Many of us here at Southampton are secret Pokémon fans, and the likes of Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, Donkey Kong and Sonic the Hedgehog will ignite a pang of nostalgia for a lot of students. Merging the main characters from these titles into one crossover game and making them do battle could not be any cooler, and by the looks of it, Super Smash Bros: Challenger from the Shadows, the follow-up to Super Smash Bros Brawl, released in 2008, will not disappoint. It is planned to be released on Nintendo 3DS this summer and on the Nintendo Wii U in winter 2014.
The series started in 1999 with Super Smash Bros on Nintendo64, and a Nintendo Direct announcement made on 8th April by Masahiro Sakurai showcased improved stereoscopic 3D graphics, with 3DS versions of the game running at 60 frames per second as well as an exclusive new mode called “Smash Run”. The classic characters from previous Super Smash Bros games make a welcomed return with new and improved abilities, such as Zero Suit Samus, Sheik, Yoshi, Lucario and Charizard, with Charizard being able to Mega Evolve into the overpowering Charizard X, along with some brand new playable characters such as Capcom’s Mega Man, and Greninja, the incredibly cool Water type “Ninja Pokemon” and final evolution of fan-favourite Pokemon X and Y starter Froakie.
Boss characters like Yellow Devil will also make appearances. Players will have to battle 
the boss, as well as one another, with bosses able to be strategically used to harm other characters to the player’s advantage, creating a three-way fight. There will be online multiplayer game play with “For Fun” and “For Glory” modes available, the latter being more competitive based, and it will be possible to connect the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game. When playing with friends, players can set the rules, customise the stages, movesets and items however they want, and stages are varied depending on which console the game is played on. Items, Assist Trophies and Poké Balls containing various Pokémon all return in Super Smash Bros, with Master Balls containing powerful Legendary Pokémon such as Arceus and Xerneas being introduced.
Having played the last Super Smash Bros, this crossover game series holds a firm place in my heart, as I’m sure it will for others who have their favourite fan base featured. Take my money Nintendo!
