh, what a preview it is. If you weren't excited for the game's adventure mode before, you will be now.We don't need to hype it up for you, though; the video speaks for itself. So watch, enjoy, and try to keep your "do wants!" to two-inch voices.
New Smash Bros. Brawl intro video looks amazing
We were watching this intro video to the new Super Smash Bros. Brawl adventure mode "The Subspace Emissary" when something occurred to us: Regardless of your feelings about Wii, if this video doesn't move something inside of you, then you're dead inside. It's as simple as that. It either jams a pickaxe into that carapace you call a heart and finds a deep, rich vein of nostalgia or you're a vampire. A mean vampire.How about the part where the Arwing -- wait, you know what? We don't want to ruin anything for you. Just watch above and discuss below. We'll leave you to it.
