Nintendo has once again urged its Smash Bros.-hungry consumers to remain patient as the company continues development on the upcoming franchise entry for Wii U. According to Iwata in this morning’s presentation, it’s a substantial project for the company to undertake, but we’ll all see the fruits of their labor via the first-ever screenshots when they unfold before us at E3 2013.

“Smash Bros is a huge development undertaking and we need more time before it launches, Satoru Iwata said.

“Mr Sakurai told us that we have set the timing for the first screens at this year’s E3. Please wait for just a little longer.”

So far, all we know about this entry is that it’ll have some connectivity with the 3DS version of the game, is being developmentally assisted by Namco Bandai, has some association with Tekken, and has only the following whiteboard concept art to show for it.

Anticipation is the name of the game here, gentlemen and gentle-ladies. Onward we march to E3 2013, where our dreams will come true and our eyes will melt from our sockets as the game we’ve all been waiting for will be fully revealed… or it could be sub-par, poorly put together and slated for release in 2015 with Jigglypuff as the only playable character.

But hey, at least we have a new 3D Mario, a new Mario Kart, a new Yoshi game and an HD re-release of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker to keep us pondering things not related to Smash Bros. for awhile!

Masahiro Sakurai, the designer behind Nintendo’s long-running and incredibly successful Super Smash Bros. franchise, has offered detailed insight into what gamers can expect from the next game’s controls, core style, and roster.

In news that may be surprising to some, the game’s core system is apparently already done, so their focus now is on refining what the gameplay will be like, according to Sakurai:

“The game system itself is complete, so we don’t want to make it 3D or introduce complicated controls just for the sake of it. However, I am thinking of ways we can introduce a slightly different, fun experience all the while keeping the usual frantic game play.”

Speaking of how the game will play, Sakurai also pointed out one of the control schemes, that being the GameCube controller (which has been a staple of input since the second game in the series, Melee), but also mentioned the likelihood of a special Wii U style of control:

“The GameCube controller is not the only way to control Smash Bros., so we will look into ways that fits the Wii U.”

Finally, Sakurai spoke about the recent rumors floating about that Tekken characters might be joining the character list, which if implemented, could stir up the community of long-time, dedicated players:

“I think Snake and Sonic joining were fantastic. It made many fans happy, and it broadened the Smash Bros arena. However, introducing more non-Nintendo characters willy-nilly will lose the focus of the game, so I also recognize the need to narrow it down.”

The next (and so far untitled) Super Smash Bros. is in development for both the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS, and is expected to release in either 2013 or the year following.

[via IGN]

Hideki Kamiya, designer behind Bayonetta and the wonderful Viewtiful Joe games, has publicly criticized Sony for PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, stating that it’s simply nothing more than a “rip-off.”

When inquired about his thoughts on the game via Twitter, he responded promptly:

“No. I don’t like that game. It’s just a rip-off … I don’t like rip-off, that’s all.”

Shortly after, when a fan tried to justify the game’s existence by saying that Sony was merely listening to fans and attempting to perform on the shoulders of an established franchise, Kamiya responded equally in the negative:

“And throw morals away. Great.”

While “rip-off” might be a stronger word than I’d be willing to use to describe Sony’s attempt at a Sony-branded fighter, it’s certainly difficult to doubt the fact that the game, minus one or two gameplay alterations, doesn’t look very different from Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series.

Then again, why shouldn’t Sony be allowed to have a fighter featuring all of their favorite first party characters? Have gamers not been crying out for Microsoft to do the exact same thing?

Oh and Hideki Kamiya, if you’re listening — consider making a Viewtiful Joe 3. I’m not begging but…ok, yes I’m begging.

Katsuhiro Harada, producer behind the long-running fighting franchise Tekken, has acknowledged that developing Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS is a big undertaking for Namco Bandai, the company assigned to develop the game for Nintendo this time around.

Harada went on to explain that there are a number of individuals working on the project right now, even some from the team that developed Tekken.

“Obviously it’s a big priority for the company, so company-wide there are a lot of people involved with that particular project. Not just from Tekken but a lot of our franchises.”

“Although our main core staff is busy with Tekken Tag tournament 2 and trying to finish that up, I do think we’ll support the initiative in some kind of capacity.”

Some have speculated that some Tekken characters will find their way into Nintendo’s multiplayer beat-em up classic – but Harada is hesitant to make such a move.

“We’re not really sure at this moment but when thinking of the playerbase who is playing Smash Bros, maybe Tekken characters is something they wouldn’t want, so I’ve been pulling back on that a bit. But I don’t know.”

Do you want Tekken in your Smash Bros? I don’t.

[via Now Gamer]

The next iteration in the Super Smash Bros. franchise is years away from release, no doubt. And with the recent news that Namco Bandai will be handling primary development of the game, many fans have been left with burning questions as to the game’s direction and focus.

A recent interview with franchise creator (and project lead on the upcoming game) Masahiro Sakurai on Nintendo Power revealed that the focus of the game will not be on expanding the character roster this time around.

“It isn’t a matter of ‘if the next game has 50 characters, that’ll be enough’,” said Sakurai.

“There is a certain charm to games that have huge casts of playable characters, but they tend to have issues with game balance and it becomes very difficult to fine-tune each character and have them all feel distinctive.

In terms of quantity, we’ve probably already reached the limit of what’s feasible. I think a change of direction may be what’s needed.”

Sakurai has stressed in the past that the “key” ingredient in the game will be its connectivity between the 3DS and Wii U versions, and that the game’s direction as a whole is up for some change:

“There is a certain dead end we come to if we just expand the volume of the game,” Sakurai said earlier this year.

“I intend to change direction a little as we go. The key to that’s going to be its dual platform support.”

Sakurai also posted the first piece of eraser-board drawn concept art for the upcoming title, featuring all-too familiar Nintendo characters. It should be noted that the photo consists only of Nintendo characters, no Sonic or Snake to be seen.

From the pile we can conclude the appearance of Kirby, Link, Mario, Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Samus, Star Fox, Pikachu, Kid Icarus (Pit), Marth, Meta-Knight, a lone Pikmin, Mr. Game and Watch, Mr. Saturn and even the likes of Sandbag and Mr. Hand.

Did we miss anybody?

Announced via the Nintendo Direct livestream this evening was the ever-surprising news that the much-anticipated upcoming iteration of Super Smash Bros is to be developed by Namco Bandai. It will, of course, be created under supervision of the series’ creator Masahiro Sakurai and Sora Ltd.

Importantly though, Sakurai is spearheading the project. Kenya Kobayshi will be producing the game, his previous works at Namco Bandai being the Ridge Racer series and the lesser-known Go Vacation.

The game’s director (also from Namco) is Tales of Vesperia producer Yoshito Higuchi.

It should also be noted that the previous game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, was also pieced together by more than one studio, including the likes of Monolith Soft, Paon, and Game Arts studios.

Update: Comments on the game from Sakurai and Kobayashi

“Currently, the prototype prepared by NAMCO BANDAI Games and NAMCO BANDAI Studios’ special team looks pretty good, and it’s working great. In order to take advantage of the fact that there will be versions for two different systems, and to maximize and offer fun new gameplay elements, the entire team is going to work hard together. Thank you.”

– Masahiro Sakurai

“In order to make Mr. Sakurai proud, we will take on this project with NAMCO BANDAI’s best staff! Yoshito Higuchi, the producer and the director of the “Tales” series, Tetsuya Akatsuka, producer and director of “Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs.,” the art director/sound director of the “SoulCalibur” series, the main development team staff from the “TEKKEN” series…and that’s just for starters.

All the top creators from NAMCO BANDAI are gathered here to create a never-before-seen dream team for this project.

We will fully utilize our experience and knowledge in action/fighting game development, technical capability, and organizational strength, and we hereby promise you that we will develop the best and most powerful “Super Smash Bros.” title ever! Don’t miss it! “

– Masaya Kobayashi

Late yesterday, Sony officially confirmed the existence of PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, the long-rumored Smash Brothers clone fighting game that pits many of Sony’s exclusive characters against each other in a fight to the finish.

The game’s developed by SuperBot Entertainment, which has a pretty sweet website, and this looks like it’ll be their first game as a company. According to the post on the PlayStation Blog announcing the game, it’ll have single and multiplayer modes, including “a focus on online play which features a robust tournament mode. Players will be able to compete against each other as well as play cooperatively.” Cooperative play always gets an extra look from me…but in the end, will this be more than just a rebranded Smash Brothers? I’m skeptical.

If you haven’t already, be sure to take a look at the video above. And how about some screenshots below? Overall, what do you think?

Though announced at Nintendo’s E3 2011 press conference, the upcoming Super Smash Bros. titles for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U have really just now slipped into production. Due to franchise creator Masahiro Sakurai focusing his complete attention on getting Kid Icarus: Uprising out the door, his ability to start work on the Smash Bros titles was somewhat limited – until now.

Since Kid Icarus: Uprising is finally on store shelves, development is now underway for both of the titles, and we’ve received some information from Sakurai himself, helping break the silence on his plans for the game. This comes from a nifty interview with IGN’s Richard George, who conversed with Sakurai through an email exchange recently.

So, what does Masahiro Sakurai and the team at Nintendo have planned for the Wii U and 3DS versions of Super Smash Bros?

“As you noted, there is a certain dead end we come to if we just expand the volume of the game,” said Sakurai in an email.

“I intend to change direction a little as we go. The key to that’s going to be its dual support for 3DS/Wii U.”

Sakurai is not the only one who’s made known his interest in linking the Wii U and 3DS versions of Smash Bros, as global Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has also expressed his anticipation for such a system.

“I’m really just getting started on this so it’s going to take time, but I’ll come up with something that uses that link as the game’s central axis, so I hope you’re looking forward to it.”

Development on the two titles has merely just begun, albeit with full concentration by Sakurai and his team. Though it puts these two games pretty far off in terms of release date, we can take comfort in the fact that much thought is going into their design.

Perhaps we’ll receive an update on the direction of the games at E3 2012, but until then, we’ll keep our ears close to the ground.

[via IGN]

Over on PlayStation Lifestyle, a reader provided a Sony-made survey, asking about what gamers thought about a game called PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, which is clearly an allusion to the Smash Bros. style fighting game that was hinted at last autumn. It’s rumored that the game is in development with SuperBot Entertainment, and that we’ll hear more about the game at E3 this summer.

A post on Eurogamer notes that in addition to the already-seen Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal, there are rumors that God of War’s Kratos, Parappa the Rapper, Sly Cooper, Uncharted’s Nathan Drake, Killzone’s Mael Radec, and Fat Princess will also be playable characters in the game.

Are you interested? Because I’m not. But there you go.

Via PlayStation Lifestyle and Eurogamer

Part of the fun of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. franchise is the “what if?” mentality it takes to really enjoy the game. Fans of Nintendo’s large stable of characters enjoy the game a whole lot more than people who don’t, and battling Mario against Marth, Link against Lucario, or any other match-up, is all part of the fun.

Makes us wonder if any other company outside of maybe Capcom, Sega, or Disney could create a game that taps into the same cross-over joy as Super Smash Bros. Could Sony do it?

If rumors are true, then yes. Paul Gale Network is reporting on insider knowledge of a Super Smash Bros.-esque fighting game staring Sony-exclusive characters called Title Fight. The current roster of characters he is reporting on is around twenty playable characters, including Nathan Drake, Sly Cooper, Fat Princess, Colonel Mael Radec, Kratos, Sweet Tooth, Parappa, and oddly, James Bond with a Daniel Craig skin. Cameos include Hot Shots Golf characters who will assist on a fight in stage specific attacks, a LittleBigPlanet stage, Sandover Village from Jax and Daxter, Carmelita from Sly Cooper hinted at in a leaked image with code.

If all of this is sounding a lot like a Sony version of Smash, even the controls are purportedly like Nintendo’s simple, two button fighter. All in all, this sounds like an outstandingly insane rumor, but purported developer SuperBot Entertainment is seen to be playing fighting game in their offices, and are currently working on a big name PS3 exclusive. NeoGAF has done some digging and backed up all sorts of sneaky pics from SuperBot employee Twitter pics, including the very confirming Sweet Tooth you see above.

Interestingly, Kotaku is reporting that SuperBot level designer Chris Molina tweeted that the Sony “Michael” ad was “vaguely foreshadowing” their company’s new game. Note that that tweet, as well as every leaked screenshot via tweet, has been taken down, and Molina’s Twitter feed has been deleted. Uh oh.

It’s somewhat crazy, as Paul Gale Network leaked much of this information on October 31, but news is just now getting out. Normally, this would be a game hard to believe, but the above screenshot, the deleted account, and the rumored level of quality SuperBot is putting into this seems to indicate that we might be seeing something cool at this year’s E3. Nintendo might want to pay attention for their next Smash Bros. game.

It’s great to see how gamers have truly latched onto the character of Super Meat Boy. Though his Wiiware title may have been cancelled, that didn’t stop spiderjjr45 from hacking him into Super Smash Bros Brawl.

While this is only a skin laid over the Kirby model, it is still fun to see his meatyness in other games. Wouldn’t it be great if he was a secret character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3? Dare to dream!

via Destructoid

Lego Starcraft: Brick Rush

The blue Terran forces face off against the red Protoss threat in a classic battle for map domination and vespian gas!

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Ben Buja’s GTA 4 Stunt Montage VII (Grand Theft Auto IV Machinima)

Machinima.com director BenBuja presents his seventh GTA 4 Stunt Montage.
All stunts done on Episodes from Liberty City on PC.
No mods used.
No trainers used.
No Nitro used.

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Phil – Day Thirteen: Championship II

The (very, very, very) long awaited finale of Phil. Made by Black Light
Productions.

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Nuclear Coleslaw: Episode 3 – Bad Deal (Fallout Live Action Series)

Bad Deal – Ever notice how there’s always a trader around when you need one? A dark comedy about a shifty trader and a horny wastelander. Episode 3 of a series entitled Nuclear Coleslaw. Inspired by Fallout and games like it.

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Hard times for Halo (Fallout 3 Machinima)

Times are tough for Halo characters as Halo Reach looks to make all the
previous games obsolete.

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Video Game Flaws: Fallout 3 (Live Action Parody)

The Fallout series has always been known for its gripping post apocalyptic storylines and great RPG action. Fallout 3 is no exception. With great games come the flaws that keep them interesting. We hope this video is enjoyable to Fallout fans, as well as casual gamers.

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Sanity Not Included Ep7 (LittleBigPlanet, GTA4, TF2, Halo, Heavy Rain, Super Smash Bros, MW2)

Episode 7 of The weekly, Awesome-est-est-est show ever by Dexterboy124 and GuitarMasterX7.

Warning: Sanity will not be included.

Why are you reading this? WATCH THE VIDEO!!!

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Check back next week for more!