Sakurai considered having all fighters unlocked in Smash Bros. Wii U

Masahiro Sakurai published a new “Smash Bros. Diaries” entry in the latest issue of Game Informer. In one question, Sakurai is asked if he considered allowing the fighter unlocks in the 3DS version to transfer over to the Wii U version.

Sakurai starts out by giving a simple “no”, but then elaborates further. He mentions that unlocking characters in these new games are easier than in previous titles, and he understands that players look forward to the “Challenger Approaching!” segments.

One noteworthy comment shared by Sakurai is that, at one point, he “considered just opening up all the fighters from the start on the Wii U”. However, unlocks were left in for the fans who enjoy the “Challenge Approaching!” aspects.

View Sakurai’s full comments below.

No, I didn’t. The 3DS version came first, so the conditions for unlocking fighters, etc. are on the tough side, but I still think they come a decent amount easier than in previous titles.

Also, there are a lot of fans who really love the “Challenger Approaching!” bits where new characters break into the battle. Even if they know who’s coming up, they still see the ensuing battle as a lot of fun. I had considered just opening up all the fighters from the start on the Wii U, but I left those fights in mainly for those kind of fans.

Either way, this is a game you can still play long after you’ve unlocked everyone, so I don’t think it’s a big problem.