Sakurai Discusses Online Play and Japanese Name for Smash

Fortunately, Masahiro Sakurai, the director and creator of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, writes for a weekly column in Famitsu. This week he revealed a few more tidbits on Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or as Japan will know it, Dairantou Smash Bros. X. The “X” represents a cross. Why? Because using the game, characters will cross paths with each other from different games. It also represents you crossing paths with unknown strangers using the Nintendo WiFi Connection.

Sakurai also discussed some thoughts he’s having about online play. “To be honest, there are some annoying areas. While it’s definite that the switch to online raises the possibilities for a game, there are lots of considerations, like manners, and level differences.”

However, he does like online play, stating that “It increases the opportunity to interact with players who are playing the same game.” Hopefully he’ll make an elaborate system so that we don’t run into level difference issues too much. One of the reasons I stopped playing Mario Kart DS online is because it was hard to find good people to play. Many couldn’t powerslide, let alone SSMT and Snake. Those I knew who were good were people I couldn’t add because my buddy list was full from friends. This is something they’ll need to fix up for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Thankfully, Brawl will use a standard controller, maybe even the Gamecube controller. He likes the controller, but likely doesn’t want to use it so that existing fans are not turned off. “I believe Wii is truly an appealing game machine. It begins to demonstrate solutions to many of the problems that face today’s game industry.”

Fortunately, Masahiro Sakurai, the director and creator of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, writes for a weekly column in Famitsu. This week he revealed a few more tidbits on Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or as Japan will know it, Dairantou Smash Bros. X. The “X” represents a cross. Why? Because using the game, characters will cross paths with each other from different games. It also represents you crossing paths with unknown strangers using the Nintendo WiFi Connection.

Sakurai also discussed some thoughts he’s having about online play. “To be honest, there are some annoying areas. While it’s definite that the switch to online raises the possibilities for a game, there are lots of considerations, like manners, and level differences.”

However, he does like online play, stating that “It increases the opportunity to interact with players who are playing the same game.” Hopefully he’ll make an elaborate system so that we don’t run into level difference issues too much. One of the reasons I stopped playing Mario Kart DS online is because it was hard to find good people to play. Many couldn’t powerslide, let alone SSMT and Snake. Those I knew who were good were people I couldn’t add because my buddy list was full from friends. This is something they’ll need to fix up for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Thankfully, Brawl will use a standard controller, maybe even the Gamecube controller. He likes the controller, but likely doesn’t want to use it so that existing fans are not turned off. “I believe Wii is truly an appealing game machine. It begins to demonstrate solutions to many of the problems that face today’s game industry.”