Smash Bros. Wii U--19 Essential Facts, 130 New Images, 4 Latest Videos

Yesterday afternoon, Nintendo showed off eight-player Smash battles, a concept image of a playable Mewtwo, and stage creator details, but we have even more information, videos, and images of the upcoming Wii U fighter, Super Smash Bros.

Copied below are nineteen hand-picked facts about the game, with a video at the bottom of the text showcasing a total of fifty facts and talking points. Also spread throughout this article are 130 new images of the game--click on the thumbnails to view them in full-screen mode and navigate through our photo gallery viewer.

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• Characters: The Wii U offers 40 characters, plus Mii Fighters, all from the start.
• Release date: The Super Smash Bros. Wii U launch date is November 21 in the US and November 28 in Europe.
• Eight-Player Mode: Up to eight players are allowed to play at the same time, with the game offering enlarged stages for all to compete on. This is a single-screen, offline multiplayer option.

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• Amiibo integration: Once an Amiibo figure (sold separately) makes contact with the Wii U's NFC-enabled GamePad, the corresponding character will materialize in the game as a "Figure Player," which technically can be upgraded through experience and become more powerful.
• Online Multiplayer: For the first time, players can team up locally with a friend to compete online with others.
• Online and Official Tournaments: At a later date, players will be able to set up custom tournaments, while Nintendo will also host its own official tournaments.

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• Voice Chat: Players can talk to each other via the GamePad, but only before and after battle, on the Fighter Selection and Results screens.
• Build Your Own Stages: Players can use the Wii U GamePad to create their own personal battle arenas.
• Numerous Control Inputs: Players have an entire arsenal of controllers they can choose to play Super Smash Bros for Wii U. That includes Wii Remotes, Pro Controllers, GameCube pads (if players also have the adapter) and synced 3DSes.

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• 3DS Importing: Players can import custom Nintendo 3DS fighters (including Mii Fighters) to the Wii U game, along with their customized equipment, costumes, and hats.
• Soundtrack Offer: Those who own both the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U versions of Super Smash Bros can receive a two-disc soundtrack of the game for a limited time. In order to access the disc, players will need to register each game on Club Nintendo.
• Mewtwo: This rare Pokemon will be part of the first Smash Bros Wii U DLC package, which comes in spring 2015 for those who register both their Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game on Club Nintendo.

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• Smash Tour: A new board game party mode, where players move around the map, gaining fighters and power-ups which can be used in a final battle.
• Master Hand Mode 1: First is Master Orders, where the master hand gives the player a task to overcome, which results in rewards if successful. The harder the challenge, the bigger the reward, but players can only try each order once.
• Master Hand Mode 2: In Crazy Orders, you pay to enter and battles get harder the longer you survive. Players are given the option to cash-out at any point.

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• Special Smash Mode: Players can customize battles and play any way they like.
• Masterpieces: This menu unlocks abridged versions of classic games which some of the Smash Bros. cast feature in. Players can play small demos of these, before being prompted to buy them at the eShop.
• Stages: Nintendo promises that the Wii U version offers more stages than any other Smash Bros. game to date. Nintendo writes: "There is now an expanded version of the original Battlefield stage named Big Battlefield. Meanwhile, the Great Cave Offensive, based on the underground labyrinth found in Kirby Super Star, challenges players to avoid potentially lethal danger zones--or throw their opponents into them." It adds: "The Jungle Hijinxs stage, based on Donkey Kong Country Returns, features dual-plane battles with a foreground and background, and blast barrels that shoot players from front to back and vice versa. After launch, a new Miiverse stage will feature players' posts from Miiverse, where posts will appear in-game to cheer on the fighters."
• Ridley: The iconic boss from the Metroid series makes its appearance in Smash Bros for the first time, but only as a non-playable character on the new Pyrosphere stage. As Nintendo puts it: "If one player attacks Ridley enough, Ridley will join that fighter's side and attack others. Players (including the one on Ridley's side) can KO Ridley to earn the point for match results." However, if Ridley consumes the energy that appears on the stage, he will mutate into Meta Ridley, and become far more powerful.