Super Smash Bros. Brawl reveals online plans

Take that online predators! You can run from Chris Hansen, but Miyamoto's got you all figured out.

Nintendo just shot themselves in the foot with this. I mean, all Nintendo's WFC is is a glorified System Link game, because you have to exchange friend codes with a select group of people, then hope that they are online at the same time that you are, and then you can play online! And that's the only way to get the full functionality out of the title. I mean, what is Nintendo's issue with Matchmaking with random strangers? Are they paranoid or something? I mean, what's the use of even including a matchmaking mode when you can't even communicate with anyone else other than friends?! In my opinion, Nintendo should just kill off the friend codes and go a route like Xbox Live's....have Gamertags, people can interact with anyone else in a game, friends or not, etc. Nintendo's "WiFi Connection" is not a true "online" gaming service, because most of the time you are limited to just playing against friends and that's it! If you don't have any friends, you can't play online. It's just a royal pain in the a** to get friend codes, and have to input them.

Even Sony has chat and friends lists... C'mon Nintendo. Follow through on the 'casual' approach, you picked it.

And to all the 'I don't want to hear 6 year-olds' complaints about online chatting... Well, that's taken care of by playing with friends - who I do want to hear and chat with. Not even giving you the option is not a plus in my eyes/ears.

I could not agree more... Cannot wait to see how the NDF defends this craptacular plan. Please limit your responses to four, just like the d-pad you'll be using in game.

Great rant Megashot. Anybody who defends this method is seriously bias to Nintendo or an over-protective mother. Please NDF, wake up and see that no one cares about you. The Wii is for kids only, and it will only get worse from here. This is the equivalent of still playing with dolls as a teenager. Sorry, action figures! BAH!

But instead of calling it a Gamertag, maybe call it your Wii Handle instead? Nintendo did just recently trademark that name. Of course it could be just a device to carry your Wii...

You know one benefit I like from the friend codes. I don't have to deal with fucktards. I always hated the friendcode system. I hate dealing with it on the Wii and the DS, but I had an epiphany today that showed me a glimmer of hope for why kit exists. I still don't care for it, but it actually has positives that most of us don't know about or think about.

Fools say all you want this is gonna sell!

I never cared whether or not Brawl was online. Taking advantage of the advanced techniques in the game (the ones most casual players don't even know about) requires timing precised down to a few frames. No matter what online service you use there will always be a few frames of lag, meaning there is nothing Sakurai can do to make online as good as being in the same room. I'll still probably play against my friends online when we can't hang out, but I probably won't be using the mode where you play against anyone because I'd imagine that the majority of people who get this game will not know how to use advanced techniques giving them a huge disadvantage against me. Don't take that the wrong way though, I'm not trying to brag, the techniques are fairly easy to learn with a little practice, but most people haven't even heard of them (especially the younger demographic).

DO NOT WANT

(Sonic, that is).

And so, with the addition of online game play in BRAWL confirmed; my Nintendo Wii can stay away from the grubby talons of GameStop and eBay reselling for one more year.

And I'd still like to see Sonic/Tails or MegaMan...

Why would anyone not want Sonic in Brawl?

I believe there's still some hate left over from the whole "nintendont" thing

wtf

What did you expect from a PS2 generation system? Last generation graphics, last generation online, wait a minute, this is worse than last generation online. Still no voice chat, still those archaic idiodic friends codes. WE MUST PROTECT THE CHILDREN.

Oh noes, you really need voice chat for Smash Bros!

Yeah, this may sound lame, but at least you won't have 12 year olds telling you to suck their dick the entire time (unless it's your friend).

NDF ASSEMBLE!

JUST SIT BACK GUYS.

Nintendo deserve this whipping. There's only soo many times we can defend retarded decisions.

Well, we couldn't expect them to do more with this one game than with any of its others, now that the online network is here to stay

The only retarded decision was the apparent lack of inclusion of leaderboards. If not recording wins or losses, at least record other statistics (KO's, falls, SD's, Ground Time, Air Time, Damage given, Damage taken, hit %)

Of course we're under no obligation to defend them for their greatest indiscretions, no one is (Example: Even Karl Rove disapproved of Harriet Miers)

I would agree, but its nice to have the option to talk to friends. Besides, when I dont want to hear chatter - I can turn them off.

Amen. I stopped hooking my headset up to my 360 about two weeks after I started using Live.

Well I'm sure we'll all trade friend codes on Joystiq on launch day, and there are only 4 pre-planned messages you'll be hearing from me.

1. You got served.
2. Come get some.
3. Let me touch your penis.
4. What is your phone number?

Sometimes I play Gears of War with my uncle, brother, guys from work, and adults I requently play with online that are older like me and fun to talk to. I use the headset. That is half of the fun.

Whenever a round comes down to a one on one and somebody will plant a torque dart ftw it is awesome. Everyone that is already out is watching it. Between rounds everyone is yelling and laughing and talking smack. It is like being in a room of guys when your team scores a big play or something.

These are people I know personally or know well enough on Live to want to talk with. It makes the games much, much funner. It is almost as good as having a room full of guys gaming it up. Just the teamwork aspect of using the headset adds so much to the game experience. Plus you can BS while waiting for a round to start.

Anyone who comes in here and says "I threw away my Live headset" or "I'm glad you can only text" or whatever is retarded. I want the option to do that stuff. I have friends with consoles. I have family with them. I request every decent adult I run into on Live to be on my "Friends" list.

I play with almost a dozen different "crews" of adults on Live. I don't have to play with annoying little kids and if I am then I shut the headset off. But the majority of the time, I am playing with cool adults and we have a ton of fun laughing and BS'ing about how bad pokersnatch or whatever online persona just got pwned.

Live and PSN rock. Friends codes and Nintendo online are better than nothing, but in comparision it sucks ass. Nintendo is protecting the kiddies from foul language at the expense of adult fun. I know not everyone wants to talk when they game but I sure as hell do. If my headset broke I wouldn't play online until I got a new one. It makes that big of a difference.

The only reason Nintendo uses the chat and friend's code systems is so that they don't need the "ESRB Notice: Game Experience May Change Online". Essentially, any Teen or 6 and up game for 360 is considered Mature if you go online because people can say raunchy stuff. With Nintendo, there is protection from that. The game experience never changes because strangers can't say dirty stuff to your lil' Timmy.

Why do I even bother? Fanboys will always see console X as superior in every way. Hell, people here are even trying to say they'd rather text and have codes than Live. LOf'ingL. If you don't want to play with kiddies, play R6V. Great time with +90% adults.

Jake, your post is the gospel! I understand Nintendo's approach, but it screams "this system is for kids" and I have no interest in playing it. As an adult, give me the choice, don't be big brother.
I want to join a game with you on Live sometime. My gamertag is "JJ Rooster", add me.

I think you mean, where's the beef?

Agreed. Lack of voice chat aside, it's a damn shame that I can't have a SSB match with randoms and then easily turn them into friends for another match. Hell, or even say "good game" afterwards. That's all I ask.

Then again, I'm sure we'll all buy it anyway, so why would Nintendo even bother going the extra mile?

I've updated my list of 4 taunts:

1) GG.
2) kekekekeke
3) zomg zerg rush
4) Let me touch your bikini area.

"The friend code system is... so cold and impersonal"

I agree I actually like Strikers but I stopped playing online because I felt playing with random people felt the same as playing against the computer.

Even "Nintendo approved" messages like "good game or something would be nice to have. Also the ability to have a rematch at a latter time would be nice. What ever happen to the "rivals" list or something like that.

Actually if you look at the picture on this post on the right it says "Enter Friend Code" and has 12 digits, the Wii Code is 16 digits. Seems like confirmation to me that Smash has a game specific code.

Maybe instead of Wii-specific code, it's Mii-specific? What if it's the same code attached to your Mii that Strikers uses?

It's simple - so little Johnny the 8 year old doesn't match up against c0ckwh0re69.

Exactly, if you play against someone and enjoy the game, how do you hook up with them to play again? Is your friends list just made up of people you know in real life, or do they just expect people to use forums to exchange friends codes? Thats pretty weak.

Gotta love that trash talk, though. "YOU WILL BE DUNKED!!"

@Wes

Perhaps it will also work kind of like MP Hunters or Mario Kart DS where you will be able to add someone to your friends list?

That would be nice.

If you go add a million strangers from Joystiq or GameFAQS and see a bunch of racist sexist homophobic names, then it's not Nintendo's fault. It's your own fault for adding strangers. It's going to happen, but Nintendo already protected themselves. I'll add all the strangers in the world and won't complain, but it's gonna get sloppy.

Jerk Face, I hope it doesn't work like Prime Hunters at all. After all this time, I still can't figure out why they gutted the game's multiplayer when playing with strangers. I understand things like not being able to communicate with strangers or see their perverse names, but Prime Hunters limited MODES OF PLAY when playing against strangers by allowing only deathmatch and not any of the seven or so other modes unless you play with people you know. What is so much more dangerous for little Johnny the 8-year-old in Capture the Flag than the deathmatch mode of the same game? I can't figure it out!

If Super Smash imposes similar, retarded restrictions, I'm going to flip out.

Hey, how about Nintendo makes use of the Parental Control system and allow us grown-ups to communicate with strangers and make friends online? Duh!