Rumor has it that Sony is hard at work on a Smash Bros.-inspired clone for the PlayStation 3, and it will feature many different fan favorite characters from the Sony stable. This alleged report spawns from The Paul Gale Network, and while the game is still far from official, it got everyone here at Game Rant thinking about what we would like to see in Sony's spin on such a beloved franchise.
Obviously there would be a few significant differences between Sony and Nintendo's versions, and there are a few things we'd like to see Sony do to make their product as good, if not better, than Super Smash Bros.. There is always room for improvement (that much is evident by the nine things we would like to see in Super Smash Bros. 4), and Sony is going to need to jump through several hoops in order to assure fans that they're capable of creating an experience that is on par with the game they're drawing inspiration from.
While the rumors begin to float around about the PlayStation character reunion, we are still left without any concrete details. That's why we've created a list of the five things we expect from Sony's new potential blockbuster franchise. Without any further introduction, here are the top five things we think we'll see when Sony officially announces their take on Smash Bros..
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5. Expect a Name Change
The most obvious item on the entire list. Nintendo owns the rights to the "Smash Bros." name, so Sony is going to have to come up with an original brand that they can use for this new, and likely planned, franchise. Names such as 'Sony Smash-Up' and 'PlayStation Party' seem like very plausible titles for the game.
Sony Smash-Up does have a nice ring to it too, if I do say so myself. The creators of PlayStation will definitely be working through a list of possible names if the game is legitimately in development, but few people are going to really cares what it's called — so long as it's not too long before we know when we can get our hands on it.
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4. Different Gameplay Mechanics
Smash Bros. separated itself from other fighting games by allowing four-player simultaneous play, and a new king of the hill-esque way of combat. The ability to play with three other friends at the same time is what made the game so appealing, and it's likely that this new Sony-made game would feature very similar mechanics. Of course, Sony isn't going to copy the game code-for-code, they're going to want something that separates their game from the competition.
The end result may be that characters are given health bars, or the game may even resemble Marvel vs. Capcom more than it does Smash. Until Sony reveals a trailer or a handful of screenshots, there's absolutely no way to tell where they're going with this unannounced project. However, fans should rest assured that it will noticeably mix up the traditional formula.
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Continue reading our list of the 5 Things We Expect from a Sony Smash Bros. Game...
3. Downloadable Content
Nintendo has just finally announced plans to get into the DLC market, as well as helping to support third party DLC, with their 3DS — and presumably the Wii U. It's become somewhat of a scientific fact that fighting games love to offer extra downloadable content, and people may finally be able to get that much-sought after extra content in the upcoming Smash Bros. Universe. Presumably, PlayStation 3 owners should expect the same type of service.
There are always stages, characters, and even features that are left out of games as a result of time restraints or further profitability. This allows developers to cash-in on people who are willing to pay for more content post-release. Some people hate it, others love it, but regardless of what you think of DLC, there's no doubt that games like this are likely to double-dip on player wallets. There are definitely people who will pay to download Murray from Sly Cooper - and Sony knows it.
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2. Plenty of Third Party Characters
Nathan Drake, Kratos, and even Parappa the Rapper are all rumored to be getting in on the fray, with plenty more well-known faces from throughout Sony's past and present showing up to beat the crap out of each other. Sony has a very solid lineup of first-party franchises to select characters from, but they don't have nearly as many characters to choose from as Nintendo does for their fighting game. That's why they'll turn to third-party additions.
Which characters they may choose becomes obvious when you look at their latest 'Long Live Play' ad. The commercial features many of Sony's big players, but also a ton of characters from other games. Ezio, Solid Snake, and even Modern Warfare's Ghost are present, and you can be sure that many of those characters would also appear in a Sony fighting game - if given the chance.
Besides, who wouldn't want to see Classic versions of Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot return one more time?
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1. PS Vita Connectivity
This one may be a bit of a long shot, but it seems very possible - if Sony plans on releasing this game on both systems. It's been said that it's very easy to port PS3 games to the PlayStation Vita, and if that is the case then you should expect two different versions of Sony Smash Bros. to hit at around the same time.
The cool thing about the potential for a dual release is that the two versions may very well interact with one another. Maybe there are exclusive characters that can be swapped between the two, or you can access the same DLC on both versions. Whatever the interaction would be, it would presumably be similar to the planned connectivity between Smash Bros. on the Wii U and 3DS. Still this feature would be more than welcome to those who own both versions of the fighting game.
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There is still absolutely no confirmation that Sony Smash Bros. exists, but it seems possible given the fact that it would definitely generate a decent amount of profit. Hopefully more news on the game surfaces soon, but in the meantime fans should be content with the ability to generate speculation on the new game, and which well-known characters will occupy its roster.
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