Today’s Super Smash Bros. Screenshot Hints At 3DS Single-Player Mode

We know that Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai won’t be including a single player story mode in the upcoming Wii U and 3DS entries. Even though he’s soured a bit after Subspace Emissary cutscenes were shown online, he’s hinting at a solo offering for the 3DS version.

The screenshot by itself might suggest a new stage, but Sakurai’s emphasis regarding Subspace Emissary is what’s interesting. In almost every other Smash Bros. screen shot, we see multiple characters engaged in battle. In this one, Mario stands alone.

We’re eager to learn more about the next Super Smash Bros. game, with no detail more anticipated than the release dates. We know it won’t be in the spring, though Sakurai assures that the game will be coming in 2014. 

[Source: Super Smash Bros.]

Our Take
I didn’t love Subspace Emissary as a game mode, but appreciated it for its fan service. A single-player offering is important for fighting games, and I suspect that Sakurai is figuring out a way to implement one that doesn’t expend as much effort as Brawl’s, but still innovates on the traditional arcade mode.