Super Smash Bros. Brawl site counting down to relaunch

by Justin McElroy { May 15th 2007 at 8:30AM }

Countdown sites are so hot right now. You know what they are? They're this season's ARG. If you've got a hot property coming out, but you haven't gotten your countdown site in order, don't ever bother: We're not interested. Luckily for Nintendo, they wised up and finally got our attention for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, taking their site from regular, old, boring homepage (how 2006!) to a countdown to one week from today.

Now, as countdown sites go, it's kind of lackluster. There are no hours or minutes or seconds, so we can't stare for hours on end, watching each second peel away as we breathlessly contemplate how meaningful our lives will be when the timer reaches zero. But there is a logo there (not just a number) so we don't forget what game we're counting down to in all the hubbub. Very practical. We suspect that Nintendo might be spilling the beans on this and some other hot properties next week (thanks in no small part to a press event hinted at by Matt Casamassina), but to get too hung up on what the countdown is counting down to is to really miss the point. It's a countdown, man: Live in the now.

Tags: countdown, ign, nintendo, smashbros, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

mo @ May 15th 2007 8:43AM

count downs are so lame

god damn those bastards now im so curious

jay @ May 15th 2007 8:52AM

Lacklustre.

Konny @ May 15th 2007 9:19AM

Meh, i imagine its more of Melee... it doesnt even use the wiimote. NintenLame!

Fatass of Kickassness @ May 15th 2007 9:25AM

@3
You're saying that as if more of Melee is a bad thing.

Its a shame you're so stupid, Konny.

SoulBlade @ May 15th 2007 9:28AM

I would love another melee... and I'm quite glad they arent tacking on WiiMote controls

JodyAnthony @ May 15th 2007 9:33AM

so every game that uses the wiimote you complain about, konny. now you are complaining that this game DOESN'T use the wiimote.

methinks you are just a lowly troll.

Intentless @ May 15th 2007 9:35AM

When is the US release....

Konny @ May 15th 2007 9:37AM

Dont you think its lame... that the defining point of a 'next gen' system is not even utilized in a top tier release? Why not release this on GC and increase the install base and sales potential by 20 million units.

Yea, thats right, they want NinenBots to buy into their new system.. when it (smash) could have been done on GC.

So, no wiimote, no online, no mii integration, no graphics improvements... why is this on Wii again?

chenry @ May 15th 2007 9:38AM

Wait... Is this a countdown to the game's launch, or a countdown to the new website's launch? It says "Site launch in"...

megaStryke @ May 15th 2007 9:42AM

Hey Konny! Take two heaping tablespoons of "Shut the fuck up" and call me in the morning. Side effects may include temporary loss of motor skills. That wouldn't be so much of a problem for the rest of us, though.

Anyway, maybe we'll actually get a full roster at the end of the countdown. I'm hearing that some players from Melee didn't make the cut.

VS @ May 15th 2007 9:47AM

They should put Goemon and Captin N in smash bros.

Captin N can use the NES gun, the power glove and the super scope 6. Of course that's never going to happen. I don't think anyone would want Captin N in the game.

lwelyk @ May 15th 2007 9:50AM

@Konny

MGS4 probably won't use the 6 axis, why is it going to be on the PS3 again?

It doesn't have to use every feature of the system to be good. And where did you hear no online?

Keif @ May 15th 2007 10:02AM

umm konny, the game does use online, so once again, you fail

blk_ballard @ May 15th 2007 10:14AM

Hey watch the language! One thing I don't get though is if it's talking about 7 days or 78 days.

JodyAnthony @ May 15th 2007 10:14AM

VS - you're wrong! I would LOVE captain N to be in the game!

Konny - the only thing I think is lame is people like you bitching and whining about nintendo in every single thread on this site.

Devre @ May 15th 2007 10:14AM

Konny is sort of right... If the game indeed doesn't have any wiimote controls, it's just SSBM with shinier graphics and online. Lamesauce! But I'll probably buy it anyway.

Jonathan Tran @ May 15th 2007 10:16AM

when will they announce that Knuckles is a playable character?

samfish @ May 15th 2007 10:23AM

The game might be designed with the Gamecube or CC in mind, but there's no way in Hell it isn't going to have Wiimote controls...

Oh, and Konny- you're a god damn troll. Go play in the street.

Joseph Villalobos @ May 15th 2007 10:39AM

Hmmm... gotta love the hype!

Jonathan Tran @ May 15th 2007 10:46AM

@15

I am pretty sure that thing is a japanese character, not the number '8'. In fact, in might be the character for '7'

Grog @ May 15th 2007 10:54AM

It's pretty simple: if you are not excited for the new Smash Bros. (or at least recognize why others would be), you're a fanboy. I have *weeks* of play time on Melee and I forget how much time on the original, and the same sort of incremental changes that were made from SSB to SSBM would make me love this game (new characters, better graphics, improved game mechanics). The promise of online play nearly makes me want to wet my pants, especially since this means I can play it with all of my SSBM college buddies who I no longer live by.

megaStryke @ May 15th 2007 10:58AM

@Jonathan Tran

That kanji means "day" in Japanese.

Grog @ May 15th 2007 11:00AM

Oh, and either way, under the "8"-looking character it says "Japan time," so it's nothing you have to worry about.

kiwi @ May 15th 2007 11:01AM

"it's just SSBM with shinier graphics and online. Lamesauce!"

Didn't you just describe every single PS3 and 360 "next gen" game? Shiner graphics and online?

Almack64 @ May 15th 2007 11:07AM

"'it's just SSBM with shinier graphics and online. Lamesauce!'

Didn't you just describe every single PS3 and 360 "next gen" game? Shiner graphics and online?"

QFT

electronic @ May 15th 2007 11:21AM

@ 25

'Didn't you just describe every single PS3 and 360 "next gen" game? Shiner graphics and online?'

Ahh.. I like it. Thank you.

*pats kiwi on the back*

More Smash Brothers is always a good thing. It's one of those games that is so easy to pick up but hard to master. When your play with a group of elite players it just becomes insane. I have friends that refuse to play it with my because I kick their asses but, I myself get mine kicked when I play with another group of friends. Ah good times, good times.

RDX @ May 15th 2007 11:39AM

Come on Mallow and Geno.....and Mega Man.....and Ridley.....and...ah who the hell cares! I just want info!!!

3cubedminus3squared @ May 15th 2007 11:47AM

"'it's just SSBM with shinier graphics and online. Lamesauce!'

Didn't you just describe every single PS3 and 360 "next gen" game? Shiner graphics and online?"

QFT

I was just about to say that.

Shadow Hog @ May 15th 2007 12:37PM

Hey, it's down to 6. Just thought people cared.

Also, I hope they reveal the other third-party characters now. Particularly Sonic, so we can finally have Mario and Sonic duke it out OUTSIDE Olympic sports.

J.G.F. @ May 15th 2007 12:43PM

Since the VC has caused a great love-fest between once bitter rivals, I want to see Sonic and Bonk in this game.

J.G.F. @ May 15th 2007 12:44PM

Since the VC has caused a great love-fest between once bitter rivals, I want to see Sonic and Bonk in this game.

wackychan @ May 15th 2007 12:44PM

Overrated game for an overrated console. Move along, nothing to see here.

Dustin @ May 15th 2007 12:46PM

I'll probably be too engrossed in the beta and end up missing this site launch.

But God damn, this probably means more info on the game... I can't wait.

Kazi @ May 15th 2007 12:52PM

My friends and I still play Smash and Melee to this day, they're great games and I can't wait for online. I hope it allows multiple people on one console when online. That'd be tits.

SecretCow @ May 15th 2007 1:22PM

It does use the wii remote/nunchuk... You do have the option of using a classic controller or gamecube controller instead, though.

Grog @ May 15th 2007 1:34PM

"It does use the wii remote/nunchuk... You do have the option of using a classic controller or gamecube controller instead, though."

Unless you're on the development team or work for a major gaming journal/site, I'm going to go ahead and just call this BS. We don't know whether it uses the remote or the classic controller or the GC controller, and we won't until they make it an official announcement. All we know for certain so far is that the developer has said not to throw away your GC controllers yet because they might still have some use - but things may have changed in the *year* since he said that.

Personally, I'll just wait and see. I love the controls for Melee, but I'm willing to try something different if it works well.

megaStryke @ May 15th 2007 1:35PM

@SecretCrow

Where d'ya hear that?

SecretCow @ May 15th 2007 1:40PM

Omg why does everyone say Crow =(. Its cow. Look at the left of this scan:
http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/up189355.jpg

megaStryke @ May 15th 2007 1:44PM

Because crows are like the ninja of the aviary world. You want to be a ninja, don't you?

Anni @ May 15th 2007 1:56PM

SecretCow

To be fair, that scan also has Tingle. And if that's an indication that he's in the game, well.. hell.

Just_a_guy @ May 15th 2007 1:57PM

Can you please update this blog with the latest picture from the website (so we can see how many days are acually left?). It would be a nice little feature.

Shiro @ May 15th 2007 2:09PM

That "8" is the kanji for "day". That may have been answered already, but I'm too lazy to read through all of them. =D

Oatmeal tastes good at night @ May 15th 2007 2:10PM

#32. Overrated game for an overrated console. Move along, nothing to see here.

You want an overrated game, here's one. FUCKING! HALO!, now that's an overrated game. Has for the 360, not sure.

bounchfx @ May 15th 2007 2:14PM

ssb > ssbm

anyway, they need megaman and sonic/knuckles.

that would be amazing. megaman and megaman x would be teh hottest characters.

I'm biased. oh, and I like X better.

Judd @ May 15th 2007 2:25PM

"We can't stare for hours on end, watching each second peel away as we breathlessly contemplate how meaningful our lives will be when the timer reaches zero."

Wow, that is pathetically true.

Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 15th 2007 2:26PM

Why does everyone keep saying Mega Man should be in the game? What purpose could he possibly serve, other than the innevitable Samus clone? A little quicker than Samus, and that'd be it.

"Can you please update this blog with the latest picture from the website (so we can see how many days are acually left?). It would be a nice little feature."

They would...but then all the readers would start talking about Joystiq being a bunch of Smash Bros. fanboys. Just like yesterday. They were fanboys of one thing yesterday, Halo prior to that, and whatever else people could come up with.

Grog @ May 15th 2007 2:28PM

SecretCow-

That's interesting, but I'm not sure how accurate your assumption is from that picture. Maybe it's because I don't read Japanese, but that seems like some generic article - what is it even from? For that matter, the pictures look drawn, which means they could have been added by the magazine.

I'll still wait and see.

samfish @ May 15th 2007 2:48PM

"Why does everyone keep saying Mega Man should be in the game? What purpose could he possibly serve, other than the innevitable Samus clone? A little quicker than Samus, and that'd be it."

Because even though Capcom has pretty much done everything they could to shit on Mega Man in recent years, he's still awesome and a gaming icon.

The only 3rd party characters I WANT to see announced are Mega Man, Sonic and Simon Belmont.

...but I want the real, classic Mega Man. None of this ZX Online Battle Network Mega Man shit.

X_Arre @ May 15th 2007 3:04PM

God dammit, I'll probably have to stay off the internet until release now to avoid spoilers >_>

Anyway, to wrap stuff up a little:
-)No controller has been specified
-)They are working on online play, but may have issues with lag (4p Ice Climbers match on a moving stage with items on??)
-)The release date is still TBA 2007
-)Only 1-2 more third party characters will be added. This narrows down the posibilities pretty much to one per third party, and pretty much excludes side characters (Meaning no Knuckles, Shadow etc.)