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The site Nintendo Life recently published an interview with Bill Trinen and Nate Bihldorff two bigwigs of Nintendo of America and in this case Nintendo Treehouse the division that deals with the parent company in Japan. The interview is about the highly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate . Let's find out what the two developers have to say about this:
Can you tell us how long did the development of Smash Ultimate last? It seems to have been rather short compared to previous chapters.
Bihldorff: It was huge. We have no details on the beginning of the development. I believe these things grow over time. You start small with an idea and then it increases more and more, so we do not have specific details about the duration of a development cycle. I believe that the end products speak for themselves. True, it does not look like something that has been badembled in a short time.
Many people expected Smash to be like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, or even Splatoon 2, similar to the original on Wii U but improved; On the contrary, it seems to be a brand new game.
Trinen: I would also say that Splatoon 2 is a completely new game. If you look, I know that shooters do not change much from one version to another, but Splatoon 2 added new modes …
I think the prospect, at least among our audience, is that they always look a lot and yes, Splatoon has a distinctive aesthetic style, but the arttyle looks different between Smash 4 and Ultimate.
Bihldorff: We were talking about it today. In particular, the lights and textures in the scenarios, it is important. In reality for us, the best thing was to return to the Melee scenarios that everyone loves and see all the care that has been taken to bring them into this new game. I think those who are waiting for a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe port will be very surprised when they discover the complete package.
Trinen: The question I always ask: when was the last port of Smash Bros.? [19665004] Yes, it is true
Trinen: There was never any port [19659004] We have just played at Saffron City which has not been seen since the first game on Nintendo 64. We were very happy to see the Charizard
Trinen: Yes, because that's what it's all about. is cool
Will we see all the scenarios that have never appeared in Smash Bros., or will it be a selection of clbadics and new ones?
Trinen: They will not be all scenarios, but as you can see in the E3 demo, some will come back. They want to bring part of the 3DS version, which obviously has a much better aspect in this version.
Bihldorff: Yes, I read earlier, the Internet Hounds did a fantastic job identifying everything we showed between screen and video captures. They have already collected all the scenarios that they have seen, and I do not know exactly how much, because seeing them in the form of a list is very different from seeing them on the screen of selection .
The amount of things that there is is amazing, the number of scenarios. You could be paralyzed by looking at him. And then you realize that each of them will also have a "Final Destination" version. Each of them will also have the version "The ruins". And I, as a player, am very happy. Some scenarios, I have to admit, have dangers that always destroy me. For one reason or another, the characters I choose are always at a disadvantage in the face of this scenario, and being able to play the ruins while keeping the same world is fantastic. I hope that the public will also agree.
Personally, what is the worst scenario?
Bihldorff: There are a few. In particular that of Mega Man, with this yellow devil. I can not … I do not even have a strategy, as soon as I see her, I just try to avoid her. I know you should attack it, and so you convert it into your team and shoot people, is not it? Is that how it works?
Trinen: Yes.
Bihldorff: Usually, I avoid him, he shoots me and I am constantly on the defensive. I think I need simpler and more open scenarios … I love fast characters. It all depends on quick reflexes to grab an instrument or identify an opponent. There are many scenarios where I am not good.
How many characters are currently confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
Trinen: Does the Pokémon Trainer count for one or two?
Bihldorff: We are about 65.
Do you intend to announce new characters between now and December, or is it the final list? Can we expect to see others later?
Trinen: We will be able to respond next December.
Will there be a DLC? Do you plan to extend the game after the release?
Trinen: I think Mr. Sakurai said that the number one goal is to put all the game's characters in the game, and when you do, with a game like Smash Bros you have to make all the changes to the mechanics in terms of speed, air dodging and so on, to adapt them to the new game. Then you have to rebalance all the other characters, then organize the animations. You also change your model, you give new moves, some have a new final Smash, and that limits a little the number of new things you can add. At the end of the presentation, [Sakurai] said do not expect too much, but in the end he presented one more, which of course will be fantastic. If you saw the tournament, you heard that it would take the midnight flight home and finish the game. This was not an exaggeration, he really did.
And he did it with a smile on his face, because he really enjoyed the tournament. But his goal right now is to prepare the game for December. The fact is, when it comes to DLC, we do not think about it until we have finished the game. It may be that after the release they decide to do them, what to do with them, etc.
We noticed that the difficulty seemed to have been mitigated, the aerial dodge having allowed to stay at the edge of the landscape better than in the previous games. These changes have been made for players who are not very good at the game? To make it accessible to more people?
Bihldorff: I believe that Mr. Sakurai's philosophy has always been that. He always thinks to make the games as accessible as possible, because he wants everyone to play them. But he is also aware that competitive players play at a very high level. The techniques you are talking about have a dual purpose. As you said, help players learn with more mobility, but in the hands of a teacher, a pro, that is, we have seen what these guys can do with the air dodge. It seems to me, there was a moment, with Kirby, this instrument with which to target …
The Dragoon.
Bihldorff: Thank you. There was a moment in the final when a player took over. The other dodged in the air and found himself on a platform, and then escaped in a split second to avoid the firing of the Dragon. I would not be able to, it's getting so bad that these pros have succeeded us after 4-5 hours of practice! [Ride] Here is an example of a design choice that brings benefits to both groups and satisfies both.
Trinen: How would I say that Smash Bros is already a very easy game to start, is not it? You have the control stick, the keys A and B, and even only with them, even if you do not know how to roll, how to use the shield, none of that, only with the control stick A and B, you can have fun playing. Even my kids started playing Smash four years ago, it's easy.
What they added to the game, as Nate said, is that it gives people more things to experiment with. The other thing, the combination of jump and attack that gives you access to the low air attack, takes virtually a technique that was exclusive to high-level players, and makes it accessible even for beginners. The same thing with A and B for Smash attacks. Press A and B together to make a smash attack. This facilitates the execution of these high level maneuvers. In practice, this gives access to deeper techniques to a wider audience. But it also forces top players to change their game, as they too may discover techniques that low-level players can not do.
You lower the standard.
Trinen: Yes, but in a way that it remains easy to learn for beginners.
Mechanics as a perfect shield targets high level players? Smash Bros. has a large competitive fan base, obtained almost by accident, a chance accident. This is the most successful Nintendo competitive game. Are you planning to play on it, perhaps by organizing your tournaments, as does Capcom with its Pro Tour?
Trinen: First of all, I want to go back to this "incident" story because it is a myth that I want to demystify. Absolutely demystify. The general idea is that Nintendo did not know what he had in Smash Bros. hands. In practice, Mr. Sakurai did not know what he was doing. Instead, he specifically created the game, even on Nintendo 64 but especially on GameCube, with the intention of creating a game easy to start, but with incredible depth. That is, once we played Melee every day during the lunch break and after work, for 10 years. We have been to Treehouse for years and years. Then we became too busy.
We had families and so on. And even after all this time, we continued to improve as players, because he had created a game with many layers of depth on purpose. The game did not become that by chance. Every decision made in the game has been planned. So the "accident" was not that the game came out like that. The accidental incident was that the players discovered it, and that it has become something on which players can bond and have fun playing together. And this created the link that led the community to create competitive tournaments. But I want to dispel the idea that the game was developed without considering it, because it was …
Do you think Nintendo wants to sponsor events or things like that to get out of the competition of traditional fighting games?
Trinen: We have a different approach to tournaments. First of all, at the E3 2014, we announced the first Smash Bros. Invitational. There were a lot of events, you could see that the community wanted to elevate the competitive scene. This tournament we held at that time had more audience than any other Smash Bros. tournament, which highlighted the tournament community. Of course, we invited a lot of community members to this tournament. He was also helped by the launch of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Whenever a new game comes out of the fighting game community, the whole community benefits.
What we worked on Behind the scenes, we had to make sure that the Melee and Wii U scene was sound and healthy. If we look at events before 2014, participants and the public; and we compare them with what happened after 2014, Smash Bros. has gained a lot of popularity. Many spectators and players, those who were once great numbers for something like Smash, were still small compared to events like GENESIS [dei tornei annuali di Smash Bros., ndt]. We have collaborated with tournaments behind the scenes, helping them and other things like that.
Of course, we've been working with EVO for years. Our approach is a little different from other companies, but our goal is to continue to encourage places where the community can come together, play together and have fun in the way we talked about in the tournament.
Ridley in Smash is a good thing. I remember, correct me if I'm wrong, remember that Sakurai himself said that Ridley was too big for Smash. What happened?
Bihldorff: He studied the work of art, and he curved his shoulders! [Ride] He said in the Treehouse Live segment that we did just after Direct. He wanted to keep Ridley standing in the game. He talked about Ridley standing up, which I think was referring specifically to the "too big" question. He mentioned the exact height of Ridley, although it obviously depends on the game you are watching. In the first Metroid, Samus and Ridley were not [molto grandi] …
While in Super Metroid, it's a gigantic beast.
Bihldorff: Exactly. He took a specific size, and he took as an example the sprite NES which almost always represents him with a vaulted back.
Was it a good time for you when you discovered that Ridley would be in the game? Was this done directly in response to fan demand, or would you have done it?
Bihldorff: Many people complain about characters who are not there, and only because they complain does not mean putting them. Mr. Sakurai hears them, but ignores them and puts only the characters that he wants. I mean, of course, listen to the community, you've heard about it in the tournament. I think he knew that fans would be excited at Ridley's announcement, but not "Oh no, we're going to fail, better to put Ridley before everything sinks."
Trinen: If instead of Ridley the fans wanted the big Ice Hockey player for NES … that would not have happened.
Bihldorff: Mr. Sakurai not only knows all the characters, but also does extensive research on their appearance and movements. It derives all from the tradition of games. He is a video game scholar, period. You understand as soon as you see a decor, a music, a character, it stimulates love for this series of all pores.
Balance does it all, right?
Bihldorff: He is involved in all aspects of development. He's probably too busy to play 8 hours a day, but he's involved in a lot of things.
million. Sakurai said in the past that he wanted to keep doing Smash. With Melee he was already satisfied, then he was dragged into Brawl and then he did Smash 4. Did he do it willingly? Did he really close with Smash?
Bihldorff: No, I think you see these comments too literally. I think Sakurai gets into all the games he's working with. So towards the end of a project when everything is furious, we can say "just for a moment", but I do not think he ever said "I'll never do a Smash Bros" or " I will never play a game "this other series." He always has new ideas, and it's certainly always surprising to know what else he can add, and as the series continues, it's never just "put more characters", every game has a lot more than that.There's balance.I would not take these statements to the letter, then.We did not not kidnapped Sakurai or something like that.
Trinen: Knowing this, I would say that if you really had to do the latest Smash Bros, people would watch it and say, "Wow, that was a nice finale for the series. "Whenever he gets himself whole, and every time it's a fantastic game.
Speaking of characters, Snake is back. I had it for a while, not just Snake, but David Hayter to double it. Obviously, Nintendo has no complete control over the characters that appear. Did Konami agree when they asked if Snake could return to Smash? How did the trial go?
Bihldorff: We are not very involved in the individual conversations that take place. Clearly, Mr. Sakurai and his team worked hard for every transaction. There are a lot of characters out of Nintendo's control. And each of them does not only ask if the character can come back, we talk about every detail of the character. I guarantee that every piece of art must be approved, every piece of music, every detail related to this intellectual property, you work with the rights holders to make sure it's perfect and to their liking. We were not present when it was proposed, but it was certainly not difficult. Probably also at Konami there were a lot of fans who wanted to play as Snake.
Trinen: What people do not realize is that it happens with Nintendo characters as well. If we think about it, with Mario there is a team, with Zelda another, with Inkling another. Everyone wants to have a say in their characters to make sure they are as they want. The process is not only with third parties, but also with our characters. Then there are series like Fire Emblem, which has a lot of characters and is in the hands of Intelligent Systems, or even EarthBound with Lucas. People are watching Smash Bros. like "it's Smash Bros., they just do it," and they do not think about all the work behind that.
It's a huge project.
Trinen: That's really the case. In short, only with the characters, we have 30 different IP represented. Without including the Assistants. Even some Assistants are third-party characters.
With the penalty that they have repeatedly put, do you think the wave will not fire anymore?
Bihldorff: It's interesting. I read fan reactions in May and it makes me laugh that after a day, they are already speculating on the techniques that will be possible and those that will not. It will take time for the pros to adapt to this game.
It will not be exactly like the other games. All the techniques that have their name, the dashing, the wave flowing … I do not know what else they will invent. It will be different, but it will work.
Trinen: Another thing to keep in mind is that the wave was not discovered until 9 months after the release of the game [Melee, ndt]. This game is not out yet. Even with the Wii U game, they discovered new techniques and combinations and things like that, long after the release. There will be a lot to discover about the game, especially when you get used to all the changes.
Bihldorff: I can not believe how many techniques I've seen in this tournament, after literally not even 5/6 hours of practice. Maybe it will not be called "wave dashing", it will have another name, but there are so many techniques available that we can not wait to see what the professional community is going to create. They will discover many cool techniques.
Trinen: I want to greet a person in the tournament, this type of Pac-Man cosplayer. He not only had a good costume, but he was also a great Pac-Man player.
Thank you very much for your time.
Trinen: Thanks
If you want to know more about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, we remind you that the preview is in line with our impressions of the E3 post in Milan!
Source: Nintendo Life
Twentysomething student of the University of Padua, after a childhood with the sound of the PS1 and 2 was bought back to the Wii, the Wii U and the Switch … and then redeem even taking a PS4, just to give cosmopolitan air over the console war. He spends his time pretending to write the thesis but actually plays video games and sometimes writes about them (the kids do not imitate him).
You can find it on Facebook and Twitter . Michele "Comemichiamo" MosenaTwentysomething student of the University of Padua, after a childhood with the sound of PS1 and 2, he bought it by switching to the Wii, Wii U and Switch … then re-redeemed by also taking a PS4, just to give cosmopolitan air over console warfare. He spends his time pretending to write the thesis, but actually plays video games and sometimes writes about them (kids, do not imitate him).
You can find it on Facebook and Twitter .
See all the articles of Michele "Combattons" Moses
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