Nintendo’s Latest Wii-kly Updates Leave Smash Fans Cold

by David Oxford on December 3, 2007 at 6:40 pm

When the word came from Nintendo that the eagerly-awaited Super Smash Bros. Brawl would miss its previously-announced release date of December 3, 2007 for a later release in February of 2008, a number of fans held out hope that maybe, just maybe, Nintendo would make it up to them somehow.

Perhaps a downloadable demo of the game? They had demos for recent press events and at E for All, right? Surely such a thing would be easily done. Or maybe there would be a super-special update on Sakurai’s Smash Bros. DOJO!! (their emphasis) blog, which is updated five nights a week, despite several updates that some anxious fans felt were lacking.

If nothing else, maybe there would be a surprise release of the original Nintendo 64 version of Super Smash Bros. for the Wii’s Virtual Console. Any of the three would prove to be so easy a way to say “I’m sorry for the delay,” right?

Unfortunately, it just was not to be; the sun rose around the world on December 3rd, and Nintendo went about their business as usual. No Brawl demo. And while a little interesting, the Dojo update only spoke a little about the ability to create a Friends List within the game, to allow for online play using a numbered code system separate from the Wii’s standard Friend Codes.

And on Virtual Console? Not a single Brother to be Smashed, Super or otherwise. Instead, Nintendo opted for a trio of unrelated releases in the form of the E-rated NES shooter ZANAC, which features 12 levels that adjust their difficulty according to how well you play. From the days of the Genesis and a time when the 2D fighter reigned supreme, Eternal Champions has given rise to nine fighters who compete with one another to face the titular Eternal Champion, the ultimate fighter in the universe.

Last but not least, the TurboGrafx16 heralds an E-rated adventure that some may recognize and some may not… perhaps all at the same time. Dynastic Hero is but one of many titles given a franchise which features minor differences between its various iterations, including names such as Wonder Boy and Adventures Island, both of which have already made appearances on Nintendo’s Wii Wayback Machine.

Featuring a cast of insect-based characters in a land known as Tarron, Prince Dyna of Beetras goes to the insects’ aid against the invading forces of the evil Drilkor Empire. In addition to fending off foes, Dyna also engages in multiple-choice quizzes and ocarina sessions to continue along his journey.

So, despite nothing special happening (yet, anyway) to help make our Smash-less Christmas a little less painful, one might submit that there have been worse Virtual Console updates, and at the very least… they didn’t delay the game again.

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