Does Smash Bros 4 feel like a cash-in?

[Clemente]

Personally to me it doesn't seem like Sakurai really "wanted" to make Smash 4 like he wanted to make Smash & Melee, and even Brawl. Those games have heart behind them, and no offense but Smash 4 seems like a somewhat more "businesslike" release. I can't even imagine how soulless a Smash Bros 5 by Sakurai would be.

I enjoy this game and we all do but I think you all know what I mean. Especially the lack of modes. Even the Wii U version all I can see is matches, just with a board game over top/a graphic where you move your character's trophy around.

Understand when I say cash-in, I mean in it that... I feel like other games by Sakurai were games that Sakurai wanted to make, while Smash 4 is something he felt OBLIGATED to make.

Note: Again, I enjoy Smash 4 (a lot -- it's Smash Bros, with a generally working online mode), but I still have this feeling.

 

[Magikarpow]

I think we should wait until Smash Bros Wii U to decide- there is only some much you can do on a handheld.

 

[Daxter]

If it is a cash-in, it's the most fun I've ever had with a cash in. Taking one of the most addictive fighting games in the world and turning it portable? Win! :D Even without all the extra modes, the core experience is what counts, right?

 

[awesumsauce1]

I don't think Sakurai would work himself to the point of self-injury if he didn't care. Maybe it feels like there's less heart behind it because two games were developed at the same time?

 

[wolfos144]

Hmmmmm no.

 

[Clemente]

I don't think Sakurai would work himself to the point of self-injury if he didn't care. Maybe it feels like there's less heart behind it because two games were developed at the same time?

He cares about his fans, and his employer, and his job, I'm saying it's not a game that HE wanted to make/loves making, and he's now just "doing his duty" and it kinda shows in this one.

 

[Smearglangelo]

Sakurai was asked to be the director and he agreed, he wouldn't have accepted if he didn't want to do it. Before you say he felt obliged I'm going to point out that he left the his beloved Kirby series behind him because he didn't feel like making Kirby games anymore.

 

[Zero Suit Wario]

Why do your threads fit so well with your icon??

 

[awesumsauce1]

Before you say he felt obliged I'm going to point out that he left the his beloved Kirby series behind him because he didn't feel like making Kirby games anymore.

And doing the same with Kid Icarus (sadly)

 

[Soluble Toast]

IMO, it definitely seems like Sakurai put just as much heart and soul into this game as any of the other Smash games. Most things becomes stale with age. We're used to the "smash formula" now. Smash 64 and Melee probably feel like they have more heart behind them because of a combination of nostalgia glasses and the fact those were the two games that the most iconic Nintendo stars debuted in.

 

[Darklink401]

I can see where you're COMING from, but sadly, you're...likely mistaken.

I mean, the man worked 40 hours straight sometimes, only going home to sleep for around 4 hours or so. They are NOT required to work that much. But why do they do it? Because they LOVE what they are doing. Sakurai could have just said 'yeah, I can direct, but I'll just be like, 'yes' and 'no' and everyone else can do the work. Aight?'

But he didn't. He gave us Sakurai Smash. TWO GAMES, no less.

 

[BeatNinja]

All of the threads you make are really negative.

 

[KingTeo]

Worry not, Sakurai's hands would probably be completely made of stone before he can make sm5sh.

482

 

[XxBHunterxX]

You might be right about it being a cash in, the fact that the game doesn't immediately feel different from brawl, 64 to melee was huge and melee to brawl was still a huge leap, they reused a lot of assets from brawl on the returning characters in this game. It honestly feels like what vanilla street fighter 2 is to super street fighter 2 turbo. This game doesn't really add any new mechanic to the series, I dunno know though

 

[Lemon Girl]

It probably feels like that for you since the 3DS has only as much content (slightly more) as Melee. I'd say, wait until the Wii U version.

 

[Darklink401]

You might be right about it being a cash in, the fact that the game doesn't immediately feel different from brawl, 64 to melee was huge and melee to brawl was still a huge leap, they reused a lot of assets from brawl on the returning characters in this game. It honestly feels like what vanilla street fighter 2 is to super street fighter 2 turbo. This game doesn't really add any new mechanic to the series, I dunno know though

Ledge-grabbing priority says otherwise.
And that is PRETTY big.

Also it doesn't feel like Brawl, as it's a lot faster than Brawl, attacks have motion trails now, and it feels a lot more fast-paced.

It might not seem like a HUGE leap, but that's only because you're seeing the 3ds version. Just wait till the Wii U version blows us all away.

 

[XxBHunterxX]

Ledge-grabbing priority says otherwise.
And that is PRETTY big.

Also it doesn't feel like Brawl, as it's a lot faster than Brawl, attacks have motion trails now, and it feels a lot more fast-paced.

It might not seem like a HUGE leap, but that's only because you're seeing the 3ds version. Just wait till the Wii U version blows us all away.

I'm not only talking about estectics I'm also talking about the gameplay, the core of it feels more like brawl than any other smash game, but Like I said it's like what street fighter 2 is to super street fighter 2 turbo, it's faster with balace adjustments and more characters. It feels like their answer to project m

 

[Spirst]

No, I disagree with this. There's so much love in this game that I can't imagine it as a cash-in at all. Given that nobody here has spent extensive time with the Wii U edition, the definitive smash for this generation, it's too premature to gauge whether or not this game truly pales in comparison.

Yes, it's closer to Brawl in overall mechanics but with the adjustments it has, I don't see how that makes it any less of a solid game. Some of the issues that plagued Brawl such as tripping, airdodging cancelling hitstun and being too safe upon landing, and extreme character imbalance have been remedied.

 

[Morbi]

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Not only do I believe that Sakurai made the game out of obligation (or more specifically, he made the game because he did not want anyone else to touch the IP), I also believe that the 3DS version was a blatant cash-grab.

inB4: "Butt teh gam waz onlee supozted ta b in teh 3DS."

 

[XxBHunterxX]

I love sakurai but I kinda lost respect for him with brawl, this man went out of his way to crap on the competitive scene. All of the things that most players hated in brawl such as the slow speeds, the air dodges and tripping were all results of him trying to rebel against the people who loved his game the most, I'm not saying any of the mechanics in melee should ever return but he didn't really think of how it would make the game feel for everyone.

Having said all of that though he has gained some respect from me again with smash 4, making brawl look like a beta but I don't think a game should make it's predecessor look worse but rather a different experience

 

[Darklink401]

I love sakurai but I kinda lost respect for him with brawl, this man went out of his way to crap on the competitive scene. All of the things that most players hated in brawl such as the slow speeds, the air dodges and tripping were all results of him trying to rebel against the people who loved his game the most, I'm not saying any of the mechanics in melee should ever return but he didn't really think of how it would make the game feel for everyone.

Having said all of that though he has gained some respect from me again with smash 4, making brawl look like a beta but I don't think a game should make it's predecessor look worse but rather a different experience

No, actually, he did EXACTLY that. He thought of how it would be for EVERYONE. Not just the minority of competitive players.

That's why Brawl sold more than Melee, whereas most sequels sell less than their predecessors.

Sure, it was him going against the competitive players, pretty much, but it was him sticking true to what his vision FOR the game was.

So you lost respect for the man for sticking to what he felt was best for a franchise?


@Morbid - No one is saying it was just for the 3ds, because it was announced for both, silly.

Also "he made it out of obligation" can't be specified as "he didn't want anyone else to touch the IP" because one signifies an involuntary action, one signifies a voluntary action.

 

[EclipseSmash]

Im honestly not sure anymore if you`re a troll or just kinda depressed.

 

[XxBHunterxX]

No, actually, he did EXACTLY that. He thought of how it would be for EVERYONE. Not just the minority of competitive players.

That's why Brawl sold more than Melee, whereas most sequels sell less than their predecessors.

Sure, it was him going against the competitive players, pretty much, but it was him sticking true to what his vision FOR the game was.

So you lost respect for the man for sticking to what he felt was best for a franchise?


@Morbid - No one is saying it was just for the 3ds, because it was announced for both, silly.

Also "he made it out of obligation" can't be specified as "he didn't want anyone else to touch the IP" because one signifies an involuntary action, one signifies a voluntary action.

Well brawl sold more due to the fact that the wii sold more than the GameCube thus more people had the chance to buy it.

The problem was he didn't make it for everyone he made it for the wii's demographic, which is fine but he added tripping just to give the other player the upper hand, and more or less a contingency plan incase an alternative to wave dashing was found.

So yeah I lost respect for him with brawl, he tried so hard to fix specific problems, that he ended up with bigger and more general problems. They seemed to be addressed in smash 4 so far, so I'm looking at him in a better light at least

 

[Raijinken]

Feels like a game to me.

The sheer amount of love that went into this series, and this game especially, is astounding.

 

[wingo]

Sm4sh feels incomplete and like it was made by a 5 year old.

 

[Darklink401]

Sm4sh feels incomplete and like it was made by a 5 year old.

No, silly, you couldn't make it.

kidding.

Also, Hunter, tripping IS a valid critique, but keep in mind that while it's true that more people had a Wii, it DID appeal to a lot of people. And that's why he made Smash. What it was supposed to be in the first place, a fun part brawler for everyone.

Do I think he should have added two different modes in Brawl, one for party, one 'fr srs'? Sure. Do i think it was fair that he basically said f*ck you to the competitive community? Eh. Not quite.

But he stuck to his vision, so I really can't hate on him for it. Tripping wasn't even that big of a deal, when I played Brawl, since I was a casual player.

However, I'd say that Smash 4 is really the closest game Sakurai's made to his vision.

 

[shapular]

I sort of get what you're saying sometimes, but I know it's really just because this is the first game that I've started playing as a competitive Smasher. I've been following the competitive scene since 2004, but I was still basically a casually competitive player when Brawl came out (didn't have anybody to play before wifi). Even when Brawl came out, I jumped into playing competitively pretty early but I still played Basic Brawl a lot. Since Smash 4 came out, I've been focusing almost entirely on 1v1 no items no fun allowed matches, so I haven't truly experienced a lot of the things Sakurai put into the game. Even so, there's one part of the game where it's easy to see the care and love he put into the game: the characters. All the newcomers (except the clones) bring a unique, diverse style into the game, and even a lot of the veterans feel fresh and well thought out. It's pretty easy to see the care Sakurai put into making Smash 4 a fun competitive experience, even if he didn't put the Melee mechanics that a lot of people wanted back in. I think you'll see a lot of love in the Wii U version too, from the redesigned Classic mode to 8-player Smash to Smash Tour to the beautiful new stages and even more than that.

 

[Darklink401]

TBH, he coulda given us another adventure mode.

But we know how Nintendo works. They like to be creative. Sometimes it works, and sometimes (see Virtual Boy) it doesn't. But Smash Tour and Smash Run were certainly really cool, and this game's boss is BY FAR the coolest.

 

[SmashBear]

Sakurai has been injured and has been working 2 years just for this game to come out.At least wait till the wii u version there is not very much you can do with a handheld

 

[Reila]

This thread is embarrassing. Every sequel to any franchise ever is a cash in then.

 

[MasterOfKnees]

That's probably just your mind playing tricks on you somehow, this game feels like no more of a cash-in than previous installments. The only thing that I can see that catters more to the business side of things than past installments is the inclusion of so many marketable newcomers, many who would never have been included if not for the fact that their games have been released at the right time. From a gameplay and mode standpoint though I can't agree.