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After seeing how popular Super Smash Bros. has become on the tournament scene, Nintendo has really started embracing the community that surrounds its popular 4-player fighting game. The company confirmed earlier this year that it would be hosting a Super Smash Bros. Invitational — marking the first time in history that the Japanese gaming giant will sponsor or support the game from a competitive standpoint.

While that in and of itself is a huge step for competitive fans, Nintendo has now confirmed another major aspect of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U that gamers have been clamouring for.

Taking to Twitter, Nintendo of America announced that wired controllers will be an option for Super Smash Bros. players on Wii U in the form of the beloved GameCube controller. That's right, the controller that just doesn't want to die will be compatible with the Wii U via a new peripheral that plugs into the USB port of the console. Furthermore, a total of four controllers can be docked into the unit, which will allow a couch full of fight fans to partake in the Nintendo free-for-all with minimal lag.

The premise of a wired controller has been something of a hot topic with competitive players as of late, so this announcement should begin building up their excitement for the title. Neither a price point or a release date have been announced for the add-on, however, but it wouldn't be bizarre to suggest that it'll arrive around the same time as Super Smash Bros. on Wii U.

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While the Cube controller news is substantial for fans, Nintendo also announced the lineup of players that'll be participating in the E3 2014 Super Smash Bros. Invitational. The list of Smashers is missing a few major faces (specifically Mew2King and MaNgO), but gamers that plan on attending the event should still be in for a treat. Additionally, Geoff Keighley will be hosting the tournament, while some well-known announcers from the tournament scene will be providing commentary.

A list of characters that will be playable during the tournament (and likely the Best Buy demos across North America), and it'll feature a grand total of 20 combatants. The tournament roster includes the following:

  • Little Mac
  • Zero Suit Samus
  • Bowser
  • Wii Fit Trainer
  • Marth
  • Mega Man
  • Pit
  • Villager
  • Pikachu
  • Mario
  • Link
  • Kirby
  • Samus
  • Rosalina
  • Sonic
  • Donkey Kong
  • Greninja
  • Olimar
  • Zelda
  • Fox
Super Smash Bros Wii U 3DS Screenshots

Rules for the tournament were also elaborated upon, and they stray from the norm of standard tournament rulesets. Participants will be limited to selecting a single character for the entirety of the tournament, and that mascot will be decided through a special draft. After characters have been doled out, four players will be pitted against one another in each round, with the top two players from each fight advancing to the next tier. The final round will consist of a one-on-one matchup with no items, and the winner of finals will officially be crowned the tournament champion.

Sounds like E3 2014 will be very Super Smash Bros. centric, and with new characters likely to be announced during the event, fans of the series have a lot to look forward to. Game Rant will be at the show providing gamers with copious amounts of news and hands-on previews, so stay tuned for more details.

Are you excited that the Wii U will no supports GameCube controllers? Will you be tuning into the Smash Bros. Invitational on Twitch?

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Super Smash Bros. is hitting the 3DS in Summer 2014, and will arrive on the Wii U in Winter 2014.

Follow Riley on Twitter @TheRileyLittle.

Source: Nintendo — Twitter & YouTube