Every (other) Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.
Custom level creation in console games has come a long way. It used to be, if you wanted to share a track that you built in Excitebike, you had to invite friends over to play your creation on your cartridge, until you powered off your NES and the track was lost forever. Nowadays our levels can be saved to internal storage, and shared by removable media, or across the internet to survive for posterity.
It's a feature that's fully supported by all consoles this generation, and big games are highlighting it amongst their bullet points. System sellers like Halo 3, LittleBigPlanet, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are trojan-horsing the concept of custom level creation into the consciousness of the console-consuming collective. Former Sony exec Phil Harrison popularized the term "Game 3.0," but we'll be taking a look at how it is playing out on Nintendo's platform.
We've known about Brawl's online mode for a while now, but today's dojo update takes a closer look at the nuts and bolts of how it all works when playing with friends (you may recall that you can play with non-friends, but their name won't be visible). And boy, does it look simple.
The first thing you'll need to do, as you'd expect, is swap Friend Codes. Yes, they're a royal pain in everybody's backside, but let's face facts: due to Nintendo's "safety first" approach, they're here to stay. Once Friend Codes have been entered into your Wii, they stay there forever, allowing you to view the status of your Brawl buddies. From there, if you fancy some fisticuffs, it's simply a matter of somebody hosting the game, and the rest of your pals piling in. Piece of cake, eh?
Today's dojo update has only exacerbated our dilemma. See, it's not so much that we really likeTreasure's exquisite N64 game Sin and Punishment (available on the Virtual Console now, as if we needed to remind you). It's more that we unconditionally love it, want to marry it, have its children, and settle down in the 'burbs with it for a life of rosy contentment.
Hence, the news that the star of that game, Saki Amamiya, will be an Assist Trophy in Brawl has put us in a right old tizzy. He sounds pretty useful, as well, with his Cannon Sword doubling up as both a sword and a gun, allowing him to slice and shoot his way through whoever's silly enough to get in his way.
Being able to switch the color of your fighter is pretty much a given in any Smash Bros. game, and Brawl uses this feature to give us the likes of Fire Mario, Mario as Wario, an albino Donkey Kong, Dark Link, Fusion Suit Samus, and Snake in a variety of fetching camouflage designs.
Each character comes with six different variations, which can be toggled on the character select screen. To see more of these, hit the gallery below.
Today's dojo update is a "2-for-1" deal, giving us insight into a new game mode and in-game item. First, the new game mode allows players to set up scenarios for training purposes. As you can see above, you control everything right down to the flow of time, allowing you to perfect your craft before stepping into the field of combat with actual opponents. Considering how long it's been since we've played a Smash Bros. game, we're probably going to need this.
The new in-game item is the Smart Bomb, which can be used to destroy everyone. Upon launching the item at your opponent, it will detonate and the explosion will steadily grow. As it expands, it traps other combatants into it. But, you have to watch out, because it can also trap you in.
The good news about Super Smash Bros. Brawl: pretty much everything. The bad news? Looks like the title is being delayed in Japan until the end of January. So here's our question: will that delay be spread across the globe, or will it be unique to Japan? We hope it won't be delayed, of course ... unless there are things what need fixing, and then we're 100% in favor of a delay. Please, give us the best game ever. We'll wait. We'll even pretend to be patient. Update: The delay has been confirmed. Get your weep on.
We've known for quite some time now that Nintendo would be backing E For All. Word just hit today, however, that playable versions of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy will be on-hand for those in attendance. Nintendo, who wasn't showing their face at TGS07, didn't even have a playable build of Brawl on the show floor at E307. Even with the game only a few months away, it'd be nice to get a taste of the action. Perhaps even get to play as one of the new characters. Not only that, but Nintendo will host daily tournaments, hooking each day's winner up with an exclusive Wii T-shirt.
Head past the break for all of the Wii games on-hand at the show.
The latest Dojo update seems to be an exercise in masochism; Diddy's wooden pea(nut) shooter is pretty cool and all, but you'd better be careful with it. Otherwise, you'll do a lot worse than shoot your eye out. Lesson: slow and steady wins the shooting race.
In case you hadn't guessed, it's Diddy Kong all the way today, and the Dojo has offered up a look at his special moves, which include eating the occasional peanut from his gun. Hey, peanuts are nutritious and delicious! Also, they restore a little health, which is generally a good thing when getting your smash on.
If peanut guns aren't your style, not to fret ... there's also a rocket jet pack attachment.
Today's Dojo update is spoileriffic for those who want to discover every scrap of AdventureMode for themselves. The official site included a video, which has been a pain to get -- it looks like everyone else in the world has been trying to watch it as well -- so we have a helpful YouTube version after the break for those who don't mind seeing Pit's introduction a little early. Time to stop watching and join the fight, Pit!
Posted Aug 31st 2007 3:40PM by JC Fletcher Filed under: News
While the main arena of the new WarioWare stage may look like the standard floating-platforms-over-a-flat-space template found in pretty much everynewBrawlstage, it has its own special quirks. The whole stage transforms into WarioWare microgames during play!
In his post about the new stage, Masahiro Sakurai promises "rewards" for those who successfully complete the objective of each microgame. In the context of Smash Bros., we imagine that either to be a free item or damage for your opponents.
The people who turn items off are going to hate this stage.
A reader who is as excited about Super Smash Bros. Brawl as we are suggested this excellent question to get the day started: if you could see anyone in the game, any character at all, who would you want? Or are you pretty satisfied with the current roster? That's a pretty tough one ... there are a lot of characters out there. Comedic answers will earn you both bonus points and respect.
Posted Aug 14th 2007 1:30PM by JC Fletcher Filed under: News
Today's Smash Bros. Dojo update is of special interest to nerds! Even more than usual, that is. The latest assist trophy has been revealed as Devil from the NES game Devil World.
Devil Worldis most significant for being a Shigeru Miyamoto game that has never been released in the US. The only such game, according to Wikipedia. In the Pac-Man-style game, Devil points in the direction in which the maze is about to scroll. And that's exactly what he does in Smash Bros.-- he points, and the screen scrolls. Since falling off of the screen is such an important component of Smash Bros., Devil seems like quite a powerful assist!
As much as we love the actual gameplay of Smash Bros., it's stuff like Devil here that keeps bringing us back. Super Smash Bros. is like a living museum of Nintendo history!
A Ruliweb poster reports that "Large scuffle [su] every [swi] [pu] compared to Japanese date of issue of [su] X. November 22 straight road decision. In compliance with a wye pie communication possibility! before the adult!"
Luckily, NeoGAFfer farnham can actually read either the Korean post or the issue of the Japanese magazine Coro Coro to which it refers, and he says that the post is about Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and that there's a confirmation of online battling somewhere in all those words and stuff. And even we can read the Japanese release date of November 22. That's pretty soon! Possibly even before the adult!
Do you loveYoshi? Do all your friends know you as "The Yoshinator" because you're always talking about how awesome Yoshi is? Is your Yoshi vs. Robocop fanfic well-regarded? Have you somehow managed not to pick up a Wii yet, even though it's the future home of the Yoshi-fied Super Smash Bros. Brawl?
If so, you're probably already cracking open your Emergency Yoshi Gear Fund to bid on this custom-painted Wii. The only thing that would make this better would be the release of Kart Fighter for Virtual Console. An unofficial mod demands an unofficial game!
Today's Dojo update reveals a new Pokemon in Deoxys. Not a new Pokemon, but rather a new Pokemon to Smash Bros Brawl. And, judging by the new screens in our gallery below, this Pokemon came to lay the smack down on some brawlers, as its Hyper Beam attack looks deadly. We can't wait to give our enemies a taste come December 3rd, that's for sure.
We've known for quite some time now that Nintendo would be backing E For All. Word just hit today, however, that playable versions of 
A reader who is as excited about 
A Ruliweb poster reports that "Large scuffle [su] every [swi] [pu] compared to Japanese date of issue of [su] X. November 22 straight road decision. In compliance with a wye pie communication possibility! before the adult!" 
