Something is about to happen that has only happened three times in my life: In 2014, a new “Smash Bros.” game is coming.
The first “Smash Bros.” installment was introduced in 1999 for the Nintendo 64. With each new console generation came a new title, with “Super Smash Bros. Melee” for the GameCube in 2002, and “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” for the Wii in 2008. Now, “Super Smash Bros. for Wii U” (its official name) has been announced for release in 2014, and the routine clamor of anticipation has commenced.
Fans of the series know that with each installment, new players are added while others may get axed. For example, Pokémon enthusiasts such as myself lamented over departure of the awesome Mewtwo in Brawl (seriously, WTF Nintendo), while Sonic the Hedgehog fans cheered at the arrival of that hyperactive blue rat.
Regarding the character debacle, game director Masahiro Sakurai told The Escapist, “The amount of stress I feel, it’s almost to the brink of death.”
So far, the additions of three new characters have been announced: Mega Man, The Villager from “Animal Crossing” and the Wii Fit Trainer.
Mega Man, the robo-boy from the long-running “Mega Man” series, is an ideal candidate for a “Smash Bros.” character. His Variable Weapons System promises a colorful and innovative moveset, which is attractive to new players. Meanwhile, the legacy of the character will be appealing to seasoned players (the first Mega Man game was introduced to the NES in 1987, at the dawn of video games).
The Villager, the silent child from the “Animal Crossing” series, received his invitation to the prestigious battleground in a promotional trailer debuted at E3. Players were at first ambivalent toward this addition, perhaps because there is an unsatisfying dearth of violence and mayhem in the “Animal Crossing” universe.
However, a hilarious meme campaign emerged painting the adorable yet eerily vacant child as a cold-blooded killer. Fans now seem enthusiastic to play as him, with one discussion-board contributor labeling the child as “Dexter-like.” If this was a move planted by Nintendo marketing staff, it was genius. This idea of the harmless child harboring homicidal tendencies came from the fact that the Villager spends his days digging up weeds and chopping down trees. And his nights, presumably, hacking up bodies and burying them in the backyard.
The third character to be introduced so far, fans are most skeptical about. Wii Fit is a simple exercise “game” in which the player performs yoga and other aerobics in front of the screen, while encouraged by a plainly adorned instructor. Many of the characters chosen to join the Smash Bros. hall of fame have had multiple titles in their name, and some are international superstars such as Pikachu or Mario. Before she was added to the Smash Bros. lineup, the gentle-voiced trainer from Wii Fit was hardly noteworthy. Still, she is an unexpected surprise, and fans are warming up to her with funny memes such as, “First we will burn your calories, then we will burn the rest of your body.”
Some players have speculated whether the Villager will have a female-skin option, since only the male version was shown and “Animal Crossing” has a large female fan base. With Nintendo’s increasing interconnectedness of systems, perhaps the player can upload their custom avatar from Animal Crossing: Wii U and 3DS (this shouldn’t present a huge challenge graphically; the two genders are nearly identical).
Similar complaints of sexism have arisen that the female Wii Fit trainer was chosen over the male, and some are frustrated by her scant wardrobe and “ideal” body. These are the type of complaints Masahiro Sakurai has to confront. Let’s just hope he survives the process so the game can be released on time.