One of the things that pleased me most about Smash Bros. Melee was how easy it was to get used to, especially coming from SSB64. It was impressively simple to pick up a GameCube controller and start playing Melee with some decent SSB64 ability, and HAL struck a nice balance between keeping the same old gameplay and controls, and introducing some new features.
But with Smash Bros. Wii (or whatever you want to call it), there’s the chance that Nintendo could go a different way entirely to achieve the same basic goal. The Wii controller is being touted as all about ease of use to the casual gamer, as being totally natural and intuitive. Some might ask, though, where that leaves “the rest of us”: those who are already quite used to the standard controller, C-stick smashing, and all the rest.
It’s not out of the question that Nintendo could make use of the “standard” controller shell enclosure for the next Smash. But Nintendo is a huge fan of innovation, and other franchises will most certainly see some major changes to take advantage of the new controls. (Even EA’s sports games will be retooled much more than you might think for a third party, or so I (think I’ve) read.)
So here, on the eve of Nintendo’s tell-all press conference, I pose this question to the prophetic among us: how much will SSB3 change the “fundamentals” of Smash? How much should they change? Where will Nintendo’s quest for innovation meet up with familiarity, especially in a game with such a hardcore following and established levels of skill? The answers to these questions, I’m willing to posit, may very will turn the current tournament scene on its head.
Post your thoughts.
But with Smash Bros. Wii (or whatever you want to call it), there’s the chance that Nintendo could go a different way entirely to achieve the same basic goal. The Wii controller is being touted as all about ease of use to the casual gamer, as being totally natural and intuitive. Some might ask, though, where that leaves “the rest of us”: those who are already quite used to the standard controller, C-stick smashing, and all the rest.
It’s not out of the question that Nintendo could make use of the “standard” controller shell enclosure for the next Smash. But Nintendo is a huge fan of innovation, and other franchises will most certainly see some major changes to take advantage of the new controls. (Even EA’s sports games will be retooled much more than you might think for a third party, or so I (think I’ve) read.)
So here, on the eve of Nintendo’s tell-all press conference, I pose this question to the prophetic among us: how much will SSB3 change the “fundamentals” of Smash? How much should they change? Where will Nintendo’s quest for innovation meet up with familiarity, especially in a game with such a hardcore following and established levels of skill? The answers to these questions, I’m willing to posit, may very will turn the current tournament scene on its head.
Post your thoughts.