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Buy Super Smash Bros trophies with 3DS play coins
The previous two games in the Super Smash Bros. series featured collectible trophies. Back in our day, these were sometimes difficult to obtain thanks to steep challenges, but we persevered and our digital trophy cases were a little shinier for it. Nintendo is alleviating some of the stress induced by these tougher challenges by allowing players to purchase trophies for the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. with in-game and in-system currency. According to Miiverse posts by Super Smash Bros. Director Masahiro Sakurai, the game's trophy shop offers players the chance to buy the collectible items using in-game gold or 3DS Play Coins. "If you're having a hard time getting certain trophies, why not just buy them," Sakurai wrote, noting that trophies "sometimes go on sale, too." 3DS Play Coins are earned while players travel with their systems in sleep mode, with the 3DS acting as a pedometer of sorts. While Super Smash Bros. Brawl had a whopping 544 trophies, Sakurai also teased that the upcoming "3DS version alone may have more than Brawl." Super Smash Bros. will reach the 3DS on October 3, followed by the Wii U version (which we rather enjoyed at E3) this winter. [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq Weekly: Doom reboot, Microsoft's layoffs, Sunless Sea 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. We're happy to hear that Doom is still brewing in the depths of iD Software, but if we're getting spoiled with updates to classics, we wonder if we could get anything else revived if we stir up enough demand. Remember how awesome Bubsy was? What about taking another crack at Altered Beast? What's that, you say? "No and your picks are garbage"? Well then. Lucky for you, this edition of the Joystiq Weekly carries no news of reboots for either series. It does offer a recap of the week's biggest non-fictional stories though, from Microsoft's plans to dismiss 18,000 workers to the latest fighters to take up arms in Super Smash Bros. There are also reviews for the stealth-focused Light and a spooky, exploration-driven journey on a boat called Sunless Sea, plus a WildStar postcard that digs into the MMO's PvP modes. It's all arranged neat and orderly-like for you after the break!
E3 2014 round-up: Weird tales from Los Angeles
Had you been on the floor of the Los Angeles Convention Center this year, you would have heard one question, echoing from journalist to journalist: "This year feels a little ... weird, don't you think?" It's hard to put a finger on exactly why E3 2014 gave off a strange vibe, but darn it all, we're gonna try. Here are some of the most eccentric, the most peculiar, most "hmm"-inducing stories of E3:
Nintendo Amiibo figurines look smashing at E3
Nintendo explained the Amiibo figures it revealed during its E3 2014 livestream earlier this week, but touching them involves smashing through a plexiglass case on the E3 showfloor. We aren't above doing that, but we still have to stay here at E3 for a few more hours, so we'll show you these pictures we took of the figurines instead. Nintendo emphasizes these figurines are prototypes and should not be considered final.
Co-Opinion: Super Smash Bros. (Wii U)
This is Co-Opinion, where two Joystiq editors play a game and discuss their experience. This edition focuses on an E3 2014 hands-on session of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, by Nintendo. .portal-left { padding: 10px; background: #CCC; margin: 20px 0; min-height: 85px; } .portal-right { padding: 10px; margin: 20px 0; min-height: 85px; } .portal-right img { padding-left: 5px; } .portal-left img { padding-right: 5px; } Mike Suszek: Sam and I took a moment to throw down in a few matches of Super Smash Bros. on Wii U at E3. Let's get this out of the way: It's definitely still Smash Bros. The controls aren't wildly different from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the four-player action is still chaotic and I still manage to miss out on every Pokeball that appears. Sam Prell: Being "more Smash Bros." isn't necessarily bad, though. Fighting games aren't often torn down and rebuilt from the ground up - they're tweaked and tightened. Sometimes a surprise feature or two can sneak their way in and shake things up, though. I'm still not sure about how I feel about the addition of the Smash Ball in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, even six years after the fact. Based on our - admittedly short - time with the game this week though, I don't think we'll see a shift quite as dramatic as the one between Brawl and Melee.
Super Smash Bros. gets NFC figures, Mii support
Super Smash Bros. on Wii U will include support for NFC (near-field communication) figurines called "Amiibo," as Nintendo demonstrated during its E3 2014 livestream today. Additionally, players will be able to bring their Mii characters into battle, lending their likeness to their fights. Mii fighters are divided into three classes: Mii gunner, Mii brawler and Mii sword-fighter. They will also get to pick four special moves among 12 different options. As for the NFC figures, the Skylanders-esque physical toys will summon characters to the battlefield and enhance your fighter. Nintendo noted that Amiibo will interact with multiple games, including the previously-released Mario Kart 8. [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq Weekly: Battlefield Hardline, Watch Dogs review, Evil Within 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. With Sony upping PlayStation Plus to six games per month, we're pretty confident that the service is trying to ruin our lives. We're not obligated to tackle every single title, of course, but in the cycle of starting downloads for games "just in case" we ever feel an inkling to play them, we're losing track of which games we should feel guilty about not finishing and which games we should feel guilty about paying $60 for and not finishing. If not for the bills, assignments and the omnipresence of life's ever-ticking clock, we'd plop down in front of our TVs for a few years and knock out every game we ever felt intrigued by. To hell with "everything in moderation" - moderation wouldn't clear out our shelves of "yeah, maybe one day" RPGs, nor would it help us get the timing for our go-to Street Fighter combos down to the exact frame. Moderation is just a feeble admission that we can't control time (yet), and it ignores our potential to play all the video games, which we'll definitely get to. Eventually. Some day. Unfortunately, getting through every game we've ever wanted to play is still just a fantasy for now. Unless you find a way to break the laws of life's constants - if you do, you should totally let us know. We can do co-op or something. Until we reach that dream state, you can get a glimpse of Battlefield Hardline, read reviews for Watch Dogs and Among The Sleep, and dig into a neat feature on Watch Dogs that explains how legalities ruin everything. It's all waiting for you after the break!
Become the People's Champion, take on a Smash Bros. champ
Unlike a live stage presentation from Nintendo, The Super Smash Bros. Invitational tournament will take place in the Nokia Theater during E3. Up to 3,000 fans will be allowed to watch the brawls unfold in the upcoming Super Smash Bros., so the event is bound to have some energy to it. If you're eager to prove your Smash-based skill set and still haven't received your invitation, there's hope for you in the form of Instagram: Nintendo will fly the victor of its "People's Challenger" contest and a guest to E3, with the People's Challenger winning the right to duke it out with one of the Invitational's champions. People's Challenger entrants must convince Nintendo that they're worthy of the opportunity in a video under 15 seconds in length. We suggest you check out the full details before starting on your entry though, as one of the general guidelines advises against even pretending to harm others. That masterful, intense bout of choreographed fisticuffs you were daydreaming about is probably out, then. Judges will pick a winner based on three aspects: how well a video displays an entrant's enthusiasm, demonstrated creativity and the entry's overall artistic quality. Nintendo will accept entries until 10 AM PT on May 27, all of which must follow the title format of "My name is <FIRST NAME> and this is my submission for the Super Smash Bros. People's Challenger Contest. #SmashChallengerApproaching #NintendoContestEntry." Entrants must live in the United States or Canada (except for you, Quebec) and must be 18 or above their state or province's age of majority. Even if you get rocked by the Invitational champ, at least you'll have two three-day passes for the E3 show floor. No more living vicariously through E3 attendees for you! [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq Weekly: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Child Of Light, Xbox Originals 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. We'll be able to get a social-oriented sci-fi fix in Destiny later this year, complete with flashy superpowers and an arsenal of weaponry that further convinces us of how awesome the future will be. And with Mass Effect undoubtedly coming along and the whole Star Wars thing, it feels like a pretty great time to be a sci-fi fan. Whether you want to watch a saga play out or guide its progression, you'll probably have some great choices consuming your life in the near future. Of course, it's possible that the collective sci-fi genre bores you, which is why we brought you this fresh edition of the Joystiq Weekly. Yes, there's a slew of Destiny-flavored video content, but there's also a glimpse of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, reviews for Child of Light and Mario Golf: World Tour, and an exploration of Microsoft's original content plans for Xbox. You can read up on these stories and more after the break!
Joystiq Weekly: PAX East, The Last Of Us: Remastered, Super Smash Bros. and more
This week's reveal of Charizard in Super Smash Bros.' roster is a bit of a blow to our argument that Squirtle is the best starter from Pokemon Red/Blue. Yes, both pocket monsters were in the Pokemon Trainer's arsenal in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but Charizard flying solo is a whole different level of awesome, one that's left us Squirtle enthusiasts drowning in envy. Playground rivalries aside, there's a lot more going on this week beyond Pokefeuds. Sony admitted that The Last Of Us is coming to the PS4, Borderlands fans are finally going to be able to play as Claptrap in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and we've got a faint glimmer of hope for the Xbox One to eventually be backwards compatible. This is also the weekend of PAX East, which you can treat as a source of news or, if you're attending, a giant game of "Where's Waldo?" Track down Joystiq's away team and say hi! Provided you can catch them between appointments, panels and the lone meal of their day, that is.
Next week's Nintendo Direct flings Super Smash Bros. at your screen
Nintendo Directs are always stuffed with an assortment of the company's characters, but next week's Super Smash Bros. Direct will pile tons of them into just one game. The Wii U and 3DS fighter will star in a livestream airing on April 8 at 3PM PT/6PM ET, and there are simultaneous broadcasts scheduled for Europe (11PM UK time) and Japan (7AM, April 9). Nintendo's been steadily pumping out the character reveals over the last year or so - we're up to 24 fighters now - but we've had no further news on a release date beyond the 2014 window. You'd have to think there's a good chance that'll be narrowed down in next week's broadcast, but we're also not so far away from E3, where Nintendo first unveiled the game. Whatever happens, you'll be able to watch next week's Direct right here on Joystiq, and we'll have all the news as and when it hits. In the meantime, I'll just say - with no evidence or basis in reality behind it - that in the year Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright are having a crossover, Capcom's lawyer and Level-5's scholar would be my top picks for new introductions to the roster. Behind Walter White, that is. [Image: Nintendo]
Link steps up to bat in new Super Smash Bros. screenshots
In the latest pictorial tease from Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai, we're introduced to the new, black home-run bat. According to Sakurai, this new bat is "so powerful that your eyes might bug out," a sentiment that would seem hyperbolic if it wasn't for Donkey Kong amply demonstrating exactly that kind of ocular ejection. While this image doesn't tell us much about the latest incarnation of the home-run bat, it's good to see the classic weapon return. No matter which Smash Bros. entry you pick up, you can always depend on the bat to be an intuitive weapon that doles out huge amounts of punishment and has a tendency to launch characters into the stratosphere. Past the break you'll find a second image which shows just that. Now that the bat has been confirmed the question becomes whether or not the upcoming Wii U and 3DS Super Smash Bros. sequels will feature the fan-favorite Home-run Contest. Unless Sakurai generously reveals the game mode in an upcoming screenshot dump, we may not see an answer until those games debut later this year. [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. Wii U gets Super Mario Galaxy-inspired stage
A new screenshot on the Super Smash Bros. website has revealed that a stage inspired by Super Mario Galaxy will appear in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game for Wii U. The stage will feature gravity-based gameplay according to a post from Game Director Masahiro Sakurai on the game's Miiverse. "The pull of gravity emanates from the center of the planet, so this will require using brand-new tactics," Sakurai wrote. Since the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game have different stages - and thus, no cross-platform play - it's unclear if the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for 3DS will also get the Galaxy treatment in any way.
Toon Link adds a dash of cuteness to Super Smash Bros. roster
It's official: The cel-shaded incarnation of Link made famous in games like the recent The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD will be among the fighters featured in Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo of Europe broke this news on its Twitter account, though it failed to mention any details beyond the confirmation. Toon Link will most likely play similarly to his more "adult" incarnation, though given this version's history with the Smash Bros. franchise, it's seems safe to assume that he will remain a lighter, more agile version of Link. Super Smash Bros. is currently slated for release on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS handheld at some point during 2014.
Nintendo developer video compares Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS
Nintendo has released a new developer video detailing the differences between the Wii U and 3DS versions of its recently announced cross-franchise brawler Super Smash Bros. Director Masahiro Sakurai notes that "the total number of characters [in the Nintendo 3DS version] is the same as the Wii U version, but some of the stages will be completely different." In addition: "In the Nintendo 3DS version, there will be more stages based on handheld games, while themed stages from home console games will be on Wii U." Both games also boast a unique graphic style. The Wii U release focuses on primary colors and visual effects, while the 3DS version has cel-shaded characters in order to make them easier to see. The Super Smash Bros. official website profiles every character announced so far, including newcomers from Animal Crossing and Wii Fit. Super Smash Bros. is set to launch in 2014.
Super Smash Bros. coming to 3DS, Wii U in 2014; Mega Man joins fray
During this morning's E3 Nintendo Direct, as promised, the Big N showed off the new Super Smash Bros. It's apparently just called Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. The company announced the game will launch in 2014. New characters not seen in the series before were The Villager from Animal Crossing and Mega Man has joined the crew. Previous combatants also shown included Mario, Kirby, Pikachu, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus and Bowser.%Gallery-191099%
Smash Bros, 3D Mario, Mario Kart in pre-E3 Nintendo Direct
In lieu of an E3 press conference, Nintendo is going to present a Nintendo Direct before E3, showcasing the "new Smash Bros., 3D Mario game, Mario Kart and other Wii U titles." The company previously announced that all three games would be playable at E3. This means for those not attending the show, the games may be playable at Nintendo's special Best Buy E3 demo extravaganza (note: fullness of "extravaganza" is TBD). The most recent Nintendo Direct held last week covered the company's summer plans and Hedgehog snuggles.
Super Smash Bros. Wii U, 3DS to be showcased at E3
The world gets its first look at the new Wii U and 3DS Super Smash Bros. games at this year's E3. In this week's Direct broadcast, Nintendo announced series designer Masahiro Sakurai is to debut screens of the new entries at the LA expo in June. Sakurai then clarified the news on Twitter, hinting there'll be more of the inter-icon fracases than just screens.Sakurai tweeted he'd like to show both the Wii U and 3DS versions, and that, while "other games" have had visuals shown, he'd like to "release something better." It would be a bit surprising to only see screens, given Melee and Brawl both were first showcased with trailers at E3 expos.Nintendo also announced new Wii U Mario Kart and 3D Mario games are in development, and are to also be shown off at E3 2013. In their case there'll also be playable demos at the expo, but at this stage that seems a pipe dream for the new SSB games.
Harada 'pulling back' on idea of Tekken characters in new Smash Bros.
Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada is "not really sure" if Namco Bandai should include Tekken characters in the next Super Smash Bros., he told NowGamer. Namco is co-developing Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS with Nintendo, and the title is a "big priority for the company," Harada says.Namco has "a lot of people" from many of its franchises developing Super Smash Bros., but fans have been most curious about Tekken staff involvement in the new game, Harada says."The fans, rather than asking about Tales or Gundam or some of our other franchises, the fans abroad saw Tekken as one of the key words and took off on that," he says. "We're not really sure at this moment but when thinking of the playerbase who is playing Smash Bros., maybe Tekken characters is something they wouldn't want, so I've been pulling back on that a bit. But I don't know."One of Tekken's characters, Heihachi Mishima, has been confirmed for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Sony's take on a Smash Bros.-style game. Namco's main staff is currently focused on finishing Tekken Tag Tournament 2, but it will support Super Smash Bros. in some capacity, Harada says. If any of the Tekken characters do make it into Super Smash Bros., we're personally hoping it's this one.
Here's some wonderful Smash Bros. whiteboard art from Sakurai's team
We don't know how far in development Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U is, but we know for a fact that the staff at Sora Ltd. is at least thinking about the series. And by "thinking" we mean "doodling on a whiteboard."Studio head Masahiro Sakurai tweeted the above whiteboard portrait, explaining that the staff drew it, and it's "excellent." They were smart enough to make Kirby the center of attention, which is always a good move when the guy who created him is your boss. But check out flying Luigi!