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Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U , Great Fray Smash Brothers for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U) unofficially reffered to as Super Smash Bros. 4 (SSB4, Smash 4, Sm4sh), is a Nintendo 3DS and Wii U game. It was developed by Namco Bandai Games Inc. and Sora, and was published by Nintendo. Both games are officially considered the fourth and fifth installments in the Super Smash Bros. series respectively.[1]

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Intro

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - Opening





Characters

Main article: Characters

Both games feature identical character rosters. The roster contains a total of 58 characters, 34 of which return from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, 3 of which return after being cut in the transition from Super Smash Bros. Melee to Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Dr. Mario, along with Mewtwo and Roy as DLC), and 19 of which are new to the series (21, if all three Mii Fighters are considered separate characters), making it the Smash game with the most playable characters until Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (which currently has 78 characters.)

It should be noted, however, that four unlockable characters (Ness, Jigglypuff, Ganondorf, and Bowser Jr.) in the Nintendo 3DS version are starter characters in the Wii U version. This was a personal choice of Masahiro Sakurai, who opted with his team to make said characters starters as they were unlockable in the Nintendo 3DS to save players who already had this version to take extra time to unlock all the fighters, but still have fun unlocking hidden content.

Bold denotes unlockable characters in both versions. Bolded italics denote characters that are unlockable in the 3DS version, but default in the Wii U version.

amiibo

Main article: amiibo

amiibo is part of a new system introduced in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, that uses near field communication (NFC) through special figurines of the respective characters, that can be bought separately. Through this, players bring the characters to the game as FPs (Figure Players), which can level up and be customized, learning more as they improve and interact with the Human Player, Computer Player, and other Figure Players. amiibo level up and learn faster by;

Having it play on someone else's Nintendo 3DS and/or Wii U system.

Losing in Stock Battles.

Playing against different fighters

Making it fight against other amiibo

Use the same fighter as the amiibo you're playing against.

Stages

Main article: Stage

The two games feature considerably different stage selections, which is one of the primary differences between the two games. The two versions share 12 stages. The Nintendo 3DS version features more stages based on handheld console games, while the Wii U version features more stages based on home console games. Several stages in both games, however, ignore this distinction.

In addition to new stages, several Past Stages, known now as "Familiar Stages", reappear in both versions of the game. Three Familiar Stages are shared between the two games, and all are DLC.

Also, all stages can also be played as Omega Stages, which changes them into flat platforms similar to Final Destination.

The Nintendo 3DS version features a total of 42 stages with 7 unlockable stages and 8 DLC stages, 30 of which are new and 12 of which are familiar. The Wii U version features a total of 55 stages with 6 unlockable stages and 9 DLC stages, consisting of 34 new stages and 21 familiar ones.

Nintendo 3DS Version

Bold denotes unlockable stages.

Wii U Version

Bold denotes unlockable stages.

Items

Main article: Item

New Items

*The Hocotate Bomb (similar to Olimar's Final Smash) and the POW Block (once a stage hazard) return as items.

Returning Items

Pokémon

In order to increase the rate of rare Pokémon appearing in battle, there are now two types of Poké Balls: the traditional red and white Poké Ball, which summons any Pokémon, and the Master Ball, which summons only rare and legendary Pokémon. However, Goldeen may still be summoned from a Master Ball as a gag reward.

New Pokémon

Returning Pokémon

Assist Trophies

Main article: Assist Trophy

New Assist Trophies

Returning Assist Trophies

Modes

Much like previous installations, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U have different modes. However, some are exclusive to each version of the game. Unlike the previous game is there also no official story mode.

Also known as "VS Mode", it is the traditional 4-player battle that can be done with either Human players, CPUs, and Figure Players. Additionally, the Wii U version has the exclusive 8-Player Smash, which allows, as the name suggests, up to 8 players to play simultaneously, however the range of maps is smaller, meaning not all stages can be played with 8 players.

Classic Mode

Nintendo 3DS version

In the new, modified version of Classic Mode, players choose different paths as they progress through a "World Map" to fight against waiting CPU opponents.

Other than battling the usual fighters in one-on-one fights, there is also the possibility of fighting giant or metal fighters, team battles with CPU players both aiding and against the player, and matches where the player must defeat opponents one after another or in groups.

Players are able to alter their "Fighter Balance": a system where gold is spent to adjust the intensity level. The higher the intensity, the smarter opponents will be, and the greater a player's rewards will be when victorious. Among those rewards are gold, trophies, and items for character customization.

Before the player starts a level, a roller appears and determines the player's rewards. Rewards in red are for customization, green ones are trophies, and yellow means gold.

Wii U version

In the Wii U version, the trophy of the player's character is put in an arena along with other characters' trophies. The player can move their trophy around the arena, and if it touches a group of trophies, it will be tossed into a battle with those characters (a faint image of the stage will be under the base of the trophies). After the fight, all the defeated characters' trophies will be launched out of the arena, and the remaining trophies will organize in new groups.

Along with normal and 8-player matches, intruders may appear randomly before matches, being either metal or giants characters. In team battles, instead of a random CPU companion, a partner is chosen from the fighters defeated in previous battles. There is also a rival that can be challenged anytime; the longer they aren't battled, the more powerful they will be, but it will also give more rewards when defeated.

The Fighter Balance and Reward Roller are kept from the Nintendo 3DS version.

This is also the first Smash Bros. game where Classic Mode allows two-player mode.

Stadium Mode

A mode comprised of the Multi-Man Smash, the new Target Blast, and the Home-run Contest.

The score for these games affects the player's Global Smash Power, by either increasing or decreasing it, making each time count.

In Multi-Man Smash the player fights against all three types of Miis, with randomly generated appearances. Like in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it offers a two-player mode.

Target Blast is played similarly to Home-Run Contest. However, players will be presented with a giant bomb instead of the Sandbag, and must inflict it enough damage to create the biggest explosion possible by racking up points from obstacles and targets waiting to be destroyed. Much like in Home-Run Contest, there is a 10-second timer, and after it expires the bomb will explode. Getting a good score depends on launching the bomb to areas rich with targets, getting the timing of the explosion just right, and using the explosive blocks found around the stage to maximum effect. It also allows two players together, however in form of a versus battle: each player gets their turn to launch the bomb, rather than both players racking up damage against the bomb simultaneously. The player with the most points wins.

Home-Run Contest now features a strong barrier in the arena, allowing players to rack up damage for a longer time. Like in Smash Bros. Brawl, it allows two-player mode.

For Fun and For Glory

Online gameplay has been completely reworked, where players can choose between two new modes:

For Fun: stage select is random (Final Destination is excluded from this), all items available, Smash battles only (free for all up to 4 players), and only wins are recorded.

For Glory: stage select is restricted to Omega Stages (Final Destination-type variant of existing stages), no items available, 1-1 battles possible, and both wins and losses are recorded. Additionally, players can freely customize those rules when playing with friends.

Smash Run

Main article: Smash Run

A mode exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS, where up to four players (3 other CPU players or 3 other Human players) can compete in two separate instances: one where they collect power-ups in a large maze-like stage, and another one where they fight each other in a normal stage, using the power-ups each character has picked up to their advantage.

Smash Tour

Main article: Smash Tour

An exclusive game mode for the Wii U, where up to four players can play a board game. Players can collect characters and power-ups for a final fight, but it is possible to lose them through traps and secondary fights. There are three board sizes, and also different options for how many turns you take.

Special Orders

Main article: Special Orders

Another exclusive mode to the Wii U, it consists of a series of random challenges that give various rewards when completed; either custom parts, trophies, or gold. The mode is presented by Master Hand and Crazy Hand, each with its unique way to play. To play Crazy Orders you either need to earn a ticket or pay a fee.

Master Orders

Every time you enter this mode, 3 random-created challenges of varying difficulty and entry fee (Gold) to play will be presented to the player; every challenge with different battle rules, special powers for fighters and even physics laws like altered gravity. Each challenge can only be tried once, winning allows you to get the secret reward, if you fail you get nothing. After playing a challenge, a new set of 3 will appear.

Crazy Orders

It costs 5000 gold or a free pass to play this mode (free passes are gained by playing various modes, such as Classic and Smash Tour). In Crazy Orders, you have a 10-minute time to complete various challenges, similar to the ones in Master Orders, and 3 are presented in each "round", with your damage percent carried over in each round. You can stop at any time during this, bringing you against a Stamina fight with Crazy Hand. The more rounds you play, the more powerful Crazy Hand will be at the end and it can even be accompanied by CPU characters. You will only get your rewards after beating Crazy Hand, if at any time you lose a challenge or run out of time, Crazy Orders will end and you'll only receive a small portion of your reward stash.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl and New Features

Gameplay changes

Aesthetic changes

Visually, the game is more stylized and "colorful" than Brawl , with colors being more saturated, as well sound effects being more discreet but yet cartoonish. While in Brawl characters had a more realistic style and textures, in this game they are more distinct from each and favor details to make them look closer to their original incarnations and franchises. For example, while Mario and Kirby retain their more cartoonish styles, Link and Samus are more realistic, while still maintaining the brighter palette and effects.

, with colors being more saturated, as well sound effects being more discreet but yet cartoonish. Most visual effects received a similar treatment to make them stand out more: Most regular attacks now have special graphical effects with high saturation and enhanced motion blur to give them a more "aggressive" feel, as if they are "cutting through air". This was also added so players can see and identify attacks more easily, which holds true for the Nintendo 3DS version, where the screen is smaller. The "impact-launch" effect has been altered to a colored light trail indicating which player will receive the point should a KO occur. Additionally, a red/black lightning effect will appear when a character is hit by a strong attack and/or has a high damage percentage, to indicate the character will likely be KO'd. This, of course, doesn't guarantee a KO, especially if DI is applied. Whenever a character KOs another, his/her frame will flash with an aura with the player's port color, to indicate who dealt the finishing move. Additionally, the smoke trail of hit characters will now emit a colored glow which also matches the attacker's color. Attacks based on Magic and PSI energy are no longer electric based, now producing a distinct spark and sound when they hit.

All characters are much more expressive now, with different animations on their faces even for specific attacks. Notable characters with a high variety of expressions include King Dedede and Wario.

Some characters now display visual battle damage, a mechanic meant to be included in Brawl . Some of these include cracks on Meta Knight's mask and a bandage on Little Mac's face.

. Some of these include cracks on Meta Knight's mask and a bandage on Little Mac's face. When a character is selected, one of his/her eyes will emit a small shine. The same will happen in a match when characters with charging attacks (such as DK's Giant Punch and Samus' Charge Shot) to indicate they are at full charge.

Some animations have been adjusted to make various fighters face the screen more; characters in their idle pose no longer have their back turned to the screen. Additionally, the leg and arm positions of some characters are mirrored when facing left or right.

Damage percentage now starts changing colors earlier, going from yellow to red as damage rises. At around 30% to 50% the color is on shades of yellow, changing to orange around 60% to 80% , and finally becoming red over 90% . At percentages above 120% , the red becomes very dark. This applies to both versions.

to the color is on shades of yellow, changing to orange around to , and finally becoming red over . At percentages above , the red becomes very dark. This applies to both versions. When fast-falling, a small flash of light will blink next to the character's head to indicate that he/she is entering the fast-falling animation.

In Team Battle, it is now possible to choose any color for the characters, and their team affiliation will be marked by the respective color outlining them. This feature is available for both versions of the game.

Revival platforms now turn from yellow to red to warn the players how much time they have before their fighter falls.

Items have received more treatment in their textures to make them stand out more on the battlefield. Notable examples are the Home-Run Bat and the Beam Sword.

Certain items now have white triangle markers to make them stand out more, much like in the original Super Smash Bros. Also, Assist Trophies and Pokémon from a Pokéball will also have a marker above them, in order to indicate which player activated them.

On the Victory Screen, after the character's fanfare finishes playing, a remix of the character selection screen theme from Super Smash Bros. will play.

will play. Sound effects are now more distinct, with characters having more unique sounds associated with their franchises. Kirby's Inhale, for example, now has a sound more similar to its original sound from his games. This is especially noticeable for more "old school" characters such as Mega Man, Pac-Man, and Ryu.

The "My Music" menu can also be accessed in the Stage Select screen.

Rankings and Records no longer display individual character statistics for player names, such as which character was mostly played by a specific player, or the amount of KOs players have.

It is no longer possible to tilt the screen while navigating through the menus using the Right Control Stick or C-Stick.

In the 3DS version, players highlight their characters by tapping on his/her character's icon at the bottom screen. This will set a marker on that character on the top screen, in order to more easily follow their movements.

Advanced Techniques

Some advanced techniques listed as "glitches" have been fixed in Patch 1.0.4. The advanced techniques are as it follows:

Jump Cancel Throw: also possible in Brawl , this technique is still present in the 3DS/Wii U versions . Most notable when used with Mega Man and his Metal Blades.

, this technique is still present in the . Most notable when used with Mega Man and his Metal Blades. Table Flipping: Mr. Game & Watch's Down tilt has pushboxes that when used at the right timing can deflect projectiles. Most notable when used against Pac-Man's Lazy Fruits. It can also be used against opponents recovering.

Perfect Pivoting: considered the "wavedash of 3DS/Wii U ", it allows players to slide along the ground by canceling the dash through inputing the opposite direction.

", it allows players to slide along the ground by canceling the dash through inputing the opposite direction. Edge Pivot Dash: also known as "Edge Sliding", it consists in the character sliding while doing their Normal Atack or Down Smash Attack. This can be done in fall-through platforms and in the edges of the stage.

Reverse Aerial Rush: also known as TACing, this technique originated from Brawl , where players could attack with a Back Air Attack while running forward.

, where players could attack with a Back Air Attack while running forward. Turnaround Cancel: also known as TACing, it is performed during the turning animation of a dash, where it is possible to cancel it into a Forward Tilt, similar to the Reverse Aerial Rush technique, but on ground.

Roll Cancel: it consists of canceling the Forward Dodge Roll into a Dash Grab. It works most notably with Little Mac, who has the fastest roll in the game.

Instant Bomb Dropping: a technique performed by Link and Toon Link (though it works better with Link due his higher falling speed). By pressing the assigned button for Grabbing during a short hop, but before touching the ground, Link and Toon Link can drop their bombs in mid air and re-catch them while performing aerial attacks, without letting the bombs touch the ground. Bomb Faking: a variation of the above technique, but performed by jumping backwards while dropping the bomb with the Grab Button and re-grab with Grab Aerial again, in order to trick rushing opponents. The Wheo Catch: in this technique, instead of dropping the bomb in short-hops, Link and Toon Link perform a full double jump, and fast fall while throwing the bomb down, and re-grabbing before it touches the ground.



The following techniques were avaliable at the launch of the Nintendo 3DS version, but were fixed in patch Version 1.0.4, and the release of the Wii U version removed them entirely.

Dash Cancelled Up Smash: also known as DACUS, this technique originated from Brawl , where players could cancel their Dash Attack into an Up Smash.

, where players could cancel their Dash Attack into an Up Smash. Toss Canceling: it allows the characters Link, Toon Link and Peach to cancel their landing lag by tossing their special itens (Link and Toon Link's Bombs and Peach's Vegetables).

Wectoring: by using the vectoring mechanic, Wario had a bug that allowed players to change, redirect and manipulate his knockback, greatly improving his recovery.

Main article: Patch Update

Patch Update is a feature added to both versions of the game, in order to fix in-game bugs and provide character balance.

Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot

During the Nintendo Direct held at April 1st, a new feature called Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot, was introduced to the official Smash Bros. site. It allowed fans to request character for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U through a small form. The deadline for requesting a character was October 3rd, 2015. The winner of the ballot was Bayonetta, who was voted #1 in Europe and in the top 5 in America.

Development

The game was first announced at E3 2011, but no further information was released due to Masahiro Sakurai working on finishing Kid Icarus: Uprising. At the start of 2012, the game was officially in production, but new information was not released until the following year.

Trailers

The first trailer for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U was revealed at E3 2013, showing off the game for the first time, as well as revealing the inclusion of the Villager as a newcomer, named "First Trailer".

was revealed at E3 2013, showing off the game for the first time, as well as revealing the inclusion of the Villager as a newcomer, named "First Trailer". Two more trailers were released later for the new characters Mega Man and Wii Fit Trainer, titled "Mega Man Joins the Battle!" and "Wii Fit Trainer Joins the Battle" respectively.

A trailer was released on October 1st, 2013 to announce Sonic the Hedgehog, titled "Sonic Joins the Battle!". The trailer, however, is not available on his page at the Official Smash Bros Site

A trailer for the announcement of Rosalina & Luma was shown in the December 18th, 2013 Nintendo Direct, titled "Comet Observatory."

A trailer for the announcement of Little Mac was shown on a Nintendo Direct, on February 14th, 2014, titled "Champion of the Ring".

A trailer for the announcement of Charizard and Greninja was also shown in the Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Direct on April 8th, 2014, titled "Challenger from the Shadows".

A trailer for the announcement of Palutena was revealed at E3 on June 10th, 2014 and later at the same day, a trailer revealing the announcement of Pac-Man was shown at the E3 Smash Bros. Roundtable. Palutena's was titled "Goddess of Light," and Pac-Man's was titled "Red, Blue Yellow."

A trailer for the announcement of Robin and Lucina and Captain Falcon's return was shown on July 14th, 2014 as a livestream, titled "By Book, by Blade by Crest of Flame".

A trailer for the announcement of Shulk was shown on August 29th, 2014, titled "Looks like we don't have a choice!".

A trailer for the announcement of Mewtwo (as DLC) was announced on October 23rd 2014 during the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-fact Extravaganza"

50-fact Extravaganza" A trailer for the announcement of Bowser Jr. was revealed during the Nintendo Direct Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-Fact Extravaganza on October 23rd, 2014, it was titled "The Future King".

A trailer for the announcement of Duck Hunt was revealed during a Nintendo Direct on November 5th, 2014, it was titled "One Dog, One Bird, One Zapper".

Two trailers were revealed for DLC characters Mewtwo & Lucas, titled "Mewtwo Strikes Back!" & "Lucas Comes Out of Nowhere" respectively during a Nintendo Direct on April 1st, 2015.

Two trailers were revealed for DLC characters Roy & Ryu, titled "Roy Seals the Deal!" & "Here Comes A New Challenger! Ryu" respectively during a Super Smash Bros. Pre-E3 Direct on June 14th, 2015.

A trailer for the announcement of the next DLC fighter, Cloud, was revealed during a Nintendo Direct on November 13th, 2015, titled "Cloud Storms Into Battle!".

Two trailers were revealed for DLC characters Corrin & Bayonetta, titled "Corrin Chooses to Smash!" & "Bayonetta Gets Wicked!" respectively during the Super Smash Bros. - Final Video Presentation on December 15, 2015.

Bundles

Nintendo 3DS

On August 13, 2014 Nintendo of Europe announced a Nintendo 3DS XL: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Limited Edition pack that come in red or blue and have the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Boxart in white on the front. It comes with the Nintendo 3DS XL, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS pre-installed, and for a limited time, comes with a Super Smash Bros. T-Shirt. It was released October 3rd. On September 6th, Nintendo confirmed this bundle would be coming to the North America too

Wii U

At E3 2014 Nintendo announced the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Bundle. This bundle comes with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, GameCube Adapter, and a Smash Bros. themed GameCube controller.

.

Trivia

This game was announced at E3 2011 but development didn't start until after the release of Kid Icarus: Uprising in 2012 and no characters, stages or gameplay were shown until E3 2013, a full 2 years after the first announcement. The Nintendo 3DS version was supposed to release in summer but it was delayed to October 3. This makes it the 2nd Smash game in a row to be delayed. The Nintendo 3DS version is also the first Smash game to be released on a handheld.

in 2012 and no characters, stages or gameplay were shown until E3 2013, a full 2 years after the first announcement. This is the first game to push the Nintendo 3DS to its maximum power during use, disabling use of Miiverse while the game is running.

while the game is running. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the game with the biggest memory in the whole series, having 15.6 GB.

is the game with the biggest memory in the whole series, having 15.6 GB. The Wii U version is the first Super Smash Bros. game to not be released first in Japan and then North America.

This is the first Smash Bros. to have online support through patching in order to balance characters and other mechanics.

This is the first game in the series to feature downloadable content.

This is the first installment in the series since the original game to not receive an ESRB rating of T, as both versions of the game appear to have a E10+ rating, according to the official site.

The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U versions have different stages: the Nintendo 3DS having stages primarily from handheld games, while the Wii U having stages mainly from console games.

The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U versions will not have cross-platform play due to the use of different stages in each version. However players can transfer their amiibo to both versions.

As Sakurai stated that in the Nintendo 3DS version, outlines are placed around the character so it can be easy to see them from far away. The thickness of the outlines can be increased, decreased, or even removed.

In the Nintendo 3DS version, stages only have two varying musical pieces, whereas in the Wii U version, the My Music function from Brawl has returned.

This is the first game in the series to keep entirely similar character models from a previous game ( Brawl ) with a texture retouch (for example Mario, Fox, Luigi, Sonic, Pikachu, Link, Donkey Kong, Peach, Zelda, Lucario, etc.). Notable exceptions include Marth, Ike, and Samus, who had their models updated to match their appearance in more recent games of their respective franchises. Other characters received minor tweaks in their models, such as Link, Mr. Game & Watch, Ness and King Dedede.

) with a texture retouch (for example Mario, Fox, Luigi, Sonic, Pikachu, Link, Donkey Kong, Peach, Zelda, Lucario, etc.). Notable exceptions include Marth, Ike, and Samus, who had their models updated to match their appearance in more recent games of their respective franchises. Other characters received minor tweaks in their models, such as Link, Mr. Game & Watch, Ness and King Dedede. This game has introduced more playable villains and female characters than any previous Smash game. This is the first game in the series to feature a playable female villain, Wendy O. Koopa, though Bowser Jr.'s alternate costume.

The Wii U and Nintendo 3DS version have a difference in unlockable characters. In the Nintendo 3DS version, Jigglypuff, Bowser Jr., Ganondorf and Ness are unlockable characters. In the Wii U version, those four characters are starter characters. The Wii U version is the first game where the entire cast of the original Super Smash Bros. are starters.

This is the first game where a veteran character who was a starter character in his first appearance becomes an unlockable character (Wario).

This is the first game in the series to not introduce any new playable characters from the Legend of Zelda universe or the Star Fox universe.

universe or the universe. This is the first game in the series to have characters be brought back after missing one game (i.e. Dr. Mario, Mewtwo and Roy).

This is the second game in the series to have third-party characters.

Wii Fit Trainer is the only character to have a home stage in one version, but not in the other version. In the Wii U version, her home stage is Wii Fit Studio.

This is the first game in which two fighters share the same name (Roy and Roy Koopa).

Gallery



