Smash Bros Brawl's Pictochat level boggles the mind, but could be better
We're all very much amazed that someone decided to place a level in Super Smash Bros. Brawl based on the Nintendo DS's PictoChat functionality. With its adorable drawings and mishmash of hazards, the PictoChat world is bound to draw (haha) comparisons to Melee's Game & Watch arena: awesome in theory, annoying in practice.
As excited as we are, we can't help but feel that Nintendo's missing a golden opportunity here. If the DS can have wireless connectivity to the Wii, why not give players the option of having someone draw the stage? The Wii could beam a tiny PictoChat clone program to the DS, where a fifth player could create and erase the terrain as the Nintendo Defense Force's favorite mascots duke it out. Please, Nintendo? Pretty please?
As excited as we are, we can't help but feel that Nintendo's missing a golden opportunity here. If the DS can have wireless connectivity to the Wii, why not give players the option of having someone draw the stage? The Wii could beam a tiny PictoChat clone program to the DS, where a fifth player could create and erase the terrain as the Nintendo Defense Force's favorite mascots duke it out. Please, Nintendo? Pretty please?






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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
blehh @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:36AM
i second this.
it'd be more practical to have a fifth player draw with the wiimote though.
velocitystrike @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:12AM
You can't attach 5 Wiimotes to the Wii, though. It'd only work that way if at least one player was using a controller that wasn't the Wiimote, which would be a GC controller (only possibility there)...which then creates hurdles, which makes it more trouble than it's worth.
lol
zwarrior @ Oct 22nd 2007 9:49AM
no the practical item would be a DS. A fifth or multiple others could use their DSs to draw on pictochat while the 4 players are fighting. And if the DS owner doesnt draw anything at all for more than a sec, the CPU jumps in and adds drawings for a base.
Though the process sounds complex
rockintom @ Oct 22nd 2007 10:32AM
FetusMan: Neither is Asshat, but you are one anyway.
DemonGSides @ Oct 22nd 2007 2:20PM
/thread
Purple Haze @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:50AM
Thats the first thing I though when I saw this.
shivr @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:54AM
looks more like poke floats to me, at least in the mechanics
maybe on the stock the first player knocked out could draw in new level parts. Let them have some revenge and give em something to do besides cry
B1gC72 @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:10AM
that would be a good idea. if they were going to do it then i believe thats the best way since when i play with my friends, it's usually a decently evenly matched 4 on 4 as any of us are good enough to win. the first guy out passes the controller and that would give this player a chance to "warm-up".
Kn1ves @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:56AM
yea like i wouldnt erase the whole damn stage so everyone could lose..
Kn1ves @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:57AM
..or maybe trap my friends in drawings that they could never get out of
jorojoserojas @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:17AM
Genius!
please @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:14AM
Wii is going to take a nosedive after this game when GTA comes out
Exo @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:35AM
I don't really Think the same people that buy GTA over and over are the same people that would buy a wii, So really, you are just trolling
Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:35AM
Either that or just keep selling faster than everything else ever has ever, like it is right now.
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 22nd 2007 9:37AM
GTA4 is going to be the poorest selling GTA game by a longshot. It's pretty much a guarantee at this point.
gonk @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:40AM
i'll buy both, i love both
Jacob @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:15AM
Wii Shop and Mii Channel Music?! Awesome.
Lemming @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:41AM
Shit idea, tbh. The '5th player' could just draw nothing and everyone would die.
It'd be better if the level just drew it's own random stuff within reasonable guidelines. In fact, I'm assuming that's how it works already.
shaoron @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:50AM
it seems that the text box (the one that says who just entered)is the base platform...
Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 22nd 2007 6:01AM
Yeah there's more pix at the Smash site. It randomly draws fires that actually burn you, or a face that blows wind at you. And the black box is the base platform for when there's nothing.
shaoron @ Oct 22nd 2007 5:44AM
yep! there should be a "fifth player"...
let's dub him as the "stage maker"
kinda like a "guest referee" in one of those WWE wrestling matches...
wait.. what if the "stage maker" uses a DS instead to draw the stage? taht would be interesting...
GCNH87 @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:53PM
How about Tingle? :P
Turbo @ Oct 22nd 2007 6:00AM
I think they actually will make a mode for this stage where you can use PictoChat on the DS to draw in the stage. It'd be stupid not to.
And Exo - I own all the GTA games and have a Wii. And you call him a troll...
outforprophets @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:02AM
that would be AMAZING
Mischa @ Oct 22nd 2007 6:47AM
Yeah no kidding, why wouldn't Nintendo allow people to draw their own levels???
*cough* penis level *cough*
Jerk Face @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:21AM
I was afraid that I was the only one who had that come to mind!
BrennaCeDria @ Oct 22nd 2007 8:06AM
Heh, that was the first thing I thought when I read this. I'm actually surprised I had to scroll down as much as I have to find someone commenting on it.
shivr @ Oct 22nd 2007 8:13AM
its not a penis... its a rocketship!
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 22nd 2007 9:31AM
I'd like to see the Penis Level on the Smash Bros site.
"What...WHAT IS THIS?!"
"Is that...a volcano?"
"It's rising from the ground!"
"It's a...IT'S A PENIS!"
"Look out! It's shooting white hot lava!"
"If you get hit by it, you'll take damage so please be careful."
Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:33AM
I knew someone was going to mention it,that was the first thing I thought.
rTwelve @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:57PM
Hahahaha samfish wins the day.
unosturgis @ Oct 23rd 2007 5:12AM
wow i thought it was all guys here. who knew that all you guys' first thought is penis! I'd be drawing boobs and stuff! lol
x876543 @ Nov 16th 2007 2:00PM
Obligatory PA reference:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/09/02
Tiptup300 @ Nov 21st 2007 10:22AM
Mine would be the biggest level in the game!
Platy @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:05AM
This will never work ... imagine what would happen in an online match !!!!!
it would be WAAAAYYY worst than voice chat (pr0n stages ?).... and lets not forget collision bugs if the player draw a line inside a char
And it would not be possible to have cool little effects like the wind or the flames or the rollercoaster moving thing
Sir.sinho @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:19AM
Or they can keep addding more and more brilliant ideas until it comes out in when the Wii-To is released.
You can`t have it all.
chris @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:28AM
It wouldn't work having a player be able to draw the level while others are playing. As said above, there'd be constantly collision issues, players getting trapped in little boxes drawn around them, all 4 players being stuck right on the edge of the stage because of an impossible-to-pass wall being drawn next to them, etc. It's funny enough as it is now, don't see why a gimmicky level has to be made super, super gimmicky.
Don't see how it'd be that annoying either, unless it is incredibly tiny like the G&W level it should be fine.
drsashamd @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:36PM
Regarding the collision issues that might arise if people are drawing the map in real time... that can be easily worked around:
Map drawer draws the map on the DS, and then when its complete he hits a button to "send" the picture to the screen. The computer takes the image and instead of just instantly showing up, can have it zoom in from the side or something, knocking any players in its way as it goes to its spot. Kinda like a powerpoint presentation where you have an animation of a figure coming from the side of the screen. Any players in the way will just be bumped out of the way, kinda like in melee with Poke Floats.
Hope that made sense, I can imagine it working in my mind. Kinda hard to put it down in words.
Kevin B @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:42AM
ok seriously. the only way to do this would work is to have an option to upload a pictochat text box in some submenu by way of the wii logging into a room OR random drawings by the programmers, being some of characters or silly japanese things, easter eggs, e.g. but passing through the stages is an option so collision boxes wont be a problem either, OR a bomb will be dropped that you can play the game with your DS. Reggie say it's so! I don't think anyway that you can make your own though, and they be playable over wifi, the possibility of harmful images is quite probable. So if the make your own stage idea is a possibilty, it must be one played locally and not online. But things can still change. And I sure hope that someone high up reads these comments and makes decisions cause what a pool of geniuses and wankers can be found.
phattie @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:43AM
Its funny that they have a pictochat stage but wont actually let you chat.
Friend Codes FTL .. lol
Aberu @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:53AM
Actually, I thought you could chat if you played online with someone who you found through exchanging friend codes elsewhere. You CAN'T chat with random people on the internet. Great to see a game take a stance on all the fucktards and pedos on the net trying to talk to little kids with the shit that spews from their mouths/fingertips.
WutWut @ Oct 22nd 2007 8:01AM
Lol there's something called friends. FCs don't stop you from inviting someone over.
And tbh, the idea of drawing the stage yourself is pretty stupid since people would just make messed up stages and the "great idea" would quickly turn into a great annoyance. It's also somewhat impossible to do on a technical level.
arrrgh @ Oct 22nd 2007 2:05PM
hhahaha but i mean if phattie had friends, he'd probably love teh wii
phattie ftl
phattie's mom ftw
Savok @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:49AM
The problem with drawing our own stages and upload them online, is any gamer given that ability will just draw penises. Not what Nintendo would want.
Aberu @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:52AM
Don't encourage them. Remember the Pokemon battle arena game for gamecube? They should let it be known from now on, after the gamecube, that restricting certain gameplay features, to only those who have like a handheld and their console running together, is a bad idea.
Mr Khan @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:56PM
Yeah, except the Nintendo console and handhelds are both the top sellers this time around
Connectivity would probably be a bit more successful (although it was idiotic as a replacement for online)
James @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:53AM
This could be the only game to wipe out the PC Orange Box from my free time. This level just sounds worlds of fun, especially if they're using the shop channel music.
lol WiiPC.
timnc @ Oct 22nd 2007 7:55AM
I'm tired of reading (practically every day now) of new features about this game. Are we going to get this kind of stuff all the way till it's released?
megaStryke @ Oct 22nd 2007 9:24AM
You're damn right, we will.
jorojoserojas @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:23AM
Yes. The Smash Bros. Dojo website has the director (I think) of the game updating with new information daily. So yes, there are daily updates to this game.
Which is cool and all, since it gets people hyped up. But I really hope they can keep some things hidden until the game comes out.