Free Super Smash Bros. Update Adds 9 New Maps to 8-Player Smash

[Steven Bogos]

Free Super Smash Bros. Update Adds 9 New Maps to 8-Player Smash

The new Super Smash Bros. update for the Wii U version of the game adds nine new 8-player smash stages, and six new "omega" stages.

An update has just gone out for the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/12714-Super-Smash-Bros-for-Wii-U-Review-The-Only-Fighter-Wii-Need], and as well as the usual bug and balance fixes, nine "new" maps have been added to the game's 8-player smash mode, as well as six new "omega" stages for the regular mode.

I put "new" in quotation marks, because technically these maps already existed in the game's regular 4-player smash mode, but they have been updated, and had some hazards and events removed, for the game's chaotic 8-player mode. As for the omega stages [http://supersmashbros.wikia.com/wiki/Omega_Stage], they are just flat, single-platform "final destination" versions of the game's regular stages.

The full list of new stages are:

Regular 8-Player Stages
Mario Circuit (from Brawl)
Luigi's Mansion
Pyrosphere
Norfair
Lylat Cruise
Pokemon Stadium 2
Town and City
Smashville
Wii Fit Studio
Omega Stages
Town and City
Mario Circuit (from Brawl)
Pokémon Stadium 2
Lylat Cruise
Mario Galaxy
The Great Cave Offensive

For me and my friends, 8-player smash has become the new standard game mode, as we aren't the real "1v1 final destination no items Fox only" type smash players, and there are usually more than four of us hanging out at once. So, the addition of new maps for the mode is a very welcome one, as it is lacking a bit in variety at the moment.

It's, of course, also nice to see Nintendo giving this content away for free, whereas less scrupulous publishers would probably be charging us up to $10 for it.

The update should automatically download the next time you boot up the game, provided you have an active internet connection.

Source: Nintendo [http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/13305/p/431]

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[Hairless Mammoth]

Does this mean they might make more of those Gamecube controller adapters? It's hard to do 8 person smash when someone has to pony up $70+ (and wait 3-5 days) or buy even more controllers when we all have perfectly functional GC controllers laying around. I'm also quite opposed to buying one of those off brand ones.

 

[Ryallen]

Does this mean they might make more of those Gamecube controller adapters? It's hard to do 8 person smash when someone has to pony up $70+ (and wait 3-5 days) or buy even more controllers when we all have perfectly functional GC controllers laying around. I'm also quite opposed to buying one of those off brand ones.

I play 8 player smash all the time with the guys at my college, and about 2-3 of the controllers used are old GC controllers. I should know, I've played with them.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I play 8 player smash all the time with the guys at my college, and about 2-3 of the controllers used are old GC controllers. I should know, I've played with them.

Your group lucked out, since someone got the super-rare GC adapter. My group might be able to get more pro-controllers, wiimotes, etc. to get to 8 players, but we'd rather be able to use the GC controllers we already have. If we could spend $20-$40 on one or two adapters, we could pool all of our GC and pro controllers we already have and get some poorer and/or non-Nintendo friends in on the simultaneous action, instead of buying 3-4 extra pro controllers that won't get used much, outside of Smash.

I would be great if Nintendo would do another, larger production run of those adapters. Right now they're going for $60 used, and were sold out before I even got my Wii U back in November. It's an especially low blow now that more 8 player maps are out.

 

[Ryallen]

I play 8 player smash all the time with the guys at my college, and about 2-3 of the controllers used are old GC controllers. I should know, I've played with them.

Your group lucked out, since someone got the super-rare GC adapter. My group might be able to get more pro-controllers, wiimotes, etc. to get to 8 players, but we'd rather be able to use the GC controllers we already have. If we could spend $20-$40 on one or two adapters, we could pool all of our GC and pro controllers we already have and get some poorer and/or non-Nintendo friends in on the simultaneous action, instead of buying 3-4 extra pro controllers that won't get used much, outside of Smash.

I would be great if Nintendo would do another, larger production run of those adapters. Right now they're going for $60 used, and were sold out before I even got my Wii U back in November. It's an especially low blow now that more 8 player maps are out.

I thought you were saying that the GC adapter that you had didn't work with the GC controllers that you already had. My mistake.

But yeah, I do understand that. Do none of your friends have 3DSes? Because a Wii U can connect 8 of those things, and you can download the game easily for the same price that it came out for. It's not as comfortable, but it still works.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I thought you were saying that the GC adapter that you had didn't work with the GC controllers that you already had. My mistake.

But yeah, I do understand that. Do none of your friends have 3DSes? Because a Wii U can connect 8 of those things, and you can download the game easily for the same price that it came out for. It's not as comfortable, but it still works.

Yeah, I tried my 3DS XL with the Smash for 3DS demo, but I'd rather not play something like SSB on a cramped 3DS/XL. The circle pad just doesn't feel right, and the d-pad apparently doesn't do anything in a match. I also don't want to buy the game over again just to play on the Wii U with a new controller. I don't know about my friends' Smash 3DS ownership and comfort preferences, but at least it is another option for 3DS owners.

Still, I'd rather just spend the $20 to use my GC controllers again. I might bite the bullet and see if one of those third party adapters work good enough, if Nintendo stays quiet for much longer.

 

[Haru17]

Nintendo DLC for Smash Bros and Mario Kart is great value.

 

[Guffe]

Well this sounds fun, haven't been able to pool up the full 8 at once yet since my friends have very varying work/school hours but we got 7 once, added my Amiibo into the mix and we all died -.-
This souds nice, a little tweeking and adding a few maps is always nice
If you excuse me, I'll now go back to the challenges, the hard ones are left... never gonna make this I'm afraid :,(

 

[Neverhoodian]

So are the new Omega stages actually going to have some platforms a la the "Battlefield" map, or is it just more boring flat spaces like "Final Destination?" Because slapping a different coat of paint on it doesn't really help.

Also, it appears stage hazards and random events have been disabled for some of the 8-player maps. That's a step in the right direction, though I wish there was just an option toggle to disable it for all maps. Sometimes I want to play on a certain map without having to worry about the random nonsense it throws at me.

Remember, I'm only nitpicking because I care. It's still a great game regardless, and I'm certainly not going to say "no" to free content.

 

[RejjeN]

So are the new Omega stages actually going to have some platforms a la the "Battlefield" map, or is it just more boring flat spaces like "Final Destination?" Because slapping a different coat of paint on it doesn't really help.

Also, it appears stage hazards and random events have been disabled for some of the 8-player maps. That's a step in the right direction, though I wish there was just an option toggle to disable it for all maps. Sometimes I want to play on a certain map without having to worry about the random nonsense it throws at me.

Remember, I'm only nitpicking because I care. It's still a great game regardless, and I'm certainly not going to say "no" to free content.

I agree fully. While I understand why they did the Omega stages the way they did I feel they should have turned half of the omega stages into battle-field-esque maps with platforms. A friend of mine basically refuses to play anything beyond Omega stages, which I feel is a little annoying since while I don't enjoy the massive randomness of many stages, there's still enough ordinary stages that are fun to warrant playing them... Particularly in 8-player smash. (Well, I'll just keep abusing Robin's Thoron on those I guess until he learns )

 

[gonenow]

So are the new Omega stages actually going to have some platforms a la the "Battlefield" map, or is it just more boring flat spaces like "Final Destination?" Because slapping a different coat of paint on it doesn't really help.

Also, it appears stage hazards and random events have been disabled for some of the 8-player maps. That's a step in the right direction, though I wish there was just an option toggle to disable it for all maps. Sometimes I want to play on a certain map without having to worry about the random nonsense it throws at me.

Remember, I'm only nitpicking because I care. It's still a great game regardless, and I'm certainly not going to say "no" to free content.

I agree fully. While I understand why they did the Omega stages the way they did I feel they should have turned half of the omega stages into battle-field-esque maps with platforms. A friend of mine basically refuses to play anything beyond Omega stages, which I feel is a little annoying since while I don't enjoy the massive randomness of many stages, there's still enough ordinary stages that are fun to warrant playing them... Particularly in 8-player smash. (Well, I'll just keep abusing Robin's Thoron on those I guess until he learns )

Omega only is bad for balance and the Omega stages aren't made equal as there are 5 different types of omega maps meaning you can counter pick people within omega mode which is supposed to be equal. It's even more depressing on the 3ds version of the game where outside of omega mode there is what 4 good maps?

Luminous city
Battlefield
Yoshi's Island
Arena Ferox

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

So are the new Omega stages actually going to have some platforms a la the "Battlefield" map, or is it just more boring flat spaces like "Final Destination?" Because slapping a different coat of paint on it doesn't really help.

Also, it appears stage hazards and random events have been disabled for some of the 8-player maps. That's a step in the right direction, though I wish there was just an option toggle to disable it for all maps. Sometimes I want to play on a certain map without having to worry about the random nonsense it throws at me.

Remember, I'm only nitpicking because I care. It's still a great game regardless, and I'm certainly not going to say "no" to free content.

Uh, random nonsense is the POINT of SSB. It's why the game was clearly tailored to be played with as many characters as possible, why the stages are so varied, and why Final Smashes exist. Some characters are better at solo, some are better at groups, some are better on big stages with loads of platforming, others are better on flat ones, etc. When you take that as a whole, it's why people trying to remove everything that makes the series what it is always fail to turn it into something it's not.

Anyway, nice to see that Nintendo is still currently the king of providing updates and DLC. Hyrule Warriors, NSMBU, and Mario Kart 8 essentially made expansion-level add-ons, Fire Emblem: Awakening's maps provided great variety, Smash Bros has neat updates, even the lesser offerings for Pikmin 3 were fine. I do wonder if upcoming games like STEAM, Splatoon, and Mario Maker will have DLC/updates since they seem pretty geared towards it.

 

[Ftaghn To You Too]

So are the new Omega stages actually going to have some platforms a la the "Battlefield" map, or is it just more boring flat spaces like "Final Destination?" Because slapping a different coat of paint on it doesn't really help.

Also, it appears stage hazards and random events have been disabled for some of the 8-player maps. That's a step in the right direction, though I wish there was just an option toggle to disable it for all maps. Sometimes I want to play on a certain map without having to worry about the random nonsense it throws at me.

Remember, I'm only nitpicking because I care. It's still a great game regardless, and I'm certainly not going to say "no" to free content.

Uh, random nonsense is the POINT of SSB. It's why the game was clearly tailored to be played with as many characters as possible, why the stages are so varied, and why Final Smashes exist. Some characters are better at solo, some are better at groups, some are better on big stages with loads of platforming, others are better on flat ones, etc. When you take that as a whole, it's why people trying to remove everything that makes the series what it is always fail to turn it into something it's not.

Melee turned out extremely well on its own, and Project M remains absolutely fantastic. I love both sides of Smash, and the casual side existing doesn't mean the competitive side can't as well.