Update #114: Excitebike

[Sqrt2]

Especially if you were playing a character who uses projectiles a lot. Although it would be consdered rather cheap.

[wanderingshadow]

I think the 8-bit pixel art is cool. They could've did a 3-D render like the trophy, but it really would've mattered. At the angle they're at, you'd never be able to tell the difference.

[nocturnal YL]

Hmm... pixel attacks, huh? I guess that wouldn't fit in well... And it doesn't look fit to me too.

I hope to see the riders in 3D, honestly... But bah.

[TV Eye]

sgtmajorkururu said:

to get revenge for Mario from when Snake broke Mario's neck in the SNake video yesterday.

Except he didn't break his neck. It was just a sleeper hold.

Anyways, it's cool to have two assists on one page. I like it.

[Smashchu]

parrothead1983 said:

nidorino said:

If 2-D means more and more Nintendo in the game, then I'm fine with this ^_^. A number of things can be expected now.

But, will Excitebike 64 stuff be always absent? I don't mean the graphics, but named characters and stuff like that.

This might teach those people who think that flat and cel-shaded graphics would mess up SSBB.

That question makes me want to say this:

The original Wave Race for Game Boy, like the original Excitebike, has nameless Wave Racers, but it isn't as popular as or more popular than Wave Race 64 and Wave Race: Blue Storm. The Punch-Out!! arcades also starred a nameless playable boxer, but the arcade versions didn't become as popular as the home console versions. The NES versions became a lot more popular, because of several reasons. One of them is having a playable boxer, Little Mac. Later, the SNES version has another nameless boxer, which is one reason why fans of Punch-Out!! didn't enjoy it as much as the NES versions. However, the nameless boxer probably is Little Mac (or just Mac) due to the title being the sequel to the NES versions and Gabby Jay beating only one opponent: Glass Joe. Also, the nameless boxer from the arcade versions got his look changed from his original PO look, to his SPO arcade look, which is probably why SNES Mac looks different compared to NES Mac for some reason.

Or that NES Punch-Out was released on the NES, and almost every game on that system did well while Punch-Out arcade was released during 1984, right in the middle of the US gaming crash.

Excitebike is cool. Not sure what else to say, but it's nice to see pixel. I disagree with you Fry because it just there to feel retro. Plus saves a lot on programming ;D.

[Deleted]

It's lazy programming. It doesn't matter if it feels retro or not--it's a shortcut, one I'd rather Sakurai hadn't made since he's putting his all into the game for all other fronts. Besides, I hate Lakitu's SMB sprite.

I've always kinda hoped Count Bleck would be an assist trophy ever since I first <3ed him, and the main reason was because I wanted to see a 3D render of him. Now that these pixel assists are around, there's just a chance for Sakurai to use the SPM model of the Count. X(

[Wildcat]

I understand Fry and TEi's argument, even though I kinda like the pixels (I admit, I was smiling when I saw this morning's update). The same argument has been thrown at Capcom for years regarding their fighters and recycling old sprites (Morrigan being the biggest crime). So I can understand how it bothers some people. It is a bit lazy.

[nocturnal YL]

Well, game developers ARE sometimes known as lazy. Recall recurring Mario Party games, almost identical Fire Emblem 6~8 system, zero graphical enhancement between Nightmare in Dreamland and Amazing Mirror, or even somewhat using a lazier way to make Nightmare in Dreamland than Kirby's Adventure a decade ago (say, instead of programming for a pseudo-3D system they just changed the stage)...

I guess the use of pixel art as an excuse to be lazy is acceptable. Still, I guess I'll like 3D graphics more.

[Arcadenik]

You want to talk about lazy programming? I daresay the clones in Melee are the worst form of lazy programming!

Just copy and paste the moveset codes and just change the variables to make clones better or worse than the originals.

And besides the sprites, may they be lazy programming, still give out that retro feeling considering this is yet another testament to Nintendo's history.

[Fryguy64]

But wouldn't Excitebike have still been retro even if it had been rendered? I mean, loads of tiny rendered bikers driving around smashing out people's knees? It has the same effect (hilarity), but it doesn't look lazy or lame.

Of course, it's probably just to prevent slowdown. A lot of Excitebikers turn up, after all.

And Lakitu was just extra lazy. I mean... he's going to have to drop a LOT of Spinies to justify being sprite artwork.

I like sprites, but I don't want them in my Smash, dammit!

[Johans Nidorino]

This update is one of those things whose reason we will never know unless it appears in interviews or something. Because it could also be for literal retro purposes, and also because they gave more disk storage priority to the lot of other things the game will have.

Hmm... Does anybody think this is any different than the Andross Assist Trophy? And why?

[Arcadenik]

Good point. Andross is clearly based from his SNES look. So what makes him any special? Even the SNES game had Andross looking 3D just like his AT in Brawl... So I could argue that Andross was ripped straight from the SNES game.

[8bitretroshit]

It's exactly like Andross as in that the 8-bit form of Lakitu is more memorable. 3D spinies and all would look pretty, but that 8-bit face of his reminds me of those levels where he made me hurry up and I'd end up running into a pit.

Lakitu is going to continue to ruin my life even in this game

[Manspeed]

I just wonder why they made him a sprite yet they used a full model for Hammer Bro. Disk space, my arse.

[Arcadenik]

Or maybe Sakurai just wanted to have them look like that even with plenty of space on the disk? Have you thought about that?