Earlier today, Blindside Dork posted some new screenshots for Super Smash Bros. Brawl in his blog which are deserving of some Dtoid frontpage goodness due to the fact that I really like them. It's also very rare for me to compliment screenshots from a Wii game, but this is definitely deserving. In this newly revealed stage, the design elements are quite superb, really taking on that hand drawn quality of the Yoshi's Island videogames. It's a stark contrast between the stage and the characters, but one that works in that kind of jarring sense.
Take a look at the gallery below for the full range of screens which show the seasonal changes that this stage undergoes, from summer to spring to fall to winter. More than anything, however, pay particular attention to the excellent work that's gone into the character models, especially Wario in the cropped screenshot above. The sheer level of detail in his design is proof that a Wii game needn't be stuffed full of lazy, sloppy, last-gen visuals just because the system's underpowered. A little careful design goes a very long way.
Enjoy the screens below, ladies and gentlemen.
LAUNCH GALLERY (4 IMAGES)
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
6:55 PM on 06.12.2007
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SSBB and Super Mario Galaxy are going to open up what the Wii can do graphically, I think. Looking at the detail and the lighting effects in both games, there are times when the character models almost look like claymation.
I've very impressed.
The only reason I keep the system is for SSBB...
but these screens seem a little blurry in contrast to other screens i've seen before. none the less, the game still looks prettier than ever. i liked seeing the mario contrast of the ssbb model and the ssbm. soo hot, want to touch the hiney (sp?).
And we need Treasure doing some 2.5D stuff for current generation hardware. Their stuff would be a great fit for the Wii.
As I keep saying, the end of this year/beginning of next is going to kick some people up the arse in terms of Wii technical capabilities. It'll never be a 360 on that front, but I think it can hold its own in its own way.
I've said from the beginning that Nintendo's tech is just going to take a little more time and subtlety, relative to the other platforms where you can just throw more processor and memory at inefficient code and make it all turn out okay. (I'm looking at you, EA.)
Mario Galaxy and SSB are showing the world that the Wii is capable of at least forging new-gen graphics. Like I said, attention to detail goes a long way, and being able to use the Wii's power to is potential, incorporating savvy art direction and making sure to add in as much detail as possible will make the Wii truly prove it can impress us visually.
Again, just look at Wario. It's the little touches and extra care that make him look superb, and it proves that power isn't everything when you've got some artistic talent.
still a very beautiful game, and i do want. right now.
Millions of polygons will never make up for talent and direction. A beautiful image is a beautiful image, whether it's photo realistic, cel shaded, a cartoon drawing, or anything in between. It's about style and execution more than anything else, and you absolutely cannot make up for that by substituting horsepower. Which is the more beautiful game? GTA:SA or Yoshi's Island? I go for the 16 bit crayons ever time, purely for the creative vision, compositional talent, and mastery of the hardware.
As for the Wii, it takes years for a console's power to be properly understood in terms of getting the best out of it. Most never get that far before the next generation starts. But being based on GC architecture, a lot of the work is already done, allowing "new-gen" graphics to be a be a slightly boosted continuation of the groundwork that was done at the end of the GC's lifespan. We're talking about RE4 as a jumping off point here, so once devs actually start making the effort next year, there will be good things to be had. We'll never get to FFXIII levels, but as I said, in its own way, the Wii will do well in terms of visuals.
Link
On the topic of graphics so far on the Wii, I feel like they are just as crappy as I expected. The 360's initial crop of games looked like X-Box 1 games, because developers knew anything made with in the lauch window would sell regardless of it's looks.
The Wii has it a little worse, with some games like Far Cry actually looking more like N64 games than anything else. But regardless, it's the same luanch window shovelware that we've come to expect since the PS2 launch.
When we stop buying sub par games, they'll stop making them. Hopefully that will happen soon.
Unless they're announcing new characters, I could care less about these updates.