Nintendo have been dipping a ginger toe into the waters of downloadable content and we’re firm believers of “the customer is always right.” In the last “DLC We Want to See,” Paddy and Lliam talked about the different characters and stages that they’d like to see in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as DLC. So take note, Nintendo, because the guys have got another round of suggestions (read: demands) for how the game can be improved with just a few things. Like giant monsters and a better, non-frustrating Smash Tour.
Smash Tour is probably the most divisive mode in Smash for Wii U. I like it, but it’s easy to see why so many people don’t. It’s kind of hard to understand, you’re given random items, and it all happens pretty quickly. I still think a SSB board game mode is a great concept though, and one they could expand in oh so many ways. In the Mario Party games certain maps have different rules and create specific gameplay scenarios to separate them from the others. Some are about racing to the end, some are about collecting stuff, all are about carnage. So why not introduce some new Smash Tour boards with specific rule-sets?
While they’re at it, giving each map a different theme based on various Nintendo IP would be a bit nicer than the maps we’ve got on the disc. How about a map where players race to the end with each of their collected characters, getting a dice roll per character each turn and a pair of duels between each turn? Players could choose which of their fighters to use in battle, but losing would mean handing that character to the victor. The winners end up with more characters and therefore more rolls, allowing them to reach the end faster.
Or what if Mario Party’s star collection style of gameplay were adopted? Players could earn currency by winning battles and buy new characters from spaces on the board. This could all lead to a stock free-for-all, just like the current Smash Tour boards, comprised of different characters.
It could get even more interesting, though; I could imagine a Zelda or Megaman themed map, where heading to a certain area on the map enters the player in a unique combat scenario. Completing the challenge rewards the player with an item or trophy which can then help to beat other challenges, being more useful to get some items than others. This doesn’t have to exclude other players, either, as they can take on the role of the enemies within that challenge. Smash Tour could learn a lot from it’s spiritual predecessor.
In a non-competitive match, I love the idea of the battle being interrupted by a giant “something” that begins indiscriminately wrecking everybody’s shit. How great would it be if you could play as those giant “whatevers?” Three fighters against Ridley? What about seven fighters against a giant Ridley? Ridley vs Metal Face vs Yellow Devil? Throwing a bunch of fighters into the mix is one thing, but you’d also need a bunch of giant stages to go along with them. Hyrule Temple could become Ruined Hyrule Temple, the existing stage being shattered into a field of floating platforms. Players could beat the titanic snot out of each other among the star ships of the Cornerian Fleet, maybe even plucking the smaller ones from the air to hurl at one another.
Newcomers could include the likes of Doshin the Giant, who becomes Jashin when using his Ultimate Smash, as well as the obvious choices of Giga Bowser, Ganon and Deity Link. Bigger fighters also means bigger items, of course, and aside from new additions, the current arsenal should receive a boost. Masterballs could produce Rayquaza’s and Wailords for you to wrassle with. Assist trophies summon massive Metroids, Great Fox, and Gobblegut. You could even rip parts of the stage up to use as weapons, hurling building chunks at your opponents heads and swinging trees like clubs. Bigger is better and Smash is no exception.
My favourite thing about Smash Tour is the ability to fight with multiple characters in one match; this could, and should, be a mode all of its own. As in a normal stock match, each player respawns a set amount of times before being eliminated entirely. The only difference is that each time they respawn, they’re playing as a different character. Players would be able to choose each character for their line-up, as is standard for tag-style fighting games, but playing with a random set could also be particularly interesting. These fights occur in several modes in the game already, so they’re obviously possible, just make it a separate mode of its own and the good times will roll!
We’re not entirely sure what the announced upcoming Tournament Mode will feature, but I imagine that a Tag-Team Tournament would be too cool to be true. Taking your chosen team through a tournament would be great on its own, but building a team as you go would be even greater. What if you start with one character, but everyone you defeat as you work towards the finals is added to your team? Being defeated doesn’t mean elimination, but the loss of a character and a push back into the previous round of the tournament, where players compete for runner up positions. To eliminate the element of luck, the losing player could choose which of their fighters is given up, adding a nice little layer of strategy. Do they give away their least favourite, or the character least useful to their victor?
This mode even opens itself up nicely to Amiibos, allowing you to construct a team of truly customised fighters. Build a dream team, train them up, send them online to fight for glory. Nintendo, are you listening? We take cheques.
Smash Run was pretty rad and so was Subspace Emissary, so naturally I want to make some kind of Frankensteins Monster from the two of them. How could these two things work together? Well let’s look at the individual components; Subspace Emissary provided a ridiculous story-of-sorts that made absolutely no sense canon-wise. It was still a lot of fun to enjoy because of the fountain of “what if’s” it spouted throughout the.. uh, “narrative.” Smash Run’s vast, open battlefield was what kept it feeling novel for a long time after release, exploring every corner of it became an unofficial side-quest in itself.
So let’s create some kind of crazy pre-text to kick things off, something like the beginning of Subspace Emissary. Let’s say that Bowser, Ganandorf and Dark Pit are trying to get the Tri-Force, Mirror of Truth, and a whoooooooole bunch of Stars together for some evil ritual. I like to imagine the stars are represented as a literal sack of stars that Bowser hoists over his shoulder. Let’s throw in a fourth bad guy so we can crank this up to 8-player mode. They stage a coup against their collective opponents all at once and capture their various Deus Ex Machina, racing off to the ritual grounds. Link, Mario, Pit and the fourth one then set out to get them back and a chase the villains across a massive, Smash Run style battlefield where the players can interact with one another. The goal would be to get all three Whatchamathingies back to your respective home bases, like an elaborate capture the flag.
The mode would essentially be a massive tug-of-war and the possibilites of what could be done with it are limitless. Can’t get all three Master Truth-Stars to your home base before time runs out? Massive sudden death battle! Let’s say that one team does get all three items together, it could trigger another massive battle where the “winning” fighters are gigantic versions of themselves. Maybe in the sudden death battle, the items can be dropped and picked up like the Daybreak or Dragoon and each character can only carry a single piece! I have so many ideas! Nintendo, my email’s at the bottom!
Lliam Ahearn
