Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai revealed an interesting nugget about the Animal Crossing Villager in his Famitsu column posted this week.
According to Sakurai, the character was previously considered for Brawl. However, he was removed “in the planning stages because he wasn’t suited for battle.”
“A lot of people understood Mega Man, but they kept asking me ‘Why did you go for the villager and the Wii Fit trainer?’, Neither of them are fighting characters, certainly. In fact, we had previously removed the villager from Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the planning stages because he wasn’t suited for battle.”
This week’s Japanese software sales are as follows:
01./00. [PS3] The Last of Us
02./01. [3DS] Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
03./02. [3DS] Friend Collection: New Life #
04./00. [PSV] Kami Jigen Idol Neptune PP #
05./00. [3DS] Kuma-Tomo
06./05. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf #
07./04. [3DS] Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
08./00. [3DS] Sayonara Umihara Kawase
09./00. [PSP] Storm Lover 2nd #
10./00. [PSP] Ro-Kyu-Bu! Lost Secret
11./08. [PS3] Terraria
12./06. [PS3] Resident Evil: Revelations
13./11. [WII] Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Super Deluxe Edition #
14./00. [PSV] Winning Post 7 2013
15./03. [3DS] Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter: Albatross no Tsubasa
16./10. [3DS] Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission
17./07. [3DS] Shin Megami Tensei IV #
18./13. [3DS] Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Best Price!)
19./12. [3DS] New Super Mario Bros. 2 #
20./14. [3DS] Mario Kart 7
The latest Japanese hardware sales from Media Create are as follows:
3DS LL – 28,281
3DS – 14,988
Vita – 13,422
PS3 – 9,816
Wii U – 5,329
PSP – 5,091
Wii – 1,234
Xbox 360 – 282
For comparison’s sake, here are the hardware numbers from last week:
3DS LL – 29,533
3DS – 17,602
PS3 – 10,872
Vita – 10,664
Wii U – 5,983
PSP – 5,651
Wii – 1,461
Xbox 360 – 397
Eurogamer gathered up quotes from a whole bunch of folks at EA, who talked about the company’s dwindled Wii U support. One of the more common points discussed concerns the system’s poor sales and overall status at the moment. If things were to turn around, EA would be more willing to support the system.
DICE was also approached to comment on the lack of Battlefield titles on Wii U. The studio noted that bringing the series to Wii U “is a technical problem at its core because the Frostbite engine is not designed to run on that hardware, and the hardware is quite different from the next-gen consoles and the previous gen consoles.” But like the EA executives, DICE mentioned that it would be open to working with Wii U if its situation can improve.
Head past the break for the full commentary from EA and DICE.
Today’s Pikmin 3 Direct will be 21 minutes long. The presentation begins at 7 AM ET / 4 AM PT.
Updates from the broadcast can be found below.
– Game creation involves planning, as well as data and asset creation
– Matsumoto looked up Miyamoto on Wikipedia, learned about tea table upending
– Since Pikmin 2 was released, Matsumoto has gotten married and had kids
– Starting with story mode. Going to an unknown planet, meeting the Pikmin
– New characters are from a different planet than Olimar, though they look similar
– There’s an object like the GamePad in the game. Run into the yellow Pikmin first
– Throw Pikmin with the A button, and they take care of the shrooms. Call with B.
– Matsumoto doesn’t really need an explanation; Miyamoto need not be there.
– That’s the end of the day for the 1st character, Charlie. Here’s the 2nd, Alph.
– Pikmin will be tossed toward the on-screen target. Carry enemies, etc. to onion.
– Matsumoto can’t reach the GamePad with the red Pikmin. Use Z button to change cam.
– The Pikmin build a bridge out of the shingles. Matsumoto gets the appeal.
– A map is on the GamePad. See remaining Pikmin, allies. More Pikmin carry faster.
– Plucking Pikmin has been simplified. Just press A to pluck them all.
– Rock Pikmin are in the game. Blast off to a higher altitude at night than before.
– 7 to 10 min. missions are available for practice. Small Bulbears die quickly.
– Rescue Pikmin captured by a jellyfish-like creature by tossing rock Pikmin.
– Once the time limit is up, your score is tallied. You’ll get better with practice.
– Flying Pikmin can retrieve objects from otherwise inaccessible spots.
– There are lots of strategies to enjoy. Missions can be cleared in about 10 min.
– A replay feature allows you to see everything you did in that play session.
– Games can get under your skin and affect you unlike anything else, even frustrate.
– More will have to come up and continue creating Pikmin after Miyamoto’s gone.
– Presentation ends.
Nazo no Murasame J? will be hitting the Japanese eShop as a Famicom download on July 3 for 500 yen. Screenshots of the game can be found above.
If you missed the Japanese Wii U VC video we posted a few hours ago, then you’re probably unaware that a double dose of classic RPGs have joined the eShop today. Final Fantasy VI and Secret of Mana are both available in Japan right now. Pricing is set at 900 yen and 800 yen respectively.
