Is Smash 4 the LAST Smash game?

[Lunchmanalchemist]

The creator of the Smash Bros series, Masahiro Sakurai, has stated that they've already gone way past their limit when it comes to the roster. He had to really give his all even for Melee, and developing the game doesn't exactly have the best effect on his health. Besides that, can you really name more than a handful of characters you'd like to see? The only one I can name is Ridley. Who else? Goku? Shrek?

What I can see happening is that we get a remastered/remake 4K version of Smash 4 with a few more characters and all the DLC content. If they REALLY wanna please the fans, we could even get a Melee mode where all the advanced techs of Melee can be used!

 

[Ravine]

Make more nintendo characters then. Duhhh!
Haven't they said that same thing the last game? And look where we are now.
The only reason why I bought a Wii U was because of smash 4.

 

[Khao]

This is one of the reasons I feel like the next Smash game will be heavily based on this one. Having the same gameplay and ****, but with new content.

The amount of stuff they got right now means it's simply unreasonable to make everything from scratch once again, especially considering we're still getting new content.

Choosing more characters isn't really a problem yet, the problem is in adding more while keeping the game balanced. That's not such a big issue now, since they're slowly adding more bit by bit through DLC. But when they have to make a new game with a different basic game, and release it with what, 60 characters in one go?

It'll simply be better to keep updating this one, even if they have to re-release it with a new coat of paint. New modes, new characters, new menus, some improved or even replaced/cut features... But everything using this game as a base.

But that's just a theory anyway. Pretty much anything could happen, and for all we know, the next Smash Bros is already in development. Though I doubt it.

 

[Morbi]

If Sakurai is not involved with the next project in some capacity, even in an advisory role, I would argue that Smash 4 is the last Smash game. However, I am certain that they will develop another title with the Smash name. It just will not be developed by Sakurai and his team.

 

[Newtonjar]

I think the answer to your question is $$$$$$$$$$$$$
Like seriously, Nintendo is not going to simply just stop one of their most successful franchises no matter how cumbersome to make.

 

[Jaedrik]

Going by the broadest definition of "game," no, it's not the last one.
There will be one / people whom make another Smash game at some point.

 

[Kurri ★]

If they REALLY wanna please the fans, we could even get a Melee mode where all the advanced techs of Melee can be used!

Eww...
Either go all in or don't, a separate mode would be dumb

 

[Vycoul]

No.
This might be Sakurai's last Smash game, but anyone who thinks Nintendo would just drop something as successful and profitable as Smash needs their head examined.

 

[BeefStew]

No, Smash 4 will not be the last Smash title to come out. Imagine the money that a new system and Smash 5 would make.

Now the real question is if a new Half Life 3 will come out...

gaben pls

 

[Tino]

I wouldn't be surprised if it is. Even if there will be a Smash 5, then Sakurai probably won't be involved in it.

 

[Dar4]

Not a chance. This game makes money.

I will say though, that it will be quite a while. It was almost 7 years between Smash 4 and Brawl. Considering the NX is looking like it's coming out end of 2016, I would guess we'd see a new smash sometime around 2020. But as the time and money it costs to make games continues to rise it could be later.

Personally I'm in no rush. This game is fantastic. I'll be too old when the next one is out to play it competitively so I don't care about it. And I'd imagine most everyone on this board will be too....unless the culture changes and people keep playing smash competitively in their 30s (I'm not seeing it now).

I just want to see regular balance patches continue for the next few years for smash 4.

 

[Andinus]

Smash will need to fall flat on its face before they stop making these games, which if Sakurai is not part of the next one, and it blows, that then could be the last one.

 

[Metalex]

Well this is a pretty interesting thing to think about.

First of all NO, this is by no means the last Super Smash Bros game as it is one of the most profitable games for Nintendo atm and it would be very strange if they decided to stop making the series, BUT it could and will most likely be the last one Sakurai works on and that means that there will naturally be a big change for the series when a new developer takes over.

While Sakurai is a fantastic developer and is the man that have made Smash what it is today, i think we can all agree he makes some questionable decisions and is a bit biased when it comes to designing the characters and keeping the veterans and mechanics the same. He also dislikes the competitive community since it's against his original vision of what the series should be about.

I think a new developer that's not afraid to change the mechanics of the game/characters and at least recognizes the competitive community could turn out to be fantastic for the series so that's what im hoping for. Namco bandai could actually be a very good developer to take over the series since they have already worked with Sakurai on this game and seem to have had a positive influence on alot of aspects in this game.

However, it could also go the other way with a new developer and Smash 5 could turn out to be a completely dumbed down disaster with no competitive value whatsoever so it remains to be seen...

Anyway, im excited to see what will happen when it's time for the next Smash game to arrive.

 

[#HBC | Red Ryu]

Why would they drop one of their biggest cash cows?

 

[Wintropy]

While I don't doubt that Smash will continue well into the foreseeable future, I'm willing to believe it will be the last Smash with Sakurai as the director. He's made it very clear that he dislikes having to create sequels due to fans' expectations and that he designed Brawl with the motif of it being the "final" game in a series; furthermore, it'd been suggested that he wouldn't have worked on Brawl or Smash 4 if Iwata hadn't convinced him otherwise. We know that the project would have continued even if Sakurai had declined the offer, but at the same time, we know that Sakurai is very proud of his involvement with Smash and has an auteur-esque degree of control over it. If Sakurai keeps coming back to Smash, it's as much because he wants to keep things true to his vision as it is because of Nintendo's executive meddling.

With that said, I don't know if he will continue to direct Smash in future. Circumstances have changed in ways that I doubt even Sakurai could have predicted: with his dwindling health and mounting stress due to the difficulty of directing Smash 4, the ability to add future content to this version of the game (even if we know DLC is coming to an end), hiring an expanded development team with the help of Namco-Bandi and Iwata's unfortunate passing, I don't know if Sakurai will have any desire or even find it necessary to return in the director's role. I can see him staying on in an advisory role or an outside consultant, but with Smash reaching the stage where it can be regularly updated instead of redesigned, and without Iwata's guidance to offer him support, it just seems that Sakurai may decide he's not needed next time.

Either way, it will be a good few years before the next Smash game is released, so he may well have changed his mind between now and then. Nobody knows for sure if Sakurai will remain the director, but I think it's safe to say this will not be the last Smash game.

 

[Jaedrik]

Eww...
Either go all in or don't, a separate mode would be dumb

no

ur dum

But in all seriousness, there's literally no good reason not to shove everything one practically can.
Modes and options are always a good thing.

 

[Khao]

no

ur dum

But in all seriousness, there's literally no good reason not to shove everything one practically can.
Modes and options are always a good thing.

Ever heard of the concept of "feature creep"? Cause that's an extremely unhealthy mentality for the development of any project.

Adding every single feature that comes to your head just leads to a broken product with no focus. And something like adding a Melee mode just means the developer has no faith in the regular gameplay. Not to mention they'd now have to split development between both modes for no reason when they could just focus on making one as best as they could. Seriously, adding a "slightly different mechanics" mode will never be a good idea.

Besides, even outside all that nonsense, you're just splitting the community.

 

[Lunchmanalchemist]

Make more nintendo characters then. Duhhh!
Haven't they said that same thing the last game? And look where we are now.
The only reason why I bought a Wii U was because of smash 4.

Yeah, because creating entirely new IPs and characters for the sake of another game is a piece of cake, right(sarcasm)? At least for Smash 4, there was a ton of options : Little Mac, Villager, Ryu, Mega Man, Pac Man, Cloud, and even King K Rool and Inkling(who is practically guarenteed to be DLC).

 

[Lunchmanalchemist]

Ever heard of the concept of "feature creep"? Cause that's an extremely unhealthy mentality for the development of any project.

Adding every single feature that comes to your head just leads to a broken product with no focus. And something like adding a Melee mode just means the developer has no faith in the regular gameplay. Not to mention they'd now have to split development between both modes for no reason when they could just focus on making one as best as they could. Seriously, adding a "slightly different mechanics" mode will never be a good idea.

Besides, even outside all that nonsense, you're just splitting the community.

Uh, so does Sakurai not have faith in his own game just because he added Special Brawl(where you can completely change the mechanics of EVERYTHING)? No. If anything it would help resolve the differences in the community. Like Brawl gameplay? There's a mode for that! Like Melee gameplay? We also have that!

 

[Kurri ★]

Uh, so does Sakurai not have faith in his own game just because he added Special Brawl(where you can completely change the mechanics of EVERYTHING)? No. If anything it would help resolve the differences in the community. Like Brawl gameplay? There's a mode for that! Like Melee gameplay? We also have that!

One, edit your posts. Two, Special Brawl and "Melee Mode" are not the same thing.

 

[Khao]

Uh, so does Sakurai not have faith in his own game just because he added Special Brawl(where you can completely change the mechanics of EVERYTHING)? No.

I figured this response was going to show up.

Special Brawl doesn't replace the mechanics of the basic game. No mode in any Smash Bros game replaces the mechanics of the basic game (save for stuff like Street Smash, which is a minigame entirely separate from the main gameplay). Special Smash adds extra effects, like permanent item status, or a heavy gravity modifier. They all work with the basic mechanics of the game without actually modifying them. Then the stuff like Stamina only changes victory conditions, but again, does not actually change the way the base game works.

Adding something like a Melee mode would require a complete overhaul of the gameplay code, not to mention completely rebalance the game, and probably even include two versions of every character so that they can actually work with the different. It's not feasible or worth it.

If anything it would help resolve the differences in the community. Like Brawl gameplay? There's a mode for that! Like Melee gameplay? We also have that!

Sounds simple enough until you want to organize tournaments.

 

[mymerlincat]

I think it should be. Make this game like Guitar Hero Live or Minecraft or something. Keep it the same game but keep adding new content for years and years.

 

[Kurri ★]

I think it should be. Make this game like Guitar Hero Live or Minecraft or something. Keep it the same game but keep adding new content for years and years.

Maybe for stages, but characters it'll eventually hit a limit. A game like this can only have so many characters before it becomes a nightmare to balance and play around.

With the two games you mentioned, there really isn't much need to balance things out.

 

[Foxus]

As I probably assume others have said, the short and richly sweet answer is no.

Smash won't go out without a bang. People will have to grow tired of the game, and Nintendo will literally have to see too much of a volatile market to refuse investing in the games development (or in other words, increased backlash of announced plans for a Smash 5).

Sakurai could say no, but Nintendo, in their conflicting views, probably could find another director willing to take on such a project.

So fan rejection + lack of a market would be the determining factors in Smash's ultimate demise. When you look at it from a business perspective, the question and educated guess becomes completely different than the assumed determining factor being if Sakurai wanted to continue or not.

 

[Dan]

Besides that, can you really name more than a handful of characters you'd like to see? The only one I can name is Ridley. Who else? Goku? Shrek?

You do have a really good point there. I don't agree with everything Sakurai has done with the roster, but it is good enough, and I agree on Ridley. Yes, he is to big, but they need to find a way to make him work. My 3 essential characters are he, Dixie Kong and K. Rool.

I think the better question is, "If Sakurai said he wanted Smash 4 to be the last Smash, would Nintendo say, "No, **** you" and just do 5 without him?". Smash is a console mover; I highly doubt they care about one man's opinion to pass up millions of dollars. I'd say as long as there are Nintendo consoles, there'll be a Smash. I think Sakurai comes across as a little naive in his interviews as well, but don't get me wrong; I still think the dude's a genius. Like he thinks Nintendo is going to follow "whatever he feels like", and not make another Smash if he so choses, just because it's his franchise, but who knows? Nintendo has acted so weird lately I wouldn't even be surprised if they were like, "Alright daddy Sakurai, you don't want another Smash, done.", and then just lose millions of dollars.

I don't really think this is the golden Smash to remake either. If Nintendo knows where their money is, they'll remake/rerelease Melee with more content. I never understood Sakurai only wanting to appeal to the casual audience; you cut out half of your crowd. If you go for the competitive crowd, the casual audience can still play it. It doesn't work vice-versa. By the same token, he adds For Glory and an FD mode for every stage. I wonder who persuaded him into that one. It's like, why even bother adding those modes in a game that isn't even that technical or competitive?

 

[FamilyTeam]

When it comes to characters, I can think of quite a few, actually. With the 3rd parties they're already working with, they could give them more representation, for sega, they could be adding in more Sonic characters, or maybe more characters from other well-known Sega franchises, like Virtua Fighter, maybe even Crazy Taxi if they wanted to be silly. For Namco, they could get dig-dug, or a few people from Tekken. From Capcom, they could get someone from Final Fight (even though most Final Fight characters are also SF characters nowadays, heh). This isn't even counting characters Nintendo could add from their own IPs, like the Inklings or whatever.
I assure you, if anything stops Nintendo from making a new Smash game, I doubt it'll be lack of new characters to add.

 

[CrazyPerson]

Sakuri will ride off into the sunset and we will thank him.

But... someone else will be assigned Sm5sh for the NX is some years. (hopefully it will be a while... I don't want Smash to start feeling like Madden... or maybe Call of Duty is a better comparison with a short life span and DLC being needed for a lot of things... though maybe they have changed that... but the crank a new one out every 1-2 years with just a few changes thing sucks imo.)

It will be interesting to see what is done... for all of there flaws every smash game has been a great party game... a bit more attention has been paid to competitive scene this time (I think)... will be interesting to see where the next one goes.

Simply put... there is to much money in this for Nintendo, who's consoles are often defined by a few exclusive titles (Mario, Zelda, Smash, Pokemon, Metroid I'd say are the top 5.).. Nintendo isn't going to let this game or revenue stream dissapear.

Just hope it is done well when that time comes... To often good games have tried to do more and ended up losing what made them awesome. (Star Fox leaving the cockpit, The specials in Mario Tennis giving players an I win button removing a lot of the intensity, etc.) Game will need to differentiate itself... but hopefully it does it while staying true to what we all love.

 

[Jterr]

It looks like Smash 4 will be Sakurai's last smash game. So if there is a next Smash game, then someone else might make it.
Sakurai has done SO MUCH for us making these games, and if he leaves, I'll understand and be thankful.
But talking about the next smash bros. game is something I don't want to talk about, since Smash 4 is still really new.

 

[Foxus]

You do have a really good point there. I don't agree with everything Sakurai has done with the roster, but it is good enough, and I agree on Ridley. Yes, he is to big, but they need to find a way to make him work. My 3 essential characters are he, Dixie Kong and K. Rool.

I think the better question is, "If Sakurai said he wanted Smash 4 to be the last Smash, would Nintendo say, "No, **** you" and just do 5 without him?". Smash is a console mover; I highly doubt they care about one man's opinion to pass up millions of dollars. I'd say as long as there are Nintendo consoles, there'll be a Smash. I think Sakurai comes across as a little naive in his interviews as well, but don't get me wrong; I still think the dude's a genius. Like he thinks Nintendo is going to follow "whatever he feels like", and not make another Smash if he so choses, just because it's his franchise, but who knows? Nintendo has acted so weird lately I wouldn't even be surprised if they were like, "Alright daddy Sakurai, you don't want another Smash, done.", and then just lose millions of dollars.

I don't really think this is the golden Smash to remake either. If Nintendo knows where their money is, they'll remake/rerelease Melee with more content. I never understood Sakurai only wanting to appeal to the casual audience; you cut out half of your crowd. If you go for the competitive crowd, the casual audience can still play it. It doesn't work vice-versa. By the same token, he adds For Glory and an FD mode for every stage. I wonder who persuaded him into that one. It's like, why even bother adding those modes in a game that isn't even that technical or competitive?

That's basically correlating with what I said.

I don't really think its of good taste to generalize and divide the Smash crowd as "casuals" and the "competitive." I've always frowned upon those terms as they either imply someone isn't serious enough and sucks, or someone is better than everyone else, and there is no comparison. Its really just a difference in skill, and I really hope "casual" and "competitive" terms get given a rest, because in certain contexts, they can be demeaning.

I don't think Nintendo should remake Melee, or Brawl, or the original. While Sakurai's involvement was responsible for most of Smash's success, its not to say Smash goes if he goes. Would it be an act of taboo to say maybe Smash would benefit from someone with a different perspective? Probably not. If someone were to become the new director, sure there might be some sticker shock, but its not what makes or breaks the game. Its just a name among others in the credits.

As I said before, regardless of whether Sakurai would agree to a 5th installment or not, Nintendo will not give up the opportunity to lay another golden egg if there is a market and there is fan hype.

Dixie Kong (like Dr. Mario) could be made available through equipment. To add Ridley to the game would be to remove Ridley from the non-omega version of Pyrosphere, just for it to look right and not awkward. Ridley is possible, if given the go for that compromise. And I agree when you ponder the question, "What persuaded him to put in a For Glory and FD mode for every stage?"

It must have been something monumental.

 

[RIP|Merrick]

Smash is what I would consider a special treat type of series, something that you only see released very sporadically. With the exception of N64 going into Melee, releases have taken years to complete each release, and with how much work and time that goes into development, I can safety say I am not looking forward to investing in an entirely new expensive system for another Smash game any time soon. With how emotionally exhausting work on the series is, I can't see a new release or an announcement for a long time.

 

[Foxus]

Smash is what I would consider a special treat type of series, something that you only see released very sporadically. With the exception of N64 going into Melee, releases have taken years to complete each release, and with how much work and time that goes into development, I can safety say I am not looking forward to investing in an entirely new expensive system for another Smash game any time soon. With how emotionally exhausting work on the series is, I can't see a new release or an announcement for a long time.

Probably.

I'd expect probably at least as long as the timeframe between Brawl and Smash 4. Maybe a bit further into the NX's lifespan.

 

[_gold_]

No, it is not. At least I have a strong assumption it is not. Based on how well SSB4 was received (for the most part), how amazingly well Amiibos did (sales wise), Super Smash has become one of Nintendo's cash cow franchises. It has been for a long time too. Now Nintendo isn't one of those companies to just milk a franchise till it's dry, like others, but they're still a business. It's an iconic series to the company, like Mario Kart, and I get a feeling other companies like Sony and Microsoft get nervous when the next game in the series comes out because it has such a huge fanbase and possibly stunts their sales. There's nothing better for a game company to have a consistent console-selling game, and that's what Smash Bros. is.
If Sakurai leaves, yes it'll be sad and possibly even hurt Smash. But Nintendo will simply find another person to head the series.

 

[Lunchmanalchemist]

OK, since almost EVERYONE is answering the same exact thing, I'm gonna change the question : Would you even want another Smash game? Think about it. First of all, a lack of good first party characters beside a handful like Ridley, Skull Kid, etc. Second, since Sakurai is leaving, Super Smash Bros is probably gonna get milked to death by Nintendo. "Oh look, it's Smash 6! They added Toad... and nobody else. You also have to pay $80 DLC to get the full game(*cough*Star Wars Battlefront*cough*). At least it has better graphics!" Do you really want this kinda thing to happen to Smash? Third, it's not going to be Melee. Unless Nintendo has a different view on competitive players than Sakurai and really wants extra money, we are probably never gonna get a Melee mode I mean, the game is amazing and tons of fun, but I just gotta be honest here. It's a little shallow in terms of competitive play compared to Melee. Project M got kicked out of all the big tournaments and got canceled, so that's not really an option

 

[FamilyTeam]

Woah. I think they wouldn't go as far as treating Smash like they treat the Mario series. There's a lot of fan speculation as to where Smash will go in case Sakurai leaves, but I don't think it will be that disrespected. And about the characters: I don't find "a lack of good first party characters" to even be that bad.
And Melee mode, eh, I don't know, that feels a bit unecessary. It would be cool, but it'd be nice if every Smash game tried to be its own thing.

 

[Vintage Creep]

It's not. Let's move on.

 

[CrazyPerson]

OK, since almost EVERYONE is answering the same exact thing, I'm gonna change the question : Would you even want another Smash game? Think about it. First of all, a lack of good first party characters beside a handful like Ridley, Skull Kid, etc. Second, since Sakurai is leaving, Super Smash Bros is probably gonna get milked to death by Nintendo. "Oh look, it's Smash 6! They added Toad... and nobody else. You also have to pay $80 DLC to get the full game(*cough*Star Wars Battlefront*cough*). At least it has better graphics!" Do you really want this kinda thing to happen to Smash? Third, it's not going to be Melee. Unless Nintendo has a different view on competitive players than Sakurai and really wants extra money, we are probably never gonna get a Melee mode I mean, the game is amazing and tons of fun, but I just gotta be honest here. It's a little shallow in terms of competitive play compared to Melee. Project M got kicked out of all the big tournaments and got canceled, so that's not really an option

Lot's of companies are doing this... but thus far Nintendo DLC has been reasonable enough... Yes it costs some extra money but we have gotten a good amount of post launch support.

Other games that have done DLC... Mario Kart's additional stuff has been well recieved... as was new super mario bros I think. Have they ever done the to much divide the community DLC thing?

A game with a long lifespan is something that DLC really helps... a game with a short lifespan (release a new call of duty every freaking year... but idk if they still do that) is a terrible thing IMO.

 

[FamilyTeam]

A game with a long lifespan is something that DLC really helps... a game with a short lifespan (release a new call of duty every freaking year... but idk if they still do that) is a terrible thing IMO.

They still do that, yes, they always will do that. Atleast the latest games (Black Ops 2, Advanced Warfare and Black Ops 3, pretend Ghosts never happened) have been trying to mix things up a bit, gameplay and DLC wise. They always add new weapons, maps, modes, small little things you might want for your guns... so it's not all bad.

 

[Ghostly ~]

I would say that yes. Smash 4 could be the last Smash bros game given that Sakurai can give a long break for who knows when or retire of making a Smash game and he can start making a new game / another KI game.

 

[a dog]

No, there will most definitely be a 5ma5h in the future.

 

[C3CC]

It's just ridiculous and nonsensical to think that Smash 4 will be the last Smash game. The thing prints money, you know. No one is indispensable; they can always just bring another guy to direct the game and that's it. Maybe they could have Sakurai around for some advice and that's it.

Smash has proven to be really important to Nintendo business-wise. It opened the door for Fire Emblem to come to America, it dictated which characters were getting amiibos (and those are selling like hot cakes), it's been used for promotion several times in the past (see Roy, Pichu, Greninja, etc), and the list goes on.

Yeah, there's no possible way we're not getting Smash 5 for the NX. Relax.