A Smashing Look: Smash Bros Website

(Wii U Version)

This is the screenshot that you will see when you enter the Smash Bros website. It shows Mario and Mega Man falling while performing air dodges, presumably. The background is notable though. It looks like a Fire Emblem stage or a Kid Icarus stage at first glance, but look at the logo on the flag. It's an original stage to the Smash Bros. series.

The other noteworthy thing about this picture is that the url ends in daily.jpg. It's entirely possible that this image will rotate every day and we'll get a new one. Can't wait to see what's in store for us tomorrow.

The next thing we can do is check out each of the so-far-confirmed characters.

All eleven of them. To see what they have in store for us.

Mario (Super Mario Bros.) - Previously featured in Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl

Wii U Version:

All right, so it's time for analysis. It looks like Mario's Smash Attacks are unchanged. Not surprising. Bowser's Side+B looks like it may be back to what it was in Melee, or it could be a Side Tilt. Mario also retains a Brawl Taunt. Villager appears to have boxing gloves for some reason. Possibly a new attack. And then there's the background. With the exception of the last screenshot, all of these appear to be on the same stage. The first screenshot has a flag in the corner, which I believe is the Mushroom Kingdom symbol, but I am not sure. I can't really make it out.

The last screenshot is a different stage. The speakers and the screen in the background make it look like Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2, so maybe this will be Pokémon Stadium 3? The thing that throws off this theory is the Smash Bros. banner in the back. Is it an original stage maybe?

Finally, Kirby's not flinching when Mario kicks him. I wonder why.

3DS Version:

This doesn't really show anything new beyond a few returning moves from previous games.

I personally don't care much for the art style of the 3DS version. I'd like to see it without outlines, if possible. But that could just be me.

Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong) - Previously featured in Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl

Wii U Version:

All right, that last screenshot is pretty funny. The Smash Bros. logo in the center screenshot seems to indicate that this is, in fact, an original stage, and not another Pokémon Stadium. We see a lot of DK's moves return, and he even sports a new move in the fourth screenshot, from the looks of it.

The shot with Pikachu and Kirby seems to have them all in the same space, leading me to believe that Footstool Jumping will return as a game mechanic from Brawl.

Oh, and Bowser's eyeballs look smaller for some reason. Weird.

3DS Version:

Looks like a Fire Emblem stage in the first shot, and a New Super Mario Bros. (or Mario 3D Land?) stage in the last one. As far as DK goes, there's just confirmation that old moves return. Not much else.

Link (The Legend of Zelda) - Previously featured in Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl

Wii U Version:

All of Link's old moves seem to return, including the chargeable Up+B that was only featured in Brawl. We also have more of Bowser's small eyes.

The last two screenshots also show off Pit's Neutral-B and Samus's Down+B, which appear to be unchanged.

Link seems to be sporting his look from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Can't say I'm a fan personally. Mostly due to the earring. But maybe he'll have the rest of his reincarnations as costume changes.

We get some good stuff here. Two new stages! The middle screenshot's stage is a Nintendogs stage, which looks really cool. The perspective makes it kinda hard to tell if that spade-cube thing is an item or just background, but I'm thinking it's the latter.

And in the final screenshot, we see Link's Spirit Tracks incarnation conducting a train stage. I bet this means that Toon Link won't be returning from Brawl.

However, with The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds coming out soon, maybe we'll see the return of Young Link from Melee!

Samus (Metroid) - Previously featured in Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl

In Brawl, she could transform into Zero Suit Samus. Whether or not she retains this transformation or if Zamus has been cut from the roster remains to be seen.

Wii U Version:

Samus definitely wins the award for "most graphically improved" from Brawl.

Mega Man appears to have somehow dodged Samus's Side-Tilt (or is that her Up-Tilt?), without ducking. Unless that is how Mega Man ducks, we may be looking at a new dodging system.

We also get a look at Castle Wily, a Mega Man stage. Pretty cool.

The final screenshot is where it's at though. Samus has the power of a Smash Ball and is about to perform a Final Smash!

Based on this shot, as well as the trailer, it looks like it's the Zero Laser from Brawl, but we don't know yet whether or not the Zero Suit Samus transformation will be retained or not.

3DS Version:

These shots show off some more cool graphics. At first I thought that the first shot showed a Motion-Sensor Bomb item, but that's just Samus's Down+B, as shown by the third shot.

And is that a Zelda stage in the last shot?

Kirby (Kirby) - Previously featured in Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl

Wii U Version:

Smashville is a returning stage. Nothing else here.

But damn. That first screenshot. Ouch. That looks so painful for Mario.

Shame that we don't see any Kirby hats.

3DS Version:

Mario's Taunt is back, confirming that there are multiple taunts once again. Other than that, nothing new.

Fox (Starfox) - Previously featured in Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl

Wii U Version:

Just more info on things returning from previous installments. Though I do wonder what stage the next-to-last shot was taken on.

Also from that shot, with Rush being alone without Mega Man, it leads me to believe that ground usage will allow other characters to use him, similar to Sonic's Up+B from Brawl.

3DS Version:

So the Train Stage is like Big Blue from Melee, from the looks of it. You can fall off, but you have to catch up or you get left behind. Interesting.

Pikachu (Pokémon) - Previously featured in Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl

Wii U Version:

Pikachu is the last of the original 8 that we know will return (Yoshi is the only one left unconfirmed).

In the second shot, it appears that Pikachu is using Rollout, previously known by Jigglypuff in Smash.

With Jigglypuff not being too popular these days, will we see her dropped in favor of a new Pokémon? Perhaps with Pikachu taking some of her old moves? We'll have to see.

Pikachu does appear to have gained some weight since Brawl, leading to a larger hitbox. Hopefully that won't impact its incredible speed and jumping abilities though.

I also can't seem to recognize the move from the next-to-last shot. It looks like a Side+B, but pointed upwards. Odd.

And as for that last shot, I'm clueless. Maybe it was hit by a sleep attack (like Jigglypuff's Up+B)? I don't know how Pikachu would end up in that position.

3DS Version:

Nothing new here, but we see that odd pose again.

Bowser (Super Mario Bros.) - Previously featured in Melee and Brawl

Note that his Japanese name, along with the image urls, refer to him as Koopa. I will be using Bowser though, since this is not a Japanese blog.

Wii U Version:

We get a chance to see some of Villager's moves, with the plant dive and what appears to be an air dodge similar to that of Mario's.

3DS Version:

Nothing new here. Just returning moves. Bowser's eyes seem to be smaller in everyone else's screenshots, but not his own. Weird.

Pit (Kid Icarus) - Previously featured in Brawl

Wii U Version:

Is that a new move in the first screenshot?

Looks like it, and it appears to be pretty powerful.

Or maybe he's using his Mirror Shield to reflect an attack of Mega Man's, which we don't know.

So many possibilities.

3DS Version:

The second screenshot seems to confirm that Pit has a new move, likely the one from the Wii U shot.

What could it be though?

And that concludes the profiles on veteran fighters. That is, ones returning from previous Smash installments.

What about newcomers? Well...

Villager (Animal Crossing) - Newcomer

The name is known as Murabito in the Japanese Version, but here, we shall call him Villager.

Wii U Version:

Villager looks to be an interesting character, sporting gear from all across the Animal Crossing universe.

A Slingshot looks to be the standard projectile, probably as a Side+B.

The plant and the bowling ball depict the Villager in the same pose, so I'm guessing it's a random based attack, probably a Neutral-B, that summons something in a random sense, similarly to Dedede's Side+B being random.

The Balloon Fighter hat appears to be a recovery Up+B.

The dynamite appears to be a Down+B, similar to a Cracker Launcher, or maybe like Pikachu's Down+B.

The boxing gloves appear to be for Smash Attacks and Tilts.

Finally, we see Villager catch one of Samus's missiles. Is it possible to intercept Samus's Side+B now? Is it exclusive to Villager or can all characters do it? Or is it just to set up a good shot and the Villager will be hit a few seconds later?

I'm thinking it's the last one, but I could be wrong.

Also note that as a newcomer, Villager also got a trailer to himself, and some promotional artwork. I'll be covering these in a separate post though.

Sadly, Villager does not have any 3DS screenshots. As he wasn't shown in anyone else's 3DS shots, is it possible that he'll be Wii U exclusive?