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Where's our Super Smash Bros. for Wii U review?

Right about now, reviews for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U should be hitting a number of gaming websites. So where's ours?

Ozzie Mejia

November 19, 2014 9:00 AM

Right about now, reviews for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U should be going up throughout various gaming websites. So our audience may be asking: Where's the Shacknews review? The answer for that is very simple: the game's online component is not ready at this time.

Anyone who has played Super Smash Bros. Brawl recalls that the game's online component was a major issue and one that largely dragged down the overall experience. When combined with the fact that the online for Super Smash Bros. for 3DS started off with its own set of problems (as indicated by our review), Shacknews has made the judgement call to hold off on our review for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U until we could take our copy of the game online.

Look for our full Super Smash Bros. for Wii U review to go up Friday morning. In the meantime, the Shacknews video crew has their own copy of the game ready to check out. Watch them play through the game on our Twitch channel.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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November 19, 2014 9:00 AM

Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Where's our Super Smash Bros. for Wii U review?
- rtrson
  
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  November 19, 2014 5:30 PM
  
  I find it hard to believe that no one wants to post any sort of opinions or review of the game thus far and just leave off a score and disclaimer it with "online mode not played yet". Because let's be honest, you already know what kind of game you have there. And it's realistic to say if the online is great, it gets score X, if it's hit or miss, it gets score Y, or if it's terrible, it gets score Z. Most traditional smash will agree that playing together in the same room will be the preferred method of multiplayer anyway. Will they still play online? Maybe. But online mode isn't like some huge deal breaker. Given N's rep on online game, I think expectations won't be high. So there's only opportunity for upside.
  - LoioshDwaggie
    
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    November 19, 2014 5:32 PM
    
    It's the responsible thing to do for a site to wait for a service to be avaliable before committing a review score. GTA V, Sim City, Diablo 3, and any MMO are examples of this.
    
    It's a major component of the game. You may not feel so, but others, like myself, do.
    - OzzieMejia
      
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      November 19, 2014 5:37 PM
      
      Normally, online services are available ahead of time, but the fact that Nintendo is literally waiting until the moment the game launches to flip the switch might be a red flag.
      - capt tripps
        
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        November 19, 2014 5:42 PM
        
        Or streaming concerns. They seem to be sensitive to such things.
      - Haxim
        
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        November 19, 2014 5:44 PM
        
        Couldn't you at least post some impressions of the singleplayer without calling it a review and post a proper one including the online component later?
        
        Haxim
        
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        November 19, 2014 5:48 PM
        
        I mean big N is serving you up twice as many page hits as you'd normally get from a game on a silver platter (check back for our full review when online services are available!) and you're just throwing it in the garbage.
        
        David Craddock
        
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        November 19, 2014 7:48 PM
        
        This. Just mark the review as "in progress." Shack is giving clicks to sites that don't need them.
    - rtrson
      
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      November 19, 2014 7:46 PM
      
      If it sucks online, I won't be surprised. If it's good, I'll be impressed. Like I said, there's nothing but an opportunity for upside in my opinion. A game like smash will never be popular on a competitive level online. And I'm not talking tournament crowd, I mean just people who wanna have a legit battle. I don't want to beat someone or lose to someone cuz there was a momentary lag spike.
  - sogelegos
    
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    November 19, 2014 5:58 PM
    
    I find it particularly odd that Polygon is taking the same approach. They have and will continue to update review scores based on changes. They could have easily thrown up a review with a disclaimer, the posted a multiplayer update.
    - pgharavi
      
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      November 19, 2014 6:04 PM
      
      They dropped Halo from a 9.5 to 8 bcs of the online problems and lack of female or LGBT Master Chiefs.
- Junktown
  
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  November 19, 2014 6:02 PM
  
  With all of the technical disasters we're seeing on release lately, this seems very prudent.
- RikiTiki2
  
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  November 19, 2014 7:52 PM
  
  How do you guys feel about the game, online notwithstanding?
  - OzzieMejia
    
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    November 19, 2014 9:30 PM
    
    Quite honestly, I'm enjoying the hell out of it. A huge step up from Brawl.
- the man with the briefcase
  
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  November 19, 2014 9:52 PM
  
  Hold the line, Ozzie!
  - pgharavi
    
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    November 19, 2014 10:44 PM
    
    I smell a nuke!
- [deleted] 1439419585
  
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  November 20, 2014 12:30 AM
  
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