Super Smash Bros. Pandemonium

Super Smash Bros. Pandemonium
Official logo for Super Smash Bros. Pandemonium.
Developer(s)	Nintendo/Nd Cube
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo ZX
Genre(s)	Crossover fighting
Series	Super Smash Bros.
Release Date(s)	TBA 2015 TBA 2015 TBA 2015 TBA 2015 TBA 2015
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer, online
Age Rating(s)
Media Included	Nintendo ZX disc, Nintendo ZX controller

Super Smash Bros. Pandemonium (also known as Super Smash Bros. ZX, and in Japan, as Super Fury Smash Bros. or スーパーブラザーズスマッシュ。大混乱) is the upcoming fourth installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games. It is currently being developed by Nintendo and Nd Cube for the Nintendo ZX gaming console. It is expected for a global 2015 release. The game will be rated T for Teen due to comic mischief, crude humour, mild fantasy violence, and mild suggestive themes.

Gameplay

Super Smash Bros. Pandemonium will play much like the previous installments in the series, where players can choose from a variety of Nintendo characters and battle on Nintendo-inspired stages with wild gimmics. The main objective of the game is to knock your opponents off the screen using a number of attacks, including Basic, Special, and Smash attacks. With each hit that is sustained, the percentage meter at the bottom of the screen will increase. The higher the damage, the more the percentage meter will increase. A very high percentage indicates that the character will be easier to K.O. (knock out). Of course, players will be able to customize their matches as in the previous games. Although the game is suitable for both casual and hardcore gamers, the gameplay will be more fast-paced and less about button-mashing in this installment.

New Features

• The Smash Ball has been removed this time around, meaning that Final Smashes are no longer possible. Instead, players will be able to unleash what are called Superstar Blasts, which are extremely powerful moves unique to each character, similar to Final Smashes. Superstar Blasts can only be used once a colorful glow appears around the character. The Superstar Blast threshold is gradually achieved when a player fights strategically, strings combos, and KOs opponents. Superstar Blasts, like Final Smashes, almost always result in KOs for players affected by them.
• Wall Climbing has been added, so certain characters can now grab onto and climb up walls and structures.
• Floor Sliding was included. This new move enables players to trip their opponents, stunning them temporarily, and making it easier to attack them.
• Bubbles do not appear when a character is blocking an attack anymore. Instead, each character guards themselves in a special way.
• All characters can now grab their opponent and walk around with them. However, depending on the weight type and size of both characters, the ease of doing this varies. For instance, heavier characters can pick up and carry lighter characters without any difficulty, but lighter characters will have a hard time carrying heavier characters. 
• Most stages will be fully destructible and interactive. Players will be able to use the environment to their advantage in battle (ie. picking up and throwing stage pieces at opponents, using debris as a shield, etc.). Another new feature regarding the stages is that some stages will have day/night and weather options that players can tweak. Players can even activate a setting that enables the stages to reflect the time of day of their geographical location in real-time. Playing on certain stages during holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and New Years Day will affect not only the look of the stages, but "special events and character appearances" could take place.
• Online play includes a number of new features. Up to eight players now can engage in simultaneous play online. Additionally, matches with strangers are customizable just like matches with friends, so players can engage in Team Battles and adjust other settings when playing against random people from around the world. Voice chat is also confirmed, and players can text chat in the Waiting Lobby when searching for opponents. An online Tournament Mode will be included as well, allowing players to fight their way up the leaderboards in the Super Smash Bros. community, and claim prizes and bragging rights along the way.

Development

In 2011, there was speculation of an upcoming Super Smash Bros. game in development, but it was only until the International Gaming Convention 2013 in January that the game was officially announced for the first time, along with the launch trailer. The launch trailer confirmed the return of many veteran characters, as well as the addition of newcomers Bowser Jr. (along with his Shadow Mario transformation) and Waluigi from the Mario universe, Dark Samus from the Metroid universe, and to the surprise of many fans, Miles "Tails" Prower from the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. The trailer also showcased the idea of destructible and interactive stages, which were missing in previous installments of the franchise.

In February 2013, it was revealed that the Smash Ball would not be a returning item in the game, and as a result, Final Smashes were deconfirmed. On February 14, 2013 a picture was posted on the official Super Smash Bros. site showing Mario, Fox, Meta Knight, and Link with colorful glows around them. A lot of talk surrounded this picture, and the following day it was announced that Super Moves (now called Superstar Blasts) would take the place of Final Smashes. The new Superstar Blasts would encourage more competitive, strategic play.

During that same month, additional game mechanics were revealed, including Wall Climbing and Floor Sliding, adding more versatility to the gameplay.

In April 2013, online play was unsurprisingly announced, but with an array of new and exciting features such as 8 player battles which were highly requested. Furthermore, voice and text chat capabilities, and more options for matches between strangers were confirmed. Due to the disappoint that was the online play in its predecessor, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, developers said that they were going to work extensively on constructing a "fulfilling, lag-free online mode" for players.

In July 2013, there was much hype concerning the Nintendo Entertainment Showcase, where fans were expecting more details about the game, with the possibility of more character reveals. There was no shortage of excitement for fans, as they got treated to a new trailer for the game during the Showcase. The trailer revealed five newcomers to the series: Dixie Kong, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi (deemed Baby Mario Bros., a duo who play much like the Ice Climbers), Demise from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Jody Summer (an unusual reveal, possibly hinting at a future F-Zero game for the Nintendo ZX), and a male Meowstic, a Generation VI Pokémon. A new online Tournament Mode was announced, where players could engage in large scale tournaments and climb up the leaderboards. It was revealed that rare prizes could be unlocked by playing in the online Tournament Mode, but it is still unknown what kinds of prizes.

In August 2013, a picture of a different coloured Meowstic was accidentally leaked, unofficially confirming the playability of a female Meowstic. However, the female Meowstic was officially confirmed the next day. It will occupy the same character slot as the male Meowstic, but will have a totally different moveset. 

In October 2013, after many people questioned whether or not downloadable content would be made available to players, it was announced that there are no intentions to put out DLC once the game is released, but that it is not completely out of the realm of possibility.

(More Development info to come!)

Confirmed Characters

More characters will be announced in the future. A rumour claims that the finished roster will be comprised of 60 characters, however the credibility of this rumour remains uncertain. The character models have a smoother, glossier look to them while staying true to their original designs as much as possible.

NOTE: An asterisk (*) indicates that a character is a newcomer to the series (Does not include returning characters from Super Smash Bros. Melee).

Default Characters

Character	Name	Universe
	Mario	Super Mario
	Peach	Super Mario
	Bowser	Super Mario
	Pikachu	Pokémon
	Kirby	Kirby
(No image available yet)	Pit	Kid Icarus
	Yoshi	Yoshi
	Donkey Kong	Donkey Kong
(No image available yet)	Samus/Zero Suit Samus	Metroid
	Meta Knight	Kirby
	Wario	WarioWare
	King Dedede	Kirby
	Marth	Fire Emblem
	Ike	Fire Emblem
	Fox	Star Fox
	Link	The Legend of Zelda
	Captain Olimar	Pikmin
(No image available yet)	Zelda/Sheik	The Legend of Zelda
	Ness	Earthbound
	Lucas	Earthbound
(No image available yet)	Captain Falcon	F-Zero
	Diddy Kong	Donkey Kong
	Jigglypuff	Pokémon
(No image available yet)	Ice Climbers	Ice Climber
	Falco	Star Fox
	Sonic	Sonic the Hedgehog
	Bowser Jr./Shadow Mario *	Super Mario
	Dark Samus *	Metroid
	Waluigi *	Super Mario
	Tails *	Sonic the Hedgehog
	Dixie Kong *	Donkey Kong
	Baby Mario Bros. *	Yoshi

Unlockable Characters

Character	Name	Universe	Unlock Criteria
	Luigi	Super Mario
	Lucario	Pokémon
	Wolf	Star Fox
	Mewtwo	Pokémon
	Ganondorf	The Legend of Zelda
(No image available yet)	Roy	Fire Emblem
	Toon Link	The Legend of Zelda
	Mr. Game & Watch	Game & Watch
	King K. Rool *	Donkey Kong
	Demise *	The Legend of Zelda
	Jody Summer *	F-Zero
	Meowstic *	Pokémon
	Funky Kong *	Donkey Kong
	Krystal *	Star Fox
	Birdo *	Super Mario
	Petey Piranha *	Super Mario
	Louie *	Pikmin
	Shadow *	Sonic the Hedgehog
	Pac-Man *	Pac-Man

Confirmed Stages

Along with the addition of new stages, some stages from previous installments in the series will return as Retro Stages.

New Stages

Stage	Name	Appeared In	Description
(No image available yet)	Final Destination	Super Smash Bros. series	The classic stage to have an all-out battle! No gimmicks, no traps.
(No image available yet)	Battlefield	Super Smash Bros. series	Much like Final Destination, but with three platforms.
	Ancient Exhibit	Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Nintendo 3DS)	Tons of breakable structures to make use of. Avoid the mummies' laser beam eyes!
	Casino Delfino	Super Mario Sunshine (Nintendo Gamecube)	Fight on the the Casino's massive round stage. When the big curtains open, and the slot machines start going, anything can happen!
	DarkIce Mines	Star Fox Adventures (Nintendo Gamecube)	In this hazardous stage, you'll have to avoid pieces of falling granite and be careful of the flaming circle.
	Fruity Factory	Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)	This side-scrolling stage will have you come face to face with Donkey Kong enemies and navigating challenging platforms.
	Lava Mountain	Sonic Lost World (Wii U)	Players will have to constantly move up this tricky stage, avoiding elaborate trap platforms and dodging large lava balls.

Retro Stages

Retro Stages will take on a modernized appearance to blend into the high definition look of the game.

Stage	Name	Appeared In
(No image available yet)	Hyrule Castle	Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64)
	Fountain of Dreams	Super Smash Bros. Melee (Nintendo Gamecube)
	Eagleland: Onett	Super Smash Bros. Melee (Nintendo Gamecube)
(No image available yet)	Castle Siege	Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo Wii)

Items

New Items

Many of the new items are items and power-ups found in popular Nintendo series games, while others are generic items created specifically for use in the game.

• Fire Rod
• Ice Rod
• Skull Hammer
• Tricky's Ball
• Dumbledang Pod
• Speed Shoes
• Apples
• Hang Glider
• Slime Ball
• Super Bomb
• Balloon
• Blue Shell
• Bowling Ball
• Giant Boxing Glove
• Electricity Shooter
• Frog Suit
• Ink Blaster
• Giant Leaf
• Wings

Returning Items

• Crates
• Barrels
• Gift Boxes
• Poké Ball
• Assist Trophy
• Smash Ball

Assist Trophies

Unlike in Brawl, players can actually attack Assist Trophies. Also, once summoned, Assist Trophies stay in the battle for longer periods of time.

Assist Trophy	Name	Universe	Description
	Mini Boos	Super Mario	Mini Boos swarm the fighters, dealing moderate damage. Players can get Mini Boos off of them by repeatedly tapping the "A" button.
	Knuckles the Echidna	Sonic the Hedgehog	Knuckles walks around the stage and throws heavy punches and bashes opponents with giant rocks. Deals incredible damage.
(No image available yet)	Tiny Kong	Donkey Kong	Tiny Kong has several abilities at her disposal. She often uses her ponytails to attack, but she can also be seen utilizing her Saxophone Slam move from Donkey Kong 64. Additionally, she can jump into water and attack opponents.
	Slippy Toad	Star Fox	Slippy does not directly attack opponents. Instead, he stands around and acts as more of a nuissance, disrupting the battle. Blocks of text appear as Slippy boasts about his many inventions and gadgets.
	Dry Bones	Super Mario	Dry Bones carries a large bone in his hand and hits characters around with it. Another attack he uses is his Shell Spin.
	Amy Rose	Sonic the Hedgehog
	Klonoa	Klonoa
(No image available yet)	Chun-Li	Street Fighter
	Baby DK	Yoshi	The adorable baby version of Donkey Kong jumps around unpredictably, and throws a giant banana around like a boomerang at opponents.
	Daisy	Super Mario	Daisy frantically runs backs and forth, pushing opponents who find themselves in her path, in an attempt to knock them off the stage. She also leaves a bed of poisonous flowers behind her as she does so, resulting in damage to those who step on it.
	Bubbles	Clu Clu Land	If players are far away, Bubbles will establish a turn post and spin around on it, aiming to bump into her opponents. If there are characters close-by, however, she will simply run and bump into them.
	Viewtiful Joe	Viewtiful Joe

Pokémon

Pokémon are unleashed once a player gets a hold of the Poké Ball item.

Rhydon	Cleffa	Togepi	Fennekin
Kangaskhan	Totodile	Marill	Litleo
Nidoran	Cyndaquil	Bellossom	Gogoat
Clefairy	Moltres	Ampharos	Barbaracle
Spearow	Zapdos	Wobbuffet	Heliolisk
Slowbro	Articuno	Scizor	Aurorus
Exeggutor	Chikortia	Heracross	Diancie
Lickitung	Magnemite	Entei	Tyrantrum
Gengar	Tentacool	Suicine	Slurpuff
Nidoqueen	Meowth	Lugia	Espurr
Cubone	Gloom	Ho-Oh	Pancham
Arcanine	Charmander	Celebi	Pyroar
Mew	Butterfree	Torchic	Frogadier
Staryu	Beedrill	Blaziken	Tepig
Blastoise	Snorlax	Mudkip	Snivy
Psyduck	Jynx	Salamence	Darkrai
Drowzee	Eevee	Latias & Latios	Magmortar
Golem	Mr. Mime	Jirachi	Weavile
Magmar	Koffing	Deoxys	Munchlax
Poliwag	Chansey	Groudon	Bonsly
Ditto	Kadabra	Chimchar	Ambipom
Scyther	Onix	Piplup	Shinx