Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Japanese: 大乱闘 スマッシュ ブラザーズ X, Dairantō Sumasshu Burazāzu Ekkusu, Great Fray Smash Brothers X) is the third installment of the Super Smash Bros. series, due for release December 3, 2007 on Nintendo's new Wii console in North America and 2008 for Europe. Virtually all information known about this game has come from the the game's official website, Super Smash Bros. Dojo!!.

The Subspace Emissary
On July 20th, Smash Bros. Dojo!! was updated with a collection of enigmatic images that depicted Mario and Kirby transforming from trophies into fighters (akin to the introduction of Melee). After Kirby’s apparent defeat at the hands of Mario, he is changed back into a trophy, but Mario reverses the transformation and Mario and Kirby shake hands. However, the sky darkens soon after, and Meta Knight’s ship, the Halberd, flies over the stadium, soon followed by the appearance of a mysterious character. The screenshots were accompanied with this description:

''In this world, trophies fight. They know nothing but fighting. Fighting is the sole reason for their existence. Being turned back into a trophy, being unable to fight, is much like death. Those are the rules of this world. But...When someone...or something...breaks those rules, the world will pay a terrible price...''

The post was placed under a mode referred to as “???” until August 3rd, when it was changed to "Adventure Mode." On August 3rd, Smash Bros. Dojo!! was updated again. This time, more information was given. The mode was dubbed “The Subspace Emissary,” and a multitude of screenshots were shown, as well as a cutscene related to the “This World…” update. In the cutscene, Mario and Kirby were seen shaking hands, as depicted in the screenshots, and after waving to the crowd, the Halberd appeared as it did in “This World…” The mysterious character from before was shown to be one of apparently many odd, robot-like creatures formed from some sort of shadowy matter. Peach and Zelda were seen watching from the sidelines, but rushed down to the middle of the stadium to assist Mario and Kirby in fighting the mysterious army. After Peach and Zelda have reached the stage, an entity from the sky called The Ancient Minister appears on the stage. The Ancient Minister drops a Subspace Bomb on the arena, then flies off. As Mario approaches the bomb, he is hit by a cannonball and is sent flying from the arena. Petey Piranha appears and captures Peach and Zelda in cages. Some fans believe that Mario "broke the rules" of the World by reviving Kirby, and this is what triggered the Halberd to arrive and deploy its drones.

The various screenshots in the update depicted a multitude of new enemies, as well as a few familiar ones, such as a Hammer Bro, who was previously confirmed as an Assist Trophy, and Bullet Bills. Other screenshots appeared to be from cutscenes.

The updates “This World…” and “What is the Subspace Emissary?” have definitely had an impact on the Super Smash Bros. community. Many have wondered whether a fully-fledged story would fit into the Super Smash Bros. universe or not. Others believe that it will change Super Smash Bros. for the better.

Control
Although not yet confirmed how the controllers will work, it has been confirmed that 4 control types will be available:
 * Wii remote(sideways)
 * Wii remote + Nunchuk
 * GameCube Controller
 * Classic Controller

Pit
Pit is the angel from the NES game Kid Icarus. He uses a pair of blades that can reform into a bow to shoot arrows. His wings allow him to perform multiple jumps like Kirby or Jigglypuff.

Wario
Wario is Mario's evil counterpart. He is a lot stronger than Mario and has his own game company which produces Micro games. In Brawl, he wears his WarioWare attire instead of his usual plumber suit, to distinguish him from Mario. One of his attacks is an atomic fart, called the "Wario Waft", which was originally thought to be his Final Smash.

Zero Suit Samus
Zero Suit Samus is Samus Aran without her Chozo armor, replaced with a jump suit and an energy pistol that can change into a beam whip. It's confirmed that Samus will transform into Zero Suit Samus "under certain conditions." Thus far it has been confirmed that Samus' Final Smash attack will force her to transform into Zero Suit Samus, though it is not yet known whether Samus can transform without performing this move, or under what conditions Zero Suit Samus can transform back into normal Samus, if at all.

Meta Knight
Meta Knight is one of Kirby's many colorful rivals. He attacks with quick sword swipes and can multi-jump like Kirby and Jigglypuff. He's also able to glide with a slow descent.

Solid Snake
Snake is from the Metal Gear Solid series. According to Sakurai, Snake will fight using explosives instead of knives and guns. He is also the first third-party character to appear in a Smash Bros. game, though his creator, Hideo Kojima wanted him to appear already in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but there was just not enough time for it when he made the request. Additionally, Sakurai has stated that he feels it would be appropriate that a "guest" character such as Snake should need to be unlocked, so it is likely that Snake will be a secret character, rather than a starter.

Ike
Ike is the main character of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. The first newcomer revealed since the E3 2006 trailer, he wields his mighty two handed sword Ragnell with only one hand as a testament to his strength. Ike brings his special move Aether from Path of Radiance into Brawl with him.

Pokémon Trainer
The generic Pokémon Trainer from the Pokémon games appears as a playable character, though he does not fight on his own, instead he stands by the sidelines and uses Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard to fight for him.

Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong is Donkey Kong's nephew and sidekick, and a playable character in many games of the Donkey Kong series. He is confirmed to have attacks based on his moves in Donkey Kong 64.

Complete confirmed character list

 * Mario
 * Peach
 * Bowser
 * Yoshi
 * Donkey Kong
 * Diddy Kong
 * Wario
 * Link
 * Zelda
 * Samus Aran
 * Zero Suit Samus
 * Kirby
 * Meta Knight
 * Fox McCloud
 * Pikachu
 * Pokémon Trainer
 * Squirtle
 * Ivysaur
 * Charizard
 * Ike
 * Pit
 * Solid Snake

Stages
Note: The stage names of Halberd, Helipad, Mario Circuit, and Pokémon Colosseum are fan-created names and not official.

Battlefield
Battlefield is a basic stage similar to the Melee stage of the same name.

Bridge of Eldin
The Bridge of Eldin is a Zelda stage that takes place atop a bridge from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Mostly an entirely flat stage, King Bulblin will occaisionally ride by and destroy the center of the bridge.

Castle Siege
Castle Siege is a Fire Emblem stage, based on a theme of the series as a whole, not a single title in the series. Players start on the roof, which eventually gives way and forces the fighters to fight in the inner castle, following into the underground of the castle.

Delfino Plaza
Delfino Plaza is a Mario stage based off the central town of Super Mario Sunshine. Players battle on a moving platform that transports them to various parts of the plaza over the course of the battle.

Halberd
The Halberd is a Kirby stage located on Meta Knight's flying battleship. It takes place on a floating platform that hovers near the ship, occaisionally landing on it.

Helipad
The unnamed Helipad stage is what appears to be a Metal Gear stage based off Shadow Moses Island from Metal Gear Solid. Like the Castle Siege stage, it has an inner and outer section.

Lylat Cruise
Lylat Cruise is a Star Fox stage that takes place on a spaceship that begins in outer space and flies into the atmosphere of the nearby planet, Corneria, before returning to space.

Mario Circuit
Mario Circuit is a Mario stage, specifically based off the Mario Kart series. It takes place on a racetrack where Shy Guys in karts drive by.

Pokémon Colosseum
Pokémon Colosseum is a Pokémon stage that appears nearly identical to the basic form of the Pokémon Stadium stage from Melee.

Rumble Falls
Rumble Falls is a Donkey Kong stage based off Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. It is a vertical scrolling level, similar to Icicle Mountain from Melee.

Smashville
Smashville is an Animal Crossing stage, based on the Animal Crossing: Wild World. Just like Animal Crossing, the stage will change day and night cycles based on the Wii's internal clock, and just like in the game, if one plays at 8:00 PM on a Saturday, K.K. Slider will appear to play music.

Skyworld
Skyworld is a Kid Icarus stage. The platforms that make up the floating shrine stage are destructible.

Yoshi's Island
Yoshi's Island is a Yoshi stage based off of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. This stage is marked by changing seasons.

Smash Ball
The Smash Ball is a small, glowing orb that allows the user to activate a Final Smash.

Gooey Bomb
The Gooey Bomb is a explosive encased in a gummy goo. that adheres to most things. It's a little different from a Motion Sensing Bomb in the sense that it can attach itself not only to the terrain, but also to opponents.

Cracker Launcher
The Cracker Launcher is a large shooting item that shoots fireworks.

Super Scope
Returning from Melee, the Super Scope appears relatively unchanged. You can now move while shooting it.

Poké Ball
Another returning item, the Poké Ball releases a random Pokémon when thrown.

Crate
The large Crate is back, with a few changes--crates change their look depending on the type of stage they appear on.

Barrel
The large, rolling Barrel returns as well, and it too changes its look depending on the type of stage it appears on.

Sliding Box
The Sliding Box is a variation on the Crate which can roll down hills. It also appears that one can stand on it.

Banana Peel
The Banana Peel is a throwing item that, when stepped on by a character, causes them to slip and fall.

Assist Trophy
The Assist Trophy is a new item that releases a random helper character onto the battlefield.

Bumper
The Bumper, absent from Melee, returns with the added ability to set it in midair.

Damaged Power Suit Piece
The damaged pieces of Samus' Power Suit can be picked up and thrown as items after Samus removes her suit during her Final Smash, the Zero Laser.

Pitfall
The Pitfall is a new item hailing from the Animal Crossing series. It causes foes to be stuck underground.

Smoke Ball
The Smoke Ball is a new item in Smash Bros. It releases smoke and distracts the player's view.

Franklin Badge
The Franklin Badge is an item from the EarthBound series that, when worn, protects characters from projectiles. It's described as being similar to Fox's reflector, but provides automatic protection for as long as it stays on.

Superspicy Curry
Hailing from the original Kirby's Dream Land, the Superspicy Curry, when grabbed, caused a character to uncontrollably spew flames, even when they attack.

Chikorita
Chikorita returns from Melee with basically the same effect.

Deoxys
A new Pokémon and one of the first Pokémon from the Hoenn region, Deoxys fires a deadly Hyper Beam at the ground, harming any opponents in its path.

Goldeen
Goldeen returns from Melee, and, subsequently, SSB, with the same effect.

Groudon
Also new Pokémon and from the Hoenn region, Groudon appears to stand still and deal immense damage to any enemies who touch it, similar to Moltres.

Devil
The Devil will move the Stage to a different direction with his hands.

Dr. Wright
Dr. Wright hits all players with enormous skyscrapers.

Hammer Bro
Hammer Bro uses and throws Hammers at enemies.

Knuckle Joe
Knuckle Joe assaults his foe with a barrage of fists, and ends the attack with one of two finisher moves.

Nintendog
Nintendog blocks the screen for a short period of time.

Samurai Goroh
Samurai Goroh uses his sword to slash enemies.

Petey Piranha
Petey Piranha holds both Princess Peach and Princess Zelda in cages, and the player must damage the cages to break them open.

Names
As in Melee, players can enter a name to be displayed during gameplay. In Brawl, personalized control schemes can be tied to individual names. The ability to save names and control schemes to the Wii remote's internal memory has not been confirmed, but Sakurai has stated that it is being considered.

Stickers
Stickers are a new addition to Brawl, and are comparable to the trophies from Melee. According to Super Smash Bros. Dojo!!, they are awarded to players simply for playing the game, and can be collected in an album. Players can then create scenes or pictures by arranging collected stickers.

Trailer #1
The Super Smash Bros. Brawl trailer was first shown at E3 (a.k.a. Electronic Entertainment Expo). Nintendo's surprise showing came at an after-hours conference on the first day of E3 (and not during Nintendo's pre-E3 press conference, which is typically the time any major projects are unveiled for E3). It was first shown on May 11, 2006.

The trailer shows a very dramatic fighting montage of some classic Super Smash Brothers characters, and, one by one, new characters to this newest installment to the Super Smash Brothers series that includes Wario, Pit, Meta Knight, and the surprising but welcome Solid Snake.

Trailer #2
This SSBB trailer came out in late 2006, and featured variations of people playing SSBB, along with small bits of characters trying out new moves, and in general just moving about around the stage. One of the most noticable things was the ability of characters to crawl. All of the new characters were given a once-over, and many new things were discovered.

Another interesting development was the increase in the intricacies of stage design. Many stages had very pleasing backgrounds, with stunning visuals. One stage was seen that had destructible platforms, and another was seen with Meta-Knight's ship flying by in the background. Another stage that was shown had a look about it that definitely suggested a Mario-Kart theme, as many Shy-Guys raced on in the background (similar to Mute City). Fans of the MGS series may notice the similarities between the Helipad area in the beginning of MGS:The Twin Snakes and the background featured behind Solid Snake during the trailer. At the end of the trailer Fox made his return on a floating platform in space, many fans not liking his face appearance. Note: Zero Suit Samus and Fox hold their weapons at all times as they fight.

As expected, there will be many new treats in the next installment of the Super Smash Bros. series, but will (hopefully) retain the overall feel of the gameplay.

Mini-Trailer #1
Although not much of a trailer, a small video, about six seconds in length, can be found here. It has some original footage, as well as some footage from the Nintendo World trailer.

Smashboards user Devastlian, while watching the footage, noticed what appears to be a gameplay tweak in Brawl. In the last scene of the short trailer, Pikachu is attacked in the air, causing him to tumble onto a platform. After very briefly laying on his side Pikachu avoids an attack from Pit by what appears to be a roll, which can be done in SSBM by simply hitting left or right on the joystick when laying on the ground. What Devastlian noticed was that Pikachu rolled right off the side of the platform and down onto the main platform of the stage. In SSBM, the character would simply stand up at the edge of the platform. It appears that the roll is a bit faster than other trailer footage of characters rolling, so some argue that the animation is a tech. Regardless, this small detail was an interesting find for SSBB anticipators.

Mini-Trailer #2
About ten seconds of new Brawl footage was shown at the E3 2007 Nintendo press conference, and can be seen here.

The vast majority of footage was of things that had already been revealed at the Dojo site, but had not yet been shown in video form. This includes Fox using the Cracker Launcher, in-game footage of Bowser and Zelda, and battles taking place in the Delfino Plaza and Bridge of Eldin stages. The video did bring about something new, though, and that was a very brief shot of Donkey Kong in one of the clips, confirming him to be in the game. Other small things of note are the Bulblin seen briefly on Bridge of Eldin and what appears to be Wario's taunt, though, to be fair, Wario has made numerous actions which could be identified as taunts, so it is still unclear.

A slightly extended version was posted on Smash Bros Dojo the same night, five extra seconds in length, which included added footage of Pikachu being chased by Giga Bowser, and Link using his Triforce Slash on Wario. The last clip with Pikachu, Mario, and Donkey Kong was also lengthened slightly. That version can be seen here.

Subspace Emissary Trailer #1
The 42-second trailer starts off with Mario and Kirby shaking hands and the crowd cheering. Then, thick clouds appear and the Halberd appears over the stadium. Gaseous purple forms are dropped from the ship, which then form into the strange creatures from the "This World..." update. Zelda and Princess Peach are watching this from the sidelines, then come to the aid of Mario and Kirby.

Subspace Emissary Trailer #2
The video itself continues from the previous video. The Ancient Minister shows up and drops the Subspace Bomb and activates it with the R.O.B.s. Mario tries to stop it but stops and gets blasted by a cannonball and sends him flying. Then Zelda and Peach get caged by Petey Piranha and leave Kirby to fight against him.