Super Smash Bros. For Wii U

The ‘Evo 2016’ Lineup And New Character Announcement Has Us Hyped!

by Matt RodriguezJanuary 28, 2016

Evo 2016’s full lineup of games has been announced, and it looks pretty amazing! The games announced are: Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Pokken Tournament, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat X, and Tekken 7 Fated Retribution.

It’s interesting to note that quite a few of the games, such as Pokken Tournament and Street Fighter V are released this year, with Tekken 7 most likely to be arcade exclusive when Evo arrives. There’s no doubt that character and strategy tiers will still be in debate by the Fighting Game Community, so it is very likely that we will see many diverse matches. It is also worth noting that Nintendo in particular holds 1/3rd of the game lineup, beating Capcom in that regard, which is unprecedented!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMIWr0uEHg8

“The Evolution Championship Series (Evo for short) represents the largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments in the world.” This year, Evo will be taking place from July 15-17 at Las Vegas, Nevada, although one doesn’t have to go in person to experience the excitement–they also to live streams on Twitch and other live stream channels. Because of the scale of this event, it is very common for companies that manage fighting game brands to announce new games and characters for existing games in the days leading up to, and during Evo. One such character, Nina Williams, was announced yesterday. Nina Williams is a veteran character of the Tekken series, and is most notably known for her rivalry with her sister Anna Williams. Her fighting technique is loosely based on Assassination Arts, and even though she and Anna are related, their fighting styles are distinctly different. We are glad to have her back! Her new outfit sports a wedding dress, so we are also curious how this will fit into Tekken’s diverse storyline!

Sources: EVO Home (shoryuken) page, Shoryuken Evo 2016 Details Revealed

‘Super Smash Bros.’ Direct Reveals New Characters, Costumes, and More!

by Natalie KipperDecember 15, 2015

Today marked the final Super Smash Bros.-dedicated Nintendo Direct and, boy, was it a doozy. Not only did it go into further detail about Final Fantasy VII‘s Cloud Strife‘s upcoming inclusion, it also announced the overall top pick for the Fighter’s Ballot poll along with another combatant. So without further ado, here are the new fighter’s joining the roster:

Bayonetta (of the Bayonetta series)

Coming up as the top pick in Europe and amongst the top five in North America, Bayonetta was the winner of the Fighter’s Ballot. The Umbra Witch’s fighting style will focus on stringing together combos of various attacks. Her move “Witch Time” slows down the movement of any opponents nearby. Bayonetta’s signature stage, The Umbra Clock Tower, features moving platforms and and an alternate version of the stage. Bayonetta and her exclusive stage are scheduled to launch in February 2016. The download can be purchased for the Wii U or 3DS for $5.99 or both systems for $6.99.

Corrin (of Fire Emblem Fates)

If you are asking the question, “Who the heck is Corrin?,” odds are that you haven’t been following the development of Fire Emblem Fates. This fighter (you can select the gender, just like Wii Fit Trainer and Villager) has the ability to transform into a dragon and pull off powerful attacks including ones that pin your opponents. Corrin looks to be available to download in February 2016, on individual platforms for $4.99 each or together for $5.99.

Cloud Strife (of Final Fantasy VII)

We were briefly acquainted with Cloud in the previous Nintendo Direct, but today we were able to look more deeply at the mechanics of his fighting style as well as see what makes Midgar, his exclusive stage, special. As we saw before, Cloud will have two costumes available, his original SOLDIER uniform along with his outfit from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. And just like in FFVII, our hero will have his “Limit Break” ability, which can be activated once the limit meter is full. The meter fills as Cloud takes and gives damage as well as when he performs his Down Special Attack. Let’s talk about the Midgar battle stage. Throughout the stage, summon material will appear, allowing players to wreak arena-wide damage from which only the summoner is protected. Expect cameos from summon spirits like Ifrit, Ramuh, and Shiva. Cloud’s DLC will be available later today, costing either $5.99 for individual consoles or $6.99 for both the Wii U and 3DS.

If you thought that was it, you are wrong. Dead wrong, in fact! There were a host of new Mii Fighter costumes revealed too. From top to bottom, they are: Ashley, Geno (yes, Geno from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is in Smash (sort of)!), Chocobo Hat, Bionic Armor (available for both genders), Takamaru, Tails, Knuckles, and Gil. The Geno and Chocobo Hat costumes will launch with the Cloud DLC while the others will be released in February 2016.

But wait, there’s more! Like all Smash Bros. characters, Bayonetta, Cloud, and Corrin will be getting Amiibo. Our wallets weep.

What is your favorite part of the news? Post in the comments!

Let’s Make Travis Touchdown DLC For Super Smash Bros.

by Eric FranciscoApril 2, 2015

Yesterday on the official Super Smash Bros. Facebook page, the wonderful human beings that do the work of gods (the game designers) have opened the doors, so to speak, to “any video game character” for inclusion as downloadable content. Yes, this character will be made available for Super Smash Bros. For Wii U/3DS, but Nintendo needs to find out who.

From the official voting page:

Do you want your favorite video-game character to join the battle in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U? Well, here’s your chance. If you post a video-game character’s name, we’ll consider turning that character into a Smash fighter! Please limit your vote to one per person.

Of course fans are already rallying behind their mascots like a high school pep rally. Viewtiful Joe seems like the most popular, while the unlikely Goku is getting buzz. You might even hear totally-not-happening characters like Batman, and other why-aren’t-they-already-included names like Phoenix Wright, Knuckles, and Roy.

But I’m hear to plead to you — the kick-ass, dedicated Geekscape community — to vote for one name and one name only.

Travis fuckin’ Touchdown.

From the twisted mind of punk rock auteur Suda51, Travis Touchdown is/was the anti-hero heart of No More Heroes which was one of the only reasons why anyone bought a Wii (besides, you know, Super Smash Bros. Brawl).

This 27-year-old foul mouthed nerd that would have rallied behind #GamerGate if he actually existed is the biggest asshole ever created in binary code, and a perfect fit for Super Smash Bros. Precisely because he would stick out so much.

He’s vile. He’s aggressive. He’s disgusting. His mouth is dirtier than an Atlantic City bar bathroom. He wields a god damn lightsaber (which were actually based on the Schwartz from Spaceballs) and slices people in half without mercy.

There has already been a precedent for hardcore killers in the generally family-centric Smash series before. Snake raised a lot of eyebrows with his inclusion a few years ago, but when you saw him fly on drones dangling like an idiot and fire rocket launchers right in front of himself, he fit in just fine to the bizarre cartoon. Not that the Metal Gear series are spy simulators, but if Snake could come from that world and be included and Travis can’t — No More Heroes is about as weird as it can be, and Nintendo loves weird — then we have no standards at all.

I reiterate that No More Heroes and to a lesser extent No More Heroes 2 were extremely popular titles for the Nintendo Wii (their later ports to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were not well-received). Playing No More Heroes was dependent on motion control, the very thing that made the Wii THE Christmas toy of 2006.

There are no immediate plans for another No More Heroes as of right now, but it’s a fondly-remembered series that deserves to live on in the hearts and minds of gamers. Travis’s inclusion in Super Smash Bros. For Wii U and 3DS would not only be extremely fucking hilarious, it would serve to remind people of these awesome games of the recent past and to hopefully kickstart that elusive next entry.

So please, Geekscape. I beg of you. Vote for Travis Touchdown.

Or else you’re a fuck head.