Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary is a mode in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, similar to Melee's Adventure Mode. It was hinted at with the This world... update on July 20th, and fully unveiled on August 3rd.
Overview
On July 20th, Smash Bros. Dojo!! was updated with a collection of enigmatic images that depicted Mario and Kirby transforming from trophies into fighters (akin to the introduction of Melee). After Kirby’s apparent defeat at the hands of Mario, he is changed back into a trophy, but Mario reverses the transformation and Mario and Kirby shake hands. However, the sky darkens soon after, and Meta Knight’s ship, the Halberd, flies over the stadium, soon followed by the appearance of a mysterious character. The screenshots were accompanied with this description:
In this world, trophies fight. They know nothing but fighting. Fighting is the sole reason for their existence. Being turned back into a trophy, being unable to fight, is much like death. Those are the rules of this world. But...When someone...or something...breaks those rules, the world will pay a terrible price...
The post was placed under a mode referred to as “???” until August 3rd, when it was changed to "Adventure Mode." On August 3rd, Smash Bros. Dojo!! was updated again. This time, more information was given. The mode was dubbed “The Subspace Emissary,” and a multitude of screenshots were shown, as well as a cutscene related to the “This World…” update. In the cutscene, Mario and Kirby were seen shaking hands, as depicted in the screenshots, and after waving to the crowd, the Halberd appeared as it did in “This World…” The mysterious character from before was shown to be one of apparently many odd, robot-like creatures formed from some sort of shadowy matter. Princess Peach and Princess Zelda were seen watching from the sidelines, but rushed down to the middle of the stadium to assist Mario and Kirby in fighting the mysterious army. After Peach and Zelda reach the stage and help destroy the Primids, an entity from the sky called The Ancient Minister appears on the stage. The Ancient Minister drops a Subspace Bomb on the arena, then flies off. As Mario approaches the bomb, he is hit by a cannonball and is sent flying from the arena. Petey Piranha appears and captures Peach and Zelda in cages. Some fans believe that Mario "broke the rules" of the World by reviving Kirby, and this is what triggered the Halberd to arrive and deploy its drones.
The various screenshots in the update depicted a multitude of new enemies, as well as a few familiar ones, such as a Hammer Bro, who was previously confirmed as an Assist Trophy, and Bullet Bills. There were also a new series of enemies that were introduced that are part of the Subspace army. Some enemies of the Subspace army appear to be helpful while other ones are dangerous.
The updates “This World…” and “What is the Subspace Emissary?” have definitely had an impact on the Super Smash Bros. community. Many have wondered whether a fully-fledged story would fit into the Super Smash Bros. universe or not. Others believe that it will change Super Smash Bros. for the better.
Gameplay
The Subspace Emissary mode is a side-scrolling adventure in the style of a platformer, inspired by the Mario and Kirby games. However, it retains all basic mechanics of Super Smash Bros., such as a damage meter, stocks and Smash-style attacks. The mode features a world map where stages are selected; once a stage is selected, the difficulty can be chosen, and the character(s) will enter the stage. The selectable characters will change depending on the plot; a character selection screen has been shown, but it is not clear whether the characters are chosen before selecting a stage or after. According to various movies shown at E for All, if you follow the plot without exiting the adventure mode, the screen will sometimes freeze and you'll be able to select a character depending on who's on the screen. For example, when Mario, Peach, Zelda and Kirby prepare to battle the subspace invaders back in the stadium, the cinematic will freeze and you'll get to choose between any of these 4 characters with a simple cursor.
Plot
The plot of the Subspace Emissary revolves around the Subspace Army, a group of beings with an unknown origin. According to the site, their objective is to cut up the Smash world and absorb it into Subspace, a mysterious and destructive force that apparently hails from their home dimension. They use weapons called Subspace Bombs to absorb sections of the world, one bit at a time. The Army includes a number of original soldiers as well as some from other games, and their leader is known as the Ancient Minister.
Few details are known about the plot so far. The plot will emphasize character development, and will be moved along by cutscenes shown at certain points. Though the mode will not feature character-specific storylines, certain decisions will affect the plot in some places (for example, in the boss fight with Petey Piranha, you can only save either Peach or Zelda, and it is assumed that the choice will alter the plot in some way). The characters form "teams" based on these developments.
Features
As previously stated, the mode features an original storyline with several all-new enemies designed specifically for Brawl. It is also assumed that several new stages, such as Terra Firma, will appear.
The Team update revealed several new details about the gameplay. The mode features co-op; a second player can play at the same time as the first, though the camera still focuses on Player 1, and if player 1 loses all of their stocks, player 2 loses as well. In addition, players will be able to "power up" their characters, though what exactly this means is still unknown.
Confirmed Playable Characters
- Mario
- Kirby
- Peach
- Zelda
- Pit
- Donkey Kong
- Diddy Kong
- Fox
- Meta Knight
- Yoshi
- Link
- Ike*
- Pikachu*
- Samus/Zero Suit Samus*
- Lucas*
- Ice Climbers*
- Sonic the Hedgehog**
*Confirmed at the Adventure Mode:Subspace Emissary preview trailer.
**Confirmed at "Sonic the Hedgehog Joins the Brawl!" trailer
Bosses
Updates
This details the various updates in regards to Subspace Emissary.
- This world... Though vague, it hints at the Subspace Emissary mode. It describes a world where trophies fight (the Smash world), and where being returned to trophy form is akin to death. It also states that breaking "the rules" will have dire consequences, and ends the update with a mysterious shadowy creature (now known to be a Primid). The update features a black background, opposed to the white background normally used for updates.
- What is the Subspace Emissary? The first "official" update on the mode. Over a dozen screenshots are shown, as well as a video clip that shows an animated version of the screenshots in This World. The update lays out the basics of SE, with the plot focusing on character development and moved along by quick cutscenes.
- The Subspace Army. Properly introduces the Subspace Army, including the Primids, the grunts of the Army, and the Ancient Minister, its leader. A video clip included with the update shows a Subspace Bomb, Mario being knocked away by a cannonball, and Petey Piranha trapping the two princesses in cages, leaving Kirby to fight by himself.
- Petey Piranha A character description of Petey Piranha, who appears to be a boss character. Petey cannot be directly defeated; instead, Kirby must damage the cages trapping the princesses. Only one of the princess can be rescued, as the Subspace Bomb's timer apparently forces Kirby and the rescued princess to escape.
- Pit's Descent A video clip showcasing Pit's entry into SE. From a temple in Skyworld, he is called by Palutena, the Goddess of Light, to help combat the Subspace Army; to help him, he is given a magical bow that can split into two swords. He meets up with a trophy Mario in the clouds (Mario was blasted there by Petery Piranha). Pit revives Mario and goes on to fight alongside him.
- The Enemies from Subspace Shows several of the stronger members of the Subspace Army.
- Team unveils several new elements in SE, including a world map, co-op play, teams of characters that join together and a vague comment about "powering up" characters to combat the Army.
- Donkey Kong makes his stand Donkey Kong's bananas have been stolen by a hoard of Bowser's minions. Now it's up to the ape and his sharp-shooter nephew, Diddy, to reclaim the thieved fruits.
- Fox's Misfortune Diddy Kong comes upon an crashed Arwing near the jungle's lake. However, Rayquaza emerges from the lake and snares Diddy. Rayquaza is then thwarted by Fox as he rescues Diddy and reflects Rayquaza's attack back at it.
- Subspace Emissary Movie A Short trailer for the Subspace Emissary. While containing most of the footage already seen, some new things are shown, like Bowser attacking Fox and Diddy with the Trophy Gun, and an interesting team up of Meta-Knight and the Ice Climbers.