Super Smash Bros. creator and director Masahiro Sakurai has said that he is unlikely to make another game in the series.

Sakurai explained that he could not rule out future Smash Bros. games being released, but that these would probably be developed without his involvement.

"I can't positively declare there won't be [another Smash Bros. game]," Sakurai told Game Informer.

"With both Melee and Brawl, I made those games with the thought that there wouldn't be any more sequels. Thus, I really can't deny the chance for another. However, as for myself, I don't think there will be."

Sakurai has spoken in the past of the personal toll involved in leading development on such huge projects - and how he has continually felt pressured to up the ante with each subsequent release.

"In terms of scope, and in terms of sheer number of characters, we went beyond our limits long ago," he explained.

"And yet, if we cut the number of fighters or modes in a future game, I'm sure there would be complaints."

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U feature the largest character roster of the series to date, with 51 characters included in the base game. The series has become known for including a plethora of extra modes, features and fan service which long-term players have come to expect.

"You could say that all the effort in the past to stretch out, keep pushing myself, and provide all these extra merits wound up tightening the noose around my neck in the future," Sakurai concluded.

"That may seem like it contradicts my personal desire to keep giving gamers as much as I can, but I don't see any easy answer for it. And yet, despite that, I also have trouble picturing someone else taking my place and providing all this value-added content without me."

Sakurai has expressed his doubts about making more Smash Bros. games in the past - only to be tempted back into the director's chair by Nintendo.

There's no word yet on what he may work on next. Sakurai's last non-Smash Bros. game, Kid Icarus: Uprising, launched for 3DS back in 2012.

Last month, Nintendo announced that the ability to pre-load pre-purchased games would be coming to the Wii U starting with Super Smash Bros. Today, the company announced you can start pre-loading right now.

Gamers who pre-purchase the game on Nintendo's eShop or by buying a download code for the game from participating retailers, can download much of the game's data now. As soon as the game is released in the Nintendo eShop at midnight Eastern time on November 28th, the final chunk of data needed to unlock the game will automatically download and players will be able to get to smashing.

If you pre-order the game on Nintendo.com, you will be emailed a redemption code 72 hours before the game's release so you can pre-load as well.

At a briefing last month, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that pre-loading would be coming to the Wii U first, with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and that it is planned for Nintendo 3DS games sometime next year.

In related Nintendo news, here are some extremely wacky Japanese commercials for Mario Kart 8's in-game Mercedes Benz DLC, this time featuring Luigi and Princess Peach.

Nintendo of Australia has announced some good news for keen Super Smash fans, with the Wii U version being shifted from its original December 6th date to the now November 29th release.

The news was announced directly through their Facebook page, which noted that this late November date will bring not only the Wii U version but also the first wave of Nintendo's amiibo figurine collection. Each of these shiny figurines will be priced at $17.95 and will be usable in a number of Nintendo titles, including Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8.

November 29th will also offer the GameCube Wii U adaptor and Smash Bros. GameCube controller, for those wanting the classic playstyle. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for Wii U and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for Nintendo 3DS will also be available on November 29th.

Amazon has accidentally let slip two possible new modes coming to the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros., a stage creation mode and a board game mode not present in the 3DS version.

The listing mentions both the Master Hand — a longtime final boss of the Super Smash Bros. series — and Crazy Hand, the more erratic and unpredictable counterpart to Master Hand first introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It looks like one of the new modes will include both Master and Crazy Hand setting up objectives for players to complete. Not much is revealed about the board game mode, other than that it will be competitive.

"Whether you're creating stages on the GamePad, competing in challenges crafted by Master Hand and Crazy Hand, or outwitting your opponents in a brand new board game mode, there's no doubt that the ultimate Smash Bros. game has arrived," reads the listing.

We'll definitely know if the listings are true when Smash Bros hits the Wii U in Australia come December 6th, along with a whole assortment of themed amiibos to boot.

The Wii U version of the latest Super Smash Bros. title could launch with two more new modes, if a post on Miiverse by series director Masahiro Sakurai is anything to go by.

On Nintendo's social networking service, Sakurai posted what looks like a screenshot of Super Smash Bros.' modes menu. The top left identifies these as single-player stages, while the image in the middle shows the famous Master Hand boss and two different modes: Master and Crazy, both with what looks like a second word blurred out.

"Now, what mode is this...?!" Sakurai wrote coyly.

In the past, Sakurai has made frequent use of Miiverse to tease new Super Smash Bros. content and explain the reasoning behind certain design choices. It is plausible that this most recent tease carries some weight.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is slated to launch on December 6th for Australia and New Zealand, with the first wave of amiibo figurines hitting stores on November 29th.

Nintendo has finally unveiled the launch date for the HD Wii U version of their newest brawler title Super Smash Bros., putting it square on December 6th for Australian gamers eager to settle it in Smash.

Along with the Wii U launch date Nintendo has also announced that the first wave of Nintendo’s interactive amiibo figures will launch a week earlier, on November 29th. Twelve iconic Nintendo characters will be included in the first round, with six more figures set to launch with the second wave on December 12th (SRP AU$17.95). The first wave is comprised of the following 12 amiibo: Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Fox, Samus, Wii Fit Trainer, Villager, Pikachu, Kirby and Marth.

Those who grew up with the GameCube controller and don't quite want to give up on that nostalgia can relive the days thanks to a Wii U GameCube controller adapter, which is expected to launch on the same day. A special edition Smash Bros. controller will also be available for purchase.

Super Smash Bros. is already out for Nintendo's 3DS handheld family, with Nintendo announcing today that the portable title has surpassed 2.8 million in sales across the world.

Having only just launched in Japan, Nintendo seems to already be breaking sale records with their newest Super Smash Bros. brawler passing the one million mark on the 3DS handheld.

Nintendo outlined that the one million sales includes both digital and physical releases during the game's first weekend, a smashing success no doubt. The company also noted that this milestone has placed it in the running with Monster Hunter 4 and Pokemon X&Y, which also sold one million copies in their first weekend.

Western fans will soon be able to join in on the fun come the game's launch in Australia on October 4th. Wii U fans will be entering the arena come "Holiday 2014," though recent rumours have suggested a November release window, but don't hold your breath.

Cards printed up by the American mega-mart Fred Meyer and handed out for pre-orders of Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U have suggested that the game could be launching on November 21st, however it is best to take this as rumour for now.

The date was revealed thanks to Twitter user BluesDriveBuster, who noted the date on the pre-order card given out by the shopping giant. Typically retailer dates are taken as placeholder until the publisher announces something more official, but to actually go and print a physical date seems to give it more credence.

Super Smash Bros. launched on the 3DS in Japan last Friday and scheduled to hit Australian 3DS' on October 4th, though its demo is being offered on the eStore this coming Saturday. No launch date for the Wii U edition has been formally announced in any region; our local homepage has it listed as a "Holiday 2014" release.

Nintendo has announced that Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is getting a playable demo shortly, though Club Nintendo fans will also be receiving a special treat.

The demo hits on September 20th for Australia and contains five characters: Mario, Link, Pikachu, Villager, and Mega Man, as well as the Battlefield stage. It includes local multiplayer, and can only be opened 30 times.

Qualifying Club Nintendo members will automatically receive four download codes via email. Nintendo encourages recipients to share their codes, as up to three other friends who also own Nintendo 3DS or 2DS systems can play multiplayer together through local wireless even if those three friends aren’t Club Nintendo members. The Club Nintendo demo of the game allows for unlimited play, and features the Smash mode with five playable characters (Mario, Villager, Link, Pikachu and Mega Man), one stage (Battlefield) and the ability to compete in local multiplayer matches with fellow Nintendo 3DS and 2DS owners who have downloaded the demo to their systems.

In related news it seems the 3DS may be usable as a controller for the Wii U Smash Bros., that is according to an image surfacing on Twitter (via IGN). Nothing official has yet been confirmed, though Twitter user Kyle McLain - who spotted the option - noted that it "does [...] say that if you connect your 3DS with your Wii U, that you can use your 3DS as a controller?"

Hopefully this discovery means that Nintendo are now toying with the idea of a unified system for later use, possibly indicating that we may see their next system in some combined state. The possibilities are endless as they say.

Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS comes out on October 4th. A Wii U version is expected sometime in November.

Nintendo will once again be conducting a livestream for their upcoming titles, though this time through their Twitch channel. The eight-hour long stream will consist of mainly Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, but will also feature other 3DS and Wii U titles.


Prior to the Super Smash Bros. segment of the stream, Nintendo will offer details about some other upcoming Wii U and 3DS titles according to a Facebook post. It's not clear how much of the presentation Nintendo will spend on Super Smash Bros., and there's no word yet if Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will also be featured in the stream.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is set for release on October 4th, while its Wii U counterpart is scheduled to be available by the end of the year.

A new leak has appeared online suggesting that we could be seeing Shulk, Bowser Jr. and Ganondorf as fighters for Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U.

A massive roster leak for the new Super Smash Bros. is being documented on NeoGAF, with convincing video evidence revealing Shulk from Xenoblade Chronicles, Bowser Jr., and Ganondorf as the newest additions to Nintendo's all-star brawler. YouTube user Izat True was responsible for the five leaked videos showcasing the three previously unannounced fighters, though the videos have now been claimed by Nintendo.

It seems these aren't the only fighters who have had their appearance leaked ahead of the game's launch. The Duck Hunt Dog and Ness from Earthbound are reportedly going to show up for battle, as well as Dr. Mario and Dark Pit. There is even a DLC rumor list that features Lucas, Wolf, Chorus Men, Ice Climbers, and Snake. It also seems general information has been dumped as well on Imgur, featuring trophies, arenas and more.

Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has today revealed three new playable characters from Nintendo's vast treasure trove of IPs, including the return of the classic Captain Falcon plus Fire Emblem: Awakening heroes Lucina and Robin.

The new Fire Emblem additions are the 10th and 11th new characters confirmed for the games and the 34th and 35th playable characters announced overall. Fire Emblem character Chrom is also in the new character trailer below, but it looks like he will just be an Assist Trophy. We're waiting for Nintendo to confirm.

Players can also choose between male and female variants of Robin, Fire Emblem: Awakening's player character, in a similar way to the game featuring versions of Wii Fit Trainer and the Animal Crossing Villager for both genders.

Smash Bros. series boss Masahiro Sakurai has also revealed through a Miiverse post that iconic Ubisoft character Rayman will be included as a trophy. It's the first time the series' trophy list has included a third-party character whose franchise isn't represented with a playable character.

"In order to make Rayman's trophy, we asked Ubisoft to share their references," he wrote. "We were expecting to receive 2D drawing references for Rayman, but to our surprise, they sent us data of a brand new 3D model that they rendered for this game!! And that was how this trophy was created. It takes a lot of work creating each model, so it's wonderful that the creators contributed their own efforts!!"

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS will be out October this year. Nintendo are also planning to release new GameCube controllers themed specifically to the fighter, complete with an adapter for the Wii U.

Nintendo has today announced during a roundtable discussion with series creator Masahiro Sakurai that the classic yellow sprite Pac-Man will be marking the 33rd playable character for Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U and 3DS.

Based on the Pac-Land model of Pac-Man, he's the old-style anthropomorphic version of the famous video game mascot. There's also a Pac-Man stage in the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros., and his smash attack is an enormous Pac-Man that will surely gobble any opponents up.

Check out the gameplay trailer showing off Pac-Man's moves, though you'll also note that classic icon Game and Watch also making a small debut, though Nintendo has not yet revealed whether he will be playable. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS will be out October 3rd, with Wii U following soon after.

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS will be releasing October 3rd, Nintendo has announced today, confirming that the game has received a slight delay from its previous "Winter" date.

Nintendo revealed the news during their E3 2014 Direct Event, which also confirmed that Palutena from Kid Icarus and Nintendo Miis will now be playable. These characters will join the rosters for both 3DS and Wii U, with Mii characters able to choose between three different builds: Brawler, Sword Fighter and Gunner.

The idea was originally considered for Wii title Super Smash Brawl, series creator Masahiro Sakurai explained today during Nintendo's E3 press conference. Mii Brawlers fight empty handed and fight up close. Sword Fighters are armed with a sword, while Gunners have a Metroid-like arm cannon.

The three types are included as individual characters and offer a range of special attacks you can customise - meaning a huge amount of possibilities for combinations. Check it out in action below.

Super Smash Bros. was the theme for this morning's Nintendo Direct stream, with a vast amount of information spilled on just what to expect for the handheld and home console versions including brand new character reveals and stage overviews.

Among the more bigger news items, Nintendo took the time this morning to reveal that eager players can expect the new Smash Bros on 3DS this Winter, while the home console version will be appearing later in the year during Summer 2014. According to franchise creator Masahiro Sakurai both versions are “packed with content”, and the team “needs time to do them justice”. The 3DS version runs at 60FPS, all in stereoscopic 3D, he added. Some trophies will move at 30FPS, Sakurai said, but all fighters are locked at 60FPS.

According to the stream all characters will be available for both versions, though stages will vary between platforms. On 3DS, every stage will have two pieces of background music, while on Wii U you can browse a library of past soundtracks to choose your own tunes. As with multiplayer, both version will contain an online portion to verse various players around the world, however Sakurai did state that those wanting the best connection should head to the Wii U.

CHaracter-wise, the presentation revealed a number of new faces but also showcased some changes to old ones. New characters include Charizard and Greninja, while Samus, Zelda and a handful of others have had some tweaks to their usual set list.

Check out the full stream below for a far more in-depth look, or if you prefer written format VG247 has a great writeup on all the details so far.

Nintendo has revealed that their upcoming brawler title Super Smash Bros. will not be featuring GamePad support, in an effort to keep the game balanced between the four player support.

Speaking with Polygon, director Masahiro Sakurai explained that "the idea with Smash Bros., you have four players come together, and it's a fair playing field." "The idea of having one person with this special controller and special features that are only available to the gamepad player flies in the face of that. Right now, we're not adding any additional [GamePad] functionality at all."

Sakurai also added that the choice for no GamePad support for Super Smash Bros. was due to the game "being a four-player game we want people to be on equal footing. That's our main philosophy when it comes to control features."

Super Smash Bros. will be available in 2014 on both Wii U and 3DS. Sadly cross-play support has been ruled out between the platforms.

After being announced in the early hours of Wednesday, Nintendo has revealed to Joystiq that their upcoming Wii U and 3DS Super Smash Bros. will not be featuring cross-play support, instead offering individual battles between the two platforms.

According to the interview, director of Sora Ltd. Masahiro Sakurai told Joystiq that due to "each version of the game has completely different stages, cross-platform play wouldn't work." This however doesn't rule out interaction between the two platforms, with Sakurai pointing out that players will be able to customise their characters and transfer them between 3DS and Wii U similar to the system in place for Capcom's Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

Sakurai didn't reveal what exactly these customisations would be, but what he did rule out was that they wouldn't be "costumes and they won't be something that players have to unlock through repetitive tasks." Sadly no further comment was given when asked whether the level editor would be making a return but hopefully we will hear more before the expected release in 2014.

Super Smash Bros. will be coming to both 3DS and Wii U.