The explosive choral theme music blasting, the introduction of five new characters, the concept of the final smash, and the glories of every thing Nintendo character versus Nintendo character meant were embodied in the 2:32 opus.
The hype did not die. I breathed it, bathed in it, and ate it. I shunned all information regarding the game until its reveal. And then… I was disappointed.
Almost nothing about it felt right. Character slots were taken up by truly random inclusions and a few clones. The music was not what was promised. The physics were different. The entire tone of the experience was not what I was expecting.
Of course, this isn't anyone's fault but my own for having expectations that weren't met. It's just that… some of Nintendo's decisions just seemed so bizarre.
And now, with the brand new Super Smash Bros. (for Wii U/3DS) around the corner, I've kept my hype and expectations in check. That said, this list comprises the top 5 things that should be changed from Brawl in the newest entry.
*Note: As not all information about the game is available, this list contains an ample amount of speculation. If any of my entries are incorrect, notify me in the comments.
NUMBER 5: The return of a story/adventure mode (preferably with co-op)
He's referring to the cutscenes used in the story mode of Brawl, which featured gorgeous artwork and exciting sequences (What Nintendo fans didn't explode with excitement as all of our favorite characters in their iconic ships did battle agains Ganondorf's massive cannon/battlestation/thing?) Because those scenes were put on the internet, it seems he's opted for a total lack of story-telling sequences all together.
If they were to include a single-player focused mode in the game, but not in the form of Subspace, I'd hope for something akin to Adventure mode in Super Smash Bros. Melee, which took the character of your choosing through the locales of many famous Nintendo games, and pitting them against familiar foes like Goombas and Re-Deads.
As it stands now, there is no story mode in any form, and that is one heck of a shame.
NUMBer 4: overhaul THE MUSIC
As a fan of orchestral and choral music in gaming and beyond, I was beyond ecstatic.
What a tremendous letdown it was to find that nearly none of that statement came to fruition. Sure, there are a handful of orchestral and choral pieces throughout the game, but the majority of its massive library consisted of the same synth-ridden remixes we'd had for years, along with seemingly random tracks plucked straight from the source games.
A tremendous step backwards would be an understatement, considering that nearly all of Melee's music was orchestral.
Since that "feature" will be returning again, I pray the option to simply choose a song and be done with it will be included this time.
NUMBER 3: Bring back Randomized classic mode/personalized Target Tests
Target Tests were an awesome way to help master your chosen character, as each had a unique course specified to their abilities. In Brawl, that was taken away.
Coupled with the castrated Target Tests, playing through Classic with new characters to earn their trophies was an exercise in boredom and redundancy.
NUMBER 2: Franchise fatigue
This will be lengthy so bear with me: I love that there is such an enormous cast to the game, especially with truly original choices like The Villager and Wii Fit Trainer, but I can't shake the feeling that same franchises just have too many participants.
Hell, I'm still miffed about "Toon Link." An utterly wasted character slot for a character that is essentially the same as his elder self, but with highly minute differences. (The worst case of this scenario was in Brawl, with Fox, Falco and Wolf, all from Star Fox, and all playing relatively the same.) There should not be any wasted character slots with what are, more-or-less, re-skins.
Why waste character slots like this?
A solution to re-skin/clone characters like Link and Toon Link would be to have Toon Link be an alternate costume, offering the minor, different abilities he possesses. Mario could easily become Dr. Mario, along with the Dr.'s unique abilities in this way as well.
And don't even get me started on the idea of R.O.B. as a playable character. Although unique, I can't help but believe that slot would have better served...
NUMBER 1: SIMON BELMONT
Simon and his clan were heavy-hitters on the NES, and as Snake's inclusion in Brawl showed us, Konami is willing to let some of the IP join the fight.
He'd be a perfect fit for the cast, bringing a new and fertile franchise to the Smash.
And no one can tell me that a Castlevania stage would not be awesome.
What do you think?
Am I being too much of an asshole about character clones/re-skins and franchise inclusions? (Possibly.)
Is Simon Belmont as amazing as I think he is? (Yes.)
Sound off in the comments below!