Editing Super Smash Bros. 4

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{{ArticleIcons|ssb4=y|unofficial=y|featured=y}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Super Smash Bros. 4''}}{{ArticleIcons|ssb4=y|unofficial=y|protected=preemptive}}
{{Cquote|''SETTLE IT IN SMASH!''|cite=North American commercial}}
{{Title|''Super Smash Bros. 4''}}
{{Infobox Game
{{Infobox Game
|title = Super Smash Bros. 4<br></i><small>(unofficial title)</small>
| title       = '''Super Smash Bros. 4''<br><small>(unofficial title)</small>'''
|image = [[File:SSB4 Logo.png|250px]]
| image       = [[Image:SSB4 Logo.png|250px]]
|caption = Collective logo for the game.
| caption     = Collective logo for the game.
|developer = [[Bandai Namco]]<br>[[Sora Ltd.]]
| developer   = [[Bandai Namco]]<br>[[Sora Ltd.]]
|publisher = [[Nintendo]]
| publisher   = [[Nintendo]]
|platform = [[Wii U]], [[Nintendo 3DS]]
| distributor  =  
|designer = [[Masahiro Sakurai]]
| designer     = [[Masahiro Sakurai]]
|engine = [[Havok]]
| engine       = [[Havok_(company/engine)|Havok]]
|released = '''Nintendo 3DS'''<br>September 13, 2014 {{flag|Japan}}<br>October 2, 2014 {{flag|Germany}} <br>October 3, 2014 {{flag|North America}} {{flag|Europe}}<br>October 4, 2014 {{flag|Australia}}<br>July 24, 2015 {{flag|Hong Kong}} {{flag|Taiwan}}<br>September 10, 2015 {{flag|South Korea}}
| version      =
'''Wii U'''<br>November 21, 2014 {{flag|North America}}<br>November 28, 2014 {{flag|Europe}}<br>November 28, 2014 {{flag|South Africa}}<br>November 29, 2014 {{flag|Australia}}<br>December 6, 2014 {{flag|Japan}}
| released = '''Nintendo 3DS'''<br>September 13, 2014 {{flag|Japan}}<br>October 2, 2014 {{flag|Germany}} <br>October 3, 2014 {{flag|North America}} {{flag|Europe}}<br>October 4, 2014 {{flag|Australia}}<br>July 24, 2015 {{flag|Hong Kong}} {{flag|Taiwan}}<br>September 10, 2015 {{flag|South Korea}}
|genre = [[wikipedia:Fighting game|Fighting]]<br>[[wikipedia:Platform game|Platforming]]
'''Wii U'''<br>November 21, 2014 {{flag|North America}}<br>November 28, 2014 {{flag|Europe}}<br>November 29, 2014 {{flag|Australia}}<br>December 6, 2014 {{flag|Japan}}
|modes = Single player, Multiplayer, Online multiplayer
| genre       = [[wikipedia:Fighting game|Fighting]]
|platforms = [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Wii U]]
| modes       = Single player, Multiplayer, Online multiplayer
|ratings = {{vgratings|CERO=A|PEGI=12+|ESRB=E10+<ref>[http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/zC34HnrON-_wV0ZUkSfQFC6ub3Ea8DQ6 Nintendo.com's page for the 3DS version]</ref>|OFLCA=PG<ref>http://www.classification.gov.au/Pages/View.aspx?sid=baAYDzOrSLTJS31kqfUnSQ%253d%253d&ncdctx=kY4ZcmxpzFiR75%252faQboRyhefdrcxUukb9ZDwrHw7sGSByd%252fNX2SA4QwXLhHqWtIb</ref>}}
| platforms   = [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Wii U]]
| ratings     = {{vgratings|CERO=A|PEGI=12+ (provisional)|ESRB=E10+<ref>[http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/zC34HnrON-_wV0ZUkSfQFC6ub3Ea8DQ6 Nintendo.com's page for the 3DS version]</ref>|OFLCA=PG<ref>http://www.classification.gov.au/Pages/View.aspx?sid=baAYDzOrSLTJS31kqfUnSQ%253d%253d&ncdctx=kY4ZcmxpzFiR75%252faQboRyhefdrcxUukb9ZDwrHw7sGSByd%252fNX2SA4QwXLhHqWtIb</ref>}}
| media        =
| requirements =
| input        =
}}
}}
'''''Super Smash Bros. 4''''' (also referred to by shorthands such as '''''Smash 4''''', '''''SSB4''''', '''''for''''' ({{ja|スマブラfor|Sumabura for}}), or more informally '''''Sm4sh''''', and officially as '''''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U''''') is a term used to collectively refer to '''{{For3ds}}''' and '''{{Forwiiu}}''', two games in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series created by [[Bandai Namco]]<ref name="ign-namco">[http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/22/namco-bandai-developing-next-smash-bros IGN: "Namco Bandai Developing Next Smash Bros."]</ref> and [[Sora Ltd.]] [[Masahiro Sakurai]] stated in an interview with Kotaku that he considers the [[3DS]] version the fourth installment and the [[Wii U]] version the fifth installment. The games feature mostly identical gameplay, but with several differences in other areas. The 3DS version is the first game of the series to be released on a handheld console.
'''''Super Smash Bros. 4''''' (also referred to by shorthands such as '''''Smash 4''''', '''''SSB4''''', or more informally '''''Sm4sh''''', and officially as '''''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U''''') is a term used to collectively refer to '''{{For3ds}}''' and '''{{Forwiiu}}''', two games in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series created by [[Namco Bandai]]<ref name="ign-namco">[http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/22/namco-bandai-developing-next-smash-bros IGN: "Namco Bandai Developing Next Smash Bros."]</ref> and [[Sora Ltd.]] However, in an interview with Kotaku, [[Masahiro Sakurai]] has stated he considers the ''3DS'' version the fourth installment and the ''Wii U'' version the fifth installment. The games feature mostly identical gameplay, but with several differences in other areas. The ''3DS'' version is the first game of the series to be released on a handheld.


The 3DS version launched in Japan on September 13th, 2014, and in most other parts of the world on October 3rd, 2014. It was released in stores one day earlier in Germany on October 2nd, 2014 to avoid coinciding with {{S|wikipedia|German Unity Day}}, and was released one day later in Australia on October 4th, 2014 because of time zone differences. Hong Kong and Taiwan received a release of the game over ten months later, on July 24th, 2015, while South Korea got its release on September 10th, 2015, nearly a full year after the game's initial launch in Japan. The Wii U version was released in North America on November 21st, 2014, and was released on November 28th, 2014 in Europe, November 29th, 2014 in Australia, and on December 6th, 2014 in Japan.
The ''3DS'' version launched in Japan on September 13th, 2014 and in most other parts of the world on October 3rd, 2014. The ''3DS'' version was released in stores one day earlier in Germany on October 2nd, 2014 to avoid coinciding with {{S|wikipedia|German Unity Day}}, and was released one day later in Australia on October 4th, 2014 because of time zone differences. Hong Kong and Taiwan received a release of the game over 10 months later, on July 24th, 2015, while South Korea got its release on September 10th, 2015, nearly a full year after the game's initial launch in Japan. The ''Wii U'' version was released in North America on November 21st, 2014, and was released on November 28th, 2014 in Europe, November 29th, 2014 in Australia, and on December 6th, 2014 in Japan.


Online support for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] and [[Wii U]] has ended as of April 8th, 2024, making it impossible to officially play ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' online.
Both versions received positive reviews; critics applauded the fine-tuning of existing gameplay elements but criticized some issues with online play. Both versions sold quickly, with the ''3DS'' version selling over 7.37 million copies worldwide as of September 2015, and the ''Wii U'' version selling over 4.03 million copies during the same time period.


Both versions have received positive reviews; critics applauded the fine-tuning of existing gameplay elements but criticized some issues with online play.
==Characters==
==Opening movie==
Both games feature identical [[character]] rosters. The roster contains a total of 56 characters, 34 of which return from ''Brawl'', 3 of which return after being cut in the transition from ''Melee'' to ''Brawl'' ({{SSB4|Dr. Mario}}, {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}, and {{SSB4|Roy}}), and 19 of which are new to the series. Of these 56, 39 are [[starter character]]s in both versions and 8 are [[unlockable character]]s in both versions, while 4 characters are unlockable in the ''3DS'' version but starters in the ''Wii U'' version. Additionally, 5 characters, {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}, {{SSB4|Lucas}}, {{SSB4|Roy}}, {{SSB4|Ryu}}, and {{SSB4|Cloud}}, appear as [[downloadable content]]. A further 8 other 'characters' exist as alternate costumes for other preexisting characters, [[Alph]] as a palette swap of {{SSB4|Olimar}}, and each of the seven [[Koopalings]] as palette swaps of {{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}}.
The [[opening movie]] exclusive to ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' is composed of footage from both gameplay and the various [[List of Super Smash Bros. 4 character trailers|character introduction trailers]] shown since the game's reveal, barring the trailer for [[Duck Hunt]].


{{#widget:YouTube|id=1W1xiz8EX98}}
==Fighters==
[[File:SSBWiiU Character Select.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The [[character selection screen]] of ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' (with all of the characters unlocked and all DLC characters purchased).]]
[[File:SSB3DS Character Select.jpeg|thumb|250px|The first page of the [[character selection screen]] of ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' (with all non-DLC characters unlocked after purchasing all DLC characters).]]
[[File:SSB3DS Character Select 2.jpeg|thumb|250px|The second page of the [[character selection screen]] of ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' (with all DLC characters purchased).]]
Both games feature identical [[fighter|playable character]] rosters. In total, 51 characters are playable in the base game and 58 characters are playable overall, 34 of which return from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', 3 of which return after being cut in the transition from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' to ''Brawl'' ([[Dr. Mario]], [[Mewtwo]], and [[Roy]]), and 21 of which are new to the series. Of these 58, 39 are [[starter character]]s in both versions and eight are [[unlockable character]]s in both versions, while four characters are unlockable in the 3DS version but starters in the Wii U version. Additionally, seven characters appear as {{SSB4|downloadable content}}. A further twelve "characters" exist as alternate costumes for other preexisting characters: [[Alph]] as a palette swap of [[Olimar]]; each of the seven [[Koopalings]] as palette swaps of [[Bowser Jr.]], and alternate genders for [[Villager]], [[Wii Fit Trainer]], [[Robin]], and [[Corrin]].
Five characters do not return from ''Brawl'': {{uv|Star Fox}}'s [[Wolf]], {{uv|Pokémon}}'s [[Squirtle]] and [[Ivysaur]] (alongside the [[Pokémon Trainer]] himself), two-time veteran {{uv|Ice Climber}}'s [[Ice Climbers]], and {{uv|Metal Gear}}'s [[Snake]]. [[Lucas]] initially did not return in the base roster, but he would later return through DLC. Additionally, {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}'s [[Young Link]] and {{uv|Pokémon}}'s [[Pichu]] do not return from ''Melee''.
As for the new characters for already represented franchises, two newcomers come from the {{uv|Mario}} universe being Bowser Jr. and [[Rosalina]] & [[Luma]], [[Greninja]] for the {{uv|Pokémon}} universe, {{uv|Kid Icarus}} introduces [[Palutena]] and [[Dark Pit]] and finally {{uv|Fire Emblem}} introduces [[Lucina]], Robin and, as [[Downloadable content|DLC]], Corrin.
New characters slots are given to the Villager as {{uv|Animal Crossing}}'s first playable character, the Wii Fit Trainer from the {{uv|Wii Fit}} series, {{uv|Punch-Out}}'s very own [[Little Mac]] who first appeared as an [[Assist Trophy]] from ''Brawl'', [[Shulk]], who introduced the {{uv|Xenoblade Chronicles}} series, and [[Duck Hunt]] consisting of a dog and duck from their [[Duck Hunt (universe)|series]] of the same name. In addition, the [[Mii]]s, the custom avatars from the Nintendo Wii appear as playable characters. They appear in [[Mii Brawler (SSB4)|Brawler]], [[Mii Swordfighter (SSB4)|Swordfighter]], and [[Mii Gunner (SSB4)|Gunner]] variants, and are labelled as ''Smash''-original characters.
[[Sonic the Hedgehog]] returns as a third-party character, now joined by [[Mega Man]] and [[Pac-Man]], as well as [[Ryu]], [[Cloud Strife]], and [[Bayonetta]] through DLC.
{{clr}}
{{SSB4 character table}}
{{SSB4 character table}}


==Stages==
==Stages==
[[File:Stage Select SSB4-3DS Normal.jpg|thumb|left|150px|The normal stage selection screen in {{for3ds}}.]]
The two games feature considerably different stage selections, which is one of the primary differences between the two games. The ''3DS'' version features a total of 41 stages with 7 unlockable stages and 7 DLC stages, 29 of which are new and 12 of which are familiar. The ''Wii U'' version features a total of 54 stages with 6 unlockable stages and 8 DLC stages, consisting of 33 new stages and 21 familiar ones. Only 12 stages are shared between the two versions.
[[File:Stage Select SSB4-Wii U Normal.jpg|thumb|250px|The normal stage selection screen in {{forwiiu}}.]]
[[File:Stage Select SSB4-3DS Extra-Update.jpg|thumb|left|150px|The extra stage selection screen in {{for3ds}}.]]
[[File:Stage Select SSB4-Wii U Extra.jpg|thumb|250px|The extra selection screen in {{forwiiu}}.]]
The two games feature considerably different stage selections, which is one of the primary differences between the two games. The 3DS version features a total of 42 stages (34 excluding DLC) with seven unlockable stages and eight DLC stages, 30 of which are new and 12 of which are familiar. The Wii U version features a total of 55 stages (46 excluding DLC) with six unlockable stages and nine DLC stages, consisting of 34 new stages and 21 familiar ones. Only 13 stages are shared between the two versions, seven of which are DLC.


In general, the 3DS version's new stages are based more on handheld console games, while the Wii U version's new stages are based more on home console games, though there are several exceptions to this in both games.
In general, the ''3DS'' version features more stages based on handheld console games, while the ''Wii U'' version features more stages based on home console games. However, several stages in both games ignore this distinction.


[[Past Stages]] in both games are now known as "Familiar Stages." Only three Familiar Stages are shared between the two games, all of which are DLC.
[[Past Stages]] in both games are now known as "Familiar Stages". Three Familiar Stages are shared between the two games, and all are [[DLC]].


The Wii U version also has an option to create custom stages with the [[Stage Builder]].
{{clr}}
===3DS version===
===3DS version===
{{SSB4-3DS stage table}}
{{SSB4-3DS stage table}}
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===Multiplayer===
===Multiplayer===
*[[VS Mode]]
*[[VS Mode]]
*[[8-Player Smash]] (''for Wii U'' exclusive): In this mode, up to eight players can play in Smash battles, compared to the standard limit of four. Due to technical limitations, some stages have their behavior modified while in this mode, while other stages are not available at all.
*[[8-Player Smash]] (''Wii U'' exclusive): In this mode, up to eight players can play in Smash battles, compared to the standard limit of four. Due to system resources, some stages have their behavior modified while in this mode, while other stages cannot be used at all.
*[[Special Smash]] (''for Wii U'' exclusive): The successor to [[Special Brawl]], players in this mode can create custom battles by changing a variety of options, such as making all the fighters [[metal]]. Up to four players can play in this mode. This mode does not affect records and stats.
*[[Special Smash]] (''Wii U'' exclusive): The successor to [[Special Brawl]], in this mode players can create custom battles by changing a variety of options, such as making all the fighters [[metal]]. Up to 4 players can play in this mode. This mode does not affect records and stats.
*[[Smash Run]] (''for Nintendo 3DS'' exclusive): In this mode, up to four players have five minutes to traverse a large dungeon-like environment, collecting various power-ups and facing enemies from multiple games. After the time limit, the players fight in a battle utilizing their boosted powers, and can then do subsequent matches with those power-ups. Sakurai mentioned in the April 2014 Nintendo Direct video that it took inspiration from ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby Air Ride}}''{{'}}s {{s|wikirby|City Trial}} mode, which has a similar premise.
*[[Smash Run]] (''3DS'' exclusive): In this mode, up to 4 players have 5 minutes to traverse a large dungeon-like environment, collecting various power-ups and facing enemies from various games. After the time limit, the players fight in a battle utilizing their boosted powers, and can then do subsequent matches with those power-ups. Sakurai mentioned in the April 2014 Nintendo Direct video that this mode was inspired by ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby Air Ride}}'''s {{S|wikirby|City Trial}} mode, which has a similar premise.
**Players are also able to have items set to their characters via [[character customization]].
**Players are also able to have items set to their characters via [[character customization]].
*[[Smash Tour]] (''for Wii U'' exclusive): Players take control of Miis moving along a game board, collecting characters and power-ups to win the final match, with each fighter obtained acting as one stock.
*[[Smash Tour]] (''Wii U'' exclusive): Players take control of Miis moving along a game board, collecting characters and power-ups in order to win the final match, with each fighter collected acting as one stock.
*[[Tourney (SSB4-Wii U)|Tournament Mode]] (''for Wii U'' exclusive): A competitive elimination mode returning from ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', which was released as a downloadable online feature.
*[[Tournament Mode]] (''Wii U'' exclusive): A competitive elimination mode returning from ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', which was released as a downloadable online feature.


===Single Player===
===Single Player===
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*[[Multi-Man Mode]]
*[[Multi-Man Mode]]
*[[Training Mode]]
*[[Training Mode]]
*[[StreetSmash]] (''for Nintendo 3DS'' exclusive)
*[[StreetSmash]] (''3DS'' exclusive)
*[[Event match|Event Mode]] (''for Wii U'' exclusive)
*[[Event match|Event Mode]] (''Wii U'' exclusive)
*[[Special Orders]] (''for Wii U'' exclusive)
*[[Special Orders]] (''Wii U'' exclusive)
*[[Trophy Box]] (''for Wii U'' exclusive)
*[[Trophy Box]] (''Wii U'' exclusive)


==Development==
==Development==
During the official unveiling of the Wii U at [[E3 2011]], then Nintendo president Satoru Iwata remarked that a new game in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series would be made for the system. No further information was provided at this time since the game would not enter production until sometime after October 2011, after the completion of Sakurai's other project, ''Kid Icarus: Uprising''.<ref>[http://andriasang.com/comw79/ Andriasang.com: "Smash Bros. U & 3DS development appears to be very early"]</ref> He had stated, in response to a fan asking him about whether a "child Link" would be in the game, that he had not at the time decided on which characters would appear. However, he had also said that he "can't say that it's entirely out of the realm of possibility that some [[Capcom]] character could appear in the next ''Smash Bros.''"<ref>[http://nintendoeverything.com/67219/sakurai-capcom-character-could-appear-in-next-smash-bros/ Nintendo Everything: "Sakurai: Capcom character could appear in next Smash Bros."]</ref>  
''SSB4'' was announced in passing at E3 2011; however, the game's development was not slated to begin until sometime after October 2011, after the completion of Sakurai's other project, ''Kid Icarus: Uprising''.<ref>[http://andriasang.com/comw79/ Andriasang.com: "Smash Bros. U & 3DS development appears to be very early"]</ref> He had stated, in response to a fan asking him about whether a "child Link" would appear in the game, that he had not at the time decided on who would appear in the game. However, he had also said that he "can't say that it's entirely out of the realm of possibility that some [[Capcom]] character could appear in the next ''Smash Bros.''"<ref>[http://nintendoeverything.com/67219/sakurai-capcom-character-could-appear-in-next-smash-bros/ Nintendo Everything: "Sakurai: Capcom character could appear in next Smash Bros."]</ref> Indeed, Capcom's [[Mega Man]] was ultimately confirmed as playable, and [[Ryu]] was made available as DLC. The paired versions of the game were officially revealed at [[E3 2013]] in the form of a trailer on June 11, 2013, with a projected release in 2014.


Development of the game began in early 2012.<ref>[http://www.cubed3.com/news/16506 Cubed<sup>3</sup>: "Sakurai Begins Work on New Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS"]</ref> Sakurai and his company [[Sora Ltd.]] returned as director, with [[Bandai Namco]] being contracted as lead developer.<ref>[http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30817/sakurai-and-kobayashi-release-messages-regarding-smash-bros Bandai Namco revealed as lead developer]</ref> The reason for announcing this information so early was to prevent the inevitable shock and scandal of Masahiro Sakurai being spotted at the Bandai Namco offices.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeLrIXCOUw0&t=138s Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U [Game Concepts]]</ref> The game went unmentioned during E3 2012, something which many fans were disappointed about despite the known extremely early state of the game; the "first step of the process" was taken shortly after in mid-June. Sakurai expressed disappointment that fans would be waiting for longer than expected for the game to be released due to the earliness of the initial announcement.<ref>[http://nintendoeverything.com/91807/next-smash-bros-in-first-step-of-the-process-sakurai-worried-about-long-wait/ Nintendo Everything: "Next Smash Bros. in “first step of the process”, Sakurai worried about long wait"]</ref> Shortly afterward, it was revealed during a Nintendo Direct that Namco Bandai (as Bandai Namco was previously named) was the primary developer alongside [[Sora Ltd.]], and had already completed a working prototype.<ref name="ign-namco" /> This is notably the first game Masahiro Sakurai has directed where the parameters were programmed by anyone other than himself. He has admitted that this development model should have never happened, but he wanted to do everything himself for previous titles in order to create his vision perfectly. He finally relaxed this position with ''Smash 4'', which gave other members more freedom in how the game is built and created a more efficient work culture.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeLrIXCOUw0&t=400s Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U [Game Concepts]]</ref>
Development of the game began in early 2012<ref>[http://www.cubed3.com/news/16506 Cubed<sup>3</sup>: "Sakurai Begins Work on New Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS"]</ref>, but it went unmentioned during E3 2012, something which many fans were disappointed about despite the known extremely early state of the game; the "first step of the process" was taken shortly after in mid-June. Sakurai expressed disappointment that fans would be waiting for longer than expected for the game to be released due to the earliness of the initial announcement.<ref>[http://nintendoeverything.com/91807/next-smash-bros-in-first-step-of-the-process-sakurai-worried-about-long-wait/ Nintendo Everything: "Next Smash Bros. in “first step of the process”, Sakurai worried about long wait"]</ref> Shortly afterward, it was revealed during a Nintendo Direct that [[Namco Bandai]] was the primary developer alongside [[Sora Ltd.]], and had already completed a working prototype.<ref name="ign-namco" />  


[[File:SSB4 whiteboard.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The whiteboard drawing posted by Sakurai.]]
[[Image:SSB4 whiteboard.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The whiteboard drawing posted by Sakurai.]]
On July 2nd, 2012, Sakurai posted a whiteboard drawing on Twitter which was drawn by the game's staff. It depicts [[Donkey Kong]], [[Fox]], a [[Heart Container]], [[Kirby]], [[Link]], [[Luigi]], [[Mario]], [[Marth]], [[Meta Knight]], [[Mr. Game & Watch]], a [[Mr. Saturn]], [[Pikachu]], a {{b|Pikmin|species}}, [[Pit]], [[Sandbag]], [[Wario]], and [[Zero Suit Samus]]; some argue that the curved lines in the background form the shape of [[Master Hand]]. The sketch also has what appears to be large block letters hidden below the visible area. While the post came with no explicit confirmation of any of these characters or elements as reappearing, it did show that they were in some sense acknowledged by the staff; everything depicted would, in fact, appear in the final game. The image itself was later removed from the original Twitter post.<ref>[http://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/219759606463864832/photo/1 Jul 2, 2012 Tweet by Sora_Sakurai] ([[Masahiro Sakurai]])</ref>
On July 2nd, 2012, Sakurai posted a whiteboard drawing on Twitter which was drawn by the game's staff. It depicts [[Donkey Kong]], [[Fox]], a [[Heart Container]], [[Kirby]], [[Link]], [[Luigi]], [[Mario]], [[Marth]], [[Meta Knight]], [[Mr. Game & Watch]], a [[Mr. Saturn]], [[Pikachu]], a {{b|Pikmin|species}}, [[Pit]], [[Sandbag]], [[Wario]], and [[Zero Suit Samus]]; some argue that the curved lines in the background form the shape of {{SSB4|Master Hand}}. The sketch also has what appears to be large block letters hidden below the visible area. While the post came with no explicit confirmation of any of these characters or elements as reappearing, it did show that they were in some sense acknowledged by the staff; everything depicted would in fact turn out to appear in the final game. The image itself was later removed from the original Twitter post.<ref>[http://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/219759606463864832/photo/1 Jul 2, 2012 Tweet by Sora_Sakurai] ([[Masahiro Sakurai]])</ref>
<br clear=left>
<br clear=left>
Sakurai had remarked that one feature of the ''3DS'' ''Smash Bros.'' title would be that players can improve their character through battles and rewards, then transfer them to the ''Wii U'' ''Smash'' title to play against friends; such a function was ultimately made possible through [[character customization]]. He also said the ''3DS'' title was intended to offer a new experience for veteran ''Smash Bros.'' fans, and that neither the ''3DS'' game nor the ''Wii U'' game would simply be sequels like ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' were, and that they would do more than just add characters and stages. It had also been revealed that they were looking towards co-operative play for the ''Wii U'' title. Official Nintendo Magazine said "''there is merit in having skilled and unskilled players play together, so one emphasis will be on elements of players helping one-another''". They also stated that the graphics would be significantly stepped up, as the ''Wii U'' can handle high quality graphics, dynamic effects and smooth character movements in HD at 60 frames per second.<ref>[http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/27806/smash-bros-wii-u/3ds-how-theyll-work-together/ Official Nintendo Magazine: "Smash Bros Wii U/3DS: How they'll work together"]</ref> Sakurai was also quoted as claiming that the new game was unlikely to emphasize new playable characters, focusing instead on gameplay balance and distinctiveness of its characters. <ref>[http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/39783/smash-bros-wii-u-may-not-feature-more-characters/ Official Nintendo Magazine: "Smash Bros Wii U may not feature more characters"]</ref> Indeed, ''SSB4'' initially introduced less newcomers than ''Brawl'' did.


Sakurai remarked the 3DS title was intended to offer a new experience for veteran ''Smash Bros.'' fans, and that neither the 3DS game nor the Wii U game would simply be sequels like ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' were, and that they would do more than just add characters and stages. It had also been revealed that they were looking towards co-operative play for the Wii U title. Official Nintendo Magazine said, "there is merit in having skilled and unskilled players play together, so one emphasis will be on elements of players helping one-another." They also stated that the graphics would be significantly stepped up, as the Wii U can handle high-quality graphics, dynamic effects and smooth character movements in HD at 60 frames per second.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110617082040/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/27806/smash-bros-wii-u/3ds-how-theyll-work-together/ Official Nintendo Magazine: "Smash Bros Wii U/3DS: How they'll work together"]</ref> Sakurai was also quoted as claiming that the new game was unlikely to emphasize new playable characters, focusing instead on gameplay balance and distinctiveness of its characters.<ref>[http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/39783/smash-bros-wii-u-may-not-feature-more-characters/ Official Nintendo Magazine: "Smash Bros Wii U may not feature more characters"]</ref> Indeed, ''SSB4'' initially introduced fewer newcomers than ''Brawl'' did.
Shortly after the initial [[E3 2013]] trailers, Sakurai said there would be a single-player story mode included in the new ''Smash Bros.''<ref>[http://mynintendonews.com/2013/06/17/smash-bros-wii-u-and-3ds-story-mode-wont-be-like-brawl/ My Nintendo News: "Smash Bros Wii U And 3DS Story Mode Won’t Be Like Brawl"]</ref>, but that it would be different from ''Brawl'''s [[Subspace Emissary]] in that there would be no cutscenes, since he did not want said cutscenes to be uploaded to the Internet. However, he would later recant this, and announce that he decided to cut any sort of story mode altogether <ref>http://kotaku.com/the-next-super-smash-bros-wont-have-a-story-mode-or-c-906856304</ref>.  
 
The development teams decided to make unique content for each version based on the strengths of each respective console. Only one player can use a Nintendo 3DS at a time and the system can be played anywhere, leading to a focus on single player content and a pick up and play element to game modes that can be completed in a short amount of time. The Wii U can be played with multiple people and is designed to be played in a home, leading to a focus on multiplayer content and more substantial game modes that take a significant amount of time to complete.
 
While both versions could not play cross-platform due to unique content causing logistical issues, Sakurai had remarked that one feature of the 3DS ''Smash Bros.'' title would be that players can improve their character through battles and rewards, then transfer them to the Wii U ''Smash'' title to play against friends; such a function was ultimately made possible through [[character customization]]. The Nintendo 3DS hardware proved difficult to work with for the team, which led to several compromises to both versions. The system's inability to load multiple fighters to the same player meant transformations and multi-character fighters were not possible. Since both versions were required to have the exact same roster, characters had to be greatly altered, like {{SSB4|Sheik}} and {{SSB4|Zelda}} being split into unique characters that could not swap with each other, or cut entirely, like [[Ice Climbers]]. The team also had issues implementing the Circle Pad Pro, which meant all mechanics involving the [[C-stick]] were inaccessible, though still in the game code. The small screen of the Nintendo 3DS also caused issues with readability, so elements like knockback were made even slower than in ''Brawl'', which carried over to the Wii U version.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeLrIXCOUw0&t=125s Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U [Game Concepts]]</ref>
 
After over a year of silence, the game's first trailer, as well as its first official gameplay, would be shown at E3 2013. The game's two versions were revealed to be unique games and were projected to launch in 2014. The trailer confirmed {{SSB4|Villager}} as the first new fighter for the game, with Capcom's {{SSB4|Mega Man}} also confirmed as playable towards the end of the trailer as Sakurai teased years earlier. Later in the day, a special trailer for {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}} was revealed on the E3 show floor. Shortly after the initial [[E3 2013]] trailers, Sakurai said there would be a single-player story mode included in the new ''Smash Bros.''<ref>[http://mynintendonews.com/2013/06/17/smash-bros-wii-u-and-3ds-story-mode-wont-be-like-brawl/ My Nintendo News: "Smash Bros Wii U And 3DS Story Mode Won’t Be Like Brawl"]</ref>, but that it would be different from ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[Subspace Emissary]] in that there would be no cutscenes, since he did not want them to be uploaded to the Internet. However, he would later recant this and announce that he decided to cut any story mode altogether <ref>http://kotaku.com/the-next-super-smash-bros-wont-have-a-story-mode-or-c-906856304</ref>.
 
After the first reveal, new information was regularly released throughout the rest of 2013 and into 2014. Sakurai opened the [[Director's Room]] on {{b|Miiverse|social network}}, where he posted screenshots of the game on a regular basis, as well as periodically reveal several returning characters. New characters were revealed in [[Nintendo Direct]]s and other presentations in the form of high budget trailers with prerendered animation meant to maintain hype and interest in the game leading up to its release. A dedicated {{h1|Nintendo Direct|Super Smash Bros. Direct (April 8, 2014)}} for the game aired on April 8, 2014. Highlights included that both versions would have different stages, with 3DS focusing on handheld console games and Wii U focusing on home console games; that both versions would receive unique single-player content, with the 3DS version receiving [[Smash Run]]; and that there would be a rework of [[online play]] from ''Brawl'', with the mode being split into [[For Fun]], which would be more casual-oriented and focus more on items and stage gimmicks, and [[For Glory]], which would focus more on competition by disabling items, restricting character customization, and limiting the stage selection to [[Final Destination]] and the newly introduced "Ω forms", which give every stage a layout similar to that of Final Destination. [[Global Smash Power]] was also introduced as the game's online ranking system, with 1 being the floor and higher numbers increasing in skill level; this value would be used for the game's random matchmaking. The 3DS version was given a release window of Summer 2014, while the Wii U version was given a window of Winter 2014. The large gap between their releases was to give each version dedicated time for quality assurance and polish.
 
Two trailers for the game were shown in the Nintendo Direct at E3 2014. The first featured Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aimé, then the president of Nintendo of America, engaging in a choreographed and stylized fight, before transitioning into a reveal for {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s as playable characters. [[Mii]]s were initially considered to be playable in ''Brawl'' as a way for players to play as any character they wanted, but were excluded due to Sakurai finding Miis out of place in a fighting game. Mii Fighters would not be usable online in an effort to combat bullying and game imbalance. The second trailer revealed {{SSB4|Palutena}}, whilst also hinting at a {{SSB4|Dark Pit}} reveal. {{SSB4|Pac-Man}} would also be revealed at the ''Super Smash Bros.'' roundtable hosted later that day. The Wii U version would also be compatible with Nintendo's new amiibo figure line, introducing [[Figure Players]] that would learn from their opponents and could be saved to amiibo figures. The 3DS version of the game was given a release date of September 13, 2014 in Japan, and would release in October 2014 for most of the world. A demo of the Wii U version of the game featuring 20 characters was featured at booths in E3 2014.
 
Sakurai had stated that there were no plans to implement downloadable content or touch screen controls of any variety. However, he also said that once the game was released DLC was something they would take into consideration.<ref>[http://www.gamnesia.com/news/no-plans-for-dlc-or-touch-controls-in-the-new-smash-bros.-tripping-is-remov Gamnesia: "No Plans for DLC or Touch Controls in the New Smash Bros., Tripping is Removed"]</ref>
 
In August 2014, a collection of screenshots and videos showcasing what appeared to be the entire base roster, in addition to several details about the game, was leaked onto 4chan. Dubbed the [[ESRB leak]], it was eventually confirmed to be real despite initial skepticism from the community.
 
After {{for3ds}} officially released world wide, marketing pivoted to focus on {{forwiiu}}. This included a special presentation on October 23, 2014 titled the [[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: 50-Fact Extravaganza]]. Highlights included several stage reveals, the reveal of {{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}}, and Wii U exclusive modes like [[Special Orders]] and [[Smash Tour]]. {{SSB4|Mewtwo}} was also revealed as the first piece of {{SSB4|downloadable content}} for the entire series, scheduled for release in Spring 2015. {{s|nintendowiki|Club Nintendo}} offered a limited-time deal in which Mewtwo could be downloaded for free as long as both versions of the game were registered on the same account before March 31, 2015. Registering both games to Club Nintendo before January 13, 2015 also allowed account owners to receive [[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: A Smashing Soundtrack]] for free. {{SSB4|Duck Hunt}} was formally revealed in a Nintendo Direct on November 5, thereby formally revealing the entire base roster.
 
For the first time in the series, ''SSB4'' received software updates due to the process now being possible. Generally, these were content adjustment updates, including character balance adjustments, the introduction of amiibo functionality on the 3DS version, C-stick functionality on the New Nintendo 3DS, [[Tourney mode]] and [[YouTube]] integration for the Wii U version, and the [[Share]] function for both versions. Additional content would also often be released alongside these updates, introducing several additional fighters, stages, and costumes for Mii Fighters. The Nintendo Direct on April 1, 2015 gave Mewtwo a formal reveal trailer (albeit one that was lower budget and used very little prerendered animation, a trend that would continue with each ''SSB4'' DLC fighter reveal), as well as a release date of April 15. The Direct also revealed {{SSB4|Lucas}} would be added sometime in June. Nintendo launched the [[Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot]] the same day, allowing players to vote on characters they wanted to see in the series. The ballot ran until October 3 of that year.
 
A ''Super Smash Bros.'' presentation on June 14, 2015 would reveal {{SSB4|Roy}} and {{SSB4|Ryu}} as playable characters, complete with several {{uv|Street Fighter}} music tracks for the latter; [[Miiverse]], [[Dream Land (64)]], and [[Suzaku Castle]] as new paid stages, the formermost exclusive to Wii U; and several Mii costumes and trophies. All content announced during the presentation would release right after the presentation aired, along with Lucas. A Mii Costume based on [[K.K. Slider]] was made available between June 19 and July 11 in Japan as part of a promotion with 7-Eleven. The costume was released worldwide on July 31 alongside [[Peach's Castle (64)]], [[Hyrule Castle (64)]], and a wave of Mii costumes. [[Super Mario Maker]], a stage based on the game of the same name, complete with a remix of its music, was added as paid content to both versions on September 30, alongside another wave of Mii costumes and the release of the ''Brawl'' stage [[Pirate Ship]] exclusively on Wii U. The {{B|Duck Hunt|stage}} stage, which was formerly exclusive to the Wii U version, was made available on the 3DS version for free with this update as well.
 
After {{SSB4|Cloud}} was revealed as a playable character in a Nintendo Direct on November 14, 2015, a special broadcast for the game was announced for December 2015, later revealed to be the game's final video presentation which would air on December 15, 2015. During the presentation, {{SSB4|Corrin}} and {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} were announced as the final two downloadable characters, the latter being the winner the Fighter Ballot among "realizable and negotiable characters" (Sakurai would reveal years later that the actual winner of the ballot was [[Sora]], hence the disclaimer). Cloud released shortly after the presentation aired, alongside [[Midgar]] with two {{uv|Final Fantasy}} music tracks, a [[Chocobo]] hat, a [[Geno]] costume, and several trophies.


Corrin and Bayonetta were released on February 3, 2016 alongside the music track ''Lost in Thoughts all Alone'' in both original and remixed form, [[Umbra Clock Tower]] with several {{uv|Bayonetta}} music tracks, a wave of Mii costumes, and several trophies. A number of updates would release afterward, including one dedicated exclusively to Bayonetta nerfs, as well as one that disabled Miiverse support following its shutdown, before the game's development would officially cease.
Sakurai had stated that there were no plans to implement downloadable content or touch screen controls of any variety. However, he also stated that once the game was released DLC was something they would take into consideration. <ref>[http://www.gamnesia.com/news/no-plans-for-dlc-or-touch-controls-in-the-new-smash-bros.-tripping-is-remov Gamnesia: "No Plans for DLC or Touch Controls in the New Smash Bros., Tripping is Removed"]</ref> Downloadable content was eventually implemented through several additional fighters, stages, and costumes for Mii Fighters.


==Version history==
==Changes from ''Brawl''==
{{main|List of updates (SSB4-3DS)}}
===Gameplay changes===
{{main|List of updates (SSB4-Wii U)}}
[[Image:Greater Size diversity.png|thumb|200px|''Brawl'' character size comparison.]] [[Image:TheDanceClubSSB4.jpg|thumb|200px|''SSB4'' character size comparison.]]
''Smash 4'' is the first game in the series to receive regular update patches post-launch. {{for3ds}} received several updates before {{forwiiu}} released, a few introduced while the game was still exclusive to Japan with the rest of the world never officially experiencing. After both games released, they received the same updates on the same day, despite occasionally having different changes within those updates. This means that there were no more major gameplay differences between regions; everyone gets the same experience barring languages and minor presentation differences. A unique issue caused by updates is [[replays]] being rendered unusable due to gameplay altering changes affecting the real-time recreation of a match. Nintendo's solution was to make replays created in older updates inaccessible, though uploading replays through [[Share]] mode or uploading them to [[YouTube]] would circumvent this issue. Nintendo often announced an update well before the official rollout and gave a warning about replays, giving players ample time to prepare if they wish to keep what they have.
*The size differences between bigger and smaller characters is somewhat more drastic, which can be seen when comparing the pictures on the right, with Sakurai remarking "''A group shot of the big guys. How much bigger are they compared to {{SSB4|Mario}}?''" for the latter image.<ref>https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADMUKlhFSRn7g</ref> This is most noticeable with {{SSB4|Bowser}}, who now stands much taller than Mario as opposed to being only slightly taller than him in ''Melee''/''Brawl''.
 
*The movesets and animations of returning characters went through a larger amount of change than the returning characters did from the transition of ''Melee'' to ''Brawl'', with many returning characters having completely new moves, and some moves being significantly altered (such as with {{SSB4|Bowser}}).
''Super Smash Bros. 4'' adopted a simple incremental versioning system (i.e. version 1.0.0), with every update increasing the third number by one, rolling over the second number every tenth update. This caused some inconsistencies, such as {{forwiiu}} jumping from version 1.0.2 to 1.0.6 to match the version of {{for3ds}}. In this versioning scheme, all updates were treated equally regardless of if they introduced new characters or stages, or simply fixed minor bugs. The last update released for ''Smash 4'' was version 1.1.7, which added amiibo functionality for Cloud, Corrin and Bayonetta.
*Many newcomers have several standard attacks that consist of [[projectile]]s, a distinction previously held only by {{SSBB|Snake}}, debuting in ''Brawl''. Previously, the vast majority of projectiles were limited to characters' [[special move]]s. A notable example is {{SSB4|Mega Man}}, who has seven projectiles in his standard moveset.
 
*Mid-match character changes, such as Zelda/Sheik's [[Transform]], no longer exist. This means that {{SSB4|Zelda}} and {{SSB4|Sheik}}, along with {{SSB4|Samus}} and {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}}, are now completely separate characters that are no longer able to transform to the other. This also means the [[Pokémon Trainer]] does not return as a playable character, though {{SSB4|Charizard}} returns as its own stand-alone character. This was mainly due to a combination of 3DS hardware limitations and Sakurai's wish for both versions to contain the same roster of characters.<ref>http://www.gameskinny.com/l9ilc/why-zelda-and-sheik-are-separate-characters-in-super-smash-bros-3ds-and-wii-u</ref>
==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==
*The game's speed is between that of ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', in an attempt to appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers. Comparably, ''SSB4'' is much less floaty and faster compared to Brawl, while ''Melee'' is still faster than both games in terms of gameplay and movement speed.
===Gameplay===
**In a similar appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers, there are now two distinct type of [[With Anyone]] [[Wi-Fi]] modes; one called [[For Fun]] which is similar to the previous game's casual-styled [[Basic Brawl]], and one called [[For Glory]], a mode explicitly catered to competitive-styled play.
{{ImageCaption|Image:Greater Size diversity.png|Image:TheDanceClubSSB4.jpg|width1=x150px|width2=x150px|align=right|caption=The character size comparison in ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4''.}}
**Additionally, every stage now has an "Ω Form", where the stage's layout is altered into that of [[Final Destination]]. These forms cannot be played on in the For Fun mode, while they are the only forms available in the For Glory mode.
*In an attempt to appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers, ''Smash 4''’s gameplay strikes a balance between ''Melee''’s faster, more technical gameplay and ''Brawl''’s slower, more relaxed gameplay.
*The mechanics of grabbing [[ledge]]s have undergone an unprecedented overhaul<ref>https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYngiZ2EwA</ref>. Most notably, [[edge-hogging]] has been removed entirely, as attempting to grab a ledge that someone else has already grabbed onto will now gently remove them from the ledge and "steal" it, a mechanic known as "ledge trumping". This changes the entire edge metagame, with players now having to attack opponents that they have ledge trumped instead of completely stopping their recovery by grabbing the edge, along with making edgeguarding more reliant on [[stage spike]]s and meteor smashes. On the other hand, ledge trumping itself can be used as an edgeguard, as it leaves the recovering opponent vulnerable. An additional overhaul is the elimination of most [[planking]] stall strategies, as the length of [[intangibility]] given by grabbing the ledge is now affected by air time and current damage, and no intangibility at all will be granted if a fighter grabs the ledge twice without touching the ground or being hit (making them more open to [[edgeguard]]ing). Finally, the difference between fast and slow edge options based on current damage has been removed.
**This is most easily apparent in ''Smash 4''’s game speed: most veterans from ''Brawl'' have faster [[dash|dashing]], [[falling speed|falling]], and [[air speed]]s, and additionally [[traction]] and [[gravity]] stats were also generally increased, though the game speed is still noticeably slower and floatier than ''Melee.''
*A new mechanic known as [[rage]] has been implemented; this increases the player's [[knockback]] dealt (but not damage dealt) when at high damage percentages, starting at 50% and capping at 150%. This works similar to the [[Aura]] effect, which rewards characters if they survive until high percentages – this is especially beneficial to heavyweights, who can easily survive to high percentages and use rage to full effect. The rage effect is made more visible after 100%, as characters begin emitting steam and flashing red.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZPxLLaL4N8 The "Rage Effect"]</ref>
*The differences in size across the cast are now more pronounced, with {{SSB4|Bowser}} now standing much taller than {{SSB4|Mario}}, compared to being only slightly taller in previous games. Larger characters like {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}} are thus easier to hit but benefit from longer reach, while smaller characters like {{SSB4|Kirby}} are harder to hit while hindered by shorter range.
*[[Grab]]bing an opponent will miss if the opponent has been thrown or has escaped from a grab within the past second. This mechanic mitigates against [[chain grab]]s, which were not only possible but readily exploitable in previous games.
*The differences in range across the cast have been overall toned down, with melee-oriented characters like {{SSB4|Diddy Kong}} having more elastic limbs, while sword-wielders have shorter range either through the improvements in range to the rest of the cast (e.g., {{SSB4|Marth}}) or direct nerfs to their range (eg. {{SSB4|Meta Knight}}).
*Random [[tripping]] introduced in ''Brawl'' has been removed. However, forced tripping remains, as shown by the return of the [[banana peel]] item.
*Random tripping has been removed, making extended [[dash-dancing]] a viable movement option.
* [[Directional influence]] works slightly differently. Holding a horizontal direction on the control stick while being hit can now directly increase or decrease knockback in that direction, not just change the launch angle. Holding a vertical direction on the control stick only changes the launch angle (since patch 1.0.4), as in previous games.
*[[Pivot]]ing, a movement technique previously possible in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 64]]'' and ''Melee'' has been reintroduced, generating more flexible mobility than in ''Brawl.''
*The ability to act out of [[hitstun]] has been removed when sent large distances – this is especially obvious with the inability to airdodge almost immediately after getting knocked back. However, at smaller launch distances, the amount of hitstun is reduced, with characters being able to act out of hitstun more easily. This, combined with higher base knockback in general, makes true combos more prevalent, but also more difficult to pull off.
*Mid-match character transformations have been removed. {{SSB4|Sheik}}, {{SSB4|Zelda}}, {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}}, {{SSB4|Samus}}, are all now completely separate characters, while {{SSB4|Charizard}} returns as a standalone fighter in place of the Pokémon Trainer. These changes are partially due to hardware limitations on the 3DS and Sakurai’s own wish for both versions of the game to feature the same roster.
*In a similar line, [[smash directional influence]] for multi-hitting attacks has been drastically reduced – this is most obviously seen when comparing the ease of escaping a [[Smart Bomb]] explosion in ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4''. This significantly buffs multiple-hitting attacks such as [[Drill (archetype)|drill]]s, which previously had an SDI multiplier that made it easier to escape from them, making it much harder to escape from a drill once trapped compared to previous games.
*[[Edge-hogging]] has been removed entirely, as attempting to grab a [[ledge]] that someone else has already grabbed onto will now gently remove them from the ledge and "steal" it, a mechanic known as "ledge trumping".
*Air dodging has now been given high landing lag. To compensate, the end of an air dodge can now be interrupted with an aerial attack.
**Ledge trumping itself can be used as an edgeguard, as it leaves the recovering opponent vulnerable.
*[[Shield]]s no longer take reduced damage from attacks, instead taking full damage. This makes shields more fragile than they were in previous games, as a fully charged smash attack can bring a shield to its last bar of health, whereas in previous games they would barely chip the shield. Additionally, many attacks do more [[shield damage]], making shield breaks much more common. To compensate, shields do not lose health as quickly when it is held up, allowing a player to hold up their shield for extended periods of time without draining their shield's health. As of the 1.1.1 update, shield stun was tremendously increased, which makes out-of-shield punishes less effective while making multi-hitting or powerful moves much safer on shield, along with making them break shields more easily.
*No intangibility at all will be granted if a character grabs the ledge twice without touching the ground or being hit, making them more open to edgeguarding.
*The window for [[tech]]ing is now larger due to characters "freezing" against a wall for half a second if they slam against it after getting knocked back with an extremely strong attack. This can happen multiple times if the player bounces off a wall onto another wall.
*The length of [[intangibility]] given by grabbing the ledge is now affected by air time and current damage, and does not carry over if the character drops from the ledge.
*When an airborne character is hit by a meteor smash that sends them down onto the stage, that character will now bounce back up into the air instead of just landing on the stage as in previous games. However if a character [[tech]]s before hitting the ground, they will no longer bounce up and will just tech the move. This opens up opportunities for meteor smashes to KO opponents from the rebound if they possess high enough knockback scaling, an ability shown [[Pair Up|by]] [[Secret Ninja Attack|many]] [[Omega Blitz|new]] [[Final Smash]]es.
*The difference between fast and slow edge options based on current damage has been removed.
*[[Meteor canceling]] has been removed, making meteor smashes pragmatically equivalent to [[Spike|spikes]].
*Characters cannot grab the ledge after going through [[hitstun]] for at least 55 frames.
*[[Neutral attack]]s that previously ended in an indefinite number of weak hits (such as Fox's and Kirby's) now end with a finishing hit that knocks opponents away, making such moves safer to use (as simply ending the move no longer leaves the opponent nearby).<ref>https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYnly14CnA</ref> Rapid jabs can still be held indefinitely, but the user will be pushed back if they land too many hits on one opponent, making infinite combos against walls impossible.
*[[recovery|Recoveries]] in general have been improved, with many of them traveling farther and having better protection while benefiting from the faster air speeds and new ledge mechanics; these changes weren't entirely consistent across the cast, however, and recoveries are overall more polarized than in previous games.
*[[Pummel]]ing has been sped up dramatically, with many characters having a much faster pummel compared to their previous incarnations. This improves some fighter's damage racking abilities, though the increased pummel speed is not consistent with the entire cast; {{SSB4|Marth}} has one of the fastest pummels out of all three of his appearances, for example, while {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} still has his slow pummel.
*Meteor canceling has been removed, making [[meteor smash]]es functionally equivalent to spikes and thus much deadlier edge-guarding moves.
*Holding a direction on the [[C-Stick]] or [[Control stick|right control stick]] is treated as a held button input. With the default control scheme, this allows players to charge a smash attack using only the C-Stick. A smash attack can also be performed by pressing the attack and special buttons with any controller, much like the control scheme used for a [[Wii Remote]] by itself in ''Brawl''.
**To compensate, several meteor smashes are now weaker, with a few requiring more specific hitboxes (such as {{SSB4|Ike}}'s down aerial).
*[[Tether recoveries]] have been buffed, with their reach being improved. In addition, multiple tethers can grab onto the same edge at once, making such moves less susceptible to edgehogging, though the new mechanic of ledge-stealing still applies to said tether recoveries. Any character whose sole recovery move was a tether has received a different recovery move instead, making it so that no character is forced to rely on a tether to recover.
*Characters that are meteor smashed onto a floor will now bounce back up at a fraction of their current knockback speed.
*[[Gliding]] is no longer possible.
*All characters are granted 70 frames of invulnerability to all [[grab]]s and [[command grab]]s after being released from a grab or [[throw]]n, making it impossible to perform [[chain grab]]s.
*[[Counterattack]]s have been universally buffed, with all of them having higher base knockback scaling. This makes counterattacks KO much earlier than previous games, especially if a smash attack is countered.
*[[Stale-move negation]] has been weakened, making it harder for characters to abuse the above mechanic which allows for moves to combo for longer; at the same time, characters do not have to worry about preserving their KO moves as much as they did in ''Brawl'', though still more than in ''Melee.''
*Campable projectiles were universally nerfed throughout the cast to make camping a less viable option. Changes include only allowing a certain amount of one type of projectile to be in play at the same time (like Samus' [[Missile]]), drastically reducing the range of the projectiles (such as Pit's [[Palutena's Arrow]]) or increasing the amount of ending lag for using the projectile (such as Falco's [[Blaster]]).
*[[Hitstun canceling]], a controversial mechanic introduced in ''Brawl'' that allowed characters to escape combos with ease, has been toned down. Characters can now air dodge or use an aerial attack to cancel hitstun after 40 or 45 frames respectively, compared to ''Brawl''’s 13/25 frames, with the window being pushed back when a character sustains 69 or more frames of hitstun, due to a limit being set on how fast a fighter's current launch speed can be when attempting to cancel hitstun.
*As a possible effort to balance the game, [[Final Smash]]es have had their knockback and damage toned down, with many that could KO at extremely low percentages in ''Brawl'' getting [[nerf]]ed to the point that they only start taking stocks at middle percentages. However, this only applies to trapping and transformation type Final Smashes such as [[Triforce Slash]] and [[Super Sonic]]; directional Final Smashes such as [[Light Arrow]] and [[Critical Hit]] still retain their high power as a compensation for their need of accuracy.
**As a result, true [[combos]] at low and mid percents are much more prevalent. However, with the increased knockback growth on many throws, moderate falling speeds, [[gravity]] increasing vertical knockback, the continued lack of advanced techniques such as [[wavedashing]] and [[L-cancelling]], and the retained ability to cancel hitstun, true combos in ''Smash 4'' are generally shorter and less varied compared to the ones in ''Melee'' and ''Smash 64'', especially at high percents.
*In a similar line, many attacks or items that have [[One-Hit KO]] potential have been nerfed, notably the knockback scalings of some [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon such as [[Deoxys]]. Some items are exempt from this however, such as the quintessential [[Home-Run Bat]] which can still OHKO.
**Additionally, many of the faster, more combo-oriented fighters, such as {{SSB4|Sheik}}, {{SSB4|Fox}}, Meta Knight, and Diddy Kong have had their damage outputs reduced, likely to compensate for their improved combo abilities or to balance them out with the slow, heavy characters.
*Characters with unique battering item swings that allow them to swing items like the [[Beam Sword]] twice in a single attack (such as {{SSBB|Ike}} or {{SSBB|Captain Falcon}}) now follow the single-hit swings of the rest of the cast.
**The changes to hitstun prevents characters from immediately performing moves to [[momentum cancelling|slow their momentum]], reducing their ability to survive powerful attacks.
*[[Star KO]]s and [[Screen KO]]s now do not always occur when a character is KO'd over the top [[blast line]]; in addition, the Screen KO animation has been lengthened to last the same amount of time as the Star KO animation. Additionally, they no longer occur near the end of a [[time]]d match or [[Sudden Death]]; being instead replaced by regular blast KOs. This makes said KOs more balanced in time-crucial matches due to Star and Screen KO's animations sometimes being able to affect who wins in the end.
*[[Directional influence]] works differently. The angle deviation is less significant than in previous games, while a submechanic known as [[launch speed influence]] (LSI for short) has been introduced, which increases characters' [[Knockback|launch speed]] the more the [[control stick]] is held upward, and decreases it the more it is held downward. As of update [[1.0.4]], moves with too vertical angles are only affected by DI, not LSI. These changes make it harder to carry out horizontal combos, especially at higher percents since opponents will often be sent too far for followups.
*[[Swimming]] has been removed in the ''3DS'' version, possibly due to its rarity and the fact that it would take up unnecessary space on an already limited system. The mechanic returns in the ''Wii U'' version.
**In turn, this indirectly benefits characters who possess vertical-launching moves, notably Mario, Meta Knight, Zero Suit Samus, and {{SSB4|Ryu}}, as it is now comparatively easier to combo and KO with attacks that deal vertical knockback.
*All four [[special move]]s for all non-DLC characters can be switched out for two different preset variations with different properties, a feature of [[character customization]].
*The effects of [[smash directional influence]] have been drastically weakened, which is most easily visible with multi-hit attacks, making it much harder to escape them than in earlier games.
*The ''Wii U'' version is compatible with a set of [[amiibo]] figurines utilizing the Wii U GamePad and {{S|wikipedia|near field communication}}. By using their respective figurine, players can give a character custom moves and level them up to level 50. An update on February 10, 2015 added amiibo support on the ''3DS'' version.  
*Movement speed when carrying heavy items has been increased among the entire cast, but Donkey Kong remains as the only character who can jump and fall with them.
*In the ''3DS version'', paths can be chosen by the player in {{SSB4-3DS|Classic Mode}}. Different CPU-opponents appear on different paths, with some paths being marked as easier or harder than others; harder paths grant the player more rewards such as more [[gold]] and a higher base [[trophy]] or custom part reward.
*A new mechanic, unofficially known as "[[rage]]", has been implemented. Characters receive a steady increase to the knockback (and therefore hitstun) of their attacks as their damage rises starting at 35%, with the effect capping out at 150%. Rage becomes more visible when a character reaches 100%, as they begin to flash red and emit steam.
*In All-Star Mode, the order of characters fought is now based upon the character's personal first appearance.
*[[Shield]]s now take 19% more damage from attacks, rather than 30% less. As of update [[1.1.1]], [[shield stun]] has been significantly increased, making [[out of shield]] options less reliable; thus, shields are much more fragile than in ''Brawl''.
**All-Star Mode is also now available from the start of the game, unlike ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', where it had to be unlocked by unlocking every character.
*Much like in ''SSB'' and ''Melee'', when having their shields broken, fighters are now intangible until they hit the ground and enter their [[stun]]ned animation. This slightly narrows the window in which a fighter can be attacked when their shield is broken, as well as making it impossible to use windboxes to push opponents offstage while falling to the ground to be stunned. However, it also prevents players from saving teammates who are tumbling to their death due to being forced over the ledge when their shield broke.
*If a character runs off an edge and takes no action before landing on another platform, they will immediately continue running once they hit the ground. This is accompanied by a new "rolling" animation as they run off edges.
*When a fighter's shield is hit when they are right on the ledge, they are no longer guaranteed to be [[Edge slipping|pushed off the ledge]] and put into [[tumble]], and instead the attack must be sufficiently strong enough to push the shielding player with enough force to trigger a ledge slip.
*When a Shooting Type item ([[Ray Gun]], [[Super Scope]], etc.) runs out of ammo, the player can press the attack button again to immediately dispose of the item, as opposed to previous games where they had to press the grab button to let go, and pressing the attack button would result in them replicating the motion of using the weapon though nothing would come out.
*Attempting to land with an [[air dodge]] now results in high landing lag (21 frames), but air dodges in general are faster, having decreased intangibility durations, but also lower ending lag (roughly 5 frames, down from 10 to 30 in ''Brawl''), making air dodges safer for aerial combat but riskier when done close to the ground.
*Due to the sheer number of controllers and players that can be present at once, entering controllers into player slots is now implemented differently. In ''Brawl'', [[GameCube controller]]s would take precedence over [[Wii Remote]]s, and would automatically show up in the player slot corresponding to their physical port (e.g. the controller plugged into slot 1 would appear as P1 regardless of button input). In ''Smash 4'', when a button on a controller is pressed, that controller is set to the first available player slot (e.g. if a GameCube controller in Port 2 were to activate when P1 was empty, it would show up as P1 (If P1 was active, but P2 was not, it would show up as P2; if P1 and P2 were active, but P3 was not, it would show as P3; if P3 were active, but P1 and P2 were not, it would show up as P1, etc.)
*[[Sidestep]]s and [[roll]]s have slightly less ending lag but offer fewer intangibility frames, which makes rolls overall safer for quick repositioning.
*[[Careening]] has been removed, meaning that fighters experiencing knockback can no longer hit other victims during hitstun.
*When a character is KO'd over the top [[blast line]], a [[Star KO|Star]] or [[Screen KO|Screen]] KO is no longer guaranteed, as a normal blast KO is now possible at random.
**They no longer occur near the end of a [[time]]d match (unless characters are launched to the upper blast line when [[End of Day]] is active, the only known exception to this) or [[Sudden Death]]; being instead replaced by regular blast KOs. In addition, they also will not occur when a character is launched at a fast enough speed.
 
===Game modes===
*In a similar appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers, there are now two distinct type of [[With Anyone]] [[Wi-Fi]] modes; one called [[For Fun]] which is similar to the previous game's casual-styled [[Basic Brawl]], and one called [[For Glory]], a mode explicitly catered to competitive-styled play. Additionally, every stage now has an "Ω Form," where the stage's layout is altered into that of Final Destination. These forms cannot be played on in the For Fun mode, while they are the only forms available in the For Glory mode.
*All stages now have a [[Ω form]], which is a Final Destination-like layout consisting of a single flat platform with all stage hazards removed.
*In the More Rules section, the player may set how many points a player loses upon self-destructing in a Timed match.
*"Multi-Man Brawl" is now referred to as "Multi-Man Smash". Additionally, the Fighting Alloy Team have been replaced by the Fighting Mii Team, consisting on Mii Fighters wearing black jumpsuits with a white "M" letter printed on its anterior and two white "i" letters around their limbs.
**An additional game mode has been added known as [[Rival Smash]], replacing 15-Minute Smash from ''Brawl''. It involves the player competing for KOs against a CPU-controlled copy of their character.
*[[Tips]] has been added, which appear on multiple loading screens and is their own specialized menu in the [[Vault]].
*Classic Mode has been reworked depending on the version:
**{{GameIcon|ssb4-u}}: In the Wii U version, it's a seven-round tournament-style elimination where the player can choose which opponents they face.
**{{GameIcon|ssb4-3ds}}: In the 3DS version, the player is given a choice of a set series of paths to choose from.
*All fighters now have a trophy based on one of their {{SSB4|alternate costume}}s (with the exception of {{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}}), similar to the "Smash" fighter trophies from ''Melee'', which can be obtained by {{GameIcon|SSB4-3DS}} clearing All-Star mode (replacing the [[Final Smash]] trophies from ''Brawl''), or {{GameIcon|SSB4-WiiU}} purchased at the Trophy Shop for 1000G after clearing Classic mode; unlike them, each fighter have only one "(Alt.)" trophy as opposed to two. The [[Alph]] and [[Koopaling]] trophies can also be obtained at the Trophy Shop after clearing Classic mode. In the Wii U version, clearing the All-Star mode instead gives the Final Smash trophies like in ''Brawl'', making all fighters once again having three trophies in total (not counting Alph and the Koopalings).


===Aesthetic and sound changes===
===Aesthetic and sound changes===
{{ImageCaption|File:Sudden Death (SSBB).PNG|File:Sudden Death (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U).jpg|width1=x150px|width2=x150px|align=right|caption=The aesthetic changes between ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'' when [[Sudden Death]] is about to begin.}}
{{ImageCaption|File:Sudden death.PNG|File:Sudden Death (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U).jpg|width1=x150px|width2=x150px|align=right|caption=The aesthetic changes between ''Brawl'' and ''Smash Wii U''}}
*In general, the game is much more stylized and visually intense than previous entries, with the colors being bolder and brighter, sound effects being more cartoonish (though generally quieter) and many elements having been redone to stand out more.
*In general, the game is much more stylized and visually intense than previous entries, with the colors being bolder and brighter, sound effects being more cartoonish (though generally quieter) and many elements having been redone to stand out more.
*The characters' design styles are more distinct from each other and more in-line with their home series, in contrast to ''Brawl'' which gave the characters a more unified realistic look. For example, characters from cartoony franchises such as the {{uv|Mario}} and {{uv|Kirby}} series are much closer to their native styles, while those from more realistic-looking franchises such as {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}} (with the exception of Toon Link) and {{uv|Metroid}} series maintain more realistic appearances.
*The characters' design styles are more distinct from each other and more in-line with their home series, in contrast to ''Brawl'' which gave the characters a more unified realistic look. For example, characters from cartoony franchises such as the ''{{uv|Mario}}'' and ''{{uv|Kirby}}'' series are much closer to their native styles, while those from more realistic-looking franchises such as ''{{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}'' (with the exception of Toon Link) and ''{{uv|Metroid}}'' series maintain more realistic appearances.
*Some characters will always stand to face the screen regardless of which direction they turn, with the intent of having them face the screen more often.
*Some characters will always stand facing the screen regardless of which direction they face, with the intent of having them face the screen more often.
*[[Damage]] percentage numbers now rise through yellow shades before turning red. In the Wii U version, the numbers are also displayed with a metallic gradient.
**This applies to movement and attack animations as well, often involving them mirroring their stance and attacks. Due to this, there is a possibility that some attacks may behave slightly differently when they interact with each other from different directions. For example, if such an "ambidextrous" character and another character that does not use this feature attack each other, the attacks may clang in a different location or even connect with the opponent differently depending on what direction the two characters are facing.
*[[Damage]] percentage now rises through yellow shades before turning red in both versions, and are now displayed with a metallic gradient on the ''Wii U'' version, with the ''3DS'' version getting flat numbers.
*Several visual effects are significantly bolder and brighter:
*Several visual effects are significantly bolder and brighter:
**Attacks' visual effects (such as motion blurs) are in general more pronounced, with bright saturated blurs replacing the previous game's subtle ones.
**Attacks' visual effects (such as motion blurs) are in general more pronounced, with bright saturated blurs replacing the previous game's subtle ones.
**Most spherical, energy-based projectiles (such as [[Charge Shot]], [[Aura Sphere]] and [[Shadow Ball]]) now appear less smoothly designed and significantly spikier, alongside being more visually intense.
**Many attacks have bright motion trails, making their range more obvious.
**Many attacks have bright motion trails, making their range more obvious.
***In the case of sword swings, most produce "afterimages" instead of being a solid blur of color, while characters with notable sweetspots (such as {{SSB4|Marth}} and {{SSB4|Roy}}) have trails that glow brightly at their sweetspots to emphasize them.
**Smoke trails of hit characters are now thick trails of light, colored according to which player would be credited with a potential [[KO]]. Should the KO occur, the attacker will flash with an aura of their own color.
**Smoke trails of struck characters are now thick trails of light, which become more prominent with higher amounts of knockback and are colored according to which player would be credited with a potential [[KO]]. Should the KO occur, the attacker will flash with an aura of their own color.
**The design of KOs themselves closely resembles those in ''Brawl'', but the soundbite sounds much more like an actual explosion now.
***In the Wii U version, the attacker's damage meter will also show a brief burst of flame when a KO occurs.
**A new visual effect referred to as '''Deadly Blow''' by the game; hits that deal enough knockback to KO the character before they can act afterwards produce a red-and-black lightning effect on contact. However, it does not guarantee an actual KO; if the move can just barely KO the character, [[DI]] can still prevent it from taking a stock. Likewise, there is a small chance that no lightning effect occurs but the character is still KO'd. In addition, the game does not consider stage walls, ceilings, or obstacles than can otherwise change the trajectory of knockback (thereby preventing or causing a KO) when determining whether the lightning appears. Meteor Smashes do not produce the lightning effect.
*[[Screen KO]]s have a new animation in which a fighter flies towards the screen and hits it face-first, staying in place briefly before sliding down. The overall animation has been lengthened to last a few frames longer than the Star KO animation.
*Certain items such as the [[Bumper]] and [[Home-Run Bat]] have been given new, more striking designs. The Home-Run Bat, for example, is more ornate and is now colored to match the new high-knockback lightning effect.
**The victim no longer uses their light knockback voice clip when colliding with the screen, being replaced by a sound effect.
*The echo effect used for [[Final Smash]]es, [[Star KO]]s and the [[announcer]], {{SSB4|Master Hand}} and {{SSB4|Crazy Hand}}'s voice clips are smoother (with the exception of male {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}} when using {{b|Wii Fit|Final Smash}}), in contrast to ''Brawl'' where they had a heavy reverberating effect.  
*A new visual effect is introduced, referred to as '''Deadly Blow''' by the game; hits that deal enough knockback to KO the character before they can act produce a red-and-black lightning effect during hitlag if they are close enough to the blast line. However, the effect is not always consistent, as it does not factor in DI or other obstructions, and does not always appear at an attack's minimum KO threshold. Attacks that cause [[frozen|freezing]] never produce the visual effect, instead, the screen briefly flashes white. Meteor smashes do not produce it until high percentages.
*Certain items such as the [[Bumper]] and [[Home-Run Bat]] have been given new, more striking designs. For example, the Home-Run Bat is more ornate and is now colored to match the new high-knockback lightning effect.
*A successful meteor smash that deals high [[knockback]] will play a distinct sound effect.
*A successful meteor smash that deals high [[knockback]] will play a distinct sound effect.
*Characters now have team colored outlines in [[Team Battle]]s, and can select a color normally.
*Characters now have team colored outlines in [[Team Battle]]s, and can select a color normally.
*[[Revival platform]]s now have a section that changes color based on the time remaining before the platform disappears. This section starts out yellow before fading between orange and then turning red before disappearing.
*[[Revival platform]]s now have a section that changes color based on the remaining time left before the platform disappears. This section starts out yellow before fading between orange and then turning red before disappearing.
*Characters with over 100% of damage now flash red and emit steam, as part of the new [[rage]] game mechanic. The effect intensifies as their damage raises.
*Characters with over 100% of damage now emit steam, presumably to make their vulnerability more clear. They also flash red, which is not very noticeable at 100%, but intensifies as their damage raises.
*In the 3DS version, players can tap on a character's icon on the bottom screen to place a marker on that character on the top screen, in order to more easily follow their movements.
*In the ''3DS'' version, players can tap on a character's icon on the bottom screen to place a marker on that character on the top screen, in order to more easily follow their movements.
*[[Magic]] and [[PK]] attacks no longer have [[electric]]al properties and produce sparkle sounds if they hit.
*[[Magic]] and [[PK]] attacks no longer have [[electric]]al properties and produce sparkle sounds if they hit.
*Victory scenes seem to be a cross between all of the previous three games. Like in ''Smash 64'', the screen has different animations that transition to the scene, instead of just cutting to it, while only the winner is shown in the main area like in ''Melee'', with the others applauding in small windows on the screen on the Wii U version. However, instead of a featureless black screen, the winner's area is an environment similar to that in ''Brawl''’s [[victory screen]]. Additionally, after the winner has been announced and the [[victory theme]] has finished playing, a remix of the character select music from ''Smash 64'' will play (with the exception of {{SSB4|Cloud}}, as his victory theme loops rather than finishing).
*Victory scenes seem to be a cross between all of the previous three games. Like in ''Smash 64'', the screen has different animations that transition to the scene, instead of just cutting to it, while only the winner is shown in the main area like in ''Melee'', with the others applauding in small windows on the screen on the ''Wii U'' version. However, instead of a featureless black screen, the winner's area is an environment similar to that in ''Brawl''’s [[victory screen]]. Additionally, after the winner has been announced and the [[victory theme]] has finished playing, a remix of the character selection music from ''Smash 64'' is played.
*[[Screen KO]]s now feature characters hitting the screen and staying there ("splatting") for a moment before sliding off, whereas in preceding games, they either simply bumped into the screen and kept falling at their initial speed, or tumbled in front of the screen without hitting it. This serves to make Screen KOs take the same amount of time as Star KOs.
*The Stock Icons for Stock Matches are now akin to those in ''Melee'', in which they appeared as the character's head, as opposed to ''Brawl'', where they were merely small circles colored depending on the player. Additionally, the stock icons are placed below the HUD that contains the character's damage percentage rather than on it.
*The Stock Icons for Stock Matches are now akin to those in ''Melee'', in which they appeared as the character's head, as opposed to ''Brawl'', where they were merely small circles colored depending on the player. Additionally, the stock icons are placed below the HUD that contains the character's damage percentage rather than on it.
*Assist trophies and Poké Ball Pokémon now come with a marker above them, in order to indicate which player summoned them.
*Assist trophies and Poké Ball Pokémon now come with a marker above them, in order to indicate which player activated them.
**Additionally, certain items come with white triangular markers above them to make them more noticeable, like in ''SSB64''.
**Additionally, certain items come with white triangular markers above them to make them more noticeable, like in ''SSB64''.
*Some of the more realistic sound effects from ''Brawl'' have been eschewed in favor of sound effects which are inspired by the characters' home franchises, such as the one that plays when Kirby uses {{b|Inhale|Kirby}}.
*Some of the more realistic sound effects from ''Brawl'' have been eschewed in favor of sound effects which are inspired by the characters' home franchises, such as the one that plays when Kirby uses {{b|Inhale|Kirby}}.
*Like in the previous games, each character has a voice clip for whenever they take a fair amount of knockback. Though now, it plays right as they receive the blow, like in the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' and ''Melee'', and not during the knockback itself, like in ''Brawl''. In ''SSB4'', damage noises are no longer based purely on the amount of knockback taken, unlike in ''SSB64'' and ''Melee'', where characters had damage noises for medium damage and hard damage specifically. This means that certain attacks and items that repeatedly launch the character can make them repeat the voice clips constantly, such as the [[Drill]].
*Like in the previous games, each character has a voice clip for whenever they take a fair amount of knockback. Though now, it plays right as they receive the blow, like in the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' and ''Melee'', and not during the knockback itself, like in ''Brawl''. In ''SSB4'', damage noises are no longer based purely on the amount of knockback taken, unlike in ''SSB64'' and ''Melee'', where characters had damage noises for medium damage and hard damage specifically. This means that certain attacks and items that repeatedly launch the character can make them repeat the voice clips constantly, such as the {{B|Drill|item}}.
*Most flash/tint effects (such as flashing white while invincible) do not display while the game is paused.
*Most flash/tint effects (such as flashing white while invincible) do not display while the game is paused.
*On the Wii U version, most stages have constant subtle ambient noise in the background, such as wind (Onett and Mushroom Kingdom U) or animal sounds (Kongo Jungle 64). This is a new addition to most returning stages.
*Formerly a [[Beta elements (SSBB)|beta element]] of ''Brawl'', visual battle damage over the course of battle exists in the ''Wii U'' version. However, this only applies to {{SSB4|Little Mac}}, as bandages and bruises appear on his head after getting KO'd like in his appearance in the Wii version of ''{{Iw|wikipedia|Punch-Out!!|Wii}}''.
*Many characters are much more expressive than in ''Brawl''; for example, Wario now scowls when performing an attack, and in the Wii U version, Wario's mustache and eyebrows now stretch and grow to fit the situation.
*On the ''Wii U'' version, most stages have constant subtle ambient noise in the background, such as wind (Onett and Mushroom Kingdom U) or animal sounds (Kongo Jungle 64). This is an addition for most returning stages.
**Each character's expressions are different between versions, mainly due to processor limitations on the 3DS version. An example can be seen during victory scenes: for example, if Marth were to win a match, he would keep a serious face on ''for Nintendo 3DS'', while he would slightly smile and look at the screen on ''for Wii U''.
*Many characters are much more expressive than in ''Brawl''; for example, Wario now scowls when performing an attack or in the Wii U version, Wario's mustache and eyebrows now stretch and grow to fit the situation.
 
**Each character's expressions are different for each version, mainly due to hardware limitations on the 3DS version. An example can be seen during victory scenes. If Marth, for example, were to win a match, his expression would vary; Marth would keep a serious face on ''for 3DS'', while he would slightly smile and look at the screen on ''for Wii U.''
===Item changes===
*Fighters under the effects of a Timer will be shown with a swirling graphical effect.
*Pressing the attack button on a shooting item with no ammunition now has the fighter throw it instead of firing an empty shot.


==Console differences==
==Console differences==
{{main|Cross-platform comparison of Super Smash Bros. 4}}
{{main|Cross-platform comparison of Super Smash Bros. 4}}
The Wii U and 3DS versions of the game were shown to have distinct art styles from one another in that the 3DS version uses flatter shading and optional black outlines to make characters easier to see at a distance, a graphical style reminiscent of other 3DS games such as ''Fire Emblem Awakening'' and ''Pokémon X & Y''. These outlines are customizable as Sakurai stated players can change the size of the outlines or get rid of them completely. As stated before, many of the stages are version specific, with the 3DS version having more stages based on handheld console games, and the Wii U having more stages based on home console games.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQD1yJinzeQ Nintendo's YouTube channel: "Wii U & Nintendo 3DS Developer Direct - Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U @E3 2013"]</ref> There is no cross-platform gameplay between the Wii U and 3DS versions due to the exclusive stages to each version;<ref>[http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/13/wii-u-and-3ds-smash-bros-will-not-have-cross-platform-play-wil/ Joystiq: "No cross-platform play for Smash Bros on 3DS and Wii U"]</ref> however, one can create customized fighters in the 3DS version using the character customization feature and send them to the Wii U version. In addition to this, by connecting the two games (or using [[Smash Controller|a special downloadable application]]), the 3DS can be used as a controller on the Wii U version. However, this doesn't apply vice-versa, as none of the Wii U's peripherals can act as a controller on 3DS hardware.
The Wii U and 3DS versions of the game were shown to have distinct art styles from one another in that the 3DS version uses flatter shading and optional black outlines to make characters easier to see at a distance, a graphical style reminiscent of other 3DS games such as ''Fire Emblem: Awakening'' and ''Pokémon X/Y''. These outlines are customizable as Sakurai stated players can change the size of the outlines or get rid of them completely. As stated before, many of the stages are version specific, with the 3DS version having more stages based on handheld console games, and the Wii U having more stages based on home console games.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQD1yJinzeQ Nintendo's YouTube channel: "Wii U & Nintendo 3DS Developer Direct - Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U @E3 2013"]</ref> There is no cross-platform gameplay between the Wii U and 3DS versions due to the exclusive stages to each version<ref>[http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/13/wii-u-and-3ds-smash-bros-will-not-have-cross-platform-play-wil/ Joystiq: "No cross-platform play for Smash Bros on 3DS and Wii U"]</ref>; however, one can create customized fighters in the 3DS version using the character customization feature and send them to the Wii U version. In addition to this, by connecting the two games (or using [[Smash Controller|a special downloadable application]]), the 3DS can be used as a controller on the Wii U version; this, however, cannot work vice versa.


As in previous entries in the series, both versions allow for up to four fighters to battle simultaneously on any stage; however, in a series first, the Wii U version also allows for up to eight players at once on a limited selection of stages.
In the 3DS version, there is up to the usual amount of fighters on one stage, with four. The Wii U version features up to eight players at once, though this is only available on a limited selection of the stages.


[[Trophies]] are different between the two versions, with the trophies in the 3DS version being mainly from handheld games, while the trophies in the Wii U being primarily from console games.<ref>http://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADRUqFpGGYsgQ</ref>
[[Trophies]] are different between the two versions, with the trophies in the 3DS version being mainly from handheld games, while the trophies in the Wii U being primarily from console games.<ref>http://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADRUqFpGGYsgQ</ref>


Each stage on the 3DS version has only two music tracks available, as was the case in ''Melee''. On the other hand, the Wii U version sees the return of ''Brawl''’s [[My Music]] option, with a large selection of tracks available for each stage.
When it comes to music, each stage on the 3DS version has only two music tracks available, as was the case in ''Melee''. On the other hand, the Wii U version sees the return of ''Brawl''’s [[My Music]] option, with a large selection of tracks available for each stage.


==Reception==
==Reception==
The 3DS version received positive reviews, with a current rating of 85/100 on Metacritic<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds</ref> and 86.1% on GameRankings.<ref>http://www.gamerankings.com/3ds/632937-super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds/index.html</ref> The game has been praised for its large and diverse character roster, its improvements to game mechanics, and its variety of multiplayer options. Some criticisms include a lack of single player modes and issues concerning the 3DS hardware, such as the size of characters on the smaller screen when zoomed out and latency issues during both local and online multiplayer. There were also reports of players damaging their 3DS Circle Pads while playing the game excessively, and to an extent, the circle pad can easily fall off. The 3DS version sold over a million copies in its first weekend on sale in Japan and had sold more than 9.65 million copies worldwide as of March 31, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/3ds.html|title=IR Information:Top Selling Nintendo 3DS Title Sales Unit|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2023-07-05}}</ref> The 3DS version was nominated for both Best Fighting Game and Best Handheld/Mobile Game at {{s|wikipedia|The Game Awards 2014}}, but lost to the Wii U version and {{s|wikipedia|Blizzard Entertainment}}'s ''[[wikipedia:Hearthstone|Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft]]'', respectively.
The 3DS version mainly received positive reviews, with a current rating of 85/100 on Metacritic<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds</ref> and 86% on GameRankings<ref>http://www.gamerankings.com/3ds/632937-super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds/index.html</ref>. The game has been praised for its large and diverse character roster, its improvements to game mechanics, and its variety of multiplayer options. Some criticisms include a lack of single player modes and issues concerning the 3DS hardware, such as the size of characters on the smaller screen when zoomed out and latency issues during both local and online multiplayer. There were also reports of players damaging their 3DS Circle Pads while playing the game excessively, and to an extent the circle pad can easily fall off. The 3DS version sold over a million copies in its first weekend on sale in Japan, and had sold more than 3.22 million copies worldwide as of October 2014. The 3DS version was nominated for both "Best Fighting Game" and "Best Handheld/Mobile Game" at the 2014 Video Game Awards, but lost to the Wii U version and [http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/ Blizzard's ''Hearthstone''], respectively.


The Wii U version received critical acclaim, with a Metacritic score of 92/100<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii-u/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u</ref> and a GameRankings score of 92.39%,<ref>http://www.gamerankings.com/wii-u/633202-super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/index.html</ref> being among the highest rated games of 2014, is also awarded the Metacritic's Game of the Year and the second-highest rated game of the series after ''[[Brawl]]''. The 2014 Video Game Awards even awarded the Wii U version with the "Best Fighting Game" award. The game was lauded for improving everything the 3DS version offered and significantly improving the online experience. The game has sold more than 5.38 million units as of September 30th, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/wiiu.html|title=IR Information:Top Selling Wii U Title Sales Unit|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2023-07-05}}</ref>
The Wii U version received critical acclaim, with a Metacritic score of 92/100<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii-u/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u</ref> and a GameRankings score of 92.39%<ref>http://www.gamerankings.com/wii-u/633202-super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/index.html</ref>, being among the highest rated games of 2014, is also awarded the Metacritic's Game of the Year and the second-highest rated game of the series after ''[[Brawl]]''. The 2014 Video Game Awards even awarded the Wii U version with the "Best Fighting Game" award. The game was lauded for improving everything the 3DS version offered and significantly improving the online experience.
 
''Super Smash Bros. 4'' won "favorite video game" at the 2016 People's Choice Awards. As of February 2016, the Wii U version is the 5th best selling Wii U game, whereas the 3DS version is the 7th best selling Nintendo 3DS game.


==Trailers==
==Trailers==
{| border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="15" align="center" width="100%"
| valign="top" width="50%"|
===E3 2013===
===E3 2013===
{{#widget:YouTube|id=xvudMu-5kIU}}
<center><youtube>xvudMu-5kIU</youtube></center>
 
| valign="top" width="50%"|
===E3 2014===
===E3 2014===
{{#widget:YouTube|id=oRq5bz6ZNYU}}
<center><youtube>oRq5bz6ZNYU</youtube></center>
 
|}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
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CompleteSmashWiiUBoxArt.jpg|Complete Wii U version group artwork.
CompleteSmashWiiUBoxArt.jpg|Complete Wii U version group artwork.
MiiverseSmash.jpg|Miiverse Community image.
MiiverseSmash.jpg|Miiverse Community image.
Smash3DSTitle1.1.7.jpg|3DS version title screen.
SmashWiiUTitle1.1.7.jpg|Wii U version title screen.
DamageMeterSSB4.jpg|A three-way battle.
DamageMeterSSB4.jpg|A three-way battle.
SSB4 daily image 26-07-2013.jpg|New KO ownership trails.
SSB4 daily image 26-07-2013.jpg|New KO ownership trails.
Fox and Toon Link "Strong Blow" Effect.jpeg|An image showing the new visual indication of an especially powerful blow.
Fox and Toon Link "Strong Blow" Effect.jpeg|An image showing the new visual indication of an especially powerful blow.
Smash 4 - Fox's finishing jab.jpeg|The "finishing move" of Fox's consecutive jab.
Smash 4 - Fox's finishing jab.jpeg|The "finishing move" of Fox's consecutive jab.
Smash4 - First Three New Characters.jpg|The first three confirmed newcomers.
Smash4 - First Three New Characters.jpg|The first three confirmed newcomers
SSB4 3DS outline comparison.jpg|The difference between outlines being set off and on in the 3DS version.
SSB4 3DS outline comparison.jpg|The difference between outlines being set off and on in the 3DS version.
SSB4 - Team Outlines.jpg|The new Team Battle outlines.
SSB4 - Team Outlines.jpg|The new Team Battle outlines.
Line 283: Line 217:
Duck Hunt poster.jpg|Official illustration of Duck Hunt.
Duck Hunt poster.jpg|Official illustration of Duck Hunt.
Ryu Poster.jpg|Official illustration of Ryu.
Ryu Poster.jpg|Official illustration of Ryu.
Cloud poster.jpg|Official illustration of Cloud.
Corrin poster.jpg|Official illustration of Corrin.
Bayonetta poster.jpg|Official illustration of Bayonetta.
Zero Suit Samus Zeroes In.png|Splash art of Zero Suit Samus.
Sheik Appears on the Scene.png|Splash art of Sheik.
Yoshi Rolls into Battle.png|Splash art of Yoshi.
Charizard Fires It Up.png|Splash art of Charizard.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Villager.png|Splash art of Villager.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Villager.png|Splash art of Villager.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Mega Man.png|Splash art of Mega Man.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Mega Man.png|Splash art of Mega Man.
SSB4_WiiFitTrainerNoBoard_SplashArt.png|Splash art of Wii Fit Trainer.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Wii Fit Trainer.png|Splash art of Wii Fit Trainer.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Rosalina.png|Splash art of Rosalina & Luma.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Rosalina.png|Splash art of Rosalina & Luma.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Little Mac.png|Splash art of Little Mac.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Little Mac.png|Splash art of Little Mac.
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SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Bowser Jr..PNG|Splash art of Bowser Jr.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Bowser Jr..PNG|Splash art of Bowser Jr.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Duck Hunt.jpg|Splash art of Duck Hunt.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Duck Hunt.jpg|Splash art of Duck Hunt.
Mewtwoisontheway.png|Mewtwo teaser.
SSB4 Fighter Introduction Mewtwo.png|Splash art of Mewtwo.
SSB4 Lucas SplashArt.jpg|Splash art of Lucas.
SSB4 Roy SplashArt.png|Splash art of Roy.
SSB4 Ryu SplashArt.png|Splash art of Ryu.
SSB4 Ryu SplashArt.png|Splash art of Ryu.
SSB4 CloudSplashArt.png|Splash art of Cloud.
SSB4 CloudSplashArt.png|Splash art of Cloud.
SSB4 Corrin SplashArt.png|Splash art of Corrin.
SSB4 Bayonetta SplashArt.png|Splash art of Bayonetta.
Lincoln ssb4.png|Splash art of a Mii Gunner, based on {{Iw|wikipedia|Abraham Lincoln}}.
Lincoln ssb4.png|Splash art of a Mii Gunner, based on {{Iw|wikipedia|Abraham Lincoln}}.
Elijah wood ssb4.png|Splash art of a Mii Swordfighter, based on {{Iw|wikipedia|Elijah Wood}}.
Elijah wood ssb4.png|Splash art of a Mii Swordfighter, based on {{Iw|wikipedia|Elijah Wood}}.
Line 318: Line 239:
SSB4 - AKB48 Intro 02.jpg|Japanese splash art of a Mii Swordfighter, based on {{Iw|wikipedia|Yuki Kashiwagi}} of AKB48.
SSB4 - AKB48 Intro 02.jpg|Japanese splash art of a Mii Swordfighter, based on {{Iw|wikipedia|Yuki Kashiwagi}} of AKB48.
SSB4 - AKB48 Intro 03.jpg|Japanese splash art of a Mii Gunner, based on {{Iw|wikipedia|Minami Takahashi}} of AKB48.
SSB4 - AKB48 Intro 03.jpg|Japanese splash art of a Mii Gunner, based on {{Iw|wikipedia|Minami Takahashi}} of AKB48.
SSB4 Geno SplashArt.png|Splash art of the [[Geno]] Mii Gunner costume.
Zero Suit Samus Zeroes In.png|Splash art of Zero Suit Samus.
SSB4 Cast AKB48trailer.png|Characters from the {{Iw|wikipedia|AKB48}} trailer.
Sheik Appears on the Scene.png|Splash art of Sheik.
Yoshi Rolls into Battle.png|Splash art of Yoshi.
Charizard Fires It Up.png|Splash art of Charizard.
Mewtwoisontheway.png|Mewtwo teaser.
SSB4 Fighter Introduction Mewtwo.png|Splash art of Mewtwo.
SSB4 Lucas SplashArt.jpg|Splash art of Lucas.
SSB4 Roy SplashArt.png|Splash art of Roy.
SSB4 Cast AKB48trailer.png|Characters from the {{Iw|wikipedia|AKB48}} Trailer.
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' introduces the [[Mii Fighter]]s, making it the first game in the series to have normally playable characters representing the ''Super Smash Bros.'' universe.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' is the only game in the series not to include a new {{uv|The Legend of Zelda}} or {{uv|Star Fox}} character.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' is the only game in the series to:
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' is the only game in the series where [[Luigi]] is a starter character. [[Jigglypuff]] is also a starter for the first time, though only in ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''.
**Not feature a form of bonus game in the 1P Game/Classic Mode.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' is the second collaboration between [[Bandai Namco]], [[Capcom]], and [[Sega]], the first being ''{{s|wikipedia|Project X Zone}}''. One of ''Project X Zone'''s co-developers, [[Monolith Soft]], was involved in ''SSB4''.
**Cut all playable characters within a universe, cutting both the [[Ice Climbers]] and [[Snake]], from ''Ice Climber'' and ''Metal Gear'', respectively.
**{{SSB4|Ryu}} appears in ''Project X Zone'' and its sequel ''{{s|wikipedia|Project X Zone 2}}'', and is a playable character in ''SSB4''.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' introduces 10 new universes with playable characters, tied with [[Super Smash Bros.|the first game]] and [[Ultimate]] for the most of any entry in the ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series.
**[[Lucina]], [[Chrom]] and [[Tiki]] from ''Fire Emblem '' series, [[Fiora]] and [[Metal Face]] from ''Xenoblade Chronicles'', [[X (Mega Man)|X]] and [[Zero (Mega Man)|Zero]] from the ''Mega Man'' series, [[Akira Yuki]] from the ''Virtua Fighter'' series, and [[Heihachi Mishima]] from the ''Tekken'' series all appear in ''Project X Zone 2'', the second collaboration between Bandai Namco, Capcom, Sega, and Nintendo.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' marks the first time in the series where long-running veterans [[Luigi]] and [[Marth]] are starter characters. [[Jigglypuff]] and [[Ganondorf]] also have this distinction, though only in the Wii U version.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' is the first game in the series to receive an "E10+" ESRB rating, and the first to be called out for "Mild Suggestive Themes".
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' marks the first ever playable appearance for [[Wii Fit Trainer]], [[Palutena]], and the [[Duck Hunt]] dog.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' is the second collaboration between [[Bandai Namco]], [[Capcom]], and [[Sega]], the first being ''{{s|wikipedia|Project X Zone}}'' and the third being its sequel ''{{s|wikipedia|Project X Zone 2}}''. One of ''Project X Zone''{{'}}s co-developers, [[Monolith Soft]], was involved in ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4''.
**{{SSB4|Ryu}} from the ''Street Fighter'' series, [[X (Mega Man)|X]] and [[Zero (Mega Man)|Zero]] from the ''Mega Man'' series, [[Akira Yuki]] from the ''Virtua Fighter'' series, and [[Heihachi Mishima]] from the ''Tekken'' series, all appear in both ''Project X Zone'' and ''Project X Zone 2''.
**[[Lucina]], [[Chrom]] and [[Tiki]] from ''Fire Emblem '' series and [[Fiora]] and [[Metal Face]] from ''Xenoblade Chronicles'', appeared in ''Project X Zone 2''.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' is the first game in the series to receive "E10+" ESRB rating and a "Mild Suggestive Themes" content descriptor.
*The 3DS version was released in South Korea while the Wii U version wasn't, as the Wii U console was never officially released in South Korea.


==References==
==References==
Line 340: Line 262:


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.smashbros.com/wiiu-3ds/ Official site]
*[http://www.smashbros.com/ Official site], [http://www.smashbros.com/us/dlc/index.html Official DLC site]
**[https://cp.nintendo.co.jp/us/ Official DLC Character Request Site]
*[https://miiverse.nintendo.net/titles/14866558073037299863/14866558073037300685 The "Director's Room", Sakurai's Miiverse community]
*[https://miiverse.nintendo.net/titles/14866558073037299863/14866558073037300685 The "Director's Room", Sakurai's Miiverse community]


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[[Category:Super Smash Bros. series]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. series]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. universe]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. universe]]
[[es:Super Smash Bros. para Nintendo 3DS y Wii U]]

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