Smash Bros. for Wii U, 3DS may need change of direction, says dev
Masahiro Sakurai explains beefing up the roster may lead to balance issues; says Nintendo and Namco Bandai instead looking at new ideas for franchise.
The next entry in Nintendo's Smash Bros. fighting franchise may move in a new direction. Speaking to Nintendo Power (via Nintendo Everything), franchise designer Masahiro Sakurai explained that he feels simply adding new characters will not enhance the experience and that a more dramatic overhaul may be required.
"It isn't a matter of 'if the next game has 50 characters, that'll be enough,'" he said. "There is a certain charm to games that have huge casts of playable characters, but they tend to have issues with game balance and it becomes very difficult to fine-tune each character and have them all feel distinctive…In terms of quantity, we've probably already reached the limit of what's feasible. I think a change of direction may be what's needed."
Last month, Nintendo revealed that it had tapped Namco Bandai to develop the new Smash Bros. game for the Wii U and 3DS. Sakurai is helming the project, with Namco Bandai developers Masaya Kobayashi (Ridge Racer series) and Yoshito Higuchi (Tales series) involved as producer and director, respectively.
Nintendo officially announced the new Smash Bros. game during its 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo media briefing. The Wii U and 3DS versions of the game will work together on both platforms "in some fashion," Nintendo said at the time.
For more on the Nintendo-Namco Bandai collaboration on the new Smash Bros. game, check out GameSpot's feature story on the matter.
RKGK | Official Release Date Gameplay Trailer Helldivers 2 - Warbond: Polar Patriots Unlocks Trailer | PS5 & PC Games V Rising - Official Launch Gameplay Trailer Goddess Of Victory: Nikke | Last Kingdom Full Story II Animated Cinematic Trailer DNF DUEL|Nen Master Official Character Reveal Trailer | Coming in Summer Starfield May Update Disney Dreamlight Valley – Thrills & Frills Update Trailer LEGO Fortnite | Star Wars Rebel Adventure Cinematic Trailer Apex Legends - Official Alter Legend Animated Reveal Trailer | "Based on a True Story" Batman: Arkham Shadow | Official Cinematic Teaser Trailer Mullet MadJack - Official Gameplay Trailer EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 - Official Release Date Reveal Trailer
Please enter your date of birth to view this video
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Join the conversation