Super Smash Bros. has been a major success for Nintendo. It's rare to see a game released on two separate consoles do so well, but Super Smash Bros. went on to be one of Nintendo's most popular games in 2014. The company needs it, too: the Wii U hasn't really had a solid library, but Super Smash Bros. is an absolutely huge addition.
That being said, the game wasn't perfect. Despite all of the new stages, modes and characters, it felt like some aspects of Super Smash Bros. on Wii U weren't given the same attention as others. The 8-Player Smash mode, for example, felt undercooked. It's great to have that many people playing at once, but the stages felt extremely limited, especially since you could only fight it out on a few specialized arenas.
However, it looks like that's about to change: Nintendo quietly released a free patch for Super Smash Bros. earlier today. While most patches are about fixing bugs or glitches, this download adds 15 new stages to the game's 8-Player modes.
The new 1.0.2 patch clocks in a 316 mb, and contains a plethora of new plus-sized arenas for the game's biggest battles. There are 15 new stages in total: nine are completely original, while the other six are variants on the 'Final Destination' level (a fan-favorite for high-level play). The new levels are as follows:
Standard Stages
- Mario Circuit
- Luigi's Mansion
- Pyrosphere
- Norfair
- Lylat Cruise
- Pokémon Stadium 2
- Animal Crossing - Town and City
- Animal Crossing - Smashville
- Wii Fit Studio
Final Destination variants
- Mario Galaxy
- Mario Circuit
- Kirby: The Great Cave Offensive
- Lylat Cruise
- Pokémon Stadium 2
- Animal Crossing - Town and City
Again, it's an absolutely massive update, and the kind that's typically reserved for paid downloadable content. Nintendo may still be behind when it comes to the Wii U's online functionality, but this is a great step in the right direction.
It'll be interesting to see if the update comes with anything alongside the maps. Nintendo has been adamant that Super Smash Bros. would not receive regular balance patches - something that upset tournament-level players, as many believed Diddy Kong was far too powerful to be fair. That being said, it'd be easy to sneak a balance patch in on something like a map update, though it'll be up to the fans to find any differences in the game.
Either way, the update is huge: for any other game, 15 maps would have been split into three paid DLC packs over the course of six months. Nintendo hasn't always been big on downloadable content, but if this is how the company does it, things are looking good for fans.
