The Hype Train for Smash 4

For a newcomer to this kind of hype train, this was incredible to see. This isn't a review, impressions or anything like that. This is just a reflection on what has been.

E3 2013: This was a weird time to be a Nintendo fan. The Wii U was barely selling and had no system sellers, the 3DS was doing better but still not great and for the first time ever, a first party games company decided not to do a live press conference at E3, instead opting for a Nintendo Direct. The Direct itself, while it had some good titles on it, there wasn't anything we didn't expect. "Oh look a new Mario game" "Oh look a new Zelda", there wasn't anything to really care about... until the finale...

Now at this point, we were expecting to see news on Smash 4. It was confirmed that the game was in pre production in 2011 and Sakurai said that he and his team would begin development after Kid Icarus Uprising was released (March 2012). The excitement for this was seeing the game in action finally. Villager was a good character to introduce and as a result, the memes. Villager became a psychopath thanks to this trailer and every single meme has been hilarious for me, purely because of how drastically different the memes were compared to the actual character. But Sakurai had more surprises up his sleeves that E3, and right after this trailer was shown, another to get back our attention.

I've already talked about this trailer earlier this week, but just watch it in action. This trailer is amazing and it was, hands down, the best part of that direct. The new website was launched, Miiverse posts talking about the game started to appear, it was timed to get hyped, for Smash 4 was on the way.

This trailer caught me off guard, I didn't even know this trailer came out until E3 was over, and watching it then, all I had to say was, "Ok???". I had no idea what to say about this when I saw it... It was the Wii Fit Trainer in Smash 4... what else is there to say about it? Wii Fit trainer also got some phychotic memes for this. "I'll make you fit, in a coffin" and "Your ideal body weight is Zero" are just the ones I can remember, here's some more

It had been months since E3, and while returning fighters had appeared (including a Trailer to reconfirm Sonic, but I won't show it here), fans were dying to see a newcomer... any newcomer. And who did we get? Ice Climbers MkII... I mean Rosalina and Luma. Ice Climbers couldn't run in Smash 3DS so to keep the rosters the same, Ice Climbers were cut in both versions. Rosalina and Luma are Ice Climbers desync made legit and as far as I know, they are the strongest character (tier list wise, yes I still hate those things) in the game. As for the trailer itself, I love the CG bits at the start and end, Kirby and Luma in this are adorable and work off of each other perfectly and the fact that the bulk of the trailer is to a track form Super Mario Galaxy (Best soundtrack in a game to date IMO), while not my favorite trailer, it is up there. But as for my favorite trailer, that came next.

"It's your time Mac". I don't know what it is, but I LOVE this trailer. I love Doc Louis's training chat, the animation introducing and closing the trailer, the music (to which Smash 4 is giving me a lot of reasons to look into Punch Out's Soundtrack)... I don't care what anyone else says, this trailer is awesome (I never said this would be factual, this is just me gushing over what has been).

While I won't go into the Smash 4 direct again, as I've already talked about it on a prior post (http://blasterreviews.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/super-smash-direct-impressions-on-new.html) it did come with the reveal of the character that fooled everyone who watched it the first time (including myself)

Charizard and Greninja. This trailer, while trollish, was still awesome to see. I've already talked about it, so again, not going to expand. Just watch the trailer.

More plugging of prior posts, this time in the form of my coverage of the Nintendo Digital Event (http://blasterreviews.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/the-final-of-big-threeimpressions-on.html) to which I cover another one of my favorite trailers (and does give a explanation as to why Iwata couldn't be there, the Mii Fighters trailer:

Details of them are here:

And of course, Lady Palutena's reveal trailer at the end.

I swear I'll stop plugging my own content now.

What's E3 Smash news without a crowd pleaser, and what better crowd pleaser then bringing the four most iconic characters in the gaming world together in one game?

While I didn't see the full thing, I saw the moment Sakurai announced this, and the crowd erupted. For the first time EVER: Mario, Sonic, Mega Man and PAC-Man were all in the same game. I'm not a PAC-Man fan so I don't know if it was a good trailer by fans standards, but for me it was alright. I still wish Agumon was in the game, but for what it is, I'll live (maybe Smash 5?... I can dream...).

I won't link it here, but if you're bored and have a few hours to kill, watch the Smash 4 E3 Invitational Tournament. It was glorious to see.

It was announced that a new trailer was going to be shown on the official site on Midnight (here) July 14th. I stayed up to watch this live, and I regret nothing.

When Lucina's intro text "Lucina Wakes her Blade?!" appeared, I genuinely thought, "ok, you going to cut to gamepla... HELL YEAH, CAPTAIN FALCON!!!" Even if the trailer ended there I'd have been happy, but then they showed Robin. I haven't played Fire Emblem Awakening yet, but this made me want to. Beautiful animation in Arena Ferrox (I think...) and that bit with Chrom at the end just made me so smug the next day... I needed sleep... but it was worth the wait.

Now we get to the business end of the Hype train. Not only did Monolith studios re tweet the announcement of the time which Robin and Lucina's trailer would air, but there was a ESRB leak that confirmed the rest of the roster. So to tie in with the announcement of the New 3DS and New 3DS XL and Xenoblade Chronicles coming to these two systems, if I wasn't being subtle enough... "I'm really feeling it"

 As with Little Mac, Robin and Lucina's trailers, this got me curious about Xenoblade Chronicles and with Shulk as a character. A character who could change strengths and weaknesses at will? It was exciting to see. I'm still getting used to Shulk's playstyle and while I may not use him often, I can still use him. "This is the Monado's Power!"

So Smash 3DS has been launched, the roster is known, what more is there to show? This entire direct talked about the Wii U version of the game but had not one, but two character "reveals". One note though on the extravaganza, this has cemented Xander Mobus as my favorite announcer in the series. This guy is perfect for the role (and it helps that I've herd more of Xander's Announcer voice then the previous voice actors)

The first was the epic Bowser Jr trailer, which is helped by the use of the Airship theme (love that track) and just the power in the attacks. But Smash fans already knew of Bowser Jr... who else did they show?

Mewtwo, "the strongest Pokemon" has returned to Smash bros. Not much to say yet as he is still in development, BUT I CAN'T WAIT!!!

From epic trailer for Bowser Jr, to cartoony for Duck Hunt Duo. The charm for these two is beyond comparison. These two are adorable and this trailer shows that perfectly. All the expressions, the sounds, how they move, their costumes... its adorable, what more is there to say.

But alas, I'm done padding this. You all know what's next, no more delays. Tommorow, my review of Super Smash Brothers for 3DS.