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If you’ve got a multiplayer game in today’s day and age, online play is expected. For it to not be there is an oddity, and one that players will no doubt rage about online.

With the introduction of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Nintendo has been including online play in the series. While it might not be the best way to play Smash, there are still thousands of players who hop online to battle away. Just don’t think Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Smash Bros., is going to spend much of his time playing online.

In Sakurai’s latest video feature, we get to hear about his thoughts on the Smash Bros. series and online play. According to Sakurai, he doesn’t believe the series to be a good fit for online play, as he sees the main draw of the experience being the one who stands tall in a battle amongst friends. You can obviously play online with friends, but there’s no doubt more people are battling against strangers when jumping into Smash.

Sakurai also believes that those playing online can come up against some very tough competition, which can cause them to lose confidence. We’ve all had those experiences where we tangle with a player who is incredibly beyond our skill level, and it’s certainly a humbling experience to say the least. It’s not out of line to think that some people will have a handful of encounters like that, and then lose their interest in the game altogether.

Finally, Sakurai also says that the synchronous communication needed for online play in Smash Bros. makes for quite the headache. Titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can use an asynchronous approach to online play, but Smash needs a synchronous approach due to the complexity of commands and play in general. This means online play is best suited to those closest to you geographically, and the further away you get, the rougher the connection is.

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Comments (2)

kingbroly

10M ago

Rollback is a thing. It can work. Don't ask Hirada.


gold_ultima

10M ago

If Fight of Animals can have GGPO Rollback which is free to implement into any game you like, bloody Smash Bros can have it in the game...