A look at how Smash Bros. could work online
Gamedaily has a feature running right now where they look at how Super Smash Bros. Brawl online could work. Dissecting the experience down to three important fields, they discuss what the most important aspects of the title need to make the online roster to ensure the online experience is as endearing as the game is offline.
First up are what different game modes will be available for online play. Now, Smash Bros. is such an experience that it can be augmented each and every time you play. There is a core underlying mechanic in just attempting to beat your opponent silly, but there are factors such as stock count, time, locale, as well as the variants such as Coin Battle, that are really going to be tough to bring online. Game Daily thinks that Nintendo really has to leave all of this content in for the online arena, and we're inclined to agree. Really, it's a no-brainer to say that the online multiplayer should very much resemble that of the local multiplayer.
Next item of interest is latency issues, or lag. Now, it's no secret that most fighting games rely on speed and intensity to create a great experience, with Smash Bros. being no exception. Other games such as the upcoming Virtua Fighter 5 refuse to take their game online because the lag will take away from the title. Nintendo will have their work cut out for them if they hope to provide a lag-free experience. Tecmo's Dead or Alive 4, however, has managed to remain excellent online, so hopefully Nintendo will be able to look to that title for inspiration in how to ensure that the game remains the same online.
Finally, the game will undoubtedly need a ranking system. I mean, what's the point if you can't get into a match and/or lobby with your incredible record and talk smack. The question is exactly how will it be done and what will be the criteria for rewarding players with better ranks.
Now, we're still not sure this game will even be online or not yet, so keep that in mind while you mull some of this over. When will we find out if it'll be online or not? Probably next year, sadly.
