The Masterpieces menu in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Masterpieces (名作トライアル, Masterpiece Trial) are free time-limited trial versions of select classic Nintendo titles in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Both games allow the user to purchase the full version of a Masterpiece title from the Virtual Console, prior to its discontinuation for both systems. Most Masterpieces are available from the start, but a few have to be unlocked first.
To save the player time, Masterpieces skip the title and opening of a game. Certain Masterpieces start at specific points of the game that are relevant to the Super Smash Bros. game they appear in, such as the Donkey Kong Masterpiece starting at the 75m level, while games that supported saving have some built-in saves set to various points of the game.
The Masterpieces consist of select Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Nintendo 64 games, each having a fixed time limit during which the player can play before they are returned to the Masterpiece selection menu. The player can press the HOME button at any time when playing a Masterpiece to access the HOME menu and select "Operations Guide" to read the guide and know how to play the game. Players can play the NES Masterpieces using any controller, but the SNES and Nintendo 64 Masterpieces require only the Wii Classic Controller or Nintendo GameCube Controller to play.
The Masterpieces for EarthBound and Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo, while not accessible in international versions of Brawl, still exist in the data. It is unclear why EarthBound was excluded in releases outside of Japan, but Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo's exclusion is most likely since the original game was released in Japan only.
Aside from a different set of Masterpieces, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has slight differences in variety, such as third-party games (e.g. Pac-Man and Mega Man 2) and Game Boy games (e.g. Kirby's Dream Land and Dr. Mario). However, none of the Masterpieces are Nintendo 64 games. as well as EarthBound for all regions; however, Nintendo 64 games are absent. One of the Masterpieces, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, is exclusive to Japan, as it was the only region in which the original game was released, in the same vein as how Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem is only a Masterpiece in Japanese copies of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Masterpieces have some new features compared to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, including a timer displayed on the right side of the screen; the ability to purchase full versions of games from the Masterpieces menu directly, except Game Boy games, which give a prompt that they are available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop; the ability to pause the Masterpiece without using the HOME button, and the ability to stop the Masterpiece without the reset button, which the Wii U does not have. The demo times are also longer compared to those of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, with each one lasting for at least two minutes at a time, and the demos have less lag than before.
SNES Masterpieces are compatible with the Wii U GamePad, the Wii U Pro Controller, and the Classic Controller, while NES and Game Boy Masterpieces are compatible with the aforementioned controllers as well as the Wii Remote.
Clear Solo Classic with Kirby on intensity 5.5 or higher
Has two save files: one at the beginning of the game and the other at the final King Dedede/Nightmare fight
Scrapped[]
Unused text in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U implies the original Super Smash Bros. was supposed to appear as a Masterpiece. This would have made it the only N64 Masterpiece in Smash Wii U; however, at the time of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U's release, N64 emulation wasn't possible on the Wii U, likely resulting in the Masterpiece being scrapped.
