Did Nintendo screw up by releasing Brawl with a flawed online experience?

Iran White writes:

In a year where Metal Gear Solid 4, Fallout 3, Fable 2, Little Big Planet, and other high quality, highly anticipated games were to be released, Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Brawl was once mentioned as an equal. A worthy candidate for Game of the Year...

...However, the game has a flaw so large that it would now be laughable to mention it as a serious game of the year contender.

[Pennywise]

No, only sony is wrong when they do that.

[y0haN]

Yes. That is true.

[Peter Griffin]

when they do what? Ur tryna be funny and ur failing becuz u dont even kno what ur talkin about

According to this clown, SONY is wrong when NINTENDO releases BRAWL wit a flawed online experience.

N4g should start having screening tests before they allow some of these users create accounts

[Bonsai1214]

obviously you don't detect sarcasm very well over the internet. brawl is a party game. more fun with people around you playing it. playing online detracts from the overall experience.

[LethalToxins]

Griffin did miss the sarcasm. Nintendo did screw this up. They could have had a lot more sales had they has voice chat and a good online service. You don't actually need people next to you to have fun in a 'party' game. You just need to be able to talk crap and joke.

[Peter Griffin]

i think perhaps ur are gettin confused at who my reply is directed at. Its pointed at Pennywise and belive me, that guy is not being sarcastic. TRUST me. He's just a troll bashing Sony in a Nintendo article

[LethalToxins]

I stand corrected then, lol.

[TruthbeTold]

there are two sides to the argument. Why should Nintendo care? The game has sold 7 million units.

[ChickeyCantor]

Meaning there are enough people who would play with you in the same room. Although the online part is a miss, it's still has some magic to it how friends come together to play brawl.

[ChickeyCantor]

LMAO, people disagree with me.
You guys don't have friends?XD

@lethaltoxin

" They could have had a lot more sales "
What are you talking about, they sold sh/t loads. More than the average game does in such short time.

[-Angel-]

True, and the game is great, but it's not GOTY type of game, many titles have exceeded it by lengths and deserve that title.

[Kareshi_X]

atleast the game was fun and was a good experience overhall. Unlike a certain war game exclusive to the ps3.

[Danja]

really and im sure you haven't played Socom to know just how fun it actually is..even 1UP siad it's a much better game now..

but Brawl is really fun and even though the online portion wasn't so hott...it's still a good game to play with friends..

[LethalToxins]

Relax, he has two bubbles.

[tda-danny]

And he's about to get one less...

[ChickeyCantor]

Sakurai had the lead and he F*cked it up, but he already said he will do another one since he felt like to much was missing anyway ( due the fact he couldn't do all the stuff in there, deadlines and whatever...yeah right).

I seriously hope it would be more like mario karts system, that one was more lag free, well i never had lag.

But the online thing means jack apparently, my younger brother(18) plays it allot with friends, he even arranged a tournament with real trophies, to him its such a good game. (but melee still tops it IHO)

[TruthbeTold]

He's confirmed that he will personally work on another one at some point? Awesome. I missed it whenever he said it.

[ChickeyCantor]

As i recall correctly, he did say that.

here ya go
" “It’s taken over three years to make Brawl but I actually stopped trying to include new ideas early on in development.

What happened in the next year and a half was that we distilled the game down, worked out which ideas we had time to include and which we didn’t. Sadly, we had to trim out many great concepts just to keep within the time contraints. I had a lot more characters, for example.. but sadly I can’t discuss which ones didn’t make it.

There are 39 characters in the game this time around and just adding a few more wouldn’t be enough to justify a new game in my opinion; I’d have to draw a line in the sand and have a new approach to make it worthwhile. As long as the fans enjoy it, though, that’s what matters and in the distant future, I guess that might be something I have to consider.”
So guys, prepare in a few years for a newer version of Brawl with new characters guaranteed and expected new features, possibly improved WiFi system, it is not yet know if this game would be developed for Nintendo Wii or for the next console in which Nintendo will develop"

http://smashgamers.com/2008...

And as I also remembe rhim say that Brawl wouldn't be made if Iwata didn't ask it at all.

[Cheeseknight28]

Here's hoping that there are at least 50 characters.

Oh, and isn't this article a little late?

[Gr81]

Brawls online should take it out of the running for GOTY. For me its def my favorite multiplayer game this gen by far. I think its waay better than Melee. Plus I haven't experienced some of the extreme lag some people describe. But I'd definitely agree that MK's online is way better.

[Maxned]

Yea this game is my GOTY so far... The online definitely has its issues. Why cant Nintendo fix it?

[razorbladelight]

where all your bubbles have gone? This is by no means GOTY, but that doesn't mean you made a stupid comment, just an honest, opiniated one.

[CAPT IRISH]

I forgot about this game

[Max Power]

i'd say they released the wii with a flawed experience.

[baum]

Nintendo screwed up by releasing an incapable console with an incapable online service.

[Tacki]

Brawl is easily my favorite game on the Wii, and it's very unfortunate that the online play was so crippled. I tried playing it online so many times and I think the one time it was even playable in some form there was still a 1 second or so delay to every move. Unfortunately that was like the only time it ever ran that well for me. It's sad because Melee was/is one of my favorite games of all times. While that may not have had online play... I had a friend to play it with. We were both very into the game and it was great competition. Problem is I rarely ever see that friend now and there's not another person I can play. If the online worked in Brawl the way it should I might still be playing that title.

It's a fantastic game and I'm not hating on it... but I was deeply disappointed to find the online was practically unplayable. I hope that with the next installment they get that all worked out and include even basic leaderboards and things like that.

[TruthbeTold]

Sometimes it even works without a hitch. But sometimes it's laggy beyond reason, and worse still, it's a huge hassle just to find a game.

[Tacki]

Well, I've heard some other people say that too. I don't doubt that that it can be... but I'm not one of the lucky ones to have ever experienced that. And neither was my friend as he went through the very same problems as myself. Oh well, hopefully they've learned and will greatly improve things for the next game (assuming and expecting there will be one). Mario Kart is butter smooth online for me too!

[TruthbeTold]

I've never had a single problem with Mario Kart Wii online. But the truth is, the graphics on that game can't begin to compare with Brawl's, and the raw polygon count and texturing makes a difference. Look at the difference between Diddy Kong on these two games. If I had to choose, I'd take the flawed online of Brawl over the game looking like MK Wii. Even so, Nintendo could have escaped many of these problems by creating a central dedicated server, which a game of such a large user base deserves. In my opinion anyway.

[Tacki]

Right you are there. I wouldn't have wanted to compromise Brawl's graphics either with it being such a nice looking game. And it seems many developers have a difficult time getting lag under control for fighting games. Now Brawl isn't exactly your traditional fighting game, in fact I struggle to really pin down the genre it falls under, but I imagine it's a little more complex than a racing game. Relying much more on quick button inputs. A dedicated server no doubt would have improved things and like you said, a game with such a big fanbase deserves it.

And I hope they do away with the friend codes eventually. At least with the next console. I understand what they were 'trying' to do by incorporating them... but I know there are better ways to handle such things.

But to answer the question this article poses... yes, I think Nintendo screwed up. However, this doesn't change the quality of the game. I don't think that flawed online makes the title 'worse'... it just serves to limit its potential a bit. Fantastic game that could have been even MORE if they had gotten this right. I don't dwell on these things too much though. Just holding hope that they nail it on the next one.

[Bigbangbing]

"Did Nintendo screw up by releasing Brawl with a flawed online experience?"

Yes they did , i was waiting for this game to play Hours online with my friends ... well , nintendo screw up there own (Next Gen Console)

[ChickeyCantor]

What is wrong with your friends to come over?
I seriously don't get that...this game is still best with friends in one room.

[Bigbangbing]

there is some kind of LAG , makes the characters not responding fast , Even with a fast connection , WAY huge difference with the offline multi player

[XCWarrior]

Although the "Play with anyone" mode is scratchy, playing with friends, which most of us do, is fine.

Nintendo's online in general is screwy, but it is not the core of the game. It is still a wonderful game, one of the best made in its genre, and should be a game of the year contender without a doubt.

[TruthbeTold]

When I want to play with my friends, they either come over, or i go over there. I've only played via friend codes a relative handful of times. When I want to play online it's because I want a match at a level better than the game's AI can provide, and it's not a situation where I can get together with friends. That's what online play is all about really. And in that respect, this game is flawed. It's still the best game on Wii though, and I wouldn't trade the experience of having played it for any other game that was mentioned. That's my personal bias though.

[Gr81]

I think the best word to describe brawls online is inconsistent. Sometimes I've had games where its as smooth as a local match, other times its pretty sketchy. But with friends its mostly smooth for me. With anyone is very hit or miss. For the most part though I've had a good online experience. My friend actually posts our matches on youtube.

[Louievillesluggns]

Like everyone knows the online is broken but if you have people friend codes the matches don't lag like the anyone brawl matches for the most part on wiispace.com you can trade friend codes with whom ever is willing and thats mostly everyone there you have better matches then you would with those same friends you beat every time you play them so if anyone reads this and want to brawl come to wiispace.com and holla at me same user name as here hopefully next time they'll use their brain

[kesvalk]

for me, it was a big blow as it's dificult for me to find ppl at my level or better while playing with my friends.

but i am almost sure my connection plays a part on the slugish online matches...

[steveg2564]

I have experience a slight bit of lag, but not much. I do like playing the game with people in the room much better though. I think it should be considered for GOTY. I don't find online critical for this game and therefore shouldn't be weighted heavily in any decision. I do agree with other comments that a MK Wii like online experience would be a plus. I never have a problem with MK Wii online.

It would be interesting to see what types of connections people are using, especially those having the most problems. I have a cable modem and rarely have an issue. I do realize that it depends upon how many people share the cable connection in the vicinity, so it may very well be not all that good of an indicator.

[gaznutta]

I use the free version of sky broadband which is supposed to be slowest and my Brawl runs perfectly. I have found a match every time and usually within 2-3 minutes.

The lag you mention can easily be avoided by leaving connection then re-connecting to the server, your fists will soon be flying so much faster!

If there are no available players in normal mode, hit melee play for a few minutes and then you will soon notice players everywhere after.

[TruthbeTold]

I'm sure that there must be tons of tips like this to help out our online Brawl experience, but Where's Nintendo to offer such information? They just don't care. That would be the least they could do you know?

[dib8rman]

I've already spent over 500 hours on brawl... I haven't done that with any console game outside of PSU and Melee and Smash Bros and the Kart Series.

PSU is a mmo though...

GOTY though... doesn't matter if your having fun.. the only people who should care about such things are the developers I guess... consumers should be caring more about the games they enjoy.

[Xander-RKoS]

I don't get why this article is out now? Most people who have Brawl already know of this problem and it really was one of Nintendo's first online experiences. I have a ton of people on my friend list that I have blue or green connections with. Hopefully, with the next smash, they'll use servers like Mario Kart instead of direct connections.

[TruthbeTold]

With the recent release of Little Big Planet and Fable 2, for the most part it wraps up the release of this year's contenders for Game of the Year. The year will end soon, nominations will be made. People thinking of such things are reminded of how much differently they felt about brawl 8 months ago when the full extent of the online flaws were unknown, and what that means now for its GotY chances.

[M_Prime]

well online ain't great in BRAWL thats for sure but in ALL FIGHTING GAMES LAG SUCKS!.. its well known.. these are games with timing.. and you can't have any lag.. unlike a driving game where it predicts in a way where you will be and lag can be tossed out (so if 1 person lags the rest can still play easy) in a fighting game its not the case especially one with so much going on at once.. its crazy.. and its is all about connection.. when i play with a guy in NYC (i'm in Toronto) we have NO LAG and its like hes in the same room.. its the random games that suck cause people have crap connections out there.

Never expected Brawl online to be awsome but i wish there was a lobby system at least.. yes make it random but i want to see the connections of everyone.. and then i can find a room thats all GREEN and presto!.. its the RANDOM part that sucks.. though i do like the DAILY STAGE, keeps things fresh and there were some i liked so much i built them myself..

but Mario Kart online is the best by far.. pick up and play, me and my GF play online all the time. but now we are playing GH:world tour and the online there isn't bad. though its hard to find a FULL band.. usually they just partner us with 1 other person..

[lewis]

no they didnt screw up.

[dib8rman]

Development side Brawl shouldn't claim this prize and neither should LBP and many of the mentioned games.

Halo shouldn't have gotten it last year either but it did.

Brawl didn't present any new real ideas, the core mechanics of the game was redone (for better or worse) and characters added, the game had a series of other games and the music was well put together.

LBP has an awesome Narrator decent but repetative music and shallow game play . The online component requires usage by SOMEONE of the level editor and that in itself in not impressive or innovative at all.

"Now-a-days you can take a sh*t in the bucket and call it innovation."

[Gr81]

Most of the posts here, I think connection is important also. But for me, this game deserves GOTY. I've been loving the game for damn near 9 months now and still find it enjoyable.