Smash Bros 3 Site Goes Live.

[Sniffnoy]

Yes, real players know how to deal with explosive crates/barrels/bombs/capsules spawning in front of them during a match and killing them. sarcasm

This has never happened to me. Thing is, none of those items (Except perhaps the barrel, which shouldn't be a problem, anyway) are actually dangerous until thrown. Even the Bomb-Ombs are inert for a few seconds before they start running around. Seriously, as far as I can tell, any item-related death that can't be anticipated is a freak occurrence indeed!

Yes, but the Bob-obms will blow up at any time if attacked. Barrels, crates, and capsules are liable to do the same. And having played with items a lot, it's not rare for one to simply spawn on you and kill you randomly.

I mean, this is exactly why items (at all in 64 and Melee, and on their default settings in Brawl) aren't fit for a tournament setting; but if you're going to master the game, you ought to master all forms of it, no? :) More seriously, nobody's forcing them to attend. If they don't want to count it as a legitimate tournament, they don't have to. And in a few months, I doubt they're going to. They'll have called it a bullshit tournament regardless of whether it was a pro or a noob that won. It seems ridiculous to get pissed off about. Especially when the new game is probably the dominant factor.

[Locit]

Crazy item death doesn't matter as much in Smash because unlike other fighting games you have multiple lives per round. If you're really that damn good you should be able to fight your way back if an item explodes on you.

Really that's part of the fun for me: do I really need whatever is in this container so bad that I'm willing to risk blowing myself to kingdom come? Usually it's faster to throw whatever it is, come to think of it. And if you're stupid enough to hit a bomb-omb you deserve a quick trip to oblivion to think about what you've done.

And for people to laugh at you. Point, and laugh.

[Isuka]

If they don't want to count it as a legitimate tournament, they don't have to.

LOL Nintendo-hosted bullshit.

They really hate the fun part of the game, don't they?

[Zeta]

Crazy item death doesn't matter as much in Smash because unlike other fighting games you have multiple lives per round. If you're really that damn good you should be able to fight your way back if an item explodes on you.

Really that's part of the fun for me: do I really need whatever is in this container so bad that I'm willing to risk blowing myself to kingdom come? Usually it's faster to throw whatever it is, come to think of it. And if you're stupid enough to hit a bomb-omb you deserve a quick trip to oblivion to think about what you've done.

And for people to laugh at you. Point, and laugh.

Quoted for truth.

[Hybrid]

On the flip side of what you said, Ritz, if items were allowed in tournies then obviously the players involved would go for them. This turns the game into "who gets the best item spawned nearest to them" rather than "who is better than the other". I mean, if you paid $10 to enter a tournament, with $1000 on the line if you win, losing because only Pokeballs with Goldeen spawn near you while Hammers and item capsules spawn near your opponent, that isn't really fun.

[Locit]

I mean, if you paid $10 to enter a tournament, with $1000 on the line if you win

Then you paid ten dollars with the full knowledge that you could get your ass handed to you by Snorlax. Or, alternately, you didn't pay ten dollars, and participated in a different tournament that did not allow items.

Or, get this, you stayed home with three friends (or went online) and played for fun.

Alright, that got a little facetious, but you get the point. People should have fun playing Smash (or any game), and, well, items can be fun! Really, really fun! Unless you take things seriously. Which I guess some people can still do even when a game contains this:

[Hybrid]

But why assume that standard tournament rules aren't fun? I mean, you're not going to the tournament in the first place if you hate the way the game will be played.

The point I was trying to make was that when players are trying to become as good as possible in the game (and win substantial amounts of money), they want to attend tournaments where they'll win if they're the best, not because they just got all the luck on the day.

... And nobody ever said tournament players don't play at home/online with items on tournament-banned stages. They just don't play them at tournaments.

[Esrever]

Still, it's a little ridiculous to expect that EVERY random element in a game MUST be excised in order for it to be tournament-worthy. If that was the case, there wouldn't be any professional poker players!

Your ability to cope with unexpected elements and probability is part of the core gameplay of Smash Bros. So is chasing down, using, and throwing items... not to mention knowing how to avoid those items when the other player has them.

If people want to have tournaments where those elements are disabled, that's fine. What's ridiculous is these people who insist that ALL tournaments MUST be structured that way, or else they're not "REAL" tournaments. Random and uncontrollable events do not inhibit professional play in any game, and Smash Bros is a game where the inclusion of those events was intentional. When you remove them you are removing core portion of the gameplay -- you're removing an aspect of the game that players can become skilled at utilizing (and avoiding), even if it is partially random. It's an official, intended component of the game... of course it will be enabled at Nintendo's tournaments!

[K2J]

Especially since Nintendo's tournament is supposed to be an exhibition to those who haven't seen the leaks. Turning off the items would reduce the amount of new things to show off.

Not to open a new can of worms, but does anyone know how they're choosing the courses? Random?

[Mep]

Apparently the Brawl tournaments that Nintendo is hosting have (gasp!) items set to maximum. Non tourney players have been winning some of the bigger (read:city-wide) matches, and the tourney players are piiiiiiiiiiised.

Items are actually just on medium, and the only stage they use is Battlefield. I think they've only held 1 or 2 so far, they're holding 4 in total.

Its too bad its restricted to 18 and up. One of the final matches looked pretty horrible too. I could have had a shiny new crystal Wii...

[Dasher]

Sonic on a SSE level (WARNING SPOILERS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyd_NyrV69Q

Its funny to see Sonic like that, cant wait for this game.

[Zeta]

I'm very glad you can replay old stages with anyone.

[Hybrid]

Random and uncontrollable events do not inhibit professional play in any game, and Smash Bros is a game where the inclusion of those events was intentional.

One could also argue that the ability to turn them off is intentional as well.

[Esrever]

Sure, the game gives you the option to have no items. The game also gives you the option to play with giant characters, or maxed-out damage, or nothing but pokeballs. It's an option to allow people to customize play to their personal tastes, not an admission that the default gameplay is broken.

I just think it's kind of ridiculous to argue that standard play is unsuitable for tournament play, or that the fact that you have the option of choosing no items somehow reveals that the game's designers felt that way too. If folks still want to have no-item tournaments that's cool, but there's no way they should insist that all tournaments should be that way. Their style of play is an incidental byproduct of the game's excessive customization options, and they're lucky the option was even put in there in the first place!

[MiraiTails]

Y'know, I'm kind of surprised that nobody cares what Kirby's costumes are... Figuring out just how the hell Sonic!Kirby would come out is one of my more urgent queries, honestly. Somehow, we still don't know?

EDIT: Never mind, then.

HE SCALPED SONIC!!

See VG Cats #249.

[Isuka]

For some reason it lost its punch.


OMG LEAKED!!1!1

[Dasher]

Seems like stores are getting it early and dont plan on giving it early.

This is Walmart BTW.

[K2J]

GameStop had mockups. Well, judging from the back, they were mockups, as it was just this image with some crazy buzzwords.

[Dasher]

I'm proud to announce that even though SEGA kept Jason Griffith for Brawl, he did do a great job for this game, its the best I've heard him since Secret Rings. I am thankful that he really tried harder this time and sounds livelier than ever, now we can rest in peace knowing that at least Sonic's voice will be decent in BRAWL.

You can listen to some clips of Sonic's voice and all the american VA's for Brawl here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQOEHk9mhbI

[The Iron Giant]

Is Pit voiced by a man or woman? Because I can't figure it out for the life of me.

And Metaknight's voice is WAAYYYY too deep. Hes not supposed to be fucking Darth Vader!

[Dasher]

Pits sounds like an "IT"... at least Meta Knight doesn't sound like the "EL ZORRO" 4KIDS voice actor ugh!. How does Meta Knight sound anyway? I've never heard him on a Kirby game, because I'm not a big fan of Kirby.

[Neo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQOEHk9mhbI

GO CHARIZARD
HANG ON CHARIZARD
JUST A LITTLE MORE CHARIZARD
YOU DID IT CHARIZARD

One thing is bad casting, but that voice wouldn't even fit Blue.

[Dasher]

What Blue are you talking about? rival Blue?

[Gaz]

Rather irritatingly, there's still been no announcement of a European release date for Brawl yet despite already being out in Japan and only a week away from release in the US. Luckily, a Wii version of Freeloader is finally being released.

I was planning on waiting to hear impressions before ordering it but I caved in and ordered the Wii Freeloader and pre-ordered a US version of Brawl. If all goes well I should at least be able to play Brawl within the next few weeks rather than be left waiting to just hear an announcement of a release date.

[The Iron Giant]

Actually, Brawl has been slated for a fall release in Europe. So I'd say you made the right choice in getting the US version.